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Zane Smith and the No. 38 ARRMA Ford F-150 Team World Wide Technology Raceway Competition Notes

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

Zane Smith will return the ever-popular ARRMA RC brand to the track this weekend. Smith will debut the new-look ARMMA Kraton 4S design fans voted on earlier this year at the World Wide Technology (WWT) Raceway.

ARRMA is a brand of Horizon Hobby, the global leader in RC products and accessories. ARRMA is known as the leader in the high-speed, super-tough RC world. ARRMA offers a wide range of performance trucks, buggies, and all-terrain vehicles designed with the enthusiast in mind such as Smith. Smith is the proud owner of an ARRMA Infraction 6S.

Truck activity will begin Friday with practice and qualifying at 6:00 p.m. ET. Saturday’s 200-mile race is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

COMPETITION NOTES:

Smith has an impressive record at the flat oval. He has three top-10 finishes in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at the track and one pole in the truck. Smith made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the track last season and finished 17th. Smith’s best truck series finish at WWT Raceway is fifth.

CREW CHIEF CHRIS LAWSON:

“This is always a favorite race of ours. We’ve had fast trucks with Todd and now with Zane, but we always find a little trouble that takes us out of winning. We want to change that this weekend.”

DRIVER ZANE SMITH:

“It’s always cool to have ARRMA on the Ford F-150. They are just making killer schemes, and this is another one. The fans voted for it and the RC world is a big one and passionate. I started off racing RC cars and we just want to get more fans involved.

“We’re going to Gateway looking for more wins. This regular season in the truck series comes to an end quickly. It’s a matter of getting wins for us to collect playoff points.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Recap: Coca-Cola 600

Noah Gragson, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 28TH

FINISH: 36TH

POINTS: 32ND

Noah Gragson suffered a mechanical failure at Lap 117 ending his day.

Post-Race Quotes: “Bummer day for the No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevy team. We made it through the first stage clean. Something went through the radiator. We replaced the radiator and the motor blew up. Just frustrating. Thank you to Black Rifle Coffee Company and the Menusa family for coming out here. Wish we could have had a better run for them, but it was an honor to have GySgt. Menusa on the windshield. It makes this weekend all worth it. Wish we could have given him and his family a better run, but we’ll try again at St. Louis.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 United States Air Force Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 26TH

FINISH: 32ND

POINTS: 27TH

Erik Jones finished the race 59 laps down due to an earlier incident where the No. 43 suffered damage to the radiator. The team replaced it and sent Jones back out for the remainder of the event.

Post-Race Quotes: “We had a fast No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevy, but nothing to really show for it. Appreciate the U.S. Air Force and their support, as well as the family of Major Del Bagno. Just hate that we had the radiator issue, but hopefully we’ll go to St. Louis with the same speed and have a good day.”

Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Club Wyndham Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 37TH

FINISH: 37TH

POINTS: 39TH

Jimmie Johnson was caught up in an accident on Lap 115 which ended his day.

Post-Race quotes: “I just didn’t know we were put in that three-wide situation. There were a bunch of us cars that were wrecked and just trying to limp it home. Unfortunately I ended up in a situation I wasn’t aware of and got turned around. It’s a bummer for the Murphy family, the family of Sgt. Frederick and for the No. 84 Club Wyndham Chevy team.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional motor racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates two full-time entries, the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Erik Jones. The team also fields a third part-time entry, the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, for Johnson’s limited racing schedule in 2023.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates alongside GMS Racing, which fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS Racing in 2012, Gallagher, along with one of the NASCAR garage’s most accomplished figures, Team President, Mike Beam, built a victorious organization, capturing the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

Our mission at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is to create an inclusive environment for auto-racing enthusiasts, celebrate the past and future legacies of our partners and team members, and to compete for race wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

Busch Light Racing: Kevin Harvick St. Louis Advance

KEVIN HARVICK
St. Louis Advance
No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter (Round 15 of 36)

● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 4

● Location: Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois (near St. Louis)

● Layout: 1.25-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 240 laps/300 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 45 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps

● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Kevin Harvick will make his 805th career NASCAR Cup Series start on Sunday when he takes the green flag for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis. The driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) is already one of just 10 drivers in NASCAR’s 75-year history to reach 800 career starts, a milestone Harvick reached April 23 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. At 805 starts, Harvick will tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for ninth all-time. Harvick is on track to finish the year with 826 career starts, which will put him eighth all-time. He’s part of an impressive lineup that includes Richard Petty (1,185 starts), Ricky Rudd (906), Terry Labonte (890), Dave Marcis (883), Mark Martin (882), Kyle Petty (829), Bill Elliott (828), Darrell Waltrip (809) and Gordon (805). At age 47, Harvick was the fifth-youngest driver to make 800 starts.

● What has Harvick done in his 804 NASCAR Cup Series starts prior to St. Louis?

●  He won the 2014 Cup Series championship.

​●  His 60 point-paying wins ranks 10th all-time.

​●  His 63 runner-up finishes ranks sixth all-time.

​●  His 249 top-five finishes ranks ninth all-time.

​●  His 436 top-10 finishes ranks fifth all-time.

​●  His 1,277 starts across NASCAR’s top-three series – Cup, Xfinity and Truck – is the most all-time (and 80 more than the next best driver in this category, Joe Nemechek, who has 1,197 starts).

​●  His 121 wins across NASCAR’s top-three series ranks third all-time.

● Harvick comes into St. Louis on the cusp of 16,000 laps led in his NASCAR Cup Series career. With his 19 laps led on Monday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Harvick’s career tally is 15,999 laps led across 804 Cup Series starts. He is a single lap away from being one of just 11 drivers who have led 16,000 laps in their career. Harvick has led 11,584 laps since joining SHR in 2014 (72.4 percent).

● The NASCAR Cup Series made its first visit to St. Louis last year with the Enjoy Illinois 300, but it was not Harvick’s first visit to the 1.25-mile oval located just across the Mississippi River in Madison, Illinois. The Bakersfield, California-native first competed at Gateway International Raceway on Sept. 19, 1998 in a NASCAR Truck Series race. A 22-year-old Harvick started 21st and finished 11th in his 39th career Truck Series start. Harvick returned to Gateway a year later for his second Truck Series start at the track, starting 10th and finishing 27th. But it was his third start at Gateway – this time in a NASCAR Xfinity Series car on July 29, 2000 – that proved to be Harvick’s breakthrough moment. In his 21st career Xfinity Series start – and first in an Xfinity Series car at Gateway – Harvick won to score his first Xfinity Series victory, beating Jeff Purvis by 1.338 seconds. Harvick would go on to win two more Xfinity Series races that year en route to a third-place finish in the championship standings. In his return to Gateway the following year, Harvick successfully defended his Xfinity Series win by beating Jason Keller for the victory by .165 of a second. It was his third win of a five-win season that culminated with the 2001 Xfinity Series championship. Harvick won a second Xfinity Series title in 2006 and he has 47 career Xfinity Series wins.

● In all, Harvick made five Xfinity Series starts at Gateway, leading a total of 332 laps and completing all but two of the 1,000 laps available.

● Harvick also has three Truck Series starts at Gateway, with his third and final start on July 17, 2010 being his best. Harvick won the pole and dominated, leading 143 of the race’s 160 laps to beat Brad Keselowski by 5.241 seconds. It was the ninth of his 14 career Truck Series victories.

● Harvick finished 33rd in last year’s Enjoy Illinois 300 after a brake rotor failure on lap 236 jettisoned a likely top-10 result by sending Harvick into the turn three wall.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang

You had a good run going last year at Gateway before a broken brake rotor ended your day. Does that performance buoy your expectations leading into this year’s race?

“I think last year is probably fairly consistent with what we need to work on just because of the spoiler size and the type of track that it is. I think the disadvantage for us is just with the aero situation where the Fords, in general, have to be spot on. They’ve done a good job with the cars week in and week out, and we just have to go there with last year’s notes and try to make it a little bit better than what we had and not blow a rotor apart and smash into the wall.”

The first of your 47 career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins came at Gateway on July 29, 2000. You beat Jeff Purvis by 1.338 seconds. What do you remember about that win?

“The thing I remember the most was that week, Richard (Childress, team owner) brought me into his office and told me that we needed to stop crashing cars and that we needed to figure out how to finish races. I think it was the 12th or 13th race of the season and he was tired of tearing stuff up. And then we go out and win that week and I remember what a relief it was to finally get that first one out of the way. We built a team and had our good moments and bad moments – we missed a race at Rockingham (North Carolina). So we had gone through a lot of things at the beginning of that season and, to finally get that first win, it was really the momentum that finally kicked off all the things that happened after that. From that point forward, Gateway was always a great track for me and we’ve had a lot of success there.”

You spent 14 years driving for Richard Childress. What does Richard Childress mean to you?

“Richard and I have always had a great relationship because Richard is just a racer. From the very beginning, Richard has run his business by putting competitive cars on the racetrack, and he’s made a living at it. And when we started our company (Kevin Harvick Incorporated), I mimicked a lot of the things that Richard did because of the fact that he ran it with a budget and was able to keep his cars competitive. Richard really taught me how to race professionally. He taught me to never quit until the checkered flag, even if you were 100 laps down. It was always about finishing races and putting yourself in the best position possible. You may not have the fastest car, but if you can keep yourself in contention to the end, you would be able to have a chance to win races just by kind of grinding them down. We did that a lot, and it’s really transitioned over from the business standpoint – that never-give-up attitude – and just really how to race. And Richard knows everybody, and that’s really who introduced me to everybody in the industry. He was always very adamant about shaking a hand, putting a name with a face, and being in front of people. So there were definitely a lot of lessons learned there.”

You’re very interested in the business side of the sport. Did that stem from Richard Childress too?

“Every time I look back at things, Richard played a role in some way, shape or form. Richard was always very supportive, but he would always tell you when you were crossing the line and when he wasn’t happy with something. He always kept it honest, and I think as we went through the years, the business side was always very much centered on Richard knowing what was going on and how you should and shouldn’t do things. When it was right, he was supportive, and when it was wrong, he was honest and he would tell you, so you always knew where you stood.”

You made a total of five Xfinity Series starts at Gateway, winning two of them. What does it take to be good there?

“Well, it’s two drastically different ends of the racetrack. The thing that we always concentrate on is trying to make our car turn really well to and through the center of the corner on both ends, and being able to do that is difficult at Gateway because the two ends of the track are so different. For the most part, you want to be right next to the curbs and carry as much speed as you can through the center of the corner, and use as much partial throttle until you can get the car rotated enough to be wide open. But you have to get through the center of the corner there.”

You’ve represented Anheuser-Busch since 2011, which means you’ve made a lot of trips to St. Louis over the years. What are some of the experiences you’ve had in that city and what are some of your favorite parts of that town?

“Going to watch the Cardinals’ World Series game with them. I don’t remember which game it was, but it was probably one of the best experiences I’ve had at a sporting event just because of the atmosphere and the way that they support their team there. It was pretty awesome.”

You’re a two-time Busch Series champion too. Did those titles back when Busch was the series sponsor (before Xfinity) send you to St. Louis for some promotional activity?

“I remember going to the brewery and going down into the basement where they first started a lot of the deliveries after Prohibition, and just taking a complete tour of the whole thing was pretty cool.”

Do you have a sense of pride racing in St. Louis knowing your history with the track and with Anheuser-Busch?

“I know it’s an important place for A-B, obviously, being their home. But for me, personally, it’s a cool place because of the history that it has with my first win in the Xfinity Series and everything that goes with that. So, yeah, I’m excited about going there for a number of different reasons.”

No. 4 Busch Light Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Stephen Doran

Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Spotter: Tim Fedewa

Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard

Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Nick DeFazio

Hometown: Orange, California

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski

Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges

Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

‘Little Gator’ Breaks Through In Alsco Uniforms 300

Justin Allgaier celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300 on Monday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)
  • Justin Allgaier scored JR Motorsports’ first NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season in Monday night’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, The win was Allgaier’s first at Charlotte in 21 Xfinity Series starts
  • John Hunter Nemechek finished second with Cole Custer, Austin Hill and Ty Gibbs completing the top five
  • Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events at charlottemotorspeedway.com

CONCORD, N.C. (May 30, 2023) – Justin Allgaier expertly managed fuel, tires and patience in the final laps of Monday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and was rewarded with his and JR Motorsports’ first victory of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

In a race rescheduled from Saturday due to inclement weather – and later moved to after Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 due to rain showers – Allgaier led a race-high 84 laps and beat John Hunter Nemechek to the finish line by 7.83 seconds. Cole Custer, Austin Hill and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top five. Gibbs also ran Monday’s Coca-Cola 600, finishing 26th after being involved in an accident.

Allgaier stretched his final fuel run long enough to maintain the lead for the final 33 laps without losing focus and letting Nemechek or Custer close in on him.

Allgaier’s win was the 20th of his Xfinity Series career.

Parker Retzlaff ended the race in sixth, while Jeb Burton, Carson Hocevar, Brandon Jones and Sammy Smith completed the top 10.

JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 7 JR MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET (RACE WINNER): “This whole weekend’s been kind of a hectic weekend. To stand here tonight, to get a win, it’s truly special. To have 20 (Xfinity Series) wins in my career, it’s definitely not Kyle Busch-status, but to be in this sport, to be with a team like JR Motorsports and to have an opportunity to do this for a living and go to victory lane for seven straight years, it’s truly special. To win on Memorial Day, to be here, is just truly special. The car that we had today, I told the whole No. 7 team I’m so proud of the job they did.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, NO. 20 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA (RUNNER-UP): “Hindsight’s 20/20, right? You could’ve raced (Allgaier) for it (instead of saving fuel), and you could’ve ran out. We had a goal to make it to the end there. I’m not sure how (Allgaier) made it. We’ll go back and look at some things. Still a solid finish for us.”

COLE CUSTER, NO. 00 STEWART-HAAS RACING FORD (THIRD-PLACE FINISHER): “It was an interesting race. I felt like we had a really fast car. In the second stage, we really woke the car up. That was the first time this year where we really got it working. That gave us some hope that we can take that to the other places. I was saving as much as I could in that last stage.”

TICKETS:
Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

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 or online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com

Worth The Wait: Blaney Claims An Emotional Coca-Cola 600 Victory

Ryan Blaney, left, poses with Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith after Blaney won Monday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)
  • Ryan Blaney snapped a 59-race losing streak in winning Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; Blaney’s win completed an Indianapolis and Charlotte Memorial Day weekend sweep for Team Penske
  • Polesitter William Byron finished second with Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick rounding out the top five
  • Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events at charlottemotorspeedway.com

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2023) – Ryan Blaney’s 639-day wait between NASCAR Cup Series victories came to an emotional end on Monday, when Blaney dominated one of racing’s crown jewels: the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Blaney led 163 of 400 laps in capturing a career-defining win – his second at Charlotte, after the 2018 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford was a shock winner nearly five years ago, but no one who witnessed Monday’s race could be surprised by the outcome. Blaney started eighth, flexed his muscle early and emerged as the man to beat in the final 100 laps.

Stage 4 became a battle for survival, as a spate of cautions and aggressive moves from those chasing Blaney turned up the excitement – but Blaney held his nerve over the final 20 laps. He beat polesitter William Byron to the finish by .663 seconds, with two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner Martin Truex Jr. third, Bubba Wallace fourth and Tyler Reddick fifth.

Kyle Busch was sixth with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. seventh, Chris Buescher eighth, Austin Dillon ninth and Zane Smith 10th.

While Monday’s race was kind to a third-generation star seeking a long-awaited victory, fate did not shine as brightly on several favorites. Defending race winner Denny Hamlin was involved in a crash with Chase Elliott on Lap 185 that knocked both front-runners out of the race.

Kyle Larson, chasing his second Coca-Cola 600 win in three years, was in the hunt with 25 laps to go after having bounced off the wall earlier in the race but avoiding any serious damage.

Larson’s bid for victory came to a sudden conclusion when he got loose in Turn 2, spun sideways and suffered race-ending damage in a multi-car accident that also collected Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano.

Seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson – going for a record-tying fifth Coca-Cola 600 win – made his first Charlotte start in three years, but fell out of the race after an accident on Lap 164 and finished 37th.

The race was slowed by 16 cautions for 83 laps. Byron won Stage 1, Chris Buescher won Stage 2 and Blaney captured Stage 3. Blaney’s win was the eighth of his Cup Series career and it marked the first in NASCAR Cup Series competition for his crew chief, Jonathan Hassler.

RYAN BLANEY, NO. 12 TEAM PENSKE FORD (RACE WINNER): “I might shed a tear. Man, this is such a cool weekend. Obviously, Memorial Day weekend means a lot. Growing up here, watching my dad (Dave Blaney) racing here, to just run this race, let alone win it, I can’t believe it. A big weekend for Team Penske. I watched the Indy 500 (Sunday) and how that played out, and watched Josef (Newgarden) win his first one. Seeing (Team Owner Roger) Penske winning (Indianapolis 500) No. 19 was a really cool scene.

“I thought, ‘Alright, the pressure’s off, now we can try to sweep.’ That’s the goal. Fortunately, we executed well enough to get it done. I’m looking forward to talking to Roger. … I figured there was going to be a yellow (at the end of the race). We survived another restart. I wanted green-flag runs, because our car was good on green-flag runs. I thought there was going to be a yellow and I’d have to fend him off on a restart again but fortunately, it went green (to the finish). We did a great job tonight. From the drop of the green flag, we were hooked up. We also did a great job of adjusting to the race track as it got darker, as the track temperature cooled off.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET (RUNNER-UP): “I thought (Blaney) was that strong. He and the Toyotas, I think the JGR guys and the No. 45 (Reddick), were all strong in the middle to the end of a run – really, any time they would get around us. We just needed a little bit. Our car was good, we could move around and get to the top five, but we’d kind of just stay there and not have enough pace to really get further than that, so that’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ll keep working.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., NO. 19 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA (THIRD-PLACE FINISHER): “We got some track position, drove up there, had a shot at winning Stage 3 and felt really good at what we had there. We got some damage, at some point (on the splitter), in the final stage on a restart, the car got really tight from there, and we just had to crunch it from there. I wish I knew what could’ve been. I felt really good about the car from Stage 3, but all in all it was a good night, a lot of points. We have a lot of speed in our Bass Pro Camry. It went well, we just needed to execute a bit better and to not get that damage.”

TICKETS:
Fans can buy tickets for upcoming speedway events at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

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 or online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com

Burton Finishes 18th In Coke 600

Harrison Burton steered the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang clear of several late-race incidents to post an 18th-place finish in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

It was his second top-20 finish in a row and his sixth in the 14 races run this season.

Burton and the No. 21 team were racing to honor the memory of the late Sgt. Shawm Dunkin who was on his second tour of duty in Iraq on Feb. 19, 2007, when he died from injuries suffered when his vehicle was struck by a bomb.

Burton lined up for Monday’s marathon from 13th place as the starting spots were determined by metrics after rain on Saturday washed out both practice and qualifying.

He was running 20th when the Competition Caution flag flew at Lap 35 and 25th when the first of three Stages ended a Lap 100.

In the second Stage, he ran as high as third place while running long on a pit-stop sequence at the midpoint but ended that 100-lap segment in 26th place, one lap off the pace.

He and the DEX Imaging team were able to use the wave-around in the third Stage to rejoin the lead lap and wound up 21st at the 300-lap mark.

The final 100 laps of the race saw Burton and the DEX Imaging team work their way forward and were able to line up 12th for a restart with just under 40 laps left to run.

But a car spun sideways and into Burton’s path on the restart. He pitted for new tires and rejoined the race in 27th place.

Several caution flags ensued and Burton steered clear of contact and worked his way back into the top 20.

He held on for 18th place as his Ford teammate Ryan Blaney, whose No. 21 Team Penske crew shares a technical alliance with the Wood Brothers team, took his Mustang to Victory Lane. Blaney’s win gives team owner Roger Penske wins in both of the Memorial Day classics – the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 – in the same year, a first for Penske.

Up next for Burton and the Wood Brothers team is the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis.

About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

Buescher, No. 17 Team Earn Top-10 Result after Stage Win at Coke 600

Fastenal Ford Leads Set of Laps, Two Top-10 Stage Finishes before Strong Comeback

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2023) – Chris Buescher and the No. 17 team won the second stage, led a handful of laps and overcame a pit road mishap to earn an eighth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“It was a really strong day,” Buescher said after the race. “Our Fastenal Mustang was really good. We got hit on pit road and definitely took a decent amount out of us, so I’m upset about that, but at the end of the day it was a good recovery. We kept digging back and it’s cool to have this camo paint scheme up front for a lot of the day, but I want to do more.”

It took three days for the Cup Series cars to hit the track as rain and mist prevented that on Saturday, and eventually Sunday. The inclement weather pushed the start to 3 p.m. ET Monday, with Buescher rolling off the grid 11th in the Fastenal Ford Mustang.

A mostly uneventful stage one – outside of a competition caution at lap 35 and one additional yellow – had Buescher in 15th by the stage end at lap 100. Buescher began stage two just inside the top-15, and worked his way inside the top-10 by lap 155 when the red flag was displayed for mist, and eventual rain.

Following a brief delay, Buescher restarted ninth at lap 163, then over the course of the final 37 laps in the stage drove his way to the lead, officially taking it at lap 192. He held on to the point for the final laps of the segment and won stage two with a positive outlook on the final half of the race.

But, under a yellow flag at lap 231 when Buescher took the No. 17 to pit road, he was hit by the No. 8 leaving his pit stall, ultimately resulting in damage that needed multiple checks on pit road. He restarted 24th on the ensuing restart, and from there had to dig out of a hole.

After finishing stage three in 22nd, Buescher did just that, methodically working his way back inside the top-20 by lap 360, as five yellows were displayed in the final 50 laps of the race. Buescher was 10th on the final restart of the race at lap 379, and maintained the position to cross the line eighth, his sixth top-10 of the season.

The NASCAR Cup Series schedule heads to WWT Raceway this weekend for Sunday afternoon action in Illinois. Race coverage is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Keselowski Finishes 19th after Promising Start to Coke 600

Castrol Edge Ford Solid Early, Mid-Race Mishaps Hinder Strong Finish

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2023) – Brad Keselowski and the No. 6 team had an eventful day in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, showing early potential before a series of mid-race mishaps resulted in the Castrol Edge Ford Mustang finishing 19th.

Weather was the story of the weekend as persistent precipitation set in over the 1.5-mile facility sometime Saturday, and remained there until early Monday evening. The weather washed out all of Saturday’s track activity, before ultimately postponing the original running of the 600-mile race Sunday night.

That resulted in Keselowski receiving a P3 starting position, with Monday’s action ultimately getting underway just after 3 p.m. ET. Due to no track activity for the Cup Series prior, NASCAR implemented a competition caution which would wave at lap 35.

Keselowski ran sixth at the time of that yellow, and worked his way to fourth by lap 65, ultimately finishing the stage in eighth. Stage two saw four cautions with the race’s first green-flag pit sequence occurring just prior to lap 150. Then, at lap 155, a heavy mist which turned into rain moved through the area, resulting in a brief red flag.

After the delay, Keselowski restarted sixth and drove to third by the stage end at lap 200, as teammate Chris Buescher found speed in his No. 17, winning that stage. Under the stage break, a fire broke out on the left rear of the No. 6, but initially resulted in no severe issues. That turned south just 10 laps into the third stage when Keselowski took the No. 6 to pit road for a tire issue, which put Keselowski well off the pace.

Later in the stage, Keselowski made contact with the wall on the right side and ultimately the No. 51 car, resulting in more right side damage and a flat tire.

Despite losing multiple laps to the leaders, Keselowski ultimately gained each lap back as five cautions flew in the final 55 laps, working back to 19th by race end at 400 laps.

The NASCAR Cup Series schedule heads to WWT Raceway this weekend for Sunday afternoon action in Illinois. Race coverage is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Coca-Cola 600
Date: May 29, 2023
Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 14 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chris Buescher of RFK Racing (Ford)
Stage 3 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:

● Kevin Harvick (Started 2nd, Finished 11th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

● Ryan Preece (Started 22nd, Finished 13th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

● Chase Briscoe (Started 20th, Finished 20th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

● Aric Almirola (Started 23rd, Finished 25th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

SHR Points:

● Kevin Harvick (4th with 438 points, 8 out of first)

● Chase Briscoe (17th with 292 points, 154 out of first)

● Aric Almirola (26th with 233 points, 213 out of first)

● Ryan Preece (28th with 225 points, 221 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Harvick finished second in Stage 2 to earn nine bonus points and eighth in Stage 3 to earn three more bonus points.

● Harvick led three times for 19 laps to increase his laps-led total at Charlotte to 624.

● Harvick has now led 11,584 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 15,999 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career. He is a single lap away from being one of just 11 drivers who have led 16,000 laps in their career.

● Preece’s 13th-place finish bettered his previous best result at Charlotte – 22nd, earned in the 2020 Coca-Cola 600.

Race Notes:

● Ryan Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 to snap a 59-race winless streak and deliver team owner Roger Penske a sweep of the Memorial Day weekend as Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

● This was Blaney’s eighth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte. His margin over second-place William Byron was .663 of a second.

● Blaney was the 10th different winner in the 14 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season.

● This was Ford’s 722nd all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its second of the season.

● This was Ford’s 33rd all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte. The manufacturer won its first race at the track on Oct. 16, 1960 with Speedy Thompson.

● There were 16 caution periods for a total of 83 laps.

● Twenty-five of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Ross Chastain remains the championship leader after Charlotte with a one-point advantage over second-place Blaney.

Sound Bites:

“What a night. We battled all night long. Some of those cautions just did not work in our favor at all, but we had a good car and just needed track position and clean air. We made strong adjustments throughout the night and my crew was on it. I think we had a top-10 car. We’ll take 13th after a day like that and it’s definitely the momentum our team needed. Those top-10s and top-fives are coming and I’m looking forward to St. Louis.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang

“It was a good night for our Smithfield Ford Mustang. It’s an honor and privilege to race on Memorial Day and it was an honor to fly Lance Corporal Daniel M. McVicker’s name on the windshield. Wish we could’ve brought it home a little bit better for them. We were running 10th with 20-somethng to go and got caught up in that restart wreck in the middle of (turns) one and two and got a lot of heavy damage that really hurt the racecar after that. Hate that we didn’t get out of here with a top-10. I felt like we certainly had a top-10 racecar. I got loose on an early restart, bent the right-rear toe-link, we fixed it, got two laps down, and then got all of our laps back and drove from the back and into the top-10. So, just really proud of the effort and the fight, but not the result. We fought hard and we’ll go get ready for Gateway. That was a really good track for us last year.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter on Sunday, June 4 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Charlotte Motor Speedway

Coca-Cola 600

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1

  • Per the rulebook, AJ Allmendinger started 27th for the Coca-Cola 600 after qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather.
  • Allmendinger moved up to 21st before the competition caution came out on lap 35. He was happy with the way his No. 16 Action Industries Camaro fired off, and the team made an air pressure adjustment under caution to help his stability in the corner. This adjustment upset the balance in the rear of the car and freed Allmendinger up too much. The team received a penalty for equipment interference on the pit stop under caution. Allmendinger would restart lap 79 at the tail end of the longest line in 34th place and go on to finish the opening stage in 28th.
  • Allmendinger restarted stage two 22nd and worked through the stage to get comfortable with the rear as he continued to free up as the run went on. Near the end of the stage after the red flag, Allmendinger felt more comfortable with the entry and told the team he builds tight in the corners. After multiple cautions at the front of the field, Allmendinger restarted 15th with nine to go. The No. 16 Camaro tightened up in the closing laps and finished stage two 20th.
  • The No. 16 Camaro fired off with good balance but quickly lost rear grip and Allmendinger fought to keep his track position. The caution on lap 231 gave the team an opportunity to make adjustments. When the caution came out again on lap 274, Allmendinger said he had the best throttle that run and felt the team was headed in the right direction, but he needed a little more rear security. Allmendinger went on to finish 19th in stage three.
  • Allmendinger continued to make gains in stage four despite the No. 16 building tight as the runs went on. Under caution on lap 359, the No. 16 pit crew gained Allmendinger six spots to put him in 12th for the restart. Making his way up to ninth on the first lap back green, Allmendinger continued to hold his own in the top 12 before contact with the No. 47 from 10th place, sending Allmendinger into the wall and spinning. He came down pit road for four tires and minor repairs before restarting 26th with 32 laps remaining. Allmendinger fought back to finish 14th, claiming his third top-15 finish of the season.

“Our No. 16 Action Industries Chevy showed improvements from the last couple weeks, but we still need a little bit more. Our pit crew was on it today and gained us spots on pit road when we needed it. I thought we could make something happen there, but after spinning with 30 or so laps to go, I’m happy we were able to fight back to get a top-15 finish at the end of the day.” – AJ Allmendinger

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

  • Per the rulebook, Justin Haley started 16th for the Coca-Cola 600 after qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather.
  • Although the No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 fired off slightly tight, Haley felt his No. 31 team had the car close to where it needed to be. At the competition caution on lap 35, Haley felt his car was slightly free but was otherwise extremely happy with the car. He went on to finish the stage in 22nd.
  • During the first stage break, the No. 31 team went back on a previous adjustment during the pit stop, as the track did not change as expected. A quarter of the way through the second stage, Haley’s crew chief, Trent Owens, remarked that this was the best the No. 31 car’s setup had been all year. Haley went on to finish the stage in 14th place.
  • The first caution of the third stage fell on lap 231. Haley pitted for tires and fuel only, as he was still happy with the handling of the No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1. He went on to finish the third stage two positions better than the previous stage: 12th.
  • In a caution-filled final stage, Haley made it as high as eighth place before being shuffled back to 15th, where he would finish the race, earning his fourth top-15 finish of the season.

“We fired off tight today, but the No. 31 team made some great adjustments and had good pit stops. We made it as high as eighth and thought we would get a top 10 there but just got shuffled at the end. A top 15 is not a bad day, but our car was by far the best car we’ve had all year. We made some major gains today as a team.” – Justin Haley  

Alsco Uniforms 300

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet

  • Chandler Smith qualified 10th for the Alsco Uniforms 300.
  • Smith crawled up the leaderboard to seventh before heading down pit road during the competition caution halfway through the 45-lap opening stage. The No. 16 Quick Tie Products machine finished sixth in the stage before a red flag postponed the race.
  • Following the resumption of the race, Smith ran a clean second stage, finishing sixth once again.
  • After a caution just before the final pit stops would take place, the No. 16 took four tires and fuel but couldn’t make it on fuel for the remainder of the final green flag run. Smith finished 13th after pitting for a splash of fuel to make it to the end.

“I’m frustrated with where we ended up after the day started out positively. We had a good racecar, but unfortunately, the caution fell in a weird spot and we weren’t getting the best fuel mileage. We definitely had a top-10 car, and I felt like a top five was a realistic result. That’s just how it goes sometimes.” – Chandler Smith

Justin Haley, No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet

  • Justin Haley started at the tail of the field to start the Alsco Uniforms 300, as he replaced Kyle Busch in the No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet.
  • As Haley got his bearings, he felt confident he would fire off better following the competition caution on lap 20. He pitted under caution for four tires and fuel, gaining six spots on pit road. With a 14-lap shootout to the stage end, Haley radioed that his No. 10 Chevrolet began feeling tight. He finished the opening stage in 16th place.
  • Haley pitted for four tires and fuel before the start of the second stage went green on lap 56. The No. 10 Chevrolet was extremely loose-handling throughout the entirety of the stage. He finished the second stage in 14th place.
  • Fighting more handling issues to start the final stage, Haley was able to pit for adjustments on lap 69 after a caution came out. Haley radioed with 42 laps remaining that he was struggling to finish the corner due to being tight-exit. Making it as high as sixth before pitting, Haley pitted for fuel only with eight laps to go. He went on to finish the race 12th.

“I definitely wish I could have been better at the end of the day. It’s a tough transition after 600 miles in the Cup car. I didn’t quite fit in the seat, so I felt like I was sliding around quite a bit. I think that was my biggest issue. Physically, I feel fine – I just wish we had a better outcome.” – Justin Haley

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Cirkul Chevrolet

  • Daniel Hemric qualified 11th for the Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
  • Hemric was able to quickly move up the field and into the top five, finding more speed in the middle of the track in the later laps of the stage. The red flag was displayed on lap 48 for rain. Once the race resumed, Hemric was able to keep his track position throughout the restarts and finished fourth in the opening stage.
  • At the start of stage two, Hemric fell back on the restart but was able to recover quickly. Shortly after, a loose wheel brought Hemric back down to pit road for new left-side tires. Not able to regain track position before the end of the stage, Hemric finished stage two in 32nd place.
  • In the final stage, Hemric fought a tight car early on and was never able to regain the same track position that he had earlier in the race . He pitted for fuel only with laps six laps remaining and eventually finished the race in 22nd.

“It was a tough home outing for us. That was one of the better Kaulig Racing Cirkul Chevrolets we have had all year, which is encouraging. We still have a lot of work to do but I’m proud of the effort from this team. We win together and lose together, and that is big time auto racing. I appreciate the effort and look forward to doing some road course racing the next two weeks.” – Daniel Hemric  


About Kaulig Racing™

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