This Week in Motorsports: April 3-9, 2023

· NCS/NCTS: Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt – April 8-9

PLANO, Texas (April 5, 2023) – In what has become an annual tradition, NASCAR returns to its roots with racing on the dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NCTS

Bell leads in top-fives… Christopher Bell added another top-five finish in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on Sunday as the Oklahoma-native earned a fourth-place finish. It is Bell’s fourth top-five finish in the first seven NASCAR Cup Series races this season, which is more than any other driver in the series. Bell looks for another strong run this weekend on Bristol’s dirt surface. The 2013 USAC Midget National Champion also won his first NASCAR race on dirt at Eldora Speedway in 2015 in just his third career Truck Series start.

Gibbs on an impressive streak… Ty Gibbs continued his streak of ninth-place finishes at Richmond Raceway. The 20-year-old rookie driver now has three consecutive ninth-place finishes in the Cup Series and has moved inside the top-20 in the point standings. Bristol will mark Gibbs’ first NASCAR dirt event, but the North Carolina-native earned multiple runner-up finishes on dirt tracks on his way to the 2021 ARCA Menards Series title.

Tundra drivers going for three straight in Bristol… Toyota is undefeated in NASCAR Truck Series action on the dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. scored his first Truck Series win in 2021, while former Toyota driver Ben Rhodes drove a Tundra to victory there last season.

Two Friesens in Bristol… Stewart Friesen and Jessica Friesen will both compete this weekend in the Truck Series race. Stewart is coming off a season-best third-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway. He won his first career Truck Series race on dirt at Eldora Speedway in 2019. Jessica, an accomplished dirt modified racer, is looking to make her third career Truck Series start.

Dirt debut for Heim… Corey Heim had an impressive rookie season in 2022, winning Rookie of the Year honors despite running a limited schedule. Heim’s 2022 schedule did not include either dirt race, so this Saturday will be his Truck Series dirt debut. Heim has run several races on dirt in the ARCA Menards Series – including a win at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in 2021.

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RYAN PREECE
Bristol Dirt Advance
No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Food City Dirt Race (Round 8 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 9
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile, high-banked, dirt oval
● Laps/Miles: 250 laps / 133.25 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 75 laps / Stage 2: 75 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Ryan Preece is ready to go dirt racing. The driver of the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will make his second NASCAR Cup Series start on the dirt surface at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Sunday evening. His first dirt race at the track was in the inaugural event in 2021 for JTG Daugherty Racing. He started 22nd and finished 18th. He returns to the track for his first dirt start with SHR.

● Although The Last Great Colosseum has been transformed into a high-banked, dirt oval for this weekend’s events, Preece has seen success on the track’s concrete surface in NASCAR’s Cup Series and Xfinity Series. He has five Cup Series starts at the track with a best finish of ninth in 2020. In three Xfinity Series starts, Preece has one win for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018, and ran both 2016 Bristol races for JD Motorsports, finishing 19th and 15th, respectively. In the Xfinity Series, he has an average start there of 17.0 and an average finish of 11.7.

● Seven races into this season, Preece is 28th in the driver standings with 88 points.

● Last weekend, Preece returned to his short-track roots at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, where he won a 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event. Cup Series practice and qualifying were canceled last weekend due to rain, and the lineup was set per the NASCAR rule book. Preece started 33rd and finished 18th.

● The previous weekend, Preece and his Cup Series competitors took part in their first road-course race of the season at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. It marked the series’ third visit to the 3.426-mile, 20-turn circuit. Preece started 26th for his second COTA appearance and finished 36th. He had a promising start as he rallied for a 10th-place finish in Stage 1. But he was ultimately caught up in a multicar accident in the closing laps of the race.

● Preece concluded the 2023 West Coast swing with his best points-paying finish of the season – 12th – at Phoenix Raceway on March 12. He followed that with a 28th-place result in his fifth Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19.

● At the season’s second event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, Preece was a victim of circumstance, getting caught up in a multicar accident on a lap-88 restart and ultimately finishing 33rd. The following weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he battled a tight racecar all day and was credited with a 23rd-place finish.

● Preece opened the 2023 season with a strong showing in the 65th running of the Daytona 500. He and the No. 41 Ford Mustang qualified 20th and logged the best 10-consecutive-lap average in final practice. On race day, Preece finished second in Stage 1 before getting caught up in a multicar accident on lap 181. He was unable to return to the race and finished 36th.

● United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI), the largest equipment rental company in the world, is serving as the primary sponsor of Ryan Preece and the No. 41 team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) for select NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023. The partnership began with the non-points Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, Feb. 4-5 in Los Angeles. United Rentals has an integrated network of 1,449 rental locations in North America, 13 in Europe, 27 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province. The company’s approximately 24,700 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and others. The company offers approximately 4,700 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $19.3 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index®. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Additional information about United Rentals is available at UnitedRentals.com.

● Win a trip to the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and meet Ryan Preece! RaceChoice.com, a proud partner of Preece, has launched a giveaway for fans. The winner will receive airfare and a two-night stay in Daytona Beach. RaceChoice.com will also give the winners two pit passes for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, August 26 at 7 p.m. ET, preceded by a meet-and-greet with Preece, driver of the No. 41 SHR Ford Mustang. Visit https://racechoice.com/2023-daytona-giveaway/ for more information.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Tell me a little about your dirt racing background. You were an asphalt guy growing up. How much dirt experience do you have?

“The only dirt racing background I have is Bristol dirt in a Cup car in 2021, and probably about half a season in a 270 micro when I was about 13 years old. So, not a lot of dirt experience at all. I guess that makes this weekend fun because it’s really different and there’s excitement around different things.”

Can you compare racing on dirt at Bristol to running at any other track on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule?

“Nothing really compares. I don’t think I have anything to compare the dirt at Bristol to. It’s so different than anything else we do and it’s nothing like what I grew up doing, either. I don’t think any asphalt experience is going to translate to Bristol dirt. But I like trying new things and I’m looking forward to it. My team isn’t preparing any differently than how we’ve been preparing all season. We know what we have to do, and we know what’s at stake. Like I said before, we’re on offense right now. Just because we’re at a track that looks different than all the others we go to doesn’t change that. We’ll be as prepared as we can be and use the practice sessions to get a gauge on where our car is at. From there, we’re looking to qualify well and hopefully will be there at the end of the night on Sunday.”

You got a solid top-20 last weekend at Richmond, although you said you felt like you had a top-10 car. Does that finish boost your confidence?

“We had a great car in Richmond and that was without practice and qualifying. Richmond is my kind of track, and I knew we’d be really strong there. My guys knew it, too. The pit strategy and tire strategy really came into play at the end, and we only had scuffs when that last caution came out, so we were stuck with what we had. Our team definitely deserved a top-10, top-15 finish but we’ll still take 18th considering how the previous weeks have been. We’re moving in the right direction. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing, and the results will come.”

No. 41 United Rentals 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: Anaheim, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues
Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer
Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Food City Dirt Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m. EST on FOX

• Kaulig Racing has made two starts at the Food City Dirt Race, both in the 2022 NCS season.
• The team’s best finish came from Justin Haley, who recorded a 14th-place finish after winning his respective heat race.

Jonathan Davenport, No. 13 Nurtien Ag Solutions Camaro ZL1

• Jonathan Davenport will make his NCS debut with Kaulig Racing in the No. 13 Nutrien Ag Solutions Camaro ZL1 in the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• In addition to his NCS debut, Davenport will pilot the No. 7 truck for Spire Motorsports in NASCAR Craftsmans Truck Series (NCTS) Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt.
• Long-time partner of both Kaulig Racing and Jonathan Davenport, Nutrien Ag Solutions will be on-board the No. 13 Camaro.

“I’m nervously excited for my Cup debut on the dirt at Bristol. Totally different atmosphere, totally different kind of car and kind of racing. It’s going to be huge learning curve, but I’m up for the task and I feel good about it. I’m going to absorb all the information I can from my teammates Justin (Haley) and AJ (Allmendinger) to learn the car and learn how Cup drivers race. I’ve got great support from Kaulig Racing and my long-time partner Nutrien Ag Solutions. Every race car driver wants to drive in NASCAR; this is the best opportunity I’ve had to be able to make this dream come true.” – Jonathan Davenport on Bristol Motor Speedway

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Gain Camaro ZL1

• AJ Allmendinger will make his NASCAR dirt debut in the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Allmendinger and Kaulig Racing announced earlier this week they would team up with Food City and Proctor & Gamble to feature the “Smell Ya Later” Gain scheme on the No. 16 Camaro ZL1.

“I’m looking forward to trying something new this weekend at Bristol Dirt. I’m definitely nervous, last time I was on dirt was 2009, I think, in Tony Stewart’s Prelude to the Dream. This is a race I’ve watched the last couple years and I’m looking forward to at least trying it out. I’m not sure how it will go, but it will be fun to learn from my teammates Justin (Haley) and Jonathan (Davenport) on the dirt. We’ll see how it goes.” – AJ Allmendinger on Bristol Motor Speedway

Justin Haley, No. 31 Tide Camaro ZL1

• Justin Haley made his first Bristol Dirt start in the 2022 NCS season after winning his respective heat race.
• Haley started the main event sixth and finished 14th.
• Haley and Kaulig Racing announced earlier this week they would team up with Food City and Proctor & Gamble to feature the historic Tide scheme on the No. 31 Camaro ZL1.

“I’m looking forward to dirt racing at Bristol, something I’m super passionate about. Jonathan Davenport will be bringing some of his dirt-racing expertise to Kaulig Racing this weekend as well. We’ve spent quite a bit of time on the simulator preparing for this weekend. We did really well last year and won our heat race. I’m also excited to have the power of Tide onboard our No. 31 Camaro ZL1 as part of our partnership with our good friends at Food City. This is definitely a weekend I’ve been looking forward to.” – Justin Haley on Bristol Motor Speedway  

 
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 that will be announced at a later date, 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.

CHASE BRISCOE
Bristol Dirt Advance
No. 14 Magical Vacation Planners Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Food City Dirt Race (Round 8 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 9
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 250 laps/125.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 75 laps / Stage 2: 75 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The lone dirt race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule takes competitors to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway this weekend, and for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) driver Chase Briscoe, it’s a chance to revisit his roots and seek redemption. The 28-year-old, third-generation racer from Mitchell, Indiana, grew up turning laps on the bullrings in Southern Indiana in cars owned by his grandfather Richard Briscoe and father Kevin Briscoe. Richard was a legendary Sprint car team owner, crew chief and car builder who over time has fielded entries for 37 different drivers, including such renowned wheelmen as Chuck Amati, Dave Blaney, Dick Gaines, Jack Hewitt, Steve Kinser and Rich Vogler. Kevin raced Sprint cars for more than 20 years and won more than 150 feature events. He claimed track championships at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana, and Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway five times, including one streak of three in a row. Now Chase, the youngest Briscoe looks to continue adding to his resume in the highest level of stock car competition.

● Briscoe’s results in the first two Bristol dirt races in 2021 and 2022 weren’t what he was hoping for, but his performance in last year’s event is one that won’t soon be forgotten. He started fourth based on passing points earned during his qualifying race, and he immediately took the lead on lap one. He led for 48 laps before spinning on lap 51 to bring out a caution. Briscoe regained the lead on lap 140 and was declared the winner of the second stage before the field was brought to pit road with rain beginning to impact track conditions. When the race returned to green, and following pit stops, Briscoe returned to the front of the field and placed himself in position to battle for the win. As the laps wound down, Briscoe plotted his move and, on the final lap, he put it all on the line when he tried to slide up in front of Tyler Reddick going into turn three. The SHR driver was unable to clear Reddick’s No. 8, sending both drivers spinning and opening the door for Kyle Busch to take the win.

● Before this weekend’s featured event on Sunday, Briscoe will make his return to the NASCAR Truck Series to pilot the No. 22 Ford F-150 for AM Racing. Briscoe finished fifth in the inaugural Truck Series event on the dirt at Bristol om 2021, and won the 2018 Eldora Dirt Derby when the Truck Series ran at his team co-owner Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Briscoe made two other Truck Series starts at Eldora and finished in the top-10 both times – third in 2017 and seventh in 2019.

● SHR partner Magical Vacation Planner (MVP) also returns this weekend with a new look for its first outing on the No. 14 Ford Mustang. Briscoe will have more than 400 MVP agents riding along with him as he takes to the dirt-covered track inside the Last Great Colosseum. MVP was founded by Jamie Ane Eubanks alongside her husband JJ, a former professional basketball player, as a storefront travel agency in 2006. Together, they have taken the company to new heights. Today, MVPprovides one of the best vacation planning services in the industry, serving guests through three branches:MVP Parks, MVP Cruising, and MVP Getaways. The company provides its exclusive and personalized, stress-free planning service at no additional expense to its clients, making the extensive array of vacation options and add-ons easy to understand and navigate. Its planners actively seek savings for guests by monitoring the release of discounted room or vacation packages in addition to creating itineraries.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

It will be a busy week for you leading into the Cup Series race at Bristol. Does the extra time behind the wheel help you prepare for Sunday?

“I don’t know that it’s really beneficial. The truck and Cup car are so different. The biggest thing will be getting an idea of how the track changes, but it could still change from Saturday to Sunday depending on how they prep it. You can still get an idea of where the lanes will form and kind of where guys start to run. I think that’s something that the dirt guys really pay attention to. You’re always watching the track and how it changes throughout the day and the night. Typically if you’re doing double duty you’re focused on making laps, but in this case I’ll be looking to see how quick the track starts to change and take rubber.”

We saw you take a big gamble on the last lap of last year’s race in an attempt to bring home the win. Would you be up for doing that again?

“I think it just depends on the situation. Last year, we had won at Phoenix and were in way different position, points-wise. I’ve also got a better understanding of how the car will handle if I try that again. I definitely don’t regret trying it. I hate that it went the way it did for Tyler (Reddick), but I think a lot of the moves we make in races are situational and it really just depends on the moment.”

You’ve got Magical Vacation Planner back on the No. 14 this weekend. How would it feel to take all of those agents and Jamie and JJ to victory lane?

“I’ve known Jamie and JJ since I was little and it would be really special to be able to get a win with them and all of the agents on the car. I had the chance to visit with a lot of those agents earlier this year in Orlando and they are some of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met and just love their jobs. We’ve taken quite a few vacations with the help of the Magical Vacation Planner agents, so it’d be really cool to kind of reward them with a win.”

No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe
Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: John Klausmeier
Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey
Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Jack Man: Dylan Moser
Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Naples, Florida

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Rob Fink
Hometown: Mocksville, North Carolina