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Chase Purdy- No. 4 Bama Buggies Silverado Craftsman Trucks Homestead-Miami Preview
Chase Purdy: Driver, No. 4 Bama Buggies Chevrolet
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: Baptist Health 200, Race 22 of 23, 134 Laps- 30/30/74; 201 Miles
Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile, oval)
Date/Broadcast: Oct. 21, 2023, at noon ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
‘Chase’n Wins:
Chase Purdy and the No. 4 team head to Homestead-Miami Superspeedway for Saturday’s Baptist Health 200. The team has shown increased speed down the stretch of the 2023 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule boasting an average starting position of 3.0 across the last four races. Purdy captured his first career pole at Kansas Speedway in September and a second one at the series’ last stop at Talladega Superspeedway. The Mississippi native led 11 laps at Talladega before getting caught up in a crash that relegated him to a 28th-place finish.
The 23-year-old driver has gained two positions in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series point standings since the start of the playoffs and now ranks 11th, which is the highest that a non-playoff driver can finish. Purdy entered the 2022 season having never earned a top-five result in Truck Series action but has produced two across 21 races in his first season at KBM. He has also produced a career-high nine top-10 finishes this season, after posting just two each in 2021 and 2022.
Purdy has just one career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He started 10th and finished 16th in last year’s race at the 1.5-mile oval. Across six starts on mile-and-a-half tracks this season the No. 4 team has produced an average starting position of 8.4 and an average finish of 13.2. They have finished inside the top 10 in half of those starts including Purdy’s career best runner-up finish at Texas in April.
The No. 4 team will be rolling out KBM-79, which is the same chassis that Purdy captured the pole with at Kansas Speedway last month.
Purdy is in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and first with KBM. He finished 16th in the Truck Series final standings in 2022 after competing in 22 of the 23 events. He posted two top-10 finishes and nine laps led.
Jimmy Villeneuve is atop the pit box for Purdy and the No. 4 Chevrolet team this season. Prior to being promoted to crew chief for the 2023 season, Villeneuve had served as a Truck Chief at KBM since the 2017 season and in that role was a part of 18 wins, a driver’s championship with Christopher Bell in 2017 and the 2019 owner’s championship with the No. 51 team. This will be Villeneuve’s second race calling the shots for a race at Homestead-Miami. He earned a 19th-place finish with Brady Boswell in the 2016 event after qualifying ninth.
Bama Buggies, your one-stop shop for all the biggest names in powersports and utility vehicles, will be the primary sponsor on Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Saturday and for the majority of the events on the 2023 schedule. They are Central Alabama’s powersports experts, serving as an authorized dealer of Polaris, Slingshot, and Seadoo.
Nimnicht Chevrolet will serve as an associate sponsor adorning the tailgate of Purdy’s Silverado Saturday. A full-service dealership located in Jacksonville, Fla., Nimnicht has served Florida as a family-owned and operated Chevy dealership since 1941. Nimnicht specializes in all things Chevy, including Chevy auto sales, financing, parts, and service. Go to www.nimnichtchevy.com to view their inventory of new and certified pre-owned vehicles.
Chase Purdy, Driver Q&A:
Having limited experience at Homestead-Miami, how will you prepare for this race?
“I’ll approach this one just like any other weekend, watching film and going to the simulator. Being that it is a track that I don’t have as much experience at, I’m being diligent with watching film and constantly making notes for myself and talking to guys that are really good there. We’ve had fast trucks all season long and watching what KBM has been able to do there in years past, I think we should have another fast Bama Buggies Silverado. Just as long as I do my job and we all execute we’ll be fine.”
Do you feel like that speed that you showed at Kansas will translate over to this race at Homestead-Miami since it’s another multi-groove mile-and-a-half race track?
“Certainly — I don’t see why it shouldn’t. We’re bringing the same Bama Buggies Silverado we raced at Kansas, and we all saw how fast it was there. The only reason we didn’t get the result we deserved at Kansas was because of some mishaps that were out of our control. I’m looking forward to it, the ability to run multiple grooves makes it an exciting race. It will be fun for the drivers and for the fans.”
Chase Purdy Career Highlights:
- Across 73 career Truck Series starts, has produced one pole, 21 laps led, two top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. Posted a career-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April of 2023. Earned first career pole in September of 2023 at Kansas Speedway.
- Finished 16th in Truck Series championship standings in 2022.
- Finished fourth in the 2018 ARCA Menard’s Series championship standings after recording 84 laps led, 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.
- Earned the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East rookie of the year honors and finished fourth in the championship standings after posting four poles, 200 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 14 starts.
- Won the prestigious Snowflake 100 Pro Late Model race at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., in Dec. of 2018.
Chase Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST:
KBM-79: The No. 4 Bama Buggies team will unload KBM-79 for Saturday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This Silverado is the same truck that Purdy captured his first career pole with in September at Kansas Speedway. He was relegated to a 14th-place result at Kansas after having to hit pit road due to a loose wheel. This Chevy made its debut at Pocono Raceway, where Purdy qualified 10th and finished 18th.
KBM Notes of Interest:
- KBM drivers have collected five wins, one pole, 416 laps led, 12 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.6 across 32 starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Owner-driver Kyle Busch has three victories at Homestead-Miami, winning most recently in 2020 as well as in 2010 and 2013. Darrell Wallace Jr. (2014) and William Byron (2016) each have one victory at the Florida track.
- KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up his organization’s first-ever win at Nashville Superspeedway in April of 2010 and also picked up its 100th Truck Series victory at Pocono Raceway in July of 2023. In addition to collecting a series-record seven owner’s championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
- The No. 4 has 18 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.
RFK Advance | Homestead
Homestead-Miami Event Info:
Track Info: Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.502-mile oval
Date: Sunday, Oct. 22
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Homestead, Florida
Format: 267 laps, 400.5 miles, Stages: 80-85-102
TV: NBC
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 9:05 a.m. ET, Practice (NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 9:05 a.m. ET, Qualifying (NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2:30 p.m. ET, Race (NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com
17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal
Pace Laps:
- Race two in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Playoffs takes place this weekend in south Florida, as Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts its lone race date of 2023.
- Chris Buescher maintains the best average finish among all Cup drivers in the last 15 races with a 10.2 average result since the Chicago race. In that span he has eight top-10s and give finishes inside the top five.
- Brad Keselowski is fourth in that category with a 10.5 average, and 10 top-10s in the span.
Keselowski at Homestead-Miami
Starts: 15
Wins: —
Top-10s: 7
Poles: —
- Keselowski makes his 16th Cup start at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend where he has a 13.6 average finish and seven top-10 finishes. His best career finish is third (2014-15), as he’s coming off a fifth-place finish there last fall.
- He’s finished 10th or better in four of the last six races at Homestead, leading laps in three of those events. Overall he’s led 155 laps at the 1.5-mile track.
- Keselowski has a 9.2 average starting position in Miami – his best among active tracks – with 12-straight starts inside the top-10 and eight starts inside the top five overall. Last season he qualified ninth.
- Keselowski has two Xfinity wins at Homestead (2011, 2013) in eight starts, and an additional two starts in the Truck Series.
Buescher at Homestead-Miami
Starts: 7
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Buescher makes his eighth Cup start at Homestead-Miami where he has a 19.7 average finish.
- He’s coming off the best finish of his career there to date – a P13 result last fall.
- Buescher carries a 19.4 average qualifying position with his three best efforts coming in the last three races, including a top-10 starting spot (P8) last fall.
- Buescher made two Xfinity Series starts at HMS in 2014-15 with a best finish of fifth in the No. 60 machine.
RFK Historically at Homestead-Miami
Cup Wins: 7 (Kurt Busch, 2002; Greg Biffle, 2004, 2005, 2006; Matt Kenseth, 2007; Carl Edwards, 2008, 2010)
- Welcome to Miami: RFK has 175 combined starts at HMS, totaling 11 wins (7 NCS, 3 NXS, 1 NCWTS), 51 top-fives, 75 top-10s and eight poles. RFK drivers have led 1,900 laps at the 1.5-mile track over the years, logging more than 56,000 miles.
- Tale of the Tape: RFK has started 89 NCS races at Homestead, recording a total of seven victories, 23 top five finishes, 32 top-10 finishes, four poles and has led 1,167 laps. Former driver Carl Edwards earned the organization’s most recent win at the 1.5-mile oval in 2010.
- Five Straight: RFK earned five consecutive victories in the NCS at Homestead from 2004-2008 with drivers Matt Kenseth (2007), Edwards (2008) and Greg Biffle, who won three consecutive races from 2004-2006.
- Miami Nights: In 57 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead, RFK earned three wins, 22 top-fives, 32 top-10s and two pole positions. Edwards recorded the most recent victory at Homestead in the 2008 season finale.
RFK Homestead Wins
1998 Burton NXS
2002 Busch Cup
2004 Biffle Cup
2005 Biffle Cup
2006 Biffle Cup
2006 Kenseth NXS
2006 Martin Truck
2007 Kenseth Cup
2008 Edwards Cup
2008 Edwards NXS
2010 Edwards Cup
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Las Vegas: Keselowski led the third-most laps of any driver (37) and went on to finish fourth, his seventh top five finish of the season. Buescher finished 11th.
Points Standings (17: 8th, 6: 9th): Buescher sits eighth in the playoff standings entering Homestead, while Keselowski is ninth, first among drivers not remaining in the playoff picture.
By the Numbers at Homestead
Race Win T5 T10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn Miles
89 7 23 32 4 22784 1167 17.8 16.6 34176
57 3 22 32 2 11271 540 11.6 11.5 16906.5
29 1 6 11 2 3912 193 12.2 14.7 5868
175 11 51 75 8 37967 1900 14.8 14.6 56950.5
Bayne joins Rackley W.A.R. for Truck Series Playoff event at Homestead
Trevor Bayne will be making a one-race return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Rackley W.A.R. this upcoming weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The news comes as the 2011 Daytona 500 champion from Knoxville, Tennessee, is coming off three starts in this year’s Xfinity Series season with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he led a total of 26 laps and earned a season-best seventh-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. The news also means that Bayne will become Rackley W.A.R.’s third different competitor of this year’s Truck season behind Matt DiBenedetto and Chandler Smith.
“I definitely didn’t see this coming two weeks ago,” Bayne said. “This deal came together rather quickly. [Owners] Willie Allen and Curtis Sutton have been working very hard over the past few years to improve their truck program. The results have shown all season with their consistent top-10 runs. I look forward to working together with crew chief Chad Kendrick and the Rackley W.A.R. team and produce a strong run this weekend. Homestead-Miami has always been good to me, including last season when we were on the pole and ran sixth in the Xfinity race. I’m thankful to the group for the opportunity to be back behind the wheel.”
Having made 164 career starts in the Xfinity Series and 187 in the NASCAR Cup Series, Bayne made his Truck Series debut at Darlington Raceway in 2020 with Niece Motorsports, where he finished 27th. He then competed in seven of the remaining eight Truck events on the schedule with Niece, where he earned a career-best runner-up result at Talladega Superspeedway in October. His latest start in the series was at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished 18th.
Bayne’s latest NASCAR national touring series victory to date occurred in the Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway in 2013, which marked his second of two series wins while driving for Roush Fenway Racing. He also remains as the youngest-ever winner of the Daytona 500 at age 20 after notching his first Cup Series victory in his second series career start in the Great American Race in 2011 while driving for Wood Brothers Racing.
“The team is definitely looking forward to our partnership with Trevor for Homestead-Miami,” Willie Allen, president of Rackley W.A.R., added. “Trevor brings a lot of very good experience to the table, and he will be a good measuring stick to help evaluate some of the things we are working on moving forward.”
Rackley W.A.R., which is in its third season of NASCAR Truck Series competition, commenced this season with full-time competitor Matt DiBenedetto piloting the team’s No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado RST entry. He made the 2023 Truck Series Playoffs on the strength of nine top-10 results through 16 regular-season events, but did not transfer from the Round of 10 to 8 despite achieving a third-place result at Kansas Speedway in September. Following Bristol, the team released DiBenedetto with three races remaining on the schedule and competed in the previous Truck Series event at Talladega Superspeedway with Xfinity Series rookie contender Chandler Smith, who finished fourth.
Currently, Rackley W.A.R.’s No. 25 entry is ranked in ninth place in the Truck Series’ owner’s standings. Their lone victory to date occurred at Talladega in October 2022 with DiBenedetto, who also recorded the first NASCAR national touring series victory for himself.
The team’s driver plans for the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November remains to be determined.
With his upcoming weekend plans set, Bayne’s first Truck Series start with Rackley W.A.R. is set to occur at Homestead-Miami Speedway this Saturday, October 21, with the event’s broadcast time to occur at noon ET on FS1.
Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops / Fleetguard Ford Mustang Team Homestead-Miami Speedway Competition Notes
TEAM AND RACE NOTES:
Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team return to the state of Florida, this time, visiting the Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
Fleetguard, a valuable partner of Love’s and Speedco, returns to McDowell’s Ford Mustang after last riding with the team at the Nashville Superspeedway.
Fleetguard offers a full suite of filtration products for nearly all makes of vehicles and equipment across the truck, bus, agriculture, construction, mining, marine and power generation vehicle, and equipment markets.
With a focus on advanced design and high-quality performance, Fleetguard heavy-duty filters give customers the ultimate protection for all their equipment. With availability in more than 45,000 independent aftermarket retail outlets globally, including approximately 5,800 locations in North America, Fleetguard products are available where customers need them and are backed by the competitive Fleetguard warranty.
Track activity will begin on Saturday with practice and qualifying at 9:00 a.m. ET. Sunday’s 267-lap race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
COMPETITION NOTES:
After competing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Fleetguard team sit 15th in points. McDowell is still fighting for the team’s best finish in a season.
McDowell has a career best finish of sixth at the 1.5-mile Homestead track.
CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:
“I’m looking forward to this weekend. With only a few races left in the season, it’s really a tight fight for 14th, 15th and 16th in points. So, a lot to race for.”
DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:
“Our ultimate goal for this weekend is to win, but we also want to go for as many stage points as possible so we can end the season on a high note. We want to keep getting our team better.
“It’s awesome to see Fleetguard back on our Ford Mustang. It’s great that Love’s includes their partners in the race program. Hopefully I can make them proud.”
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
Crowe Equipment Adds Pink to Sponsorship with Spencer Boyd
Mooresville, NC (October 17, 2023) – Crowe Equipment of Jasonville, Indiana has extended their partnership with Spencer Boyd adding to their years of sponsorship. The iconic yellow and black design that has been prevalent through the years will return with the addition of some pink recognizing breast cancer awareness month.
“The Crowe family has supported my racing career for a number of years and I’m so pleased to have their company back on board at Homestead-Miami,” said Spencer Boyd. “There are so many construction industry companies in and around our sport that it makes sense for Crowe Equipment to stay involved and relevant.”
Crowe Equipment has been serving a great need in the heavy equipment industry since 1991. Crowe Equipment sells new Cat surplus parts, used and rebuilt Cat parts, and whole equipment. Shipping worldwide, their inventory is unmatched and their turnaround times will have your job back on track quickly. Call 1-800-741-8792 for all of your heavy equipment needs.
The addition of pink comes along with a special passenger added to the name rail of Boyd’s No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado. Kay Crowe’s name has been printed above the driver door honoring the mother of Crowe Equipment’s owner, Scott Crowe, who lost her battle with breast cancer.
“Our family is so happy to continue our relationship with Spencer,” stated Scott Crowe. “He embodies our Midwest attitude of hard-working people that are the backbone of this great country. It is extra special that Mom is riding along!”
Crowe Equipment will be the primary sponsor of Young’s Motorsports No. 12 entry into The Baptist Health Cancer Center 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race is on October 21, 2023 at 12pm ET.
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Homestead Advance
ARIC ALMIROLA
Homestead Advance
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
Event Overview
Event: 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 (Round 34 of 36)
Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 22
Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway
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: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● History at Homestead-Miami Speedway: In 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead, Almirola has earned two top-fives and four top-10s.
● Almirola also has five Homestead starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with two top-10s and a best finish of eighth in November 2011, and three starts in the NASCAR Truck Series with a best finish of fifth in November 2010.
● Driver Standings: Almirola arrives at Homestead 22nd in the driver standings.
● Almirola’s career: In 457 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 93 top-10s, five poles, and has led 1,081 laps.
● Last weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Almirola ran in and around the top-10 for the majority of the race and crossed the finish line 13th.
● Smithfield has been a sponsor of Almirola’s for the entirety of his fulltime NASCAR Cup Series career – making it one of the longest-lasting partnerships in NASCAR. Smithfield is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities.
● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series: In 2023, Almirola is continuing to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season five of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and the show gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.
Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
What has racing at Homestead over the years meant to you?
“Homestead for me has been a great racetrack. It’s really how I got my start to go Cup racing. I filled in for Richard Petty Motorsports back in 2010 and I finished fourth after running up front. That opened some people’s eyes. Sure enough, I got my first start in the Cup Series because of it. I do think about that when I go there. It’s got a special place in my heart. It’s also a race in my home state and the Miami area has a lot of Cuban heritage that I’ve enjoyed over the years. The food scene in Miami is always good. We usually venture downtown and find a good Cuban sandwich and coffee. Going to Miami in October to race is always fun because you get a tropic feel before heading to Martinsville, where it’s usually cold. Hopefully, we can unload with balance to run the top well and bring home another top-five finish and get the momentum going for the last two races of the season. These last few races are some of my favorite.”
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois
Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Lead Engineer: Lee Deese
Hometown: Rockingham, North Carolina
Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina
Over-The-Wall Members
Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa
Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina
Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California
Road Crew Members
Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia
Mechanic: Jacob Cooksey
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York
Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York
Tire Specialist: Russel Simpson
Hometown: Medford, New York
Transporter Co-Driver: Steven Casper
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina
Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia
Zane Smith Debuts New Ambetter Health Scheme
Smith Heads to Homestead in Style with Miami Vice Scheme on No. 38 Ford F-150
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 17, 2023) – All the chips are in for Zane Smith and the No. 38 Ambetter Health Ford F-150 team heading to the Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. Smith, the defending NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion, is facing a must-win situation to advance to the playoff’s Championship 4 season finale at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway
Going into the pressure packed event, Smith will be racing in South Florida style. Ambetter Health has designed a “Miami Vice” themed scheme that will debut on the track this weekend. The scheme has quickly become a favorite of Smith’s and has him feeling positive vibes going to the track.
“This scheme is really cool,” said Smith. “I want to thank everyone at Ambetter Health for giving us the best-looking truck at Homestead. The colors and style just feeds off the energy of Miami and I feel like we’re winning already.”
Ambetter Health is a health insurance offering that is available on the Health Insurance Marketplace, or exchange, established by the Affordable Care Act.
It is one of the healthcare programs provided by Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise. Ambetter Health is made available through local health plans and covers a wide variety of healthcare services, including preventive and wellness services, maternity and newborn care, pediatric services, mental health and substance misuse services, prescription drug coverage, and more.
Smith has been in a must-win situation to advance to the final four as recently as 2021 when he won at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in the final laps. His experience, combined with a win-only strategy, gives the team a focused goal on Saturday.
“It’s never easy to win these races, but it does make our strategy clear when you’re just going for the win,” said crew chief Chris Lawson. “Zane is the best out there when you put him on offense and that’s our mindset for this weekend.”
Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying on Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET. Saturday’s 201-mile race is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET on FS1.
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
Ford Performance NASCAR – Homestead-Miami Speedway Advance
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY NOTES
Saturday, October 21 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 12 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, October 21 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, October 22 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
A Saturday playoff doubleheader featuring the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and NASCAR Xfinity Series highlights this weekend’s action at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That will be followed on Sunday by the middle race in the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series.
CURRENT CUP PLAYOFF STANDINGS
The Round of 8 continues this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Ford drivers Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher both below the cut line. Here’s where they stand with two races remaining in the elimination round.
7th – Ryan Blaney (-17)
8th – Chris Buescher (-23)
NOTE: The Championship 4 field will be determined after Martinsville
CUSTER AND BRISCOE RETURN TO SCENE OF FIRST VICTORIES
Homestead-Miami Speedway is sure to bring back good memories for Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe, who both earned victories on back-to-back days at the track in 2017. Briscoe won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race to kickoff the weekend, marking the first national series victory in his rookie season while Custer dominated the NASCAR Xfinity Series race the following day, leading 182-of-200 laps to post his first career series triumph.
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI IS TOPS FOR HARVICK
Kevin Harvick is good everywhere on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, but statistically Homestead-Miami Speedway is his best. Harvick has finished fifth or better in seven of the last nine events on the 1.5-mile track. In 22 career starts at HMS, Harvick has completed all but two of the 5,880 laps run during that time and has an average finishing position of 7.3. That includes 19 top-10 and 12 top-5 efforts.
FIVE-YEAR WIN STREAK HIGHLIGHTS ROUSH HISTORY AT HMS
Car owner Jack Roush has had his share of success on intermediate speedways, but his streak of winning seven times in nine years at Homestead-Miami is arguably one of the best. Kurt Busch won the organization’s first Cup race at the track in 2002 before Greg Biffle won three straight from 2004-06. That was part of a five-year winning streak that saw Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards go to victory lane in ’07 and ’08, respectively. Edwards eventually capped the run by winning for a second time in 2010. Since then, Roush has celebrated NASCAR Xfinity Series championships at the track, twice with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2011 and 2012, and once with Chris Buescher in 2015.
CUSTER OFF TO GOOD START
Cole Custer was strong in the Round of 8 opener last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as he won Stage 1, finished second in Stage 2 and ended up third in the race. His 53 points were the most accumulated by any driver in the field and enabled him to go above the cut line where he now sits firmly in fourth place with a 15-point advantage over fifth-place Chandler Smith. Additionally, Custer closed the gap on those in front of him and now trails third-place Austin Hill by four points and second-place Justin Allgaier by six.
CURRENT NCTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS
The Championship 4 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be determined this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Ford’s three championship contenders needing a good day to advance. Here’s where they stand going into the elimination race.
6th – Ben Rhodes (-5)
7th – Ty Majeski (-19)
8th – Zane Smith (-36)
NOTE: The top 4 drivers will advance after Homestead
MAJESKI GOING FOR REPEAT
ThorSport’s Ty Majeski goes into this weekend 19 points out of a transfer spot for the Championship 4, but he heads to Homestead-Miami with a good feeling after winning last year’s race. Majeski led 67 laps in winning for the second time in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career. That victory automatically put him in the Championship 4, along with Ben Rhodes and Zane Smith. Rhodes, who won the title in 2021, made the cut by one point after a sixth-place finish while Smith advanced for the third straight season and eventually won the title.
FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS
AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI
2002 – Kurt Busch
2004 – Greg Biffle
2005 – Greg Biffle
2006 – Greg Biffle
2007 – Matt Kenseth
2008 – Carl Edwards
2010 – Carl Edwards
2018 – Joey Logano
FORD’S NASCAR Xfinity Series WINNERS
AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI
1995 – Dale Jarrett
1998 – Jeff Burton
2003 – Kasey Kahne
2006 – Matt Kenseth
2008 – Carl Edwards
2013 – Brad Keselowski
2017 – Cole Custer
2020 – Chase Briscoe (2)
FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI
1996 – Dave Rezendes
1997 – Kenny Irwin Jr.
1998 – Rick Crawford
1999 – Mike Wallace
2006 – Mark Martin
2017 – Chase Briscoe
Bass Pro Shops Racing: Martin Truex Jr. Homestead-Miami Advance
Martin Truex Jr.
Homestead-Miami Advance
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD for Joe Gibbs Racing
Event Overview
● Event: 4EVER 400 (Round 34 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 22
● Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● Martin Truex Jr., and the No. 19 team for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) set the tone for the season right out of the gate by winning the 150-lap feature in the non-points Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 5 in Los Angeles. Truex won his heat race, then went on to lead the final 25 laps of the feature en route to a victory that gave him and the team much-needed momentum heading into the 2023 season. While the team was knocking on the door over the first 10 points-paying races, the breakthrough win finally came at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway on May 1, and Truex has added two more points-paying victories and four overall this season – June 11 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
● Round of 8: Heading to the second race in the Round of 8 of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Truex sits fourth in the standings with 4,071 points, three above the top-four cutline.
● Truex has one win, seven top-five finishes and 12 top-10s and has led a total of 377 laps in 18 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead Truex’s average Homestead finish is a strong 8.4. His average finish there is second best among active drivers behind Kevin Harvick, who has a 6.8 average.
● Truex notched his Homestead victory in November 2017, when he led 78 laps and clinched his first Cup Series championship.
● 34 and Counting: Truex’s win at New Hampshire was the 34th of his Cup Series career, putting him in a tie with 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch for 25th on the all-time win list in NASCAR’s top series.
● So far this season, Truex has scored three points-paying wins, nine top-five finishes, 16 top-10s and has led an impressive 841 laps through 33 races. To put the laps-led number in perspective, Truex led just 572 during the entire 36-race season in 2022.
Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD
What kind of comfort level do you have at Homestead?
“It’s a track I feel good about. Recent success is always important. Now (we’re back) racing with the NextGen car we got to race there for the first time (last year). That went really well and we were in position to win that race late and we had issues getting spun on pit road that took us out of it. Definitely have a lot of confidence going there with our Bass Pro Shops Camry. I feel like we have a good notebook from last year to go off of. It’s a place where I think we can make something happen.”
What do you like most about Homestead-Miami Speedway?
“Everything. That’s the kind of track I really like. You can run all over and it’s really low-grip and it wears tires out. You really have to manage your car and your tires throughout runs. Be able to move around the track and find lines that work for you. It’s a big challenge and I enjoy tracks like that. I love South Florida and love going down there. A lot of great fans. It doesn’t feel like fall when you go down there, it feels like summer, so that’s an added bonus.”
You are in your 18th fulltime Cup Series season and will be back next year for your 19th. What keeps you going and keeps you motivated with not many other drivers with your longevity currently left in the sport?
“The craziest part is just how fast it’s all gone by. Our seasons are so long and they feel like they drag on forever, but when you look back, so much has happened and I can’t believe I’ve been doing it for this long. I’ve been lucky to have some great teams and a lot of great success, and winning a championship was more than I ever expected when I started doing this. Still feeling like we are capable of doing more, so that’s what I’m still here for more. Just having a great team, and knowing we can win every weekend, keeps me going and keeps me hungry and continuing to work hard to be better every single weekend. It’s a difficult sport and you can have a bad year one year and then be better the next. You just have to stay focused. I’ve been able to do that and have a good team behind me, so I’m always ready to go to work each week.”
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey
Crew Chief: James Small
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Car Chief: Chris Jones
Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
Engineer: Nick Burton
Hometown: Arvada, California
Engineer: Jeff Curtis
Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia
Spotter: Drew Herring
Hometown: Benson, North Carolina
Road Crew Members
Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin
Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina
Mechanic: Todd Carmichael
Hometown: Redding, California
Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
Engine Tuner: Gregg Huls
Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska
Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell
Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois
Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot
Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York
Over-The-Wall Crew Members
Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Jackman: Kellen Mills
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona
Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey
Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina
Front Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham
Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois
Rear Tire Changer: Danny Olszowy
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
