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Ford Performance NASCAR – Kansas 2 Advance

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Official Release
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KANSAS SPEEDWAY NOTES

Friday, Sept. 8 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 9 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, Sept. 9 – NASCAR Xfinity Series, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, Sept. 10 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. ET (USA)

CURRENT CUP PLAYOFF STANDINGS

With two races remaining in the Round of 16, there are currently four Ford drivers above the cut line. Here’s a look at where all six Ford drivers are heading into Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.

4th – Chris Buescher (+27)
8th – Brad Keselowski (+18)
9th – Ryan Blaney (+16)
11th – Joey Logano (+3)
14th – Kevin Harvick (-2)
16th – Michael McDowell (-19)

BUESCHER ROLLING

Chris Buescher is peaking at the right time as he goes into this weekend’s playoff race at Kansas Speedway having registered four top-5 finishes in his last six starts. That includes three wins (Richmond, Michigan and Daytona) and a third-place run last week in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. This has been a breakthrough season for Buescher, who has already recorded personal bests for wins (3), top-5 finishes (7) and top-10 finishes (13). In addition, he’s led a career-high 231 laps this year and has an average season finish of 11.9. In 15 career starts at Kansas Speedway, he has three top-10 finishes with his best run coming in 2017 when he was sixth.

LOGANO’S KANSAS PLAYOFF SUCCESS

Joey Logano will be looking for his fourth career win at Kansas Speedway this weekend, which would be a personal best. Logano currently has three career wins at five series tracks, including Kansas, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Phoenix Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. He won for the first time at Kansas in 2014, and then did it again one year later in a well-documented battle with Matt Kenseth that resulted in contact as the two entered turn one with five laps to go. That controversial finish marked Logano’s second straight playoff win and led to a sweep of the round as he took the checkered flag the following week at Talladega. His last Kansas win came in 2020 when he led the final 45 laps to beat Kevin Harvick across the finish line and clinch a spot in the Championship 4.

TWO MORE MULTIPLE KANSAS WINNERS

Two other Ford playoff drivers who have had their share of success at Kansas Speedway are Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. Both have one Ford victory each at the 1.5-mile track, but have multiple wins overall. Harvick, who has three career wins, notched his Ford win at Kansas in 2018 after passing Martin Truex Jr. in the closing laps. His other victories came in 2013 and 2016. Keselowski got by Alex Bowman with seven laps remaining in 2019 for his first Ford win at Kansas and second overall (2011).

HERBST LOOKING TO CLINCH FINAL BERTH

The NASCAR Xfinity Series closes out its regular season this weekend in Kansas with one postseason berth still available. Ford driver Riley Herbst currently holds the final spot on points, but it’s the slimmest of leads as Parker Kligerman trails him by only one. Cole Custer has already clinched a spot after winning at Portland and Chicago.

RHODES ON THE BUBBLE

The final race of the first round is on tap for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and three Ford drivers are currently in transfer positions. Ty Majeski has clinched his spot in the Round of 8 after winning the playoff opener in Indianapolis while Zane Smith (+29) and Matt Crafton (+9) are above the cut line. Ben Rhodes is the only Ford driver currently on the outside looking in, but he’s a manageable three points behind Nick Sanchez for the final spot.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS

2005 – Mark Martin

2007 – Greg Biffle

2010 – Greg Biffle

2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2014 – Joey Logano (2)

2015 – Joey Logano (2)

2018 – Kevin Harvick (1)

2019 – Brad Keselowski (1)

2020 – Joey Logano (2)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS

2001 – Jeff Green

2002 – Jeff Burton

2012 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

2020 – Chase Briscoe

FORD NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS

2003 – Jon Wood

2004 – Carl Edwards

2006 – Terry Cook

2007 – Erik Darnell

2020 – Matt Crafton (2)

2022 – Zane Smith (1)

Mahindra Tractors Racing: Chase Briscoe Kansas Race Advance

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Official Release
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CHASE BRISCOE
Kansas Advance
No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 28 of 36)

● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 10

● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City

● Layout: 1.5-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps

● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing head to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City for the NASCAR Cup Series’ second stop of the season at the 1.5-mile oval. Briscoe owns five starts at Kansas with a best finish of 13th earned in the playoff race there last September.

● 100th Start. Briscoe is set to make his milestone 100th Cup Series start Sunday. He made his Cup Series debut on Feb. 14, 2021, at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, earned his first win March 13, 2022, at Phoenix Raceway and reached the Round of 8 in the 2022 playoffs. In his 99 career starts, he’s collected nine top-fives, 19 top-10s and two poles.

● Prior to Briscoe’s Cup Series debut, he had only competed on pavement in 133 races across the ARCA Menards Series, the former K&N West Series, the NASCAR Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Briscoe jumped straight from dirt cars to ARCA and, just last weekend at Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway, he competed in his second pavement Late Model race. Briscoe drove his Mahindra Tractors-sponsored Chad Bryant Racing entry to a second-place finish.

● Briscoe owns a pair of top-three finishes in four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Kansas, including a win in the opening race of the Round of 8 during the 2020 playoffs. He also placed fifth in his first of two NASCAR Truck Series starts at Kansas in May 2017.

● Briscoe won the 2016 ARCA Menards Series finale at Kansas after starting from the pole. He led twice for a race-high 67 laps to secure the victory by 1.464 seconds over Austin Cindric. His 14 top-fives and 18 top-10s in 20 ARCA races that year helped him clinch the championship in his rookie season.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are your takeaways as you approach your 100th start in the Cup Series?

“It’s definitely crazy to think we’re already at a hundred, especially when you think that you’re just dreaming and hoping to get one. It seems like such a big number, but it’s come on pretty quickly. Having a win in my first 100 starts is cool, but at the same time I feel like I’ve given a couple more away. It is pretty unbelievable when you think about how I barely had 100 starts in a stock car or truck before I made it to Cup and now I’ve reached 100 in Cup. I feel like I’ve learned a ton in the first 100 starts and I’m looking forward to 100 more and what comes with that.”

We’ve seen a lot of speed out of the No. 14 team the last few weeks before something gets in the way of a finish that reflects that. Do you feel encouraged by the progress that’s been made?

“Yeah, we’re definitely seeing improvement. I wish we had the results to reflect that, but we can look back and see that we are making progress and things are coming together. We just have to figure out how to close it out. We’ve had some weird things happen, like the lugnut at Watkins Glen, and some cautions that haven’t gone our way, but overall, it’s definitely encouraging to see we’re headed in the right direction toward the end of the season.”

Last Friday, you competed in your second Late Model race with Chad Bryant Racing and earned a second-place finish for Mahindra Tractors. Do you feel like going back to the grassroots level for that track time you didn’t really get in your development is a benefit to you?

“I’ve always said, to be the best stock-car drivers, we need to be able to compete in any kind of car on any surface. I didn’t do any pavement racing growing up, so it’s been fun to get to do some of that now. I don’t know how much I learn. I feel like I do get something out of it just by staying in race mode and getting the experience of racing against different drivers, but for me it’s been a lot of fun to get in something new and run well.”

No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell

Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey

Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Jack Man: Dylan Moser
Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Naples, Florida

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Rob Fink
Hometown: Mocksville, North Carolina

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 09.06.23

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Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: September 5-11, 2023

· NCS/NXS/NCTS/ARCA: Kansas Speedway – September 8-10

PLANO, Texas (September 6, 2023) – Kansas Speedway is the site for all the racing action this weekend with four races in three days.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

200 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins in Toyota’s sights… After Denny Hamlin’s win in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Darlington, Toyota has won 199 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and looks to earn 200 this weekend in Kansas. The late Jason Leffler won the first race for Toyota at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August 2007, while Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 192 of the 199 race wins. Toyota currently supports two teams – JGR and Sam Hunt Racing – in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with five Toyota GR Supras on track each weekend. This weekend, Sammy Smith, Joe Graf Jr., John Hunter Nemechek, Connor Mosack and Kaz Grala will look to earn the milestone.

Reddick off to strong start… Tyler Reddick had a great race to kick off the 2023 Playoffs. Reddick led 90 laps – his most in a single race this season – and finished second to move up to third in the point standings. The California-native led 23 laps and earned a top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway in the spring.

Wallace looks to go back-to-back … Bubba Wallace heads to Kansas Speedway as the defending race winner. Wallace passed Daniel Suarez with 43 laps to go and led the balance of the race to earn his second career NASCAR Cup Series win. Wallace was one of four Toyotas inside the top-five finishers at Kansas last fall.

Hamlin plans to sweep Kansas event… Denny Hamlin took the lead for the final time on the last lap at Kansas Speedway to earn his first win of the season earlier this year. It was Hamlin’s fourth win at the track. He won the first Cup Series race at Kansas for Toyota in 2012, before adding victories in 2019 and 2020.

Nemechek battles for regular season title… John Hunter Nemechek comes into the regular season finale for the NASCAR Xfinity Series just 23 points out of the regular season championship title. Nemechek won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway in 2018 but is making his first series start on the track since 2019. Nemechek scored the victory in the NASCAR Truck Series at Kansas last fall as well.

Heim looks to add to Playoff total… Corey Heim clinched his spot in the Round of 8 in Milwaukee with his 11th consecutive top-10 finish. Heim finished runner-up in the spring race at Kansas Speedway and has two wins in ARCA Menards Series competition at the track.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Love closes in on title… Jesse Love added to his impressive season at DuQuoin over the weekend, scoring his ninth race win of the season. The 18-year-old won from the pole at Kansas in the spring after leading 96 of 100 laps.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

Kaulig Racing Statement | NASCAR Xfinity Series Competition

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Official Release
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“As we prepare to close out the 2023 season, Daniel Hemric will take over the No. 10 Chevrolet for the remaining races to contend for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Championship.”

-Team President, Chris Rice
 
About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

JR Motorsports – Kansas Preview

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Official Release
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JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Kansas Speedway
RACE: Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023

Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBC / Radio: 3 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Huck’s Market / Accelerate Chevrolet

  • Sam Mayer and the No. 1 team head back to Kansas Speedway for his third career start there. Huck’s Market will be on board Mayer’s Chevrolet for their fourth race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
  • The young driver has tallied a pair of top-10 finishes at the tri-oval and holds an average finish of 8.5.
  • In 12 starts on tracks measuring 1.5 miles in length, Mayer has raced to four top-five and nine top- 10 efforts in his NXS career.
  • The Franklin, Wis. native scored his first career pole at a 1.5 mile surface (Charlotte Motor Speedway) in the spring of 2022.
  • With his fifth-place finish last week at Darlington, Berry clinched his spot in the NXS Playoffs for the second straight season.

Josh Berry
No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATV’s Chevrolet

  • Berry’s best finish in two starts at Kansas Speedway is seventh, coming in 2022.
  • On 1.5-mile speedways in his NXS career, Berry has made 20 starts, winning three of them and adding eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes while leading 301 laps. His wins came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2) and Charlotte.
  • The familiar colors of Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER Boats & ATVs will be on Berry’s Chevrolet again this weekend.

Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards/NIBCO Chevrolet

  • Kansas has been good to Brandon Jones in the past as he has secured two wins that came in back-to-back fashion during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Jones has also recorded three top-five and five top-10 finishes in eight starts there.
  • With one race remaining in the NXS regular season, Jones sits 14th in the driver’s standings, two spots behind the 12th and final playoff spot.
  • In this race last season, Jones qualified on the pole and led four laps before finishing in the fourth position.
  • Crew chief Jason Burdett has called the shots for nine career NXS races at the 1.5-mile Kansas and has recorded four topfive and seven top-10 finishes.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet

  • Justin Allgaier returns to Kansas looking to be just one spot better after having finished in the runner-up position in this event last year.
  • Heading into the final race of the NXS regular season, Allgaier currently sits third in the playoff standings, just 33 markers out of the series lead.
  • In 13 career NXS starts in Kansas, Allgaier has amassed four top fives and 10 top 10s, including five consecutive top 10s dating back to this event in 2019.
  • Allgaier owns one victory this season on a track 1.5-miles in length, coming at Charlotte back in May

Driver Quotes

“Kansas has been a fun track for me in the past and I really excel on mile-and-a-half tracks so I am really looking forward to getting back there and hopefully can put our No. 1 Huck’s Market Chevrolet in contention for a good finish. Last weekend did not go as we hoped or planned but I know we can capitalize on everything and move forward to Kansas.” – Sam Mayer

“We’ve been really fast all season long on the mile-and-a-half tracks and I feel really confident we will have that same speed again this weekend with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. We came really close to getting the win here last year, so hopefully we can be that one spot better and head into these playoffs.” – Justin Allgaier

“It’s good to get to Kansas knowing we’re in the playoffs, and we can start pushing for the championship. This No. 8 Bass Pro Shops team has been coming on lately, and with a good run this weekend we can set the tone for the run to Phoenix and the championship. Kansas is a different challenge than we’ve had so far this season, and I’m looking forward to competing for the victory.” – Josh Berry

“Kansas has been really good to me, and it’s one of the better tracks for me that we go to. We have one last chance to get our team into the playoffs and I have all the confidence that we can do that this weekend. I’m ready to get there and to get this weekend going. This Menards/NIBCO team is doing everything they can to make sure we unload with the speed we know we are capable of, and I know we will be good to start.” – Brandon Jones

JRM Team Updates:

  • JR Motorsports at Kansas: JR Motorsports heads to Kansas Speedway as the defending race winner at the 1.5-mile trioval, having gone to Victory Lane in this event last season with Noah Gragson. Overall, in 52 career starts in the NXS at Kansas, JRM has accumulated a combined total of 15 top fives and 32 top 10s to accompany the victory last season.
  • Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer and Josh Berry will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 11:30 a.m.-noon local time.
  • Sam Mayer Super Bigg Club Subb: Lunch is on Huck’s Market! If Mayer finishes third or better this weekend at Kansas Speedway, fans can sign up via the Huck’s Bucks Bigg Rewards app to get one free Sam Mayer Super Bigg Subb Club at participating Huck’s Markets.

STENHOUSE JR. REMAINS IN STRIKING DISTANCE OF NASCAR PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 12 ENTERING KANSAS

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Official Release
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This weekend JTG Daugherty Racing fields the No. 47 Dillons® / NOS® Energy Drink Camaro at Kansas Speedway.

HARRISBURG, N.C. (September 6, 2023) – The second race of the first round of the NASCAR Playoffs at Kansas Speedway is fast approaching. 2023 DAYTONA 500 CHAMPION and NASCAR Playoffs’ contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the team are mentally focused on advancing into the Round of 12. He’s within striking distance entering the 1.5-mile tri-oval with the No. 47 Dillons® / NOS® Energy Drink Camaro for 400 miles on Sunday.

“If we do our job, I feel like we can transfer through rounds,” said Stenhouse Jr. “We’re focused on the first round. We’ll see where we end up after Bristol Motor Speedway and figure it out from there on out. Darlington was probably the least of the best tracks for us. I’ve ran good at Kansas before, and Bristol is my favorite track by far. I feel good about the next two races in the Playoffs and looking forward to getting on track with our Dillons / NOS Camaro.”

Primary partner Dillons, a Kroger Co. banner with 60+ stores in the state of Kansas, has a long-term relationship with JTG Daugherty Racing that activates heavily with The Kroger Co. divisions in several NASCAR markets across the country. Additionally, co-primary partner NOS has been a long-time partner of Stenhouse Jr’s in multiple racing series, and he’s ready to update his best finish of 8th-place at Kansas Speedway while going for win number four with the two entities.

“It’s special to have long-term partners in this sport and a retailer giant like The Kroger Co. and its banners,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “Our primary grocery partner at Kansas is Dillons with NOS returning as co-primary and at Texas (Motor Speedway). NOS has been a sponsor of mine since 2012 and key for me to have my dirt race team, go sprint car racing, midget racing in addition to supporting my NASCAR career. I would love to win this weekend with Dillons for The Kroger Co. and NOS, especially being in the Playoffs so we advance. It should be a good weekend for it with Mike (Kelley) and the team.”

Crew chief Mike Kelley’s driver and the race team are coming off a 16th-place finish at Darlington Raceway. They hoped for more, but the good news is that they are within striking distance of the Round of 12 and the next two tracks are historically good ones for Stenhouse Jr.

“We’re going back to a racetrack that Ricky and I have had success at before,” said Kelley. “We were able to capture a NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Kansas in 2012, and he’s been really fast there in a Cup car. We should have won the 2013 Cup race.

“Last year, we had fast cars in both Kansas races, but some things got out of the team’s control (like a flat tire) that took us out of contention,” continued Kelley. “We were not as good in the spring race as we thought we should have been, but by the end of that race we had good pace in our car. We’re really looking forward to going back there and capitalizing on what we learned. Obviously, it’s put up or shut up time. We’re done talking about it. We’re in the middle of the championship hunt. It’s real. We’re here to bust some brackets and make some noise. We’re here to prove to ourselves, our partners, and our fans that we can contend. Hopefully, Kansas will be a good race for us in this Round of 16 battle.”

Live coverage of the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway starts at 3 PM ET on Sunday, September 10 on USA, MRN and SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio.

Spencer Boyd Teams Up with Twang, Creators of the Original Beer Salt

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Official Release
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Mooresville, NC (September 6, 2023) – Spencer Boyd announced today that Twang, creators of the original Beer Salt and premium flavored salt, sugar and spice blends, will be a primary sponsor for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway and an associate sponsor for the remainder of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. The partnership marks an exciting collaboration that resonates with the spirit of competition, innovation, and celebration that both Twang and NASCAR embody.

“I love bringing new sponsors to our sport,” said a smiling Boyd. “This is such an iconic brand in Texas and I’m super excited to be part of their roll out to Walmart so the rest of America can taste it! The team over at Twang is amazing. They are going to love the race at the Last Great Coliseum and chances are we’ll all have some fun that weekend.”

Twang, founded by the Treviño family of San Antonio, has been adding fun and flavor to the lives of millions with its premium flavored beer salts, michelada mixes, and cocktail rimmer blends since 1986.

“We’re revving up for an electrifying partnership with Spencer in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Season,” said Edmundo Macias, Director of Marketing of Twang. “Just like the fast-paced action on the track, Twang’s flavorful offerings bring joy and excitement to food and drink enthusiasts nationwide. This collaboration perfectly aligns with our upcoming expansion into 3,500 Walmart stores across the country with our Lime & Lemon-Lime Beer Salt, and we’re eager to amplify our presence in the hearts of NASCAR fans.”

Twang’s partnership with Spencer Boyd goes beyond the racetrack. As part of this dynamic alliance, Twang will also engage fans through unique experiences and giveaways. Fans will have the opportunity to sample Twang’s wide array of products, adding a dash of flavor to their NASCAR experience. Additionally, Twang will take part in e-blast giveaways, offering fans the chance to win exclusive prizes and immerse themselves in a world of flavor with Twang.

As Twang continues to celebrate its rich heritage and legacy, this partnership marks a thrilling chapter in the brand’s story. From its humble beginnings in a garage to becoming a nationwide sensation, Twang’s journey mirrors the resilience and spirit of both Spencer and NASCAR.

The UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics marks the first race in the round of eight of the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series payoffs. Catch all the action on FS1 Thursday, September 14 at 9:00pm ET.

Briscoe to make 100th Cup career start at Kansas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Bruce Nuttleman for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Chase Briscoe is within reach of achieving a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Playoff event at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang will achieve 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Mitchell, Indiana, Briscoe made his inaugural presence in the Cup circuit at the start of the 2021 season, where he took over the No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing previously piloted by Clint Bowyer and Briscoe’s idol Tony Stewart. By then, he was coming off a dominant campaign in the Xfinity Series, where he won nine races and made the Championship 4 round before finishing fourth in the final standings. Starting 30th, Briscoe finished 19th in his Cup Series debut despite ending up three laps behind the leaders. After finishing no higher than 11th twice during the first 13 scheduled events, he achieved his first top-10 result in NASCAR’s premier series with a sixth-place run at Circuit of the Americas in May. Briscoe went on to achieve another sixth-place run at Road America in July and a ninth-place result at Watkins Glen International in August.

During the inaugural Cup event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in August, Briscoe was in contention of achieving his first victory until the start of the final two-lap shootout, where he went off the course in the first turn and rejoined the racing surface behind leader Denny Hamlin, thus prompting NASCAR to penalize Briscoe for cutting the track. Despite the penalty, Briscoe withstood his ground while battling Hamlin for the lead and eventually bumped and spun Hamlin in the infield road course turns. Yielding the lead shortly after, Briscoe ended up 26th after being parked by NASCAR, which also resulted with the Indiana native engaged in a post-race discussion with Hamlin following the incident. With an average-finishing result of 19.9 during the 26-race regular-season stretch, Briscoe did not make the 2021 Cup Playoffs. Nonetheless, he capped off the season with four top-15 results, a 23rd-place result in the final standings and the 2021 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over Anthony Alfredo. By then, Briscoe became the third competitor to sweep the rookie title across NASCAR’s top three national touring series.

After finishing 22nd during the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, Briscoe commenced the 2022 Cup season on a strong note by finishing in third place during the 64th running of the Daytona 500 in February after rallying from an early spin. Three races later, he held off Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick during a three-lap shootout to score his first career victory in the Cup Series and become the 200th competitor overall to win in NASCAR’s premier series. The Phoenix victory along with a ninth-place run at Martinsville Speedway in April and a fourth-place result during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May were enough for Briscoe and the No. 14 team to qualify for the 2022 Cup Playoffs. Despite attaining respective finishes of 27th, 13th and 14th during the Round of 16, the Indiana native transferred into the Round of 12. For the Round of 12, he finished in the top 10 during the round’s three events, which included a late ninth-place run at the Charlotte Roval in October to claim the eighth and final transfer spot to the Round of 8 by a mere margin over reigning series champion Kyle Larson. During the Round of 8, however, Briscoe earned respective finishes of fourth, 36th and ninth, which were not enough for him to transfer to the Championship 4 round. Nonetheless, Briscoe went on to finish fourth in the finale at Phoenix in November and cap off his sophomore Cup season in ninth place in the final standings.

At the start of this season, where he inked a multiyear contract extension to remain at Stewart-Haas Racing, Briscoe ended up 35th during the 65th running of the Daytona 500 after being involved in a late accident. Three races later, he would achieve his first top-10 result of the season at Phoenix by finishing seventh. Briscoe then notched three consecutive top-five finishes in April, but would finish no higher than 17th during the next nine events. During the latter span, Briscoe’s team would be issued a L3-level penalty from NASCAR due to counterfeiting a part of their Next Gen car during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. As a result, Briscoe was docked 120 driver/owner points and 25 Playoff points, with crew chief Johnny Klausmeier being issued a six-race suspension and a $250,000 fine. The points penalty demoted Briscoe from vying for an early Playoff spot to near the top-30 cutline in the regular-season standings. Despite finishing 10th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, sixth at Indianapolis and securing pole position for the regular-season finale at Daytona in August, Briscoe did not accumulate enough points or any victories during the regular-season stretch to make up for his infraction as he missed the 2023 Cup Playoffs. Coming off a 15th-place finish at Darlington Raceway, he is currently situated in 30th place in the standings.

Through 99 previous Cup starts, Briscoe has achieved one victory, two poles, nine top-five results, 19 top-10 results, 480 laps led and an average-finishing result of 19.1.

Briscoe is primed to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 10, with the event’s coverage to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Haley to make 100th Cup career start at Kansas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Competing in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Justin Haley is within reach of achieving a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Playoff event at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will achieve 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Winamac, Indiana, Haley made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2019, where he piloted the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports. By then, he was also campaigning in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing. Starting 38th, Haley ended up in 32nd place after getting collected in a multi-car wreck on the backstretch with seven laps remaining. After finishing 34th in his second Cup career start at Sonoma Raceway in June, Haley pulled off an upset at Daytona International Speedway in July when he achieved his first career victory in the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400. His road to victory occurred with 30 laps remaining when contact between race leader Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer triggered a multi-car wreck that eliminated a majority of the field. Haley, who avoided the carnage and moved up into the top five, then became the leader when initial leader Kurt Busch pitted during an extensive caution period and moments before the race was red-flagged due to a lightning strike. With the event remaining under a red flag period for hours, NASCAR called the event official on Lap 127 of 160 and awarded the first Cup win for both Haley and Spire Motorsports as Haley became the 193rd different competitor to achieve a win in NASCAR’s premier series. Despite not qualifying for the 2019 Cup Playoffs due to being a part-time series competitor, the Daytona victory made Haley eligible to compete in the 2020 All-Star Race.

In 2020, Haley, who remained as a full-time Xfinity competitor for Kaulig Racing, campaigned in two Cup events, with his first occurring in the 62nd running of the Daytona 500, where he debuted Kaulig Racing in NASCAR’s premier series. He earned a transfer spot for the 500 after posting the fastest-qualifying time in a non-chartered entry and rallied from being involved in a late incident to finish in 13th place during the main event. Haley went on to finish 14th in the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in July and 31st at Talladega in October, both while competing for Spire Motorsports.

For the 2021 season, Haley, who remained at Kaulig in the Xfinity circuit, competed in all but five of the 36-race Cup schedule. Thirty-five of his starts occurred with Spire Motorsports, with his best on-track results being eighth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and sixth at Daytona in August. His lone start not with Spire occurred with Kaulig at Talladega in October, where he finished in 20th place. Overall, Haley concluded the season with 21 top-30 results and an average-finishing result of 28.5.

Six months prior to the conclusion of the 2021 season, Kaulig Racing announced that the team would be fielding a full-time Cup Series entry for Haley to drive for the 2022 season. Assuming control of Kaulig’s newly formed No. 31 entry, he commenced the season with a 19th-place result in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in February despite winning the third Heat qualifying event and starting towards the front. He proceeded to finish 23rd during the first two scheduled events before posting four consecutive top-20 results. At Darlington Raceway in May, Haley posted his first top-five result of the season by finishing third. Despite finishing seventh at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July and achieving 15 top-20 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, he did not qualify for the 2022 Cup Playoffs. Haley went on to tie his season-best result of the season in third place at Texas Motor Speedway in September before finishing fifth at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in October. He ended up recording a total of three top-five results, four top-10 results, 44 laps led and an average-finishing result of 18.4 throughout the 36-race schedule before capping off his first full-time Cup season in 22nd place in the final standings.

Commencing this season with a 32nd-place finish in this year’s Daytona 500, Haley recorded three top-10 results during the first 17-scheduled events, with his best on-track finish being a sixth-place run at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in April. Then during the inaugural Chicago Street Course, he assumed the lead on Lap 48 and led through Lap 70 until he was overtaken by eventual winner Shane van Gisbergen and ended up in a strong runner-up result. Despite finishing eighth during the following weekend at Atlanta, seven consecutive results of finishes outside the top 15 were not enough to boost Haley and the No. 31 team into the Playoffs for a second consecutive season. Coming off a 31st-place finish at Darlington, the Indiana native is currently situated in 24th place in the standings with a total of five top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 20.6 through 27 events. This season is also scheduled to be Haley’s last at Kaulig as he is set to join Rick Ware Racing for the 2024 Cup season.

Through 99 previous Cup starts, Haley has achieved one victory, five top-five results, 12 top-10 results, 72 laps led and an average-finishing result of 22.1.

Haley is primed to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 10, with the event’s coverage to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Mike Kelley to call 100th Cup event as crew chief at Kansas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

In his return as a full-time crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series, veteran Mike Kelley is set to achieve a milestone mark. By participating in this weekend’s Cup Series Playoff event at Kansas Speedway, Kelley will call his 100th career race as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Pinellas County, Florida, Kelley, who competed as a Pinellas Park racer in the 1990s before becoming a crew member and car chief working with icons that included Dale Earnhardt, Ernie Irvan, Ray Evernham, Jack Roush and Kurt Busch, made his inaugural presence as a crew chief in the Cup Series at the start of the 2014 season when he was paired with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., whom Kelley worked with and won back-to-back Xfinity Series championships in 2011 and 2012. By then, Kelley had also racked up 12 career victories and 13 poles in the Xfinity circuit as a crew chief while working with eight different competitors.

In their first event paired in the Cup Series, Kelley led Stenhouse and the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion team to a seventh-place result in the 56th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February. Three races later, Stenhouse notched a career-best runner-up result at Bristol Motor Speedway in March as the No. 17 team cracked the top 10 in points. The remainder of the regular-season stretch, however, ended up being a struggle for both Stenhouse and Kelley as they only managed two additional top-10 results and dropped outside of the top-20 mark in the standings, which prevented them from making the 2014 Cup Playoffs. The low point for the duo was when both failed to qualify for the Playoff event at Talladega Superspeedway in October. For the other nine Playoff events, Stenhouse finished no higher than 15th before capping off the 2014 season in 27th place in the final standings.

The following season, Kelley assumed the role as car chief for Stenhouse’s No. 17 Ford team while Nick Sandler, a former head engineer for Stenhouse’s teammate Carl Edwards, became Stenhouse’s new Cup crew chief. In 2016, however, Kelley returned to crew chief Stenhouse for a single event, which occurred at Talladega in May while on an interim role as Sandler was suspended for the event as a result of an unapproved steering wheel coupler that was found on Stenhouse’s car during the previous weekend’s practice session at Richmond Raceway. During the Talladega event, Stenhouse ended up 16th in the final running order after being involved in a multi-car wreck on the final lap.

In 2019, Kelley departed Roush Fenway Racing and joined Front Row Motorsports as a full-time Cup crew chief for the No. 36 Ford Mustang team piloted by former Xfinity Series competitor Matt Tifft. Through the first 20-scheduled events, Tifft and Kelley could only manage to post three top-20 results and a single top-10 result, which occurred at Daytona in July, as they were mired in 31st place in the regular-season standings. Then for the final 16-scheduled events, Front Row Motorsports swapped Kelley’s team role that resulted with him becoming a crew chief for veteran David Ragan and the No. 38 FRM Ford Mustang team, a role that was previously held by Seth Barbour with Barbour assuming Kelley’s old role with Tifft. In spite of the move that reunited Kelley with Ragan, whom he notched two Xfinity victories with in 2009, the duo finished no higher than 11th for the remainder of the season as Ragan settled in 30th place in the final standings.

Four years later, Kelley, who moved to JTG-Daugherty Racing in 2020 and served as a competition director for the organization and the team’s driver Stenhouse, was elevated to the role of becoming Stenhouse’s Cup crew chief for a second time. In their first driver-crew chief pairing with JTG-Daugherty Racing, Stenhouse and Kelley commenced this season on a high note by winning the 65th running of the Daytona 500 after Stenhouse survived two overtime attempts and retained the lead on the final lap amid a multi-car wreck to achieve an upset victory for himself and the team. The 500 victory was Kelley’s first overall as he also achieved his first Cup career win as a crew chief. With the 500 victory guaranteeing Stenhouse and Kelley a spot for the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs, the duo led the No. 47 team to an additional six top-10s and 13 top-15 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch before officially entering the Playoffs as one of 16 teams vying for this year’s title. Currently, Kelley and Stenhouse are coming off a 16th-place result in the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway and are ranked in 15th place in the Playoff standings while being four points below the top-12 cutline to transfer to the Round of 12.

Through 99 previous Cup events, Kelley has achieved one victory, three top-five results, 13 top-10 results and 26 laps led while working with three different competitors.

Kelley is primed to call his 100th Cup Series event as a crew chief at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 10, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

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