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VERGE MOTORCYCLES LAUNCHES NEW LIMITED EDITION $87,000 ELECTRIC SIGNATURE SUPERBIKE DESIGNED BY TWO-TIME F1 CHAMPION MIKA HÄKKINEN

Finnish Superbike Manufacturer Creates ‘Signature’ Model Designed by Finnish Racing Legend Mika Häkkinen Limited to Just 100 Bikes

World-famous F1 legend and two-time World Champion Mika Häkkinen has designed the signature model of a new electric superbike in collaboration with Finnish electric superbike pioneer, Verge Motorcycles. Just one hundred Signature bikes will be manufactured.

“I know from experience what it takes to develop a vehicle that embodies speed, precision and elegance. I wanted to design the bike right down to the smallest detail rather than just picking the color. Each bike is numbered and features an exclusive signature. This electric superbike represents the future of riding and is a testament to a life lived to the fullest,” says Mika Häkkinen.

The luxury superbike designed with Mika Häkkinen combines a stylish and bold design with Verge’s unique technologies. Perfected down to the last detail, the model represents the most powerful and advanced electric superbike on the market with a range of 350 kilometers and a fast-charging time of just 35 minutes. In addition, it features an integrated rim motor inside the rear wheel, which is a patented and internationally awarded innovation developed by Verge. This means that all of the power is transferred straight to the road and creates more space in the middle of the bike for the battery pack, while also lowering the bike’s center of gravity. This allows for low weight distribution, making handling the bike feel more nimble and light. The hubless design allows Verge to remove all moving parts like chains and cogwheels, leading to a streamlined design.

Based on the innovative Verge TS Pro performance platform, this new superbike embodies the same spirit of innovation, performance, and excellence that defined Häkkinen’s legendary career in motorsports. With sophisticated features like a hubless motor, instant torque, and fast charging capabilities, this platform represents the future of motorcycling technology. Capable of producing a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, the special edition Verge Signature bikes also can reach a top speed of 200 km/hour, nearly 125 miles per hour. Offering an incredible 1000 nm of torque (more than 730 lb-ft), the special-edition Verge bike is balanced out by the company’s traction control system, ABS and customizable riding modes to keep the rider entirely in control at all times. Custom Brembo brakes help to increase stopping power, to further balance the incredible power harnessed within each superbike.

The Verge Signature is engineered from the highest quality materials in the world, incorporating carbon fiber fairings and a unique ceramic surface treatment that protects against scratches. A completely custom midnight suspension and pitch black shock absorbers combine with dark gray and silver surfaces to complete the exclusive livery detailing.

Mika Häkkinen and Verge Motorcycles teamed up at the beginning of 2023, when Häkkinen was appointed to the company’s Advisory Board. Häkkinen is also one of the investors in Verge Motorcycles. The Verge Signature model that Häkkinen and the company have designed represents two leaders in their respective fields joining to create something extraordinary.

“We are extremely proud to have F1 legend Mika Häkkinen design the signature model. He is one of the greatest drivers of all time. Breaking boundaries and enjoying the thrill of speed is something that we very much share in common,” says Tuomo Lehtimäki, CEO of Verge Motorcycles.

The unique superbike designed by Häkkinen is available for purchase via the Verge Motorcycles online store. It can also be purchased from the new Verge Motorcycles flagship store in Monaco, which will open in connection with the Monaco Grand Prix and is the superbike manufacturer’s first physical shop and showroom. With a U.S. base of operations in San Francisco, California, Verge Motorcycles plans to open the company’s first U.S. dealership in the near future.

The retail price of the bike without taxes is 80,000 euros or around $87,000. For more information, please visit www.vergemotorcycles.com.

Tyler Ankrum to make 100th Truck career start at North Wilkesboro

Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Competing in his fourth full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Tyler Ankrum is primed to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s series’ return to North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the driver of the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota Tundra TRD Pro will be making his 100th career start in the Truck circuit.

A native of San Bernardino, California, Ankrum made his first career start in the Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway in October, where he piloted the No. 54 Toyota Tundra for DGR-Crosley. By then, he had achieved the 2018 ARCA Menards Series East championship on the strength of four victories and 12 top-10 finishes in 14-scheduled starts. Starting 19th, Ankrum finished 18th in his series debut. He would return for the penultimate event of the season at Phoenix Raceway in November, where he drove DGR’s No. 17 Toyota to a strong sixth-place result after starting 15th.

In December 2018, Ankrum was named a full-time competitor for DGR-Crosley for the 2019 Truck season. He, however, was forced to miss the first three events on the schedule due to age restrictions, with his first start occurring at Martinsville in March as he finished 19th. During his next five scheduled starts, he racked up a total of three top-10 results, including a career-best third-place run at Texas Motor Speedway in June. For the following two events, however, Ankrum competed for NEMCO Motorsports after initially losing his ride at DGR due to sponsorship issues. After reuniting with DGR at Chicagoland Speedway in late June, he then achieved a breakthrough moment by notching his first Truck career victory at Kentucky Speedway in July after overtaking reigning series champion Brett Moffitt, who ran out of fuel, prior to the final lap. With a guaranteed spot to the 2019 Truck Playoffs, Ankrum finished in the top 10 in two of the final three regular-season events before the Playoffs commenced. With three consecutive top-20 results during the Round of 8, he managed to claim the final transfer spot to the Round of 6 by a mere margin. His title hopes, however, came to an end after finishing no higher than seventh during the Round of 6. With a 22nd-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, Ankrum capped off the 2019 season in eighth place in the final standings. He also emerged as the 2019 Truck Rookie-of-the-Year recipient.

Prior to the championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2019, Ankrum announced that he will be joining GMS Racing for the 2020 Truck season. Piloting the team’s newly formed No. 26 Chevrolet Silverado, the Californian commenced his sophomore season with a 27th-place result at Daytona International Speedway in February after being involved in a late multi-truck wreck before notching three consecutive top-15 results. He then backed up the results by finishing in second place at Homestead in June before proceeding to finish in the top 10 six times during the final 11 regular-season events. The results were enough for Ankrum to make the 2020 Truck Playoffs, which he managed to transfer from the Round of 10 to 8 before being eliminated prior to the finale. With an eighth-place result in the finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, Ankrum concluded his second season in ninth place in the final standings. While he concluded the season winless, he tied his top-five results from the previous season (three), but earned two additional top-10 results (10) and improved on his average-finishing result from 15.3 to a career-best 13.4

Remaining at GMS Racing for the 2021 Truck season, Ankrum’s season commenced on a rough note by finishing no higher than 18th during the first five scheduled events before racking up his first top-five result of the season at Richmond Raceway in April. Another three races later, he achieved a strong run in the series’ inaugural event at Circuit of the Americas after finishing third while starting on pole position for the first time in his career. With only three additional top-10 results during the final six regular-season events, Ankrum failed to make the 2021 Truck Playoffs. By finishing no higher than 14th throughout the Playoffs, he concluded his junior campaign in 15th place in the final standings.

Following a two-year run with GMS and while driving a Chevrolet, Ankrum returned to the Toyota camp for the 2022 Truck season as he took over the No. 16 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Hattori Racing Enterprises. Commencing the season with a 28th-place run at Daytona after being involved in a late multi-truck wreck, he achieved a total of six top-10 results during the 16-race regular-season stretch, which were not enough for him to make the Playoffs for a second consecutive season. He, however, rallied by finishing no lower than 14th on the track throughout the Playoffs as he capped off the season in 12th place in the final standings. With a total of eight top-10 results throughout the 2022 campaign, Ankrum’s overall average-finishing result ended up being 14.6.

Through 99 previous Truck starts, Ankrum has achieved one victory, one pole, 10 top-five results, 35 top-10 results, 144 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.9. He is currently ranked in 14th place in the driver’s standings and has finished in the top 10 three times, including a fourth-place result at Circuit of the Americas in March, through the first nine scheduled events.

Ankrum is scheduled to make his 100th career start in the Craftsman Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday, May 20, with the event’s coverage to commence at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Abel Motorsports Gains Ground Despite Damp Conditions

News from Abel Motorsports

WET WEATHER THE BIG WINNER ON OPENING DAY AT INDY

-ABEL MOTORSPORTS GAINS GROUND DESPITE DAMP CONDITIONS-

(May 16, 2023) SPEEDWAY, In- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

IndyCar’s newest team, ABEL Motorsports, based in Louisville, KY, had expected to put their newly updated Chevy/Dallara Indy 500 entry on track today for the first time. But a damp, soggy day forced IndyCar officials to scrub all on-track activity Tuesday, postponing the start of Indy 500 practice until Wednesday May 17 at noon ET.

That delay though could well prove beneficial to the ABEL team and driver RC Enerson. Enerson needs to complete an on-track refresher session at the wheel of the red and white #50 car before being cleared to practice and qualify for the 107th Indy 500 this weekend.

If Tuesday had run as scheduled, that wouldn’t have been possible and the team would have missed the first practice period. Now, with the rainout, Enerson will get his refresher laps in Wednesday morning and should be good to go with the rest of the 34 500 entries starting at noon.

“Today was one of those classic “sit and wait” days. It’s not a day we like. But I think it might be a blessing in disguise, because I’ll get to do my refresher in the morning and we should be good to go after that”, commented the 26-year-old Floridian. Enerson attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 two years ago but feels this year’s effort at the wheel of the ABEL Motorsports entry is a much better opportunity.

Team Manager John Brunner was disappointed with the rainout as well. “We would have liked to have had our install lap today, but nobody got to run. We didn’t lose any track time to anyone today. I like what they’ve done with the schedule for tomorrow. We’ll get the (ROP) refresher done in the morning and then we can run all day with everybody. I like where we’re sitting.”

Team Principal Bill Abel is just looking forward to seeing the red and white #50 car get on track. “For us (the rain) allowed us to get a few additional things done on the car that we needed to do. We went through tech (inspection) and we went back through tech again, which let us correct a couple of things we needed to fix. It just slowed things down a bit for us, kind of a reset time for us that’s probably good.”

Abel is also soaking in the atmosphere of the Indy 500 for the first time as a competitor. “For me it’s so unbelievable. It still doesn’t feel real to me. It’s such a cool thing, such a cool place to be. I can’t thank John Brunner, Neil Enerson, and RC enough for helping give us the chance to do this.”

ABEL Motorsports will be in action tomorrow, Wednesday May 17th starting at 10am. Official practice begins at Noon ET, with all sessions being streamed live on Peacock TV.

HaasTooling.com Racing: Ryan Preece North Wilkesboro / All-Star Race Advance

RYAN PREECE
North Wilkesboro / All-Star Race Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: NASCAR All-Star Race (non-points race)
● Time/Date: 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 21
● Location: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway
● Layout: .625-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 200 laps/125 miles
● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Ryan Preece joined his fellow competitors in celebrating the annual NASCAR Throwback Weekend by honoring his father, Jeff Preece. His No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) sported a throwback paint scheme to his father’s old Late Model and the first racecar Ryan ever took a ride in. The car and memories he shared with his father are what sparked his love for racing. Sunday’s Goodyear 400 marked Preece’s seventh career start at the “Track Too Tough To Tame.” From his 32nd spot on the starting grid, Preece rallied the entire 293 laps of the race, avoiding multiple on-track incidents en route to a 15th-place finish, his third top-15 of the season.

● This weekend, the series makes its highly anticipated return to the newly revived North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway for the 2023 All-Star Race and All-Star Open. Preece is one of 16 drivers looking to race his way into the main event by finishing first or second in the All-Star Open, which begins at 5:30 p.m. EDT Sunday and will be broadcast on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM Radio. The All-Star Race is set for 8 p.m. EDT. Preece also can advance to the All-Star Race by winning the All-Star Fan Vote. Fans can vote until 9 a.m. EDT Sunday and can submit one ballot every 24 hours.

● While North Wilkesboro Speedway was essentially dormant since NASCAR last raced at the .625-mile oval in 1996, its revival featured a soft reopening last year with the Racetrack Revival Modified events Aug. 2-3, featuring the Bootleg Bash in which Preece participated. Preece finished fourth in both races.

● After years of complexity, the 2023 version of the All-Star Race has opted for simplicity. Two heat races on Saturday will set the starting lineup for Sunday’s main event – a 200 lapper with a competition break at or around Lap 100. All laps (caution and green flag) will count, and overtime rules are in effect to ensure a green-flag finish. Each team will start on sticker tires and have three additional sets to use. After the competition break, however, only one additional set of stickers can be used. The undercard All-Star Open, featuring drivers not previously eligible for the All-Star Race, will be 100 laps with a competition break at or around Lap 40. Three Open drivers will advance to the All-Star Race – the top two race finishers and the Fan Vote Winner. All-Star festivities begin Friday evening with a Pit Crew Challenge to determine the starting lineups for the heat races and Open. Each car’s qualifying time will be based solely on their pit stop time. Teams must complete a four-tire stop; timing lines will be established one box behind and one box ahead of the designated pit box. The 22 drivers already locked into the field will be split into two 60-lap heat races on Saturday night which will determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s All-Star Race. Results of the first heat will establish the inside row and results of the second heat will establish the outside row. The weekend will concludes Sunday night with the All-Star Open and All-Star Race. Technical rules for the cars will remain the same as other NASCAR Cup Series short track races. Those eligible for the All-Star Race include drivers who won a points event in either 2022 or 2023, drivers who won an All-Star Race and compete fulltime, and drivers who won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete fulltime.

● Through the first third of the season, Preece has shown improvement and consistency each weekend and has appeared to be coming into his own. He had a career weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April, earning his first Cup Series pole and leading a career-high 135 laps. Since then, although the results don’t show it, Preece has shown strength at various racetracks on the circuit.

● This weekend’s All-Star Race offers drivers and teams a winner-take-all respite from the points-paying season, which resumes Memorial Day Weekend with the annual Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Preece will head to Charlotte 29th in the driver standings with 201 points. 

● Preece kicked off the 2023 season with a strong showing in the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, leading a race-high 43 laps but ultimately finishing seventh after a fuel pump issue. He has a best points-paying finish of 12th this season, which came at Phoenix Raceway in March.

● The No. 41 SHR Ford Mustang will sport a similar but different look this weekend, adding a new Haas Tooling Winner’s Circle logo to the hood of the red, white and black paint scheme. HaasTooling.com, the online tooling division of the U.S. machine tool builder Haas Automation, Inc., introduces the Haas Tooling Winner’s Circle, a membership program that offers customers free next-day delivery, discounted pricing on all products, and a lower threshold for free shipping. HaasTooling.com already offers industry-leading pricing and fast delivery on an expansive selection of cutting tools, toolholders, and workholding products. Now, Haas Tooling Winner’s Circle members will get the added benefits of free shipping on all orders over $49, free next-day delivery (on most orders) anywhere in the contiguous United States, and 5% off every tooling purchase. For even greater savings, the 5% discount may be combined with other promotions, and a single membership may be used for an entire company.

● HaasTooling.com is back again in 2023 on the No. 41 SHR Ford Musting, the cutting tool division of Haas Automation led by SHR co-owner Gene Haas. HaasTooling.com was launched as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. HaasTooling.com products became available nationally in July 2020. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.

● RaceChoice.com, a proud partner of Preece, has launched a special racing experience giveaway for fans. The winner will receive airfare and a two-night stay during Coke Zero 400 weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. RaceChoice.com will also give the winners two pit passes for the race, set for Saturday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. ET, preceded by a meet-and-greet with Preece, driver of the No. 41 SHR Ford Mustang. Visit here for more information.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are you expecting this weekend at North Wilkesboro as NASCAR returns for the first time since 1996?

“Much like L.A., North Wilkesboro has been circled on my calendar. I think it’s going to be an awesome weekend. This track has so much rich history and it’s going to be so awesome to be behind the wheel of a Cup car at this track that the legends of our sport have raced on. It’s definitely the right time for our sport. We want short tracks. We want that style of racing, especially at North Wilkesboro, which eats up tires. For us racecar drivers, it allows us to go into our toolbox and do different things to save tires or make speed in the long run. I couldn’t be more excited. With the strategy and how old the asphalt is, it’s going to be such an exciting race. When you walk in there, you’re going to feel that history, the nostalgia, and the fans. They want it, and we want it as drivers, so it’s going to be something special.”

What’s going to be the biggest thing that drivers and teams have to focus on to succeed this weekend?

“Tires. The asphalt is so old and it’s really worn out, and that’s the kind of track I enjoy because you’ve got to be smart with your tires and manage them the right way. It’s going to be really fun for the drivers. Well, at least it’s going to be really fun for me. This track is right up my alley, honestly, and tire management is going to be huge. Every driver is going to have to be so smart when it comes to their tires and the strategy so that we can be in position at the end of the thing. If you watch races at North Wilkesboro from the past, they’re so exciting and that’s because of the decisions the drivers and teams have to make and the way the track races. I can’t wait.”

You’ve got to race your way into the main event via the All-Star Open. What’s your mindset heading into that race?

“When it comes to the Open, to be honest with you, I really feel like I have enough experience with tire management, especially on a track like this, to get out there and do it. I’m really looking forward to it. I know what’s on the line. This may not be a points-paying race, but that isn’t significant at all. I’m there to win, and this is a track that I feel suits my past experience and driving style and I feel confident in what I can do.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Tony Cardamone

Hometown: Bristol, Virginia

Engineer: Lee Deese

Hometown: Rockingham, North Carolina

Engineer: Scott Bingham

Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Kevin Teaf

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Underneath & Interior Mechanic: Clint Leatherwood

Hometown: Rockmart, Georgia

Shock Specialist: Aaron Kuehn

Hometown: Kensington, Connecticut

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange County, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Q Mixers Becomes ‘Official Non-Alcoholic Premium Mixer Sponsor’ of IMS

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 16, 2023) – Q Mixers, America’s leading premium mixers company, announces a multiyear partnership with Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) to become the “Official Non-Alcoholic Premium Mixer” of IMS.

The sponsorship was unveiled just in time for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 28 at IMS.

“We’re very proud to partner with Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Q Mixers CEO Bob Arnold said. “Having the biggest American premium mixer brand team up with the largest single-day sporting event in the world is a natural fit and a great way to directly connect our dedicated fans. Both the spirits and racing industries are rapidly growing in popularity, so we’re excited to partner with a premium property like IMS to be their official mixer partner. Q Mixers is committed to further elevating the Indy 500 fan experience by providing the highest quality refreshments and premium cocktails.”

Q Mixers will serve specialty cocktails and offer on-site experiences at the Indy 500 and will be available in all suites, the Hulman Terrace Club and the 500 Club. Q Mixers’ signature cocktail – The Victory Lane – was created exclusively for IMS and is the “Official Premium Mixer Cocktail” of the Indy 500; a delicious mix of Q Mixer’s Hibiscus Ginger Beer, Crown Royal Whisky and a splash of lime.

“The Indianapolis 500 is known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” and it is the largest single-day sporting event in the world,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The fan experience at IMS for the Month of May and Race Day includes a variety of sounds, sights, tastes and smells. Adding Q Mixers as an official partner of the track and the Indy 500 gives our fans another option to add some flavor to their time at the track.”

In addition to the Indy 500, Q Mixers will be proudly served at all IMS events, allowing fans to enjoy quality cocktails throughout the race season that includes the GMR Grand Prix, Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard presented by Advance Auto Parts, Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, Gallagher Grand Prix and the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks.

Q Mixers is America’s leading premium mixer company, proudly based in Brooklyn, New York. Q Mixers is committed to making all of your drinks spectacular. Q Mixers uses the highest quality ingredients, less sugar added and are always carbonated to perfection. Q Mixers can be enjoyed on their own or perfectly complimenting your liquor of choice – the mixing options are endless. Q Mixers offers 14 flavors including: Spectacular Tonic, Ginger Beer, Club Soda, Sparkling Grapefruit. Q Mixers can be found at America’s best restaurants, local grocery stores and available at major U.S. retailers, including Target and Amazon. For more information, please visit us at QMixers.com and follow us @QMixers.

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Fr8Auctions Ford Team North Wilkesboro Speedway Competition Notes

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

Fr8Auctions.com is bringing it old school this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series makes its triumphant return to the North Wilkesboro Speedway for the NASCAR All-Star race. Fr8 Auctions will honor Mark Martin in his Folgers scheme that won at North Wilkesboro in 1990 in a battle with Dale Earnhardt.

“This scheme is iconic,” said Marcus Barela, CEO and Founder, Fr8Auctions.com. “It has clean and simple design elements that make it look fast even before it is on the track. We are excited to have Michael piloting the Fr8 Auctions Ford Mustang in the All-Star race and of course the return of NASCAR to North Wilkesboro Speedway.”

COMPETITION NOTES:

McDowell makes his debut at the North Wilkesboro Speedway and will compete in Sunday’s 100-lap NASCAR All-Star Open. McDowell is hoping to transfer into his third consecutive All-Star race. His best finish in the Open race is seventh and best All-Star finish is 12th.

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“It’s so cool to run this throwback scheme to honor Mark Martin. Everyone in the shop was excited when they saw the wrap go on it and it’s cool to work on such an iconic scheme in our sport. Everyone knows how competitive and driven Mark Martin is and that’s who we are as a team, too. We’re going to make Fr8Auctions.com and Mark proud on Sunday.”

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“This is why I love Fr8 Auctions. They are always doing something cool for NASCAR, its fans and for the community. They never stop giving and this weekend they are going to bring back so many memories for fans who watched the stars of the sport who grew the popularity of NASCAR at tracks like North Wilkesboro.

“I have so much respect for Mark, his competitive spirit, and his longevity of being a winner in his racing career. In 1990, Mark won three races with this scheme and helped propel his stardom with Ford, Jack Roush and the No. 6 team.

“It’s special to have this scheme on the car because as a team, we have been more consistent and we’re building our own legacy with the No. 34 team. Fr8Auctions.com has been a huge part of our build. It’s been cool to see the success and consistency we’re having, but we want to get more.”

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.

RFK Advance | All-Star Race

All-Star Race Event Info:
Track Info: North Wilkesboro Speedway, .625-mile short track
Date: Sunday, May 21
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Format: 200 laps, 125 miles
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 4 p.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 5:45 p.m., Qualifying/Pit Crew Challenge (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 7:35 p.m. ET, Heat No. 1 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 8:15 p.m. ET, Heat No. 2 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 8 p.m. ET, All-Star Race (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: NEXLIZET (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe)

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal

The No. 17 features another new Fastenal scheme, a mostly white look for the All-Star Race under the lights.

Pace Laps:

  • The annual NASCAR All-Star Race returns this weekend in its traditional slot – pre Coca-Cola 600 – for the revival of North Wilkesboro Speedway.
  • North Wilkesboro hasn’t hosted a NASCAR event since 1996 when both the Truck and Cup Series were there. The Cup Series first competed at NW in 1949 and ran 93 races up until 1996, while the Xfinity Series had just four races there from 1983-85, and trucks ran twice in 1995-96.
  • With the All-Star Race brings a unique format to the table, with both RFK drivers locked into the field. The format for this weekend is as follows:
  • Friday: One of the all-time fan favorites of All-Star Race festivities – the pit crew challenge – returns for Friday night with a four-time pit stop (no fuel), with results determining the starting lineups for the All-Star Heat Races and All-Star Open.
  • Saturday: Each heat race will run 60 laps each, with the results of Heat Race 1 setting the All-Star Race inside row, and the results of Heat Race 2 setting the All-Star Race outside row.
  • Sunday: The All-Star Race field is set with the following qualifying automatically – 2022 and 2023 NASCAR Cup Series points race winners, past All-Star Race winners and NASCAR Cup Champions, All-Star Open Top-2 finishers, and the winner of the NASCAR Fan Vote
  • The All-Star Race will run 200 laps with all laps counting, with a competition break scheduled on or around lap 100

Keselowski in the All-Star Race
Starts: 14
Wins: —
Top-10s: 9
Poles: —

  • Keselowski makes his 15th start in the All-Star Race this weekend. He has three second-place finishes in the exhibition event, first in 2012, then in 2016 and most recently in 2021. Last season he finished ninth at Texas Motor Speedway.
  • Overall he has nine top-10s, four inside the top five, in the All-Star event.
  • Keselowski will also compete in Wednesday’s CARS Late Model Stock Car event alongside many NASCAR stars. The star-studded event will span 125 laps Wednesday night, as this marks the second-straight year for Keselowski to enter a marquee late model event after competing in the Vermont Governor’s Cup at Thunder Road last season, and entering the Snowball Derby last December.

Buescher in the All-Star Race
Starts: 2
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —

  • Buescher makes his third start in the All-Star Race this weekend, and is automatically locked in via his win in the 2022 Bristol Night Race.
  • Last season at Texas Motor Speedway, Buescher raced his way in from The Open after winning stage two of that race. He went on to finish eighth in the All-Star Race, with his only other appearance coming back in 2017 where he finished 17th.

RFK Historically in the All-Star Race
Wins: 4 (Mark Martin, 1998, 2005; Matt Kenseth, 2004; Carl Edwards, 2011)

  • All-Star Victories: RFK has earned four victories in NASCAR’s All-Star Main Event with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Martin, who is a two-time All-Star race winner, first went to Victory Lane in 1998 for RFK before taking the checkered flag again in 2005. Kenseth earned the victory in the 2004 running of the event and Edwards visited the winner’s circle in 2011.

RFK Historically at North Wilkesboro
Cup Wins: 2 (Mark Martin, 1990, 1995)

  • Tale of the Tape: Back in the early days of racing at North Wilkesboro, Jack Roush entered 30 Cup races at the track with two wins – both from Mark Martin – with 14 overall top-10s as four drivers combined competed in Cup for Roush at the historic track.
  • Roush Wins One of the Last: Jack Roush shares a couple of pieces of history at the last time NASCAR competed at North Wilkesboro, as Ted Musgrave put the No. 16 on the pole for the last-ever race there in 1996. A day earlier, Martin won the Truck Series race there.

RFK All-Star Wins

1998 Martin
2004 Kenseth
2005 Martin
2011 Edwards

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Darlington: Both RFK drivers again finished inside the top-10 last weekend at Darlington for the third time this season. Keselowski never left the top-10, earned stage points in the opening two stages and finished fourth, while Buescher dug out of an early hole to finish 10th.

Points Standings (6: 9th, 17: 13th): With the All-Star Race being a non-points event this weekend, the field will sit idle for a week with Keselowski back in ninth, with Buescher not far back in 13th.

By the Numbers at North Wilkesboro

Chase Purdy- No. 4 Bama Buggies Silverado Craftsman Trucks North Wilkesboro Preview

Chase Purdy: Driver, No. 4 Bama Buggies Chevrolet

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: Tyson 250, Race 10 of 23, 250 Laps – 70/70/110; 156.25 Miles
Location: North Wilkesboro Speedway (0.625-mile, oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 20, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

‘Chase’n Checkers:

Chase Purdy and the No. 4 Bama Buggies team head to historic North Wilkesboro for this week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Saturday’s 250-lap event will mark the first time that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has raced at the 0.635-mile oval since 1996 and just the third time competing at the North Carolina venue in the history of the series.

Kyle Busch Motorsports, which debuted in the Truck Series in 2010, has never competed at North Wilkesboro, but has had plenty of success at short tracks. KBM drivers have collected 17 wins, three poles, 2705 laps led, 56 top-five and 91 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.8 across 142 starts on short tracks. The team’s most recent win on a short track came at Richmond Raceway with Chandler Smith last August.

Purdy will be looking to rebound from a disappointing two-week stretch where he was collected in other driver’s accidents and was unable to finish the race. After finishing 33rd at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago, he finished 32nd last week at Darlington Raceway after getting caught up in a lap-101 accident.

With his tough luck the last two weeks, Purdy has fallen five spots to 15th in the Truck Series point standings and went from 11 points below the cutoff line for making the playoffs to 40 out of the 10th and final spot for the postseason. The Truck Series has seven races remaining in the regular season before the playoffs begin.

Despite being only nine races into the 2023 season, Purdy enters Saturday’s race having already produced a career-high four top-10 finishes and having achieved a career-best runner-up finish earlier this year at Texas Motor Speedway.

Purdy has made nine starts on short tracks across his Truck Series career with a best result of 10th, which he earned last month at Martinsville Speedway.

The Mississippi native is in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and first with KBM. He enters Saturday’s race having totaled one top-five, nine top-10 finishes, and 18 laps led across his 61 career Truck Series starts. Purdy finished 16th in the Truck Series final standings in 2022 after competing in 22 of the 23 events. He posted two top-10 finishes and nine laps led, with a season-best finish of seventh coming at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

Jimmy Villeneuve is atop the pit box for Purdy and the No. 4 Chevrolet team this season. Prior to being promoted to crew chief for the 2023 season, Villeneuve served as a Truck Chief at KBM since the 2017 season and in that role was a part of 18 wins, a driver’s championship with Christopher Bell in 2017 and the 2019 owner’s championship with the No. 51 team. Prior to joining KBM the New Hampshire native served as a truck chief at Athenian Motorsports in 2015 when the team won with John Wes Townley at Las Vegas. He was promoted to crew chief five races into the 2016 season. Saturday’s race will be Villeneuve’s first atop the pit box at North Wilkesboro.

Bama Buggies, your one-stop shop for all the biggest names in powersports and utility vehicles, will be the primary sponsor on Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Saturday and for the majority of the events on the 2023 schedule. They are Central Alabama’s powersports experts, serving as an authorized dealer of Polaris, Slingshot, and Seadoo.

Chase Purdy, Driver Q&A:

Are you looking forward to being a part of NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro?
“It’s such an iconic place and has a lot of history. The last race that they held out there I wasn’t even born yet, but I’ve seen the videos since the time I was a kid. It’s going to be really cool to race at a place that has a lot of history. Short tracks are my thing — what I grew up doing and made my career off of, so I’m excited to go there. We’ve had a really tough two weeks, but there is no reason we can’t get back to where we started the first five weeks of the season — knocking off top fives and top 10s.”

How do you prepare for a track you’ve never been to, and the series hasn’t raced at in years?
“I think the only thing you can do is go back and watch old race videos. I know myself personally and a few others that I’ve talked to, they’ve gone back and watched the last race from the 90’s that was held there just to see what racing stock cars was like out there. Some people say it hasn’t changed that much, but I have no idea what to expect and I think that levels the playing field. Everybody will be trying to figure it out at the same time and he who figures it out the best will probably win the race.”

Is there a track that you’ve raced at that you feel is similar to North Wilkesboro?
“The only thing similar that I can think of is when I used to run Late Models at Myrtle Beach and Greenville-Pickens. Very rough race tracks, very abrasive race tracks. I think tire saving is going to be big this weekend. Even though you get tires, I think you can burn your stuff up in a couple laps from what people are saying. I think managing your tires and knowing when to take off and when not to is going to be the key.”

Chase Purdy Career Highlights:

  • Across 61 career Truck Series starts, has produced 18 laps led, one top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Posted a career-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April of 2023.
  • Finished 16th in Truck Series championship standings in 2022.
  • Finished fourth in the 2018 ARCA Menard’s Series championship standings after recording 84 laps led, 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.
  • Earned the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East rookie of the year honors and finished fourth in the championship standings after posting four poles, 200 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 14 starts.
  • Won the prestigious Snowflake 100 Pro Late Model race at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., in Dec. of 2018.
  • Chase Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST:

KBM-58: The No. 4 Bama Buggies team will unload KBM-58 for Saturday’s race at North Wilkesboro. John Hunter Nemechek raced this truck three times in 2022, with a best result of second coming at Richmond Raceway. In 2021, Nemechek piloted KBM-58 to three wins: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. KBM-58 has recorded four career wins, three with Nemechek in 2021 and one with owner-driver Kyle Busch at Charlotte in 2019. This Silverado raced most recently with Purdy at Martinsville this year, where he brought home a 10th-place finish.

KBM-58 Performance Profile:
KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected 17 wins, three poles, 2705 laps led, 56 top-five and 91 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.8 across 142 starts on short tracks. The team’s most recent win on a short track came at Richmond Raceway with Chandler Smith last August.
  • KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (99) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway last year, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 4 has 18 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Interstate Batteries Racing: Christopher Bell All-Star at North Wilkesboro Race Advance

Christopher Bell
All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Advance
No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry TRD for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: NASCAR All-Star Race (non-points race)

● Time/Date: 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 21

● Location: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway

● Layout: .625-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 200 laps/125 miles

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

Notes of Interest

● Outrageously Dependable: Interstate Batteries – one of the most tenured team sponsors in NASCAR history – began its 32nd season as the founding sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) with an expanded presence that features the brand’s iconic green livery across all four of JGR’s NASCAR Cup Series entries. So far this season, Interstate has adorned the No. 20 of Bell at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, served as co-primary sponsor for Ty Gibbs in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, and on Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota at Circuit of Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas in March. Interstate returned to Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in April and will adorn his car four more times this season – June 25 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, July 2 at the inaugural Chicago Street Race, Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, and Oct. 8 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. For Bell, after the NASCAR All-Star appearance this weekend at North Wilkesboro, he’ll have Interstate Batteries return to is No. 20 Toyota Camry TRD on Memorial Day weekend for NASCAR’s longest race – the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Interstate will return to Bell’s Camry at Texas in September, as well as Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for the penultimate race of the season.

Interstate Batteries Stands the Test of Time: With Interstate Batteries returning to the No. 20 Camry driven by Bell in Sunday’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, it’s important to note that the Dallas-based company was also primary sponsor of a car during the last race at North Wilkesboro way back in 1996. Bobby Labonte drove the No. 18 Interstate Batteries car to a 13th-place finish during the Tyson Holly Farms 400 on September 29, 1996. Interstate Batteries is referred to as Outrageously Dependable for a reason, as the brand has stood the test of time with NASCAR fans with one of the longest running partnerships in NASCAR history.

● What’s Old is New Again: The NASCAR Cup Series recently competed at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, which bills its spring event as the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR. But the throwback of all throwbacks comes this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The .625-mile oval located in the hills of Wilkes County, North Carolina, had sat dormant for 25 years, save for a one-year respite in 2010 when local investors cleaned it up enough to host a handful of grassroots Late Model racing series. The track closed again in the spring of 2011, reverting back to its Scooby-Doo haunted mansion vibe. Once a staple of the NASCAR Cup Series when Winston cigarettes was its title sponsor, North Wilkesboro was cast aside, despite being a NASCAR original and hosting 93 Cup Series races since 1949, the last of which came on Sept. 29, 1996, when Jeff Gordon beat Dale Earnhardt by 1.73 seconds to win the Tyson Holly Farms 400. But thanks to an $18 million cash infusion from the state as part of the American Rescue Plan, as well as another seven-figure spend by track operator Speedway Motorsports, North Wilkesboro has been revived. It had a soft opening last August with Modified and Late Model racing before its grand reopening this week with five days of racing, from the CARS Late Model Stock Tour to the NASCAR Truck Series and, finally, the Cup Series via the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race at 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday. The track Enoch Staley built in 1946 – first as a five-eighths mile dirt oval where whiskey runners displayed their skill behind the wheel, along with their mechanical acumen for building cars that were faster than those of the revenuers, and two years ahead of NASCAR’s first season and three years before the first Strictly Stock (now Cup Series) race was held – is back, and the resto-mod of racetracks is ready for NASCAR’s return.

● The first laps Bell will take this week at North Wilkesboro won’t come in his No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry TRD. Instead, they will come in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entry as he’ll be working double duty this weekend racing in both NASCAR national series races in NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro. Bell, the 2017 Truck Series champion, will compete in the No. 61 Toyota Tundra for Hattori Racing Enterprises.

● Bell will make just his fifth All-Star Race start on Sunday at North Wilkesboro. In his previous three starts, one at Bristol and two at Texas, Bell has a best finish of 10th, which occurred in last year’s All-Star Race at Texas.

● The More You Know: The frontstretch of North Wilkesboro Speedway runs downhill and the backstretch runs uphill. This forces drivers to change their approach to each corner of the racetrack, as they’re carrying more speed entering turn one than they are going into turn three.

● All-Star History Lesson: Charlotte hosted the first All-Star Race and 34 in total. The All-Star Race debuted on May 25, 1985 at Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval and it was won by Darrell Waltrip. Atlanta hosted the second All-Star Race in 1986 before the event returned to Charlotte for a 33-race run. The 2020 All-Star Race was held at the .533-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway – the first time the All-Star Race wasn’t held at a 1.5-mile oval. The All-Star Race returned to a 1.5-mile oval in June 2021 when Texas Motor Speedway hosted it for the first of two years in a row. North Wilkesboro marks only the second time the All-Star Race has been held at anything other than a 1.5-mile oval.

● After years of complexity, the 2023 version of the All-Star Race has opted for simplicity. Two heat races on Saturday will set the starting lineup for Sunday’s main event – a 200 lapper with a competition break at or around lap 100. All laps (caution and green-flag) will count, and overtime rules are in effect to ensure a green-flag finish. Each team will start on sticker tires and have three additional sets to use. After the competition break, however, only one additional set of stickers can be used. The undercard All-Star Open, featuring drivers not previously eligible for the All-Star Race, will be 100 laps with a competition break at or around lap 40. Three Open drivers will advance to the All-Star Race – the top two race finishers and the NASCAR fan vote winner. All-Star festivities begin Friday evening with the Pit Crew Challenge to determine the starting lineups for the heat races and Open. Each car’s qualifying position will be based solely on its pit stop time. Teams must complete a four-tire stop; timing lines will be established one box behind and one box ahead of the designated pit box. The 22 drivers already locked into the All-Star Race field will be split into two 60-lap heat races on Saturday night, which will determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s main event. Results of the first heat will establish the inside row and results of the second heat will establish the outside row. The weekend concludes Sunday night with the All-Star Open and All-Star Race. Technical rules for the cars will remain the same as other NASCAR Cup Series short-track races. Those eligible for the All-Star Race include drivers who won a points event in either 2022 or 2023, drivers who won an All-Star Race and compete fulltime, and drivers who won a NASCAR Cup Series championship and compete fulltime.

● Bell left last weekend’s race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway second in the driver standings with 402 points, 37 out of the lead. The next points event will be the May 28 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Christopher Bell , Driver of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry TRD

Going back to North Wilkesboro with the old, worn-out surface, should we expect a bit of old-school, short-track racing during this weekend’s All-Star event?

“I’m really excited to be going to a new venue. North Wilkesboro has a ton of history and this is going to be a huge event, one the fans are not going to want to miss. As far as the racing goes, it’s going to be slick at North Wilkesboro. I don’t know what that means for good racing. Some slick tracks are good for racing and some race differently. I think everyone is excited about it because it’s something new. Kudos to NASCAR for adding new tracks, even though it’s an older one. Putting a venue on the schedule where we haven’t been for a while, that’s always a positive. I know the fans are excited and it’s going to be a great atmosphere this weekend. Really cool to have Interstate Batteries back on our 20 car this weekend, sort of fits in with the history of the sport. When you look at sponsors who have been around a long time, and even when we last raced at North Wilkesboro, not many are still around. Just tells you how committed they have been to our sport for so long.”

What does being an All-Star mean to you?

“It means that we are running up front and competing for wins. We’ve had a good year so far with the win at Bristol dirt, but we want to keep going and get more stage points and have a chance to set ourselves up for the playoffs. The All-Star Race is always fun, and we’ll see how the race goes this weekend. You don’t have to worry about points, you just do what you can to go for the win and see how things play out. Really looking forward to getting to North Wilkesboro with our Interstate Batteries Camry and hope we can get them to victory lane and take home the million dollars.”

What are some of the things your crew chief Adam Stevens has brought to you that has sharpened you?

“Adam has been able to instill confidence in me by giving me fast racecars and cars that I know are going to handle good enough for me. He’s probably the best leader that I’ve ever driven for. He knows how to manage the highs and lows of a season, and he definitely can bring out the best in me.”

No. 20 Interstate Batteries Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Christopher Bell

Hometown: Norman, Oklahoma

Crew Chief: Adam Stevens

Hometown: Portsmouth, Ohio

Car Chief: Chris Sherwood

Hometown: Portsmouth, Virginia

Spotter: Stevie Reeves

Hometown: Speedway, Indiana

Race Engineer: Tyler Allen

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Race Engineer: William Hartman

Hometown: Laingsburg, Michigan

Road Crew Members

Truck Driver: Jamie Price

Hometown: Choteau, Montana

Mechanic: Wesley Lape Hometown: Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania

Ride and Handling Engineer: Chris Chase

Hometown: Nichole, New York

Truck Driver: Glenn Funderburk

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Bryce Bratton

Hometown: Maiden, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man:

Hometown: Pffattown, North Carolina

Jackman: Braxton Brannon

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Nick McBeath

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Jackson Gibbs

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Kevon Jackson

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

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