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Carson Hocevar – Toyota 200 Race Recap

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Official Release
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Team: No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar (Portage, Michigan) | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Carson Hocevar: Twitter: @CarsonHocevar | Instagram: @CarsonHocevar | Facebook: /carsonhocevarracing | Web: www.CarsonHocevar.com
Start: 4th | Finish: 4th | Points Standings: 7th

Hocevar on Saturday’s Race at World Wide Technology Raceway: “This was one of the most exhausting races of the season thus far. From starting up front, to getting in a wreck on lap one, to finishing in the top-five, this one was wild for our No. 42 Worldwide Express team. This was a very fast truck, and it shows by this finish with all the damage to the door. That’s a testament to how hard these Niece Motorsports guys work and I hope we can keep this momentum up in Nashville after the break.”

Race Recap: Coming into this weekend’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway, Carson Hocevar has been arguably the hottest driver in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. When the checkered flag flew on the Toyota 200, that statement still rings true after his fourth straight top-five finish. Although, Hocevar’s weekend wasn’t as smooth as the No. 42 team would’ve liked.

While Hocevar put his Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado fourth in Friday’s qualifying session, he was forced to start in the rear due to a fuel pressure issue. But, Hocevar’s problems continued on lap one as a spinning truck would tag the side of his Silverado and create substantial damage. Despite the damage causing the 42 to visit the pits more than a handful of times, he was able to rally for ninth-place stage points in Stage One.

Stage Two contained more of the same for Hocevar as crew chief, Phil Gould, would bring him down pit road multiple times to repair the damage to his truck. The Michigan-born driver would wind up finishing 30th in the second stage.

In a caution-filled final stage, Hocevar was able to make continuous gains to position himself in the top-five after a two-tire call with 54 laps to go. But in the end, and a NASCAR Overtime finish, the driver of the No. 42 would finish in fourth-place and advance to eighth in the driver’s championship standings.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com

About Worldwide Express:

The WWEX group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz, offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 115,000 customers across the country. With access to industry-leading small package, truckload, less-than-truckload and managed transportation solutions, its customers benefit from enhanced visibility and value for their supply chains. The company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS Authorized Reseller® in the U.S. , with an annual systemwide revenue nearing $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations. A highly selective carrier portfolio, proprietary technology, unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities provide clients with unmatched options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. The WWEX Racing initiative was borne of a desire to address the complex but underserved logistic needs of the performance motorsports industry, using the unique combination of capabilities offered by the three brands’ combined 80+ years of insight. To learn more about the WWEX Racing program, visit www.wwexracing.com. For media inquiries, contact racing@wwex.com.

Bayley Currey – Toyota 200 Race Recap

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Official Release
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Team: No. 41 Unishippers Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Bayley Currey (Driftwood, Texas) | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman Jr.
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Bayley Currey: Twitter: @BayleyCurrey | Instagram: @bayleycurrey05 | Facebook: /bayleycurrey05 | Web: www.bcurrey.com
Start: 11th | Finish: 16th | Owner’s Points Standings: 16th

Currey On Saturday’s Race at World Wide Technology Raceway: “I feel like I learned a lot this weekend. It was my first time racing at Gateway so I had a few mistakes, but ran inside the top-15 for most of the race and finished just outside. Overall, I’m just very fortunate to drive these fast trucks with the support of Unishippers and WWEX Racing and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Race Recap: A fifth-place run in Friday’s practice session had Bayley Currey feeling confident about his chances in Gateway. He then backed up his quick time in practice with a starting position just outside the top-ten.

Much like the trend a week ago in Charlotte, the first two stages went smooth for Currey and the No. 41 team. The Texan ran top-15 for most of the race, collecting a 16th-place finish at the end of Stage One. At the conclusion of the stage, Currey was able to stay out on track and gain track position after coming to pit road just a few laps before the stage ended. When the race restarted, Currey fell back to 17th and would finish the stage in 19th as the trucks with fresh tires would make their way through the field.

In the final stage of the race, the Texas-driver drove inside the top-ten before falling back later in the run. In the midst of a long-run in the third stage, Mike Hillman Jr. would bring the No. 41 down pit road for four tires and fuel as gas became a concern on pit road. Unfortunately, Currey caught an untimely caution which put him stuck a lap down until the next yellow when he was awarded the free pass.

When it was over, Bayley Currey would cross the line in 16th while the No. 41 fell to 14th in the owner’s championship standings.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com | www.niecemotorsports.com

About Worldwide Express:

The WWEX group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz, offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 115,000 customers across the country. With access to industry-leading small package, truckload, less-than-truckload and managed transportation solutions, its customers benefit from enhanced visibility and value for their supply chains. The company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS Authorized Reseller® in the U.S. , with an annual systemwide revenue nearing $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations. A highly selective carrier portfolio, proprietary technology, unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities provide clients with unmatched options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. The WWEX Racing initiative was borne of a desire to address the complex but underserved logistic needs of the performance motorsports industry, using the unique combination of capabilities offered by the three brands’ combined 80+ years of insight. To learn more about the WWEX Racing program, visit www.wwexracing.com. For media inquiries, contact racing@wwex.com.

Bryce Ward and Daniel Morad Break Through for First IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Race Win in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 at the Detroit Grand Prix Saturday

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DETROIT – Bryce Ward and Daniel Morad secured their first IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) race win with a convincing victory in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 in Saturday’s featured IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at the Detroit Grand Prix. Winward’s victory anchored a double-podium finish in the 100-minute race that also saw three Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries finish in the top five. The debuting and Detroit-based No. 78 Thaze Competition by MC Squared Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Marc Miller and Daniel Di Meo finished third while the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss secured its best finish of the season in fifth place.

Winward’s victory followed a then season-best finish of third last month at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and was the first for Bryce Ward in five years of Michelin Pilot Challenge competition. Ward started the race 11th in the No. 57 and quickly moved up to battle in the top 10 throughout a clean and fast-paced opening stint before handing off to Morad just past the race’s 33-minute mark.

A well-executed pit stop by the Winward team put Morad back on track in fifth place as the field circulated behind the safety car for a lengthy 10 laps following the only yellow flag caution period of the race.

Morad quickly took control when the race was restarted with just under 40 minutes to go, passing a pair of competitors to gain two positions on the first green flag lap to move into third. He passed Miller for second place on the following lap before making what proved to be the race-winning pass on the leader with 33 minutes remaining.

From there, Morad maintained a steady pace up front and gradually built a cushion on the field resulting in a comfortable 2.405 second margin of victory.

Morad’s largely unchallenged run to the win was aided by his closest competitors aggressively battling behind him for the final podium and top five finishing positions.

Miller, a Michigan native and resident, pressured for second place throughout his race-ending stint before crossing the finish line a close third for Thaze, which proudly raced as “Detroit’s Hometown Team” in its debut. Thaze’s solid weekend also included a fifth-place qualifying result for Di Meo that allowed the team to battle in the lead pack from the drop of the green flag in Saturday’s race.

The hard-earned fifth-place finish for the No. 56 Murillo entry came after Mosing started 14th in the 22-car field. Aided by a quick pit stop by the Murillo Racing team, both Mosing and closing driver Foss steadily improved throughout the race. The top five was not only the best finish of the year for the No. 56 but also gave the team and drivers some needed championship points after being knocked out of the race early at Laguna Seca.

The Laguna Seca race was won by the sister No. 72 Murillo Racing entry of Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak that managed to build its early-season championship lead despite a largely frustrating race Saturday in Detroit.
Murillo was the highest starting Mercedes-AMG GT4 in third place and he held that position in formation with the first and second place competitors throughout his race opening stint.

A shot at a repeat victory went away, however, when the No. 72 team’s pit stop strategy didn’t work with the timing of the yellow flag caution period. Pitting after the other contenders, Szymczak returned to the race out of the top five and eventually crossed the finish line in seventh. Despite the frustrating day, the No. 72 team and drivers provisionally extended their championship lead by 100 points over the nearest competitor, 1000 – 900.

Bolstered by its second victory in a row in the year’s first four races, Mercedes-AMG has provisionally added to its GS manufacturer championship lead leaving Detroit. The current tally of 1300 points is 60 clear of the nearest competitor.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG GT4 competitors in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series is round five of the 2023 championship at Watkins Glen International in New York, June 22 – 24.

Bryce Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “This was the most enjoyable race I have had even though it’s a tight circuit that really requires precision. First of all, I have to thank the team because they did an incredible job on our pit stop and calling our strategy. I also have to thank Detroit because, man, they put on a great show. I am so, so excited to be here and hopefully we can come back again. We are dedicated to the Mercedes-AMG brand, we love the brand and have been with them for five years now. At the end of the day, they put a great product on the road.”

Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “When you work hard and put in the preparation, like the Winward team has done, things start looking easy. But it is not easy just by nature, it’s because of all the hard work that everyone has put in, including Bryce and all on the team. The car was just perfect in the race, and everything went our way because of the decision making beforehand, the planning and the strategy. I took advantage of everyone being tentative on the restart, but I knew where the grip was and had that plan going into the restart. If you make any hesitation on a street circuit, it’s over. It was absolute decisiveness and it paid off.”

Marc Miller, Driver – No. 78 Thaze Competition by MC Squared Mercedes-AMG GT4: “When it comes down to it, it’s a hometown team with a Michigan driver at the Detroit Grand Prix, and in our first race out the blocks we are fighting for wins. It says a lot about the team, and it was a flawless pit stop. We thought we had a car that could run with Daniel, but I just couldn’t clear second place. I had a run a couple of times, made some moves and moved him a couple of times, but with 10 minutes to go I started to cruise because every time I fought him the pack would start to close. I thought ‘let’s chill out,’ gap him again and maybe have another go, but he just never made a mistake. Not a big enough mistake for me to take it to him. Overall, to be standing on the podium at the Detroit Grand Prix, I am going to savor every moment of it.”

Daniel Di Meo, Driver – No. 78 Thaze Competition by MC Squared Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I stayed patient, kept the car underneath me and tried to keep my lap times as low as possible because I didn’t want the leaders to just take off. That paid off, because when Marc jumped in the car, he came out in second. All around, it was an unreal weekend, and we couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “The result really doesn’t reflect the work that was put into this weekend, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. It was an unfortunate yellow that really killed our strategy. We took somewhat of a risk, but we were just extremely unlucky. All in all, we are leaving with a bigger points lead than we had. We went from 90 points ahead to 100 and we are looking forward to the next race at Watkins Glen. We have a strong team, and everyone is firing on all cylinders right now.”

Stewart-Haas Racing: NXS Race Report from Portland

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Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Portland 147

Date: June 3, 2022

Event: Portland 147 (Round 13 of 33)

Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series

Location: Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (1.967-mile, 12-turn road course)

Format: 75 laps, broken into three stages (25 laps/25 laps/25 laps)

Note: Race extended two laps past its scheduled 75-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Sheldon Creed of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 2nd / Finished 1st, Running completed 77 of 77 laps)

● Riley Herbst (Started 12th / Finished 32nd, Accident, completed 65 of 77 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (4th with 457 points, 65 out of first)

● Riley Herbst (10th with 346 points, 176 out of first)

Victory Notes:

● Cole Custer’s victory at Portland marked SHR’s 19th Xfinity Series victory, its first of the season, and its first at Portland.

● This was Ford’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Portland.

● This was Custer’s 11th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his 10th with SHR.

● This was Jonathan Toney’s first win as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his first victory of the season and his first victory in one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Portland.

● This was Custer’s seventh straight top-10. He finished fifth April 1 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, third April 15 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, fourth April 22 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, seventh April 29 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway, third May 13 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, and third last week at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

● Custer finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and won Stage 2 to earn 10 more bonus points and one playoff point.

● Custer led two times for five laps – his first laps led at Portland.

● Herbst’s 32nd-place finish bettered his previous best finish at Portland– 35th, earned in the inaugural race at the track last year.

● Herbst finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn one bonus point and eighth in Stage 2 to earn three more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● There were five caution periods for a total of 10 laps.

● Twenty-seven of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● John Hunter Nemechek leaves Portland as the championship leader with a 14-point advantage over second-place Austin Hill.

Sound Bites:

“I mean, I was just trying to not make mistakes. I did the same exact thing as the leaders earlier in the race. I saw them drive in there so deep, and I did the same thing two restarts before. Man, I’m just so happy. I’ve never won a road course race before in the Xfinity Series. I’ve been so close so many times, and it’s just awesome to win this. I can’t thank Haas Automation and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing in the Xfinity program and the Cup program. It’s just a great day. This is JT’s (Jonathan Toney, crew chief) first win as a crew chief. It’s awesome to get this trophy and get that out of the way. I’m so pumped for the rest of the year. We’ve got fast cars, and we’re putting it all together.” – Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

“Man, that’s a tough one. We had a fast No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang all day and ran in the top-10 for most of the race. The race just didn’t go our way with the issues near the end. We’ll keep our heads up and head to Sonoma next weekend. Hopefully, the bad luck will truly be behind us now.” – Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the DoorDash 250 on Saturday, June 10 at Sonoma (Cali.) Raceway. The race begins at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – Portland International Raceway NXS Cole Custer Transcript

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Pacific Office Automation 147 | Saturday, June 3, 2023

COLE CUSTER COMPLETES LATE-RACE PASS TO WIN AT PORTLAND

PORTLAND, OR. | June 3, 2023 – Cole Custer was victorious Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series featured event at Portland International Raceway. Custer won his first series race of 2023, and notably, it was his first trip to victory lane at the Northwestern road course. He led when it mattered – not only making a surge from fourth in the final three laps to win the second stage, but also completing the race-deciding maneuver to lead the final two laps of the race to victory. Custer was triumphant in his 123rd career series start – 11 total wins – and it was his first victory since February 26, 2022 (Auto Club Speedway).

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang – WHAT GAVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO MAKE THE MOVE FOR THE LEAD ON THE RESTART? “Just trying not to make mistakes. I mean, I did the same exact thing. I saw them drive in there so deep, and I did the same thing like two restarts ago. Man, I’m just so happy. I’ve never won a road course race before. I’ve been so close, so many times. It’s just awesome to win this. I can’t thank Haas Automation, everybody at Stewart-Haas and the Xfinity program… and the Cup program. This is just a great day. J.T. (Jonathan Toney) just for coming in to crew chief… it’s awesome to get this trophy and get that out of the way. I’m pumped for the rest of the year. We got fast cars, and starting to put it all together.”

Toyota Racing – NXS Portland Post-Race Report – 06.03.23

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Official Release
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TRIO OF TOYOTA TOP-10S IN PORTLAND
Connor Mosack earns his first career top-10 finish in his ninth start

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 3, 2023) – Myatt Snider (sixth), Connor Mosack (eighth) and John Hunter Nemechek (10th) scored top-10 finishes to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway. It is Snider’s second top-10 in as many starts this season, while Mosack earned his first career top-10 finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Portland International Raceway
Race 13 of 33 – 147.52 miles, 75 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Cole Custer*

2nd, Justin Allgaier*

3rd, Sam Mayer*

4th, Josh Berry*

5th, Austin Hill*

6th, MYATT SNIDER

8th, CONNOR MOSACK

10th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

26th, KAZ GRALA

30th, SAMMY SMITH

35th, PARKER CHASE

36th, MASON MAGGIO

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

MYATT SNIDER, No. 19 Tree Top Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

How was your race?

“It was very hectic. A lot of calamity; a lot of chaos. I saw someone barreling by me on lap one clobbering into someone. It was a crazy, hectic race, but the boys from JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) brought me a fast Tree Top Toyota GR Supra. I’m really proud of the boys from the 19 team for putting in such a great effort. We were working on drive off all day, but to end up sixth with all of the craziness that happens is pretty awesome. I have to thank my guys from Tree Top, Superior Essex, Right Fire Protection enough for getting this race car as good as it was today.”

CONNOR MOSACK, No. 24 Open Eyes Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

How was your race?

“Well overall, pretty good day. I’m really happy with a top-10 finish. I’m a little disappointed in myself for the lap one incident – just misjudged it on cold brakes and overshot the corner and we definitely hurt our car. I’m a little disappointed with that – feel like we would have had a shot a top-five finish if we had a car in one piece. We were pretty tight the rest of the day after that. It hurt our speed, but overall, really proud of the Sam Hunt 24 guys. I feel like we had a really good Open Eyes Toyota off the truck. I feel like we finished about where we should have, so overall good day. We will take this to Sonoma, and I think we will even be better there.”

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 48,000 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 22 electrified options.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

GMS Racing NCTS Race Recap: World Wide Technology Raceway

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Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 10TH

FINISH: 1ST

POINTS: 3RD

Post-Race Quote: Grant, you get the win and you get an extra $50,000; that’s gotta be awesome!

“I forgot about that Regan! It’s just so hard to win these races, and if it’s about money, we would have quit a long time ago. But thank you to CRAFTSMAN for that, thank you so much to Champion Power Equipment, Maury Gallagher, Mike Beam, Ron Booth, Jeff Hensley, those guys behind that pit wall right there. Big Jim has been with me forever. Thank you to everybody for keepin’ on believing in us. It’s been a rocky year, but these last five races I feel like we’ve come to our own. We’ve had speed; I was a little disappointed yesterday – I felt like I nailed my lap and we were 10th. I looked at the lap tracker and I felt like we were 10th and that we weren’t a contending truck. But Jeff Hensley made the right calls.

I mean overall, it was just a great day and the stars aligned. I don’t know if we were just on the limit right there on the end, but I think Ty just did what I did last year to Zane. I think Tic Tac (Chris Lawson, Crew Chief No. 38) made the winning call there, and I just got loose underneath of them. It’s just so hard to make those moves here but I’m just so proud of these guys. I’m proud of Champion Power Equipment. It’s just as good a time as any to announce that we are expecting another baby, so Michelle, I’ll be home tonight to see her. Life is good!”

Rajah Caruth, No. 24 Born Driven Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 35TH

FINISH: 15TH

POINTS: 16TH

Post-Race Quote: “We had a pretty eventful day with our Born Driven Chevrolet. Definitely not there is only one man. My GMS Racing teammates all running really well today. Getting damage from lap one, to somebody missing a shift in front of me, self inflicting damage later on in the race. Just kind of being a parachute with the nose damage. We never gave up, and I am really proud of my Wendell Scott Foundation group. They did such a great job and we had to go through a lot this weekend and last night and starting dead last. Really proud of my team and hopefully we will get some rest with these two weeks off and get back going and head into the summer with some good results for Maury Gallagher, Mike Beam, Ron Booth, and the men and women on my No. 24 team, everybody at GMS Fabrication, Chevrolet, General Motors, Butler Built, Alpinestars, Bell Racing, Competition Cleaning and ShadyRays.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline / LiftedTrucksForSale.com Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 17TH

FINISH: 11TH

POINTS: 18TH

Post-Race Quote: “Yeah, we had a really fast GMS Racing Silverado today at Gateway, and was super cool to run up front and be a contender. Unfortunately, a mistake on pit road kinda cost us a shot at a better finish. I can’t thank LiftedTrucksForSale.com enough for coming onboard along with all our other partners. I also have to say congratulations to Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 team, that’s awesome for the organization to get its second win this year!”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

TeamSLR: Trans Am Race No. 1 Report from Detroit

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Official Release
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Up and Down Day for TeamSLR in Detroit Race No. 1
Dillon Machavern Earns Solid Top-Five; Justin Marks Rebounds for Near-Top-10;
Early Cut Tire Costs TA2 Rookie Thad Moffitt Shot at His Season’s Best Finish

Overview:

Date: June 3, 2023

Event: Detroit Grand Prix (Round 5 of 13)

Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli

Division: Big Machine Vodka Spiked CoolersTA2 Series

Location: Streets of Downtown Detroit

Layout: 1.7-mile, nine-turn temporary street circuit

Format: 60 minutes

Weather: Sunny, low 80s

Winner: Brent Crews of Nitro Motorsports

TeamSLR:

● Dillon Machavern – Started 8th, Finished 5th (Running, completed 39/39 laps)

● Justin Marks – Started 19th, Finished 13th (Running, completed 39/39 laps)

● Thad Moffitt – Started 17th, Finished 23rd (Running, completed 37/39 laps)

Noteworthy: M1 Racecars was represented on the podium for the fifth time in the opening five races this season as Rafa Matos of Peterson Racing brought home the runner-up finish today. Last Saturday at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, Mike Skeen drove his Peterson Racing entry to a runner-up finish. M1 Racecars swept the podium at the season-opening race at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway with the race-winning Matos, his Peterson Racing teammate Austin Green in the runner-up position, and TeamSLR driver Connor Mosack finishing third after qualifying on the pole and leading 20 of the 27 race laps. Matos scored back-to-back third-place finishes in rounds two and three at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana, and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, respectively.

Dillon Machavern, Driver No. 17 Heritage Automotive/Unifirst/SLR-M1 Racecars:

“As we expected, the race kind of came to us. We had more speed in the long runs than we did in the short sprints. That’s how we always design the car, that’s how we want the setup to be. Unfortunately, that sprint at the end hurt us a little bit. My fastest lap was my last lap of the race and I was starting to get better and better and better, but we just ran out of time there. It was super interesting. It’s tight, and those restarts made me nervous. It’s hard to pick a line through (turns) three and four because it just wasn’t consistent, there wasn’t like a straightforward, ‘This is the line to go for.’ You’d think the outside would almost work better because then you’re switching back to a righthander, so that was the biggest struggle, just making sure you didn’t get balled up on those restarts. But it was really fun. Our car was strong – I think we had pace to be on the podium, we ran a fast enough lap. But I think we’re in the mix for tomorrow, so we should be pretty strong. It was cool, I just wish we had more time out there.”

Justin Marks, Driver No. 8 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro for Team SLR:

“Today was a challenge. I made a mistake and went off and basically went to the back of the pack and had to come back through there. I think after that, really, just paid attention to where the handling was and started thinking about what we’re going to need for tomorrow. We were still knocking on the door of the top-10, but I think there’s a lot more in the car and in me. It’s a really, really tricky place, and it was a little bit of a race of attrition, which I expected. We definitely want a car that’s going to stay underneath you and one that you’re not going to make mistakes in. But it was a good learning experience. Tomorrow is going to be a long race, so we’re just going to give it everything we got. Today, people were pretty aggressive. If you can go fast and not make mistakes – obviously, I made a mistake today – these races really have a tendency to come back to you because a lot of people don’t know how to dial it back and be smart when they race. That’s going to be my challenge tomorrow, just making sure we can go as fast as we can while keeping the car underneath me. We have a decent starting spot, not a great starting spot, but we have all the opportunity in the world to put a good race together and get a good finish for the team.”

Thad Moffitt, Driver No. 43 Safety-Kleen/Victory Impact Chevrolet Camaro:

“The first street course for me – man, this is really cool being here on the streets of Detroit. We were really coming at the beginning of the race. Before the first caution, we came from 19th to 13th or thereabouts. We were coming on strong there and I felt like we were really fast, driving away from the people behind us. I guess we got into the concrete wall just enough to cut the left-front tire but give us no body damage, which I don’t understand at all. So we blew the left front and had to pit under green, lost a lap, and you’re kind of in a box in this series once you lose a lap because there’s no lucky dog, no free pass. After that it was a matter of trying not to get wrecked so I can run tomorrow. The car’s really fast. We’re a little tight in the front, but you saw how good Dillon ran and I felt like we could’ve been there right with him. I was looking for a really good day, thinking we could at least get up to seventh or eighth before I cut the left-front tire. Looking forward to tomorrow, the car’s in one piece, which is more than half the field can probably say, so we’ll try again.”

Next Up:

Round six of the 2023 Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series brings TeamSLR back Sunday for the second half of this year’s Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader on the downtown streets of the Motor City. TA2 Race No. 2 on the 1.7-mile, nine-turn temporary street circuit, scheduled for 75 minutes in duration, begins at 11 a.m. EDT and will be live streamed via the Trans Am Series and SpeedTourTV channels on YouTube, with a delayed re-broadcast on MAVTV set for 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 8.

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 120 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Epping Post-Qualifying Report – 06.03.23

By
Official Release
-

BROWN REACHES MILESTONE WITH LATEST NO. 1 QUALIFER
Ron Capps leads the Toyota Funny Car contingent from fourth

EPPING, N.H. (June 3, 2023) – Antron Brown earned his first no. 1 qualifier of the year at Epping on Saturday. The weather conditions forced the cancelation of the final qualifying session, but Brown and his team capitalized on the first two sessions – earning five of the six bonus points. For Brown, it is his 50th no. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel competition. Shawn Langdon had a strong run as well to the second qualifying spot.

In Funny Car competition, Ron Capps led Toyota in qualifying as he earned the fourth qualifying position.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

New England Dragway

Race 7 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster1st (3.729)BYE
Shawn LangdonBounty Hunter Kalitta Air Toyota Top Fuel Dragster2nd (3.738) T. Schumacher
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster8th (4.191)A. Prock
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster10th (4.807)D. Mercier
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster12th (6.711)L. Pruett

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Chad Green*BondCoat Ford Mustang Funny Car1st (4.100)J. Campbell
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car4th (4.483)B. Tasca
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car8th (6.374)C. Pedregon
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car10th (6.816)R. Hight

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

How does earning your 50th No. 1 feel to you?

“It feels really good today. What made it feel so good is how our team was so good to adapt to all of the different conditions. Friday, we were no. 2. We dropped a hole early, so we missed out on being no. 1 there. We were still able to get two bonus points, which adds up, because we are tied for sixth. Today, we are able to bounce back and be one of the few cars that made it down because the track got super tight, super good, but there was no give. We had to try to make the car give; Brian (Corradi), Mark (Oswald), Brad (Mason) and all of the Matco, Lucas Oil boys – they are good at adapting in positions like that. The hard part is we never have run in conditions like that, so you had to get the right power level, back it down. We went for a safe run to get down, so we could prepare, because we knew the conditions were going to be like this tomorrow on race day, so we can make laps, so we can get down, and pick at it and make it better and better each lap. The track was good enough to run mid-to-high 60s, if you hit it right, but you can hit it so wrong, like a lot of other teams did. That being said, just super proud of my guys, it makes me feel good to see where we are at and that we can adapt to so many different circumstances.”

It has been since 2017 since your last number one. Have you been thinking about it?

“Our main focus throughout this whole journey that we’ve been on is to constantly get better. We never really harped on qualifying. We always try to qualify good, but I cannot tell you when there have been times when we go up there and we say ‘hey, we’ve got this thing on mean and we are going for no. 1. It’s either going to smoke the hoops or we are going no. 1.’ I could never say that. We were always progressing to get better and be a top five to top three qualifier. That has been our goal. We have been achieving that each different race – even the last race. I think we qualified number five or something like that. We’ve just been working on that steadily, getting better and better, and pick up those bonus points. We were the quickest Q2 and the second quickest or third quickest of Q3 at our last race. Our main focus is to be at the top of the heap once we get to races. This race fell in the spot where we made the right adjustments where we were able to be number one and we picked up five bonus points this weekend out of two rounds of qualifying. Our whole focus is to get better like that because qualifying sets you up for a good spot but doesn’t mean you are going to win the race. We won three races last year, and we already won a race this year, so we just want to qualify in the right spot to give us the best chance and we want to get better. Do we want to qualify no. 1 a lot more? Heck yeah, but we just have to keep working to know how we got there and just not throw shots at it.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 4th

What are your thoughts on the weekend so far?

“These are conditions that we saw this weekend are not what you think you would see the New England Nationals, this time of year. This is probably the most adverse conditions that we’ve seen in the first round of the 2Fast2Tasty Challenge. That is why I’m always bragging about our team and how well they adapt to everything. This is some of the most extreme conditions the nitro cars have seen. I love this kind of stuff being thrown at teams and drivers. We couldn’t finish the 2Fast2Tasty, and conditions are going to be pretty close to the same on Sunday or whenever we have to run the race. Luckily, this track is a great surface. It kind of goes into the whole vibe of this track. It’s old school. You feel like you’ve gone back in time when you come here, so in a way this fits the mold of being at this raceway.”

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 48,000 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 22 electrified options.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Dominant trucks hand Enfinger Gateway victory in late wreck

By
Tucker White
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MADISON, Ill. - JUNE 3: Ty Majeski, driver of the #98 ThorSport Racing Ford, drives his wrecked truck to his pit stall, after a wreck with Zane Smith, in the closing laps of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 3, 2023, in Madison, Illinois. Photo: Simon Scoggins/SpeedwayMedia.com

MADISON, Ill. — It was Zane Smith’s race to lose.

He stayed out to take the lead in the final 30 laps of the Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Even with four new tires, Grant Enfinger wasn’t eating into his lead. Smith’s car was just too strong on medium to long runs.

But then Lawless Alan threw a monkey wrench into the runaway operation with a spin with 10 laps to go.

Now it’s anyone’s race.

With six to go, Ty Majeski powers off Turn 2 and pulls inside of Smith.

Even down the backstretch.

Even entering Turn 3.

Disaster.

“Low air pressures and we had the splitter bent, got into Turn 3 obviously trying to get ahead of the No. 38, hit the splitter, had to check up, and went up the racetrack,” Majeski said. “Obviously when you go up the racetrack, his side took the air from mine, and I went around and wrecked us both.”

As a result, Enfinger passed underneath the wreck to retake the lead and drove onto victory.

“I don’t know if we were just on the limit right there on the end, but I think Ty just did what I did last year to Zane,” Enfinger said.

Smith spoke to Majeski after the race, both to see if someone got into him and just what his plan was.

“I saw an interview earlier where at this track he has more experience here than any others,” he said. “He still races like it’s his first time here. We see time and time again that the guy on the bottom has to be a little conservative, and that’s why the leaders always choose the top.”

Ultimately, it doesn’t hurt either Smith or Majeski, points-wise. Majeski leaves Gateway second, one point behind Corey Heim (who missed Saturday’s race with an illness). Meanwhile, Smith remains fourth, with two wins to book his ticket to the playoffs.

It doesn’t ease the heartbreaking loss for Smith, however.

“I mean, I kind of did it to myself staying in this series,” he said. “It is pretty unbelievable how scary some of these guys are. We’ve just had, now, four bad weeks – some self-inflicted, but our day obviously snowballed once we get around some of these guys. It’s just frustrating.”

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