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Ben Rhodes lands first Truck victory of 2023 at Charlotte

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

From rolling off the starting grid in 19th place to claiming the checkered flag in first place, Ben Rhodes emerged victorious for the first time in the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season after winning the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 26.

The 2021 Truck Series champion from Louisville, Kentucky, led two times for 37 of 134 scheduled laps as he managed to reassume the lead from Carson Hocevar during a late restart with 24 laps remaining. From there, he managed to pull away from the field and beat runner-up Corey Heim by more than two seconds to win for the first time in the 2023 season and at Charlotte.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Tanner Gray claimed his first career pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 180.385 in 29.936 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Ty Majeski, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 180.180 mph in 29.970 seconds.

Prior to the event, Tyler Ankrum dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change made to his Hattori Racing Enterprises entry. Rookie Nick Sanchez also dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to his Rev Racing entry.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Tanner Gray received a push from teammate Corey Heim on the inside lane to muscle ahead of Majeski with the lead entering Turns 1 and 2. As the field fanned out to three lanes through the backstretch and entering the frontstretch, Gray managed to fend off Majeski and Heim as he led the first lap.

During the second lap and amid a series of early on-track battles, Tanner Gray retained the lead by half a second over a side-by-side battle between Majeski and Heim while rookie Rajah Caruth closed in while running in fourth. Shortly after, Armani Williams had early on-track issues after he made contact with the wall and limped his damaged truck to pit road, but the race remained under green.

Then on the fourth lap, Heim gained a strong run beneath teammate Tanner Gray entering the frontstretch as he assumed the lead in his No. 11 Rootly Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Entering Turn 1, Majeski attempted to overtake Gray, but he got loose beneath Gray as his truck slipped sideways, but he managed to straighten his truck entering the backstretch as Gray and Caruth overtook him for top-five spots. In the midst of the battle, Heim stretched his advantage to eight-tenths of a second.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Heim was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Caruth and more than a second over third-place Dean Thompson while Majeski and Tanner Gray trailed in the top five. Behind, David Gilliland was in sixth ahead of Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes, Zane Smith and Stewart Friesen while Grant Enfinger, Bayley Currey, Taylor Gray, Lawless Alan and Chase Purdy rounded out the top 15. Meanwhile, Jack Wood was in 16th ahead of Ben Rhodes, Colby Howard, Matt DiBenedetto and Matt Crafton while rookie Nick Sanchez was up to 21st ahead of Hailie Deegan and rookie Jake Garcia.

Ten laps later, Heim continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Caruth as Dean Thompson retained third while trailing by seven-tenths of a second. Behind, Majeski also retained fourth while Hocevar carved his way up to fifth. With Zane Smith moving up to sixth, Tanner Gray fell back to seventh ahead of David Gilliland while Taylor Gray cracked the top 10.

Another four laps later, Hocevar carved his way up to second place as he trailed Heim by more than a second while Caruth, Thompson and Majeski dropped a spot, but remained in the top five.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 30, Heim claimed his fourth Truck stage victory of the season after fending off Hocevar by a tenth of a second. Hocevar settled in second followed by Thompson, Caruth and Zane Smith while Majeski, Tanner Gray, Friesen, David Gilliland and Taylor Gray were scored in the top 10. By then, 29 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.

Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Heim pitted and after the pit stops, Heim retained the lead after exiting pit road first ahead of Hocevar, Zane Smith, Tanner Gray, Thompson and Gilliland. Following the pit stops, Majeski pitted for a second time for repairs to his quarter panel. Caruth also made another pit stop due to a jack issue from his initial stop.

The second stage started on Lap 36 as Heim and Hocevar occupied the front row. At the start, Heim and Hocevar dueled for the lead through the first two turns amid a tight pack of competitors. Just as Hocevar tried to peek ahead on the outside lane, Heim managed to muscle ahead on the inside lane through Turns 3 and 4 as he retained the lead while teammates Tanner Gray and Thompson battled for third. Behind, Friesen was in fifth while David Gilliland carved his way to sixth ahead of Taylor Gray, Zane Smith, Eckes, Bayley Currey, Colby Howard and Matt DiBenedetto.

Just past the Lap 40 mark, Heim was holding a steady advantage over Hocevar followed by Thompson, Tanner Gray and Friesen while Zane Smith, Taylor Gray, Gilliland, Rhodes and Eckes were in the top 10. Meanwhile, Colby Howard was in 11th ahead of DiBenedetto, Crafton, Sanchez, and Currey while Purdy, Deegan, Enfinger, Garcia and Caruth were running within the top 20.

Five laps later, Hocevar emerged as the third different leader of the event as he overtook Heim for the lead while third-place Thompson trailed by more than two seconds. By then, Caruth and Majeski were mired back in 18th and 20th, respectively, as Friesen and Zane Smith rounded out the top five.

At the Lap 50 mark, Hocevar extended his advantage to more than two seconds over runner-up Heim while third-place Thompson trailed by more than four seconds. Behind, Friesen and Zane Smith remained in the top five while Taylor Gray retained sixth ahead of Ben Rhodes.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 60, Hocevar claimed his second stage victory of the 2023 Truck season. Heim settled in second ahead of Thompson, Zane Smith and Friesen while Taylor Gray, Rhodes, Gilliland, Sanchez and Eckes were scored in the top 10. By then, 30 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.

Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Hocevar returned to pit road. Following the pit stops, Heim managed to edge Hocevar to reassume the lead followed by Taylor Gray, Thompson, Zane Smith and Sanchez. Following the pit stops, Tanner Gray pitted for a second time with the hood up on his truck.

With 66 laps remaining, the final stage started under green as Heim and Hocevar occupied the front row. At the start, Heim and Hocevar dueled for the lead until Heim launched ahead with the lead on the inside lane through the first two turns. Heim would retain the lead through the frontstretch as Hocevar overtook Taylor Gray for second while the rest of the field fanned out and jostled for positions.

With 60 laps remaining, Heim continued to lead by a tenth of a second over Hocevar. A lap later, however, Hocevar reassumed the lead over Heim as Thompson, Rhodes and Friesen were scored in the top five.

Then with 54 laps remaining, the caution flew when Armani Williams slipped sideways and spun entering Turn 4 as his truck dipped below the apron and onto pit road, where he collided against the pit road wall and damaged his truck. Despite the incident, Williams emerged uninjured as his incident also did not involve any crew members.

Following an extensive cleanup period and while still under a caution, Hocevar led a parade of competitors to pit road with 48 laps remaining. Amid mixed strategy, Chase Purdy exited first after only opting for fuel as he was followed by Rhodes, Hocevar, Deegan, Taylor Gray and Thompson.

During the following restart with 45 laps remaining, Purdy struggled to launch on the inside lane while Rhodes received a strong push from Hocevar’s No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado RST to assume the lead on the outside lane. The field then fanned out to three lanes entering Turn 1 as Hocevar quickly challenged Rhodes for the lead. Entering the frontstretch, however, the caution returned when Zane Smith got loose underneath Taylor Gray while battling for third, spun across the track and clipped the side of Hailie Deegan’s No. 13 Ford F-150 before spinning across the frontstretch grass.

With the race restarting with 38 laps remaining, Rhodes managed to launch with a strong start and retain the lead ahead of Hocevar while transitioning from the outside to the inside lane entering Turn 1. After being placed in a three-wide battle between Hocevar and Christian Eckes through the backstretch, Rhodes maintained the top spot as he gained a strong start on the outside lane and muscled away from the field. Behind, Hocevar and Eckes battled for second in front of Majeski and Taylor Gray.

With 33 laps remaining, Hocevar managed to reassume the lead from Rhodes as Eckes fell back to third ahead of Heim and Thompson. Two laps later, however, the caution returned as Tyler Ankrum and Kris Wright wrecked in the backstretch.

As the race restarted under green with 24 laps remaining, Rhodes gained a strong push from Eckes on the inside lane to pull ahead of Hocevar and reassume the lead entering the first turn. With the rest of the field jostling for positions, Rhodes retained the lead by a tenth of a second with 20 laps remaining.

With 15 laps remaining, Rhodes was leading by three-tenths of a second over Heim followed by Hocevar, Thompson and Eckes while Enfinger, Majeski, Taylor Gray, DiBenedetto and Gilliland were scored in the top 10. Behind, Caruth was in 11th ahead of Currey, Crafton, Sanchez, and Garcia while Daniel Dye, Purdy, Tanner Gray, Jack Wood and Friesen were running in the top 20.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Rhodes continued to lead in his No. 99 Campers Inn RV Ford F-150 by eight-tenths of a second over Heim and more than a second over Thompson while Hocevar and Enfinger were in the top five. Rhodes would retain the lead by a second over a three-truck battle between a tight three-truck battle between Heim, Thompson and Hocevar with five laps remaining.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Rhodes remained as the leader by more than two seconds over Heim with Hocevar, Thompson and Enfinger scored in the top five. With Heim unable to narrow the deficit for a final lap and with Rhodes having a clear view in front of him, the Kentucky native was able to cycle his way back to the frontstretch for his first elusive checkered flag of the 2023 campaign.

With the victory, Rhodes became the ninth different winner of the 2023 Truck season and the sixth series regular to place himself in contention to make the 2023 Truck Playoffs. In addition to scoring his seventh series career victory and the second of the season for ThorSport Racing, Rhodes notched the first Truck victory at Charlotte for himself and the Ford nameplate as he claimed the first $50,000 bonus for winning the first Triple Truck Challenge event.

Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“I didn’t think we were that good in practice,” Rhodes said on FS1. “I didn’t qualify the best, and here, [the truck] came to life at night. Oh, man, I had so much fun. This is so much fun. Charlotte is a track that we come to. ThorSport Racing, we’re based in Sandusky, Ohio. We come to the North Carolina guys’ house and we like to win.”

“I’ll take the championship right now,” Rhodes added. “The whole season is so hard to put together. It’s unbelievably hard and it’s only gotten more difficult over the years. I started running this series in 2016 and I’ll tell you, I keep getting better every year and so does the competition. The harder I try, the harder it is to win a race, so a championship, being locked [into the Playoffs], I’ll take that. The last three races have been so unbelievably hard on my team. We’ve been wrecked in the last three and haven’t had any good showings because of it. I’ll take the points. Thank you.”

Heim, who led four times for a race-high 49 laps, settled in second place for the second time this season but managed to extend his lead in the regular-season standings with five regular-season events remaining on the schedule.

“Me and [Hocevar] and [Thompson] were probably the best trucks,” Heim said. “[Rhodes] just came along really strong, and once we got to second on the restart, where [Hocevar] got put in the middle there, I really thought we had a shot at it. It just proves that clean air is king here, but I feel like if I did a better job of getting by as soon as possible rather than waiting on a run, we might have had a better opportunity.”

Dean Thompson, Heim’s teammate at TRICON Garage who qualified seventh, had a career night as he claimed third-place results in both stages before settling a career-best third-place in the final running order for his first top-five result in the series.

“This season, so far, has been so up and down,” Thompson said. “We’ve had such good runs. We had [good runs at] Texas, Kansas, and it just ends up wrecking. To have this turned around like this is just massive. Not just for me, but for my team too. This plays a lot in my confidence so we can carry it to Gateway.”

Hocevar, who led five times for 43 laps, came home in fourth place followed by Grant Enfinger while Eckes, Majeski, DiBenedetto, Sanchez and Taylor Gray finished in the top 10.

There were 12 lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 32 laps. In total, 26 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the 11th event of the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season, Corey Heim continues to lead the regular-season standings by 26 points over Ty Majeski, 43 over Zane Smith, 63 over Grant Enfinger and 76 over Ben Rhodes.

Results.

1. Ben Rhodes, 37 laps led

2. Corey Heim, 49 laps led, Stage 1 winner

3. Dean Thompson

4. Carson Hocevar, 43 laps led, Stage 2 winner

5. Grant Enfinger

6. Christian Eckes

7. Ty Majeski

8. Matt DiBenedetto

9. Nick Sanchez

10. Taylor Gray

11. Rajah Caruth

12. Matt Crafton

13. Bayley Currey

14. David Gilliland

15. Jake Garcia

16. Chase Purdy, two laps led

17. Lawless Alan

18. Jack Wood

19. Daniel Dye

20. Colby Howard

21. Bret Holmes

22. Stewart Friesen

23. Zane Smith

24. Tyler Hill

25. Mason Maggio

26. Ryan Vargas

27. Tanner Gray, one lap down, three laps led

28. Tyler Ankrum, two laps down

29. Josh Reaume, three laps down

30. Matt Mills, three laps down

31. Spencer Boyd, three laps down

32. Kris Wright, four laps down

33. Hailie Deegan six laps down

34. Justin Carroll, 12 laps down

35. Armani Williams – OUT, Accident

36. Keith McGee – OUT, Fuel pump

Next on the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is the series’ annual visit to Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, which will serve as the second site of this year’s Triple Truck Challenge program. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, June 3, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Love Finds A Way In General Tire 150

By
Official Release
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Jesse Love celebrates after winning Friday's ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Chris Owens photo)

CONCORD, N.C. (May 26, 2023) – Jesse Love’s top performances continued as Charlotte Motor Speedway’s massive Coca-Cola 600 weekend began with a thrilling ending.

Love, driving the No. 20 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports, survived a green-white-checkered finish, won his third consecutive ARCA Menards Series race, and gave his team its first Charlotte victory in the General Tire 150 on Friday.

“It’s really cool to get [the team’s] first win here,” Love said. “We did a lot of simulator work and we unloaded ok earlier.

“I lost for about two years. No matter how good you are you start to question yourself at that point. I’m on a hot streak now.”

Love, the 18-year-old ARCA points leader from Menlo Park, Calif., started from the pole position but was second for the race’s final restart which was triggered when Stephanie Moyer spun.

Leader Christian Rose was on the inside, but hadn’t pitted in more than 50 laps, allowing Love to power past on the outside and hold off Dean Thompson at the checkered flag.

“Luckily for us one car stayed out, which gave us the front row on our own [among teams that pitted],” said Love, who has also won at Talladega and Kansas this season. “I wasn’t too worried about the caution. I’m strapped to a bottle rocket right now.”

Thompson finished second for the second consecutive race, followed by Taylor Gray in third, Grant Enfinger in fourth and Andy Jankowiak in fifth.

“One lap short part two right,” said Thompson. “I’m lucky to be able to do this. I’ve worked my whole life to be here. To finish second, I have to be gracious.”

Among other notable finishers, Frankie Muniz placed sixth, Rose ended up eighth, Connor Mosack was ninth and Tony Cosentino drove the final car on the lead lap home in 11th.

Racing continues this weekend with the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race tonight at 8:30 (FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at noon (FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at 6 p.m. (Fox, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

TICKETS:
Tickets for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 are sold out. Fans can purchase tickets for other Charlotte Motor Speedway events at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Admission to the Circle K Speed Street concert by Jake Owen (Saturday) is free with any race ticket. Sunday’s pre-race concert by The Doobie Brothers is free with a Coca-Cola 600 race ticket.

KEEP TRACK:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Allgaier Surges To Alsco Uniforms 300 Pole

By
Official Release
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Justin Allgaier poses on Friday after winning the pole for Saturday's Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Chris Owens photo)

CONCORD, N.C. (May 26, 2023) – Justin Allgaier is hoping a small win during qualifying will turn into a long-awaited trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Victory Lane.

Allgaier turned a lap of 181.172 mph (29.806 seconds) on Friday, earning the pole position for Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300.

The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet kicked off his weekend with the ideal starting spot as JRM chases its first victory of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

“It’s been disappointing as a team to not have a win so far,” Allgaier said. “You don’t work any less hard when you’re running bad.

“[Winning the pole] is a big momentum boost for everyone who works on the race team.”

John Hunter Nemechek was second (180.246 mph) in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, followed by NASCAR Cup Series regular Ty Gibbs in third, Cole Custer in fourth and Brandon Jones in fifth.

Prior to the qualifying session, Allgaier had been third-quickest in practice, behind Nemechek and Gibbs.

“This is the best race car I’ve ever had here,” Allgaier said. “Little wins are what makes this sport go around. To do it at home in Charlotte on Memorial Day weekend is big.

“We feel like we have a really good chance [Saturday].”

Among other notable qualifiers, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch placed sixth, Xfinity Series rookie Chandler Smith was 10th and defending race winner Josh Berry was 14th.

Timmy Hill and C.J. McLaughlin did not qualify for the event.

Green flag for the Alsco Uniforms 300 is set for Saturday at noon (FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

TICKETS:
Fans can purchase tickets online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Admission to concerts by AC/DC tribute bank Dirty Deeds (Friday at Circle K Speed Street) and Jake Owen (Saturday at zMAX Dragway Pavilion) is free with any race ticket. Sunday’s pre-race concert by The Doobie Brothers is free with a Coca-Cola 600 race ticket.

KEEP TRACK:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

CHEVROLET NCS AT CHARLOTTE: Kyle Busch Press Conference Transcript

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
COCA-COLA 600
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 26, 2023

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ALSCO UNIFORMS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Press Conference Quotes:

INAUDIBLE..

“Yeah, it was fun. It was a really good time over at Boat Yard Eats. We had Fast Cars & Guitars with Matt Stell and Dee Jay Silver. It was just a fun night to get everybody together. Had a few industry people, as well as some KBM people and some outsiders that we met for the first time. Had some great sponsors for the event. It was really a great kick-off to the weekend. We had KBM fan day in the morning and then closed it out with the concert last night. So all around, great cause for the Bundle of Joy Fund and raising some money and awareness for the infertility issues, and what we’re able to help with Samantha (Busch) and myself. Samantha did a great job being able to orchestrate all of that and put it all together, so hopefully it was a good fundraiser for us.”

HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOU GUYS ARE STACKING UP RIGHT NOW VERSUS THE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND JOE GIBBS RACING CARS?

“I would say the 1.5-mile stuff, I feel like we’re really close. We’re right there. Kansas (Speedway) was a really good look for us. I felt like we had a good top-five, top-three speed. Anything can happen in the end of these races and you can contend for a win. Obviously our short-track program is a far miss right now and we’re all trying to figure out what exactly is going on there and why. We can look at all of the sheets and see all that stuff, and try to correlate it as close as we possibly can and copy, but it’s not relating to the race track in our cars at all. So there’s a disconnect there somewhere.”

WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE SCHEDULE PREVIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY GOING INTO THE SUMMER, THERE ARE A LOT OF THE SIMILAR-TYPE TRACKS.. 1.5-MILE, INTERMEDIATE-TYPE TRACKS. NOW, IT’S ALL OVER THE BOARD WITH ROAD COURSES, SUPERSPEEDWAYS, ETC. IS IT HARD TO BUILD CONSISTENCY WITHIN A PROGRAM TO STRING TOGETHER GOOD CONSISTENT RESULTS BECAUSE IT’S SO DIFFERENT NOW ON A WEEK-TO-WEEK BASIS?

“Honestly, I kind of feel like it would be harder to build – like out of six weeks and you had four short-tracks, we wouldn’t have time to breathe because we’d be sucking so back. But when you have four out of six weeks with a 1.5-mile track, it would feel pretty good. We’d be excited about that, ready for that. I think it’s a matter of your program and how that’s looking for you in the particular moment. We kind of know our weaknesses and know that we need to get better on those and continue to evolve the whole organization.”

IF YOU DON’T GET ANY PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING, ARE YOU IN MORE OF A DISADVANTAGE IN THE FACT THAT YOU’VE NEVER RACED A RCR CAR HERE AT THIS TRACK?

“Yeah, certainly that could kind of be a little bit of a stance. I would just hope that the simulator stuff that we did, as well as the sheets that we’re able to see and the notes that we’re able to see from the Hendrick Motorsports’ guys and whatnot – what they’ve done because Kyle (Larson) tested here. He tested here a few months ago or whenever it was for the tire test, so we kind of relied heavily on that and what those guys did, and through our key partner relationship with Chevrolet. If we don’t have any practice or anything like that, that’s what we would base off of.”

GATEWAY LAST YEAR WAS AN INAUGURAL EVENT AND EVERYBODY WAS UP ON THE WHEEL BECAUSE YOU WANT TO WIN THE FIRST ONE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WHY DO YOU THINK IT RACED MORE LIKE A SHORT-TRACK, WHERE IT WAS EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE, EVEN FOR A TRACK OF THAT SIZE?

“Yeah, I guess probably more so because of the shifting than anything. You’re able to go into the corner and downshift, and come out of the corner and have the torque, engine and everything else. If you kind of slip up or you bog the center of the corner down a little too much because your car is too tight, you’re going to lose that momentum and you’re not going to have that speed, so you’re just going to be slow. I feel like everybody can kind of bounce right back coming out of the turns in relation to their center of the corner speed. But overall, yeah I thought it was quite an interesting race. I feel like the line really moved around a lot. I could not run the bottom at either end of the race track – I was kind of a top guy. So that was kind of fun to see the place really have some character.”

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH RCR AND THE WINERY, HAVE YOU BEEN DRAWN INTO THAT WORLD? HAS HE TAKEN YOU THERE AND MAYBE DONE SOME MEETING OR EVENTS?

“Well that was actually our first meeting that we had after Austin (Dillon) called me, and when it was time to have a discussion with Richard (Childress), that is where we met. That was pretty cool. It was my second time being there – my first time being there was for Dale Jr.’s wedding, and then that was my second time there. And then we’ve had a couple meetings since. I invited everybody from RCR’s management team and whatnot all out to dinner to do a dinner for them and I wanted to take them somewhere. Richard insisted that we went to the winery, so we ended up going back up there again for that function. It’s a super nice place. It’s really pretty up there. They’re doing some expansion right now, so he’s well-vested in that and it seems to be a really good business form.”

IT’S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW SINCE THE ELIGIBILTY RULES CHANGED WITH TRUCK AND XFINITY. YOU’RE BACK IN THE XFINITY CAR THIS WEEKEND. WITH HOW MUCH WE KNOW YOU LOVE TO RACE, THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS BEING LIMITED SO MUCH, DO YOU STILL FEEL FULFILLED WITH THE RACING THAT YOU CAN DO, OR HOW MUCH DO YOU MISS NOT BEING ABLE TO RUN AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO?

“Yeah, definitely miss being able to run as much as I want to a lot. I would love to have way more Truck races, especially. I thought we started out strong and we were going to have a good year with winning at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) with the KBM Chevrolet’s, but unfortunately we’ve been terrible since. We’re missing something somewhere and we’re trying to figure out why and what. We have an idea, but we haven’t necessarily conquered it yet. That would be one that I would really like to get back into would be the Truck Series and running my own stuff a little bit more.. having some more races to kind of just build the program and make sure that we are where we need to be with our younger drivers. Not necessarily having that experience to be able to dictate and tell exactly what’s wrong with our vehicle dynamic and stuff like that.

The Xfinity side, I could take it or I could leave it. I enjoy racing anything as much as I can. Maybe because I haven’t done them as much lately, the triple in Vegas was a little bit much. But if you’re back to doing them again more periodically, your body gets used to it. That’s how I was early on when I first starting doing triple’s. It was hard and then I got used to it, and then it was easy. Now you’re kind of back out of it, so it’s no different than a workout regimen. You just have to get back in.”

ON THE FLIPSIDE OF THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU’VE DONE MORE AWAY FROM NASCAR WITH THE DIRT STUFF.

“I have to.. what other choices do I have (laughs).”

HOW MUCH HAS THAT HELPED THAT YOU CAN AT LEAST STAY BUSY SOMEHOW, WHETHER IT’S WITH BREXTON OR TRYING DIFFERENT TYPES OF RACING?

“Yeah, I mean that’s just kind of it, right? Like (Kyle) Larson, I think he’s going to run 100 shows this year, and that’s just insane. I think I’m only going to be about 20. But the key reason, or the main reason, why I do what I do on the dirt side is just with Brexton. He gets to go run his go-kart stuff or his junior sprint stuff, and I’ll run the micros. We’ll run on the same night, so we’ll be together. We have a big week next week coming up, where we’re going to go to St. Louis and run at Tri-Cities on Thursday, Doe Run on Friday and Wayne County on Saturday – him and me both. It’s going to be a lot of fun to be able to go up there and race those three tracks on three separate nights, and have a good time running, him and I.”

HAVE YOU DONE ANY SIM LAPS FOR THE CHICAGO RACE AT ALL YET?

“No.. not in sim, but on iRacing. We did some stuff on iRacing.”

WHAT WERE YOUR IMPRESSIONS?

“Some of the corners were really, really tight. And how they have the walls coming out of the corners – on the sim, it had cones. You’re coming down this straightaway and there’s another straightaway there, but the ground, the road, is separated with a wall in the middle and there’s cones that are blocking off where they don’t want you to go. So I thought that was weird.. I’m like just extend the wall. But maybe they don’t want to extend the wall because they need areas for safety crews to get out. I’m not the scientist on that, but anyways it just seemed weird when you’re coming around a corner and you have to miss the end of a wall.”

JOHN H. NEMECHEK WAS IN HERE EARLIER AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE ASKING HIM WHAT HIS NEXT STEP IS AND IF IT WAS INVALUABLE FOR HIM TO GO BACK TO TRUCKS AND WORK HIS WAY BACK UP. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT DOES HE NEED TO GET THAT NEXT STEP TO BE A FULL-TIME CUP DRIVER?

“This isn’t to be mean or rude or a bad word.. but he needs six million bucks and he’ll be in a JGR Cup car next year. That’s all he needs.”

INAUDIBLE..

“It’s not a success game anymore.. it’s a money game. So if he can find the cash, then there will be a seat for him I’m pretty sure.”

INAUDIBLE..

“Oh yeah. I mean we wouldn’t be racing the stuff that he’s racing right now, as much as he’s racing right now, if it wasn’t for the Serv-Pro sponsorship that we have on Brexton. There’s no question that you have to have funding behind you because these owners anymore – there’s not enough money in the sport that they’re making money that they’re willing to reinvest it into their talent pool, into their driver pool, and put it out there. I think Rick (Hendrick) is probably the only one with (Kyle) Larson. Everybody else is all sponsorship driven and fortunately for me, I’ve got some great sponsors this year behind me with RCR. Our program has been building and we’ve been continuing to expand forward on the sponsorship side, so that’s good.”

INAUDIBLE..

“Yeah, I mean I felt like he (John H. Nemechek) was really good at KBM. He was engaged. He did a good job. He was always reliable. We could ask him to do sim and he would be there. I feel like on the Xfinity side, he’s been running up front. He’s been fast and he’s been doing a good job. He’s arguably in the series’ best equipment, but when you’re able to excel in that and go out there and win races week in and week out, that gives you that chance or that notoriety to say – hey, I can move up to the next level.. I’m ready for it.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A COCA-COLA 600 WIN ON YOUR RESUME AND WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO ADD ONE MORE?

“Yeah, I love this race. I remember watching this race as a kid when I was growing up. May or may not have fallen asleep during it, at least at some point.. it’s just really long (laughs). But it’s got the history of 600 miles and man versus machine and all that sort of stuff. Equipment in this day in age is entirely different than what equipment used to be, but it’s a cool chance for us to go out there and run the longest race of the year, and then also kind of feel what that’s like. There’s been a couple times here when you get to mile marker 500 and you’re like – damn, there’s still 100 more miles to go. It will wear on you, for sure, if you’re not made or it or ready for it. But this place is really, really rough over the years and has gotten a lot of character back into it since the repave in I think 2007 maybe, 2008. It’s pretty rough and bumpy, so the 600 miles around here will definitely wear on you.”

WHAT’S YOUR ATTITUDE COMING INTO THIS RACE AFTER COMING SO CLOSE LAST YEAR? ARE YOU STILL FIRED UP ABOUT THAT FINISH, AND WHAT’S YOUR MENTALITY?

“Yeah, we had a really good car early in the race, and then I spun and kind of ruined it. We had a bad race through the middle and we just missed all the wrecks and were in a good spot at the end. We got lucky to actually finish second. It would have been really fun, yet lucky, to win and beat out my teammate Denny (Hamlin) last year. His car was still in good shape and mine was not. Overall, yeah just want to get out on a 1.5-mile track again. Like I said, Kansas was a really good run for us. We got in a bad spot and we crashed, so it would be nice to come back out here and have a good, strong run. Get a top-five and some good points out of this race. There are four stages this week, so that’s going to be a big point reward. Hopefully we can do a good job.”

 
 

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Tanner Gray Takes Pole PositionFor North Carolina Education Lottery 200

By
Official Release
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May 26, 2023: at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. (HHP/Chris Owens)

CONCORD, N.C. (May 26, 2023) — Tanner Gray won the pole for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Gray, 24, from Artesia, New Mexico, turned a lap of 180.385 mph (29.936 seconds) in the No. 15 Toyota for TRICON Garage.

“It’s always nice when you can show up and be fast,” Gray said. “We had a bit of a rough practice with some engine issues. All the guys worked really hard to get everything back together.

“I’m proud of everybody in the garage. We’ve been working really hard to get our trucks better. This is a good step in the right direction.”

Ty Majeski was just behind with a speed of 180.180 mph (29.970 seconds) in the 98 Ford with Corey Heim in third in the No. 11 Toyota (180.102 mph).

Friday’s race is the opening event of the Triple Truck Challenge, which gives a $50,000 bonus to the winner.

“In the past the track has freed up going into the night,” Gray said. “We’re going to have to make sure we stay on top of changes. Track position is going to be big. We want as many stage points as we can get. It’s a good opportunity for us to get stage points.”

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 is set for Friday at 8:30 p.m. (FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

TICKETS:
Fans can purchase tickets online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Admission to concerts by AC/DC tribute bank Dirty Deeds (Friday at Circle K Speed Street) and Jake Owen (Saturday at zMAX Dragway Pavilion) is free with any race ticket. Sunday’s pre-race concert by The Doobie Brothers is free with a Coca-Cola 600 race ticket.

KEEP TRACK:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Toyota Racing – NXS Charlotte Quotes – John Hunter Nemechek – 05.26.23

By
Official Release
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Toyota Racing – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

CONCORD, N.C. (May 26, 2023) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to media prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday:

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your thoughts going into this weekend?

“I’m excited to be here racing at home and being able to be here in Charlotte. It is a great atmosphere of family and friends coming out to the race. It’s my first time in a Xfinity car at Charlotte in quite some time. I feel like our mile-and-a-half program has definitely been pretty good at Joe Gibbs Racing on the Xfinity side across the last few races and last year. I’m excited to see what we can do. JRM (JR Motorsports) cars were definitely dominate here last year, so I feel like we have a little bit of a tall task to go out there and beat them, but I feel like we had a good test here in January. Weather is probably going to be the same tomorrow. I’m excited to get racing here and kick off a couple of mile-and-a-halves, but also a couple of road courses in between as well. Portland – I don’t know much about it. I’ve never been there. I’ve seen a little bit of video. I’ve done a little bit of sim work, but it is all going to be new to me. It’s kind of a tall task for me to go out there and figure it out quickly. Luckily, I think there’s not a lot guys out there with laps there in the dry – if we end up racing in the dry. A lot of guys have laps in the rain from racing in the rain there last year. Who knows how it is going to end up, but JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) was fast there last year as well. I’ve just got to put my big boy pants on try to learn it pretty quick.”

Do you have memories coming here with your dad (Joe Nemechek)?

“Yeah, I do. I end up growing up here, out in the bus lot, walking around. I remember trying to get through all the gates here as a child – and always having a minor credential and getting stopped. That’s probably one of the fondest memories – always trying to get somewhere, and not being able to get where I needed to go. I definitely love coming here – short drive to the race track from home, being able to sleep in your own bed is nice.”

What do you think your Truck Series and Xfinity Series success could show potential Cup teams with openings?

“I hope it puts me at the top of the line for some of the Cup seats, if they open. That was kind of the goal with taking the gamble and moving back to the Truck Series – was trying to revamp my career and show that I could win in whatever I got in. Being able to win in the Truck Series, being able to win in the Xfinity Series over the last couple of years and contend for championships – I’m sad that we didn’t win one, but we were at least contending for them. I feel like every week, we have been a contender, every time we have shown up to the race track. It feels good to me. It boosts my confidence as a driver. When you are not running as well and not contending for wins, you start questioning yourself sometimes. That can take a mental tole on you. I’m definitely proud of where we are – from the step back. I’m thankful for Toyota, TRD, and everyone involved for taking the gamble to bring me back and put me in some great equipment to try and go win some races.”

If the race gets pushed because of weather, will you be okay to get to Portland?

“I think from the team side we would be okay to get there. I think our cars are close from having a couple weeks off and getting ahead a little bit. I can’t fully speak on where they are at, team wise and car wise, to be able to ship them out, but I’m sure if we get rained out tomorrow or Sunday or Monday, or whenever we get rained out and racing, I’m sure that we can get our stuff ready to get out to Portland. It might be tight getting there – depending on when we race for garage opening and haulers. I think they were saying it was like a 48-hour driving time. That’s pretty tough.”

What did you learn in taking that step back that is benefitting you as you move back up the NASCAR ladder?

“I think from the year racing in Cup – it taught me a lot. There were a lot of things I learned from the racing side – restarts. A year of Cup experience is unbeatable I would say. I feel like being able to have that under your belt, and to be able to race around the top guys every week definitely puts you in a better position to know what to do to get good finishing positions. Again, you are racing some of the best of the best, but I would say the biggest thing I learned from taking the step back was to be never afraid and gamble on yourself. If you think that you can do it, go out and prove it.”

Do you ever feel like there is a time that you are not auditioning?

“No. I feel like you are auditioning every time you are on the race track and even when you are off the race track. I feel like there is so many things involved from a team to possibly look at you and pick you up – from a social media standpoint, your brand, to how you carry yourself, to media obligations, to performance on the race track, hard work off the race track. Literally everything. I definitely feel like you are kind of underneath the spotlight with everything that you do, so you better do it right.”

Do you think there is a time when the drivers in the Cup Series are not auditioning?

“I don’t know. I guess some guys can be like that. I feel like I can only speak for myself and for me, I don’t have that mindset. Every time I step into a race car on the race track, I want to go out and win – whether it is practice, qualifying, racing – it’s just the competitive spirit in me. I would say I’m not doing it for the money – I want to win and go have fun. Racing to me is fun – it’s something that we can make a career out of, which we are definitely blessed to do so. I like the competitive spirit that we are in, but I can’t speak for everybody. Some guys maybe that way, they may get comfortable, but for me it’s not that way.”

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.

Graham Rahal: ‘It’s certainly very very different’

By
Tucker White
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INDIANAPOLIS - MAY 25: Graham Rahal (R), driver of the #24 Dreyer and Reinbold Racing Chevrolet, talks to team owner, Dennis Reinbold (L), during a special session in advance of the NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2023, in Indianapolis. Photo: Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

INDIANAPOLIS — Graham Rahal entered the North Chataeu Pavillion at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He sat at the interview table in the back of the room and kicked out his feet until the toes of his shoes poked out of the cloth.

Virtually every reporter gathered around and craned their necks to hear every word he’d say. And why wouldn’t they? After all, just four days earlier, teammate Jack Harvey bumped him out of the Indianapolis 500.

But then Rahal received a call.

“I will say that there was a part of me that thought it wasn’t right, and that I was just going to accept that I wasn’t racing and I was going to move forward and move into kind of a different phase and my mental process and the way the rest of my week was going to be,” he said.

One day after Harvey bumped out Rahal, Stefan Wilson pounded the wall in Turn 1 and injured his back. And Rahal was the first choice of Dreyer and Reinbold Racing team owner, Dennie Reinbold.

Instead of watching at home, Rahal finds himself in a “very very different” situation.

Those differences range from a different manufacturer to the fit of gloves.

“Obviously, the engine is different,” he said. “The brakes feel different, like the way the button, everything feels different. The way the end, the buttons feel, too, thumbs to the gloves is different. There’s a lot that goes into that.”

He asked questions about input to the car but felt it wasn’t his place to push the issue. He feels he’s here to “fill out a big void for the weekend.”

Moreover, for one race, he transitions from helping his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammates to racing against them. He is, however, excited for the opportunity.

“I know they’ve had very strong cars. But the mentality is different. My job is turned from maybe a team leader to a guy that wants to go win this thing again. Not that it ever went away, but clearly, I have a chance now that I didn’t, Monday afternoon.”

If Sunday’s his day, the final practice Friday didn’t reflect it. He clocked in 30th, over half a second back of Takuma Sato.

Joe Graf Jr. | RSS Racing Charlotte Motor Speedway Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

By
Official Release
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RSS Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway | Alsco Uniforms 300

Fast Facts

No. 38 RSS Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr.
Primary Partner(s): No. 38 GTECHNIQ EXOv5 Ford Mustang
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Spotter: Joe Campbell
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
Driver Championship Point Standings: 24th
Team Championship Point Standings: 24th

Notes of Interest:

Settling In: After spending the last three seasons with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (2020 – 2022), Joe Graf Jr. moved to RSS Racing during the offseason where he’ll spend the majority of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season competing for the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team.

In addition to RSS Racing, Graf will also compete in a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Welcome Aboard: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome back GTECHNIQ, a leader in automotive protective coatings products as the primary marketing of the No. 38 Ford Mustang for the 12th NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the 2023 season.

Headquartered in Cumming, Ga., the Gtechniq range includes composite ceramic coatings, leather protection, fabric protection, wheel and trim protection, shampoos and much more.

The Alsco Uniforms 300 will mark the company’s fourth event as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series but second of the 2023 season.

Promoting EXOv5: On this Memorial Day weekend, Graf, RSS Racing and GTECHNIQ are promoting one of their newest products, EXOv5.

GTECHNIQ EXOv5 produces a high-gloss, warm-looking, extreme hydrophobic finish. It has a consistent film that is more durable and offers great resistance to road salt, all wash chemicals and can help withstand micro-marring.

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 33 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: AVOID, Bass Reaper Bait Company, Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, EAT SLEEP RACE Apparel, fgrACCEL, G-Coin®, GTECHNIQ, JACOB Companies, Lefcourt Brothers Racing, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics and ShopRite for their continued support.

Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 GTECHNIQ EXOv5 Ford Mustang on Saturday, the RSS Racing driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90 with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, May 27, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.

Graf will also spotlight a commercial featuring GTECHNIQ in several spots throughout the weekend, including the full four-hour program on Sunday, May 28, 2023.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Alsco Uniforms 300 will mark Graf’s third start at the iconic 1.5-mile speedway.

In his previous two Charlotte efforts, he delivered a track-best of 19th during the 2020 edition of the Alsco 300 after starting 28th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Speedway Stats: At tracks classified as a speedway, Graf has competed in 52 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.8 and an average result of 26.0.

Darlington (S.C.) Raceway | Shriners Children’s 200 Race Recap: In his most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Graf competed in his eighth race of the season with the organization but the 12th Xfinity Series race overall of the season.

Without practice or qualifying due to inclement weather, Graf started his No. 38 Bethel Motor Speedway | Lefcourt Brothers Racing Ford Mustang from the rear of the field after encountering an oil leak prior to qualifying.

Throughout the 147-lap race from the 37th position, Graf methodically maneuvered through the field and climbed inside the top-15 but on a late-race restart was involved in a chain-reaction accident that eliminated him from competition and left the RSS Racing team with a frustrating 32nd-place.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow monthly.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Steve Addington is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will be crew chief for his 275th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his 17th race on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway oval.

In his previous 274 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected 11 wins, 10 poles, 68 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has two teammates at RSS Racing.

Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 CMRroofing.com Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 RSS Racing Ford Mustang.

Ryan Sieg is set to make his 313th career Xfinity Series start overall and 14th at Charlotte. His best Xfinity Darlington track finish occurred in the 2019 edition of the Alsco 300, where he finished eighth after starting 12th for his family-owned RSS Racing team.

Kyle Sieg is set to make his 31st career Xfinity Series start overall and first at Charlotte.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), Twitter (@JoeGrafJr), Instagram (@joegrafjr) and YouTube.

For more on RSS Racing, please like them on Facebook (RSS283839) and follow them on Instagram (@rss283839) and Twitter (@RSS283839).

Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:

On Charlotte Motor Speedway: “I love racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is a very challenging and characteristic track. I feel confident about our race heading into the weekend.

“With the cooler temperatures expected, I am not sure if we will be able to spend a lot of time near the wall or not, but we definitely need to make sure we keep up with the balance of our No. 38 GTECHNIQ EXOv5 Ford Mustang so we can have a strong and successful Stage 3.”

On The 2023 Season: “We started the year off really strong between RSS Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, but unfortunately we’ve had a few setbacks the last couple of weeks that has broken up the momentum.

“I am really proud of our team for our performance at Darlington – even though we did not earn the finish we deserved. We’ve been on this up-and-down rollercoaster, but I’m hopeful we can get things settled and start putting together some solid performances I know our No. 38 RSS Racing team is capable of.

Hopefully, Charlotte will continue the re-righting of our year and put our season back on track. We are definitely capable of it; we just need everything to come together.

“I just need to continue to stay focused, communicate with my team and utilize the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”

Race Information:

The Alsco Uniforms 300 (200 laps | 300 miles) is the 12th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, May 26 from 3:35 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 4:05 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag the following afternoon, Saturday, May 27 shortly after 1:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

About RSS Racing:

RSS Racing fields multiple entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series led by mainstay driver Ryan Sieg.

RSS Racing has competed in NASCAR events since 2009 from its headquarters in Sugar Hill, Ga.

Frankie Muniz and Rette Jones Racing Head to Charlotte Ready to Retake ARCA Points Lead

By
Official Release
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Frankie Muniz and Rette Jones Racing Head to Charlotte Ready to Retake ARCA Points Lead

CONCORD, N.C.: Make no mistake about it, Frankie Muniz has even surprised himself as a rookie in the ARCA Menards Series this season.

The driver of the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang has busted out three top-10 finishes in the first four races of the season – consistency that propelled him into the ARCA Menards Series points lead following the race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April.

Earlier this month, Muniz, despite posting an eighth-place finish at Kansas Speedway, lost the points lead to championship rival Jesse Love – but only by two points.

Set to make his Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway debut on Friday night, Muniz and his Rette Jones Racing team are focused on taking back control o the championship lead following the General Tire 150.

“I am ready to get back in the saddle,” said Muniz. “I am proud of our Rette Jones Racing team for overcoming the struggles that we had at Kansas. While I was bummed that we didn’t keep the points lead leaving Kansas, we are sure are determined to get it back at Charlotte on Friday night.

“I know this is an important race for Rette Jones Racing and even our manufacturer Ford to run well in the heart of NASCAR country – so I am looking forward to having a productive day on Friday and being a strong contender during the race on Friday night.”

To prepare himself for his first go-around with Charlotte’s 1.5-mile surface, the former Malcom in the Middle actor has recently spent some time in the Ford simulator – making laps around the Concord, N.C.-based track to speed up his learning curve ahead of practice on Friday morning.

“Charlotte is not the same as Kansas,” Muniz said with a smile. “It seems like a very abrasive track where handling will be crucial and tire wear conservation will be equally critical. Nothing beats actual track time, but I am thankful for the sim time and hope I can apply what I learned on Friday.”

For the third time this season, HairClub will return at Charlotte and serve as the primary partner on the team’s No. 30 Ford Mustang.

Founded in 1976, HairClub is North America’s number-one provider of hair regrowth, replacement, and restoration solutions.

For over 40 years, HairClub has helped 600,000+ people regrow, replace, or restore hair that they love.

HairClub has over 120 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Aderans Co. Ltd., the world’s leading provider of total hair loss solutions.

“It’s great to be representing the HairClub brand again,” said Muniz. “They were very instrumental in helping make my ARCA Menards Series debut successful both on and off the track. I am very blessed and thankful to have the opportunity to work with them again and try to put them in Victory Lane!”

Former ARCA championship-winning crew chief and co-owner Mark Rette was extremely impressed with Muniz’s performance in the first four races and look forward to seeing his attentiveness continue at Charlotte.

“Charlotte will be another learning curve for Frankie, but it’s a curve that I feel he can conquer pretty quick,” said Rette. “He has been putting in the work to prepare himself for the race this weekend – nothing different than he has done all year long.

“I think we were all a little bummed to lose the points lead – but it is still easily within our grasp and it is very early in the season. Still, Frankie is incredibly focused and he knows that if he just focuses on his craft behind the wheel, the points will follow.

“At the end of the day, we just want to have another successful race with a satisfying finish and prepare for this upcoming summer stretch.”

For the 2023 ARCA season, Rette Jones Racing will continue its longtime partnership with Ford Performance but has upgraded its fleet to include the Ford Mustang continuing this weekend in Charlotte.

Entering Charlotte, Muniz sits second in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, two markers behind championship leader Jesse Love with 16 races remaining.

Rette Jones Racing stands a respectable fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship owner standings.

Since 2023, Muniz has four ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit with a career-best finish of sixth at Phoenix Raceway in March 2023 and three top-10s overall. He also maintains an average finishing position of 8.5 in his inaugural year of stock car competition.

For more on Frankie Muniz please visit munizracing.com, like him on Facebook (FrankieMuniz4) and follow him on Instagram (@frankiemuniz4) and Twitter (@frankiemuniz).

For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and Twitter (@RetteJones30).

The General Tire 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the fifth of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, May 26 from 11:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will begin a short time later at 12:40 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) handling the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

About Rette Jones Racing:

Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never-give-up attitude.

Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plans to field a full-time entry in 2023 in the ARCA Menards Series, while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series East respectively.

The winning ARCA team also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.

Racing Fire Suits – The Ultimate Safety Gear for Every Racer

By
SM
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In the adrenaline-fueled world of racing, there’s one companion more trusted than any other: the racing fire suit. Picture yourself sitting behind the wheel of a thundering beast of a machine, the roar of the crowd falling away as you focus on the finish line. 

Now, imagine feeling utterly invincible while doing it. Sounds surreal, right? That’s the magic a top-notch racing fire suit brings to the table. More than just a piece of fabric, it’s a suit of armor, your knightly attire, your personal guardian in the chaos of burning rubber and engine roar. 

So, let’s zip up and dive into the realm of these fiery suits, uncovering their unsung tales and truly understanding what makes them the silent heroes of the racing world. 

Buckle up because this journey promises to be exciting!

Key Considerations When Purchasing a Racing Fire Suit

Investing in a top-quality custom fire suit is one of the most significant choices you’ll make when considering your safety on the track. This isn’t just an outfit—it’s your first line of protection in the unexpected event of a fire, a potential lifesaver. So when you’re choosing a racing fire suit, it’s not as simple as picking the priciest or the one promoted by your favorite racer. 

Instead, it’s about finding a suit that feels like a second skin, adheres to strict safety standards, keeps you comfortable during intense races, and doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket. 

Over our discussion, I’ll be guiding you through these crucial elements, helping you understand what truly matters when you’re buying this pivotal piece of your racing kit.

1. Explore Racing Fire Suit Materials

Different fire suit materials offer varying levels of protection. Some of the most commonly used materials include Nomex and Proban. Nomex, a synthetic material known for its superior flame resistance, is popular among professionals due to its durability, comfort, and protective capabilities. It doesn’t support combustion and maintains its integrity even after washing, thus offering prolonged use.

On the other hand, Proban, chemically treated cotton, offers flame resistance at a lower cost. Though it is less durable compared to Nomex, its comfort and affordability make it a suitable choice for amateur racers or those on a budget. Understanding these materials’ unique features is vital in making an informed decision based on your racing frequency, protection needs, and budget.

CarbonX is a newer material that is gaining popularity due to its lightweight design and superior fire resistance. This will help you to decide what type of racing fire suit is right for you based on the different types of materials.

2. Find Out What Safety Features to Look for

When selecting a fire suit, your focus should be on features that boost safety. For instance, reinforced seams provide extra strength and longevity, minimizing the risk of tears and damage during a race. Built-in arm and leg cuffs can also be crucial, preventing flames and debris from entering the suit.

Additional safety features could include reflective strips for enhanced visibility, especially in low-light conditions. Strategic padding can offer protection against impact, which is particularly important in high-speed races. Safety should never be compromised, so make sure the suit you choose ticks all these boxes.

3. Check to See If the Fire Suit Is SFI Certified

In the world of auto racing, the phrase “Safety First” is not merely a saying but a credo that determines how we engage with the sport. And when it comes to safety, certification from recognized bodies plays a crucial role in guaranteeing the efficacy of safety gear. One such certifying authority is the Safety Foundation Inc or SFI.

The SFI is a non-profit organization established to issue and administer standards for all kinds of racing equipment, and this includes racing fire suits. An SFI certification is not something that manufacturers can claim without undergoing rigorous testing. When a suit is SFI certified, it means that it has been tested extensively and has met stringent safety standards set by experienced industry professionals. This label is a testament to the suit’s ability to provide superior protection in the event of a fire.

A particular manufacturer that stands out in terms of quality and safety standards is FervoGear. Known for their commitment to excellence, FervoGear racing fire suits are consistently rated highly by the Safety Foundation Inc (SFI). This means they’ve undergone rigorous testing and have been found to meet or exceed industry safety standards. 

So, why should you, as a racer or a race team, pay attention to the SFI certification? The reason is simple. It’s all about trust. Racing, by nature, is a high-risk sport. As such, you need to be confident that your safety gear can perform under extreme conditions. When you opt for an SFI-certified suit, you’re choosing a product that has been independently verified to offer high levels of safety.

This certification is particularly crucial in professional racing, where regulations often require drivers to wear SFI-certified suits. But even if you’re involved in amateur racing or even go-karting, choosing an SFI-certified suit is a smart move. It adds an extra layer of assurance, allowing you to focus on the race with the knowledge that you have high-quality protective gear.

4. Measure Yourself for the Right Fit

Think about it – no matter how top-notch your racing fire suit’s material or safety features are, they won’t mean a thing if the suit doesn’t fit right. A fire suit is like a second skin. It should hug your body just right, giving you the protection you need without compromising your freedom of movement. Here’s why getting the right fit is critical and how you can achieve it.

First, a well-fitted fire suit is essential for comfort. Remember, you might be wearing this suit for long durations, and discomfort can distract you from the race. If the suit is too tight, it could restrict your movement, hamper your driving ability, and even cause chafing or discomfort. If it’s too loose, on the other hand, it might not offer the protection you need. Extra material can get caught in parts of the vehicle or even catch fire.

Second, the right fit enhances safety. Fire suits are designed to have as little open space as possible, reducing the area where fire can enter. That’s why they come with knit cuffs at the wrists and ankles and why it’s important to ensure these areas fit snugly.

So, how do you ensure you get the right fit? You measure yourself, of course! Now, this isn’t the time to guesstimate. Be as accurate as possible. Measure your chest at its widest point, and do the same for your waist and hips. Don’t forget to measure your inseam – the length from the crotch to your ankle. And remember to measure your sleeve length as well, from the center back of your neck, over your shoulder, down to your wrist.

Make sure you keep these measurements handy while shopping for your fire suit.

5. Learn About the Different Styles of Fire Suits

When it comes to racing, protecting yourself is just as important as speed and skill. That’s where the fire suit comes in. A racing fire suit is a specialized piece of gear that provides protection against the intense heat and flames that can occur during a race. 

If you’re in the market for a racing fire suit, there are a few things to consider. For starters, you’ll want to learn about the different styles available. There are single-layer suits, double-layer suits, and triple-layer suits, each offering varying levels of protection. 

Beyond that, you’ll want to check out racing fire suits for sale to see what options are available to you, including custom suits that can be tailored to your exact specifications. Whatever your needs, taking the time to learn about the different styles of racing fire suits available is an important step in ensuring your safety on the track.

6. Consider the Color and Design of the Suit

While safety and functionality should be the primary focus when choosing a racing fire suit, that doesn’t mean you can’t consider aesthetics. A fire suit is not just protective gear but also a reflection of your personality. The color and design of the suit can serve as an expression of your individual style and make you stand out on the race track.

Fire suits are available in a spectrum of colors, from classic black or white to vibrant reds, blues, and even multicolor designs. Some racers prefer to match their suit to their vehicle’s color scheme, creating a unified look. 

Additionally, designs can vary from solid colors to those featuring racing stripes, logos, or custom graphics. When choosing, consider not just what looks good but what will make you feel confident and race-ready.

7. Look for an Adjustable Belt or Waistband

You might be wondering, “Why does a fire suit need an adjustable belt or waistband?” It might seem like a small feature, but it has significant benefits in terms of both comfort and safety.

An adjustable belt or waistband allows you to customize the fit of your suit. This is particularly useful as body sizes and shapes can vary greatly. With this feature, you can ensure the suit fits snugly around your waist, reducing the risk of the suit snagging on anything while you race.

Moreover, an adjustable waistband can greatly enhance comfort. The fit around the waist impacts how the suit feels when you’re sitting in your race car, and having the ability to adjust it to your liking can make a considerable difference in your comfort level. In the end, a more comfortable racer is typically a better-performing racer, so don’t overlook this seemingly minor feature.

8. Find Out What Accessories Are Available

When looking for racing fire suits for sale or custom racing fire suits, don’t forget to consider what accessories are available to enhance your racing experience. Some popular accessories are a fire-resistant balaclava, a neck brace, gloves, and boots. 

You want to make sure that all your accessories are made from fire-resistant materials to keep you safe in case of an accident. Additionally, consider the fit and comfort of each accessory. You don’t want anything to be too tight or uncomfortable during a high-speed race. 

So, check with the seller if they offer any accessories with the racing fire suit or if they can recommend any additional items to complete your set for maximum comfort and safety. By taking the time to research accessories, you can find everything you need to make your racing experience not only stylish but also safe and comfortable.

9. Check the Suit’s Construction and Durability

When it comes to purchasing a racing fire suit, it’s important to consider both the construction and durability of the suit. This way, you can ensure you’re getting the most value for your investment. Many racing fire suits for sale will boast of high-quality construction and longevity. 

However, it’s always best to do your research and verify this for yourself. 

Additionally, those looking for custom racing fire suits should pay extra attention to this aspect, as it will ensure that the suit is tailored to their exact size specifications for optimal performance and comfort. 

By checking the suit’s construction and durability before making a purchase, you can rest assured that you’re getting a quality product that will protect you in the event of an accident on the track.

10. Read Customer Reviews Before Buying a Fire Suit

It’s crucial to arm yourself with knowledge before making a purchase. One effective way to gain valuable insights is by delving into customer reviews before finalizing your decision. These reviews serve as a treasure trove of information, offering a comprehensive understanding of the racing firesuit you’re considering.

By perusing customer feedback, you can unlock a wealth of knowledge about the firesuit’s quality, durability, and overall performance. Making a better report starts with knowing what to expect. Additionally, customer reviews provide firsthand accounts of the suit’s comfort and breathability, which are vital factors in ensuring a comfortable racing experience.

Customer reviews are even more important when you’re shopping for a custom firesuit. They shed light on the satisfaction levels of previous customers regarding the customization process and the final product. By paying attention to these reviews, you gain valuable insights into the reliability and quality of the customization service offered.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, owning a racing fire suit is an important investment for any professional or amateur racer. It ensures maximum safety, protection, and comfort while racing at high speeds or in case of an accident. 

When choosing a fire suit, consider the material, weight, certifications, and other features that meet your personal racing needs. Always prioritize your safety and invest in high-quality gear to ensure a worry-free racing experience.

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