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News analysis: Hendrick penalties

By
Tucker White
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AVONDALE, Ariz. - MARCH 12: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 12, 2023, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

None of you asked for it, but I’ll break down the news, its significance and un-answered questions of Hendrick Motorsports’ penalty.

The news

NASCAR handed HMS an L2-level penalty, Wednesday, for unapproved modifications to the body of its cars, last weekend, at Phoenix Raceway. Each car’s crew chief (Cliff Daniels, Rudy Fugle, Alan Gustafson and Blake Harris) was handed a four-race suspension and fined $100,000. Furthermore, NASCAR docked each team 100 owner/driver points and 10 playoff points. Excluding the No. 9 team, which Josh Berry (who earns points in the XFINITY Series) drove in place of the injured Chase Elliott.

These penalties drop Alex Bowman from the points lead to 23rd, William Byron to 29th and Kyle Larson to 32nd. Aside from Byron, this reset Larson to zero playoff points. Byron, however, resets to three.

HMS announced it plans to appeal the penalties, but won’t request deferrals of suspensions. So four substitute crew chiefs will sit on the war wagons, this weekend, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Its significance

On a scale of 1-10, this is a five.

For most teams, this is a 10. With Hendrick, however, I doubt this holds them down. Considering that after NASCAR confiscated the parts, it still dominated Sunday’s race at Phoenix.

SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON 6 OF “MY HERO ACADEMIA”

For NASCAR’s all-time winningest team, this isn’t Izuku Midoriya fighting Muscular during his forest lodge trip training. Rather, I suspect this will be Deku jobbing Muscular.

I’ll go a step further and predict that by the halfway point of the season, Bowman, Byron and Larson make up the points they lost with this penalty.

Un-answered questions

I can’t really think of anything Wednesday’s penalty announcement left un-answered. This was pretty cut-n-dry and NASCAR confiscated the parts, before it let the Hendrick cars race, Sunday.

That’s all, for now.

Hendrick Motorsports statement

By
Official Release
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On Friday at Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR identified louvers on our race cars during a voluntary inspection 35 minutes after the opening of the garage and prior to on-track activity. NASCAR took possession of the parts approximately four hours later with no prior communication. The situation had no bearing on Saturday’s qualifying session or Sunday’s race.

We are disappointed with today’s decision by NASCAR to issue penalties and have elected to appeal based on a variety of facts that include:

  • Louvers provided to teams through NASCAR’s mandated single-source supplier do not match the design submitted by the manufacturer and approved by NASCAR.
  • Documented inconsistent and unclear communication by the sanctioning body specifically related to louvers
  • Recent comparable penalties issued by NASCAR have been related to issues discovered during a post-race inspection

For the March 19 NASCAR Cup Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, our organization has made the strategic decision not to request deferral of personnel suspensions. Team rosters for this weekend will be updated as soon as substitute crew chiefs are determined.

HighPoint.com Racing: Chase Briscoe Atlanta Advance

By
Official Release
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CHASE BRISCOE
Atlanta Advance
No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Ambetter Health 400 (Round 5 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 19
● Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 260 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway on an upward trend after earning his first top-10 finish of the season last Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. The result ended a streak of finishes outside the top-20 to start the year.

● Though his results at Atlanta haven’t been his best, Briscoe has a chance to change that in just his third start on the track’s superspeedway-style configuration. The track in Hampton, Georgia, underwent changes prior to the start of the 2022 season to create tighter, superspeedway-type racing on its 1.54-mile oval. The racing surface was repaved, and the track width was reconfigured to vary from 55 feet to 40 feet while the banking in the corners was increased from 24 to 28 degrees – the steepest intermediate track on the schedule.

● Briscoe started on the pole for the first race on the newly reconfigured Atlanta in March 2022 after qualifying was rained out. He drove to a 15th-place finish. He returned in July to finish 16th. Briscoe’s best finish of 15th in his two Cup Series outings on Atlanta’s original configuration came in July 2021.

● In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta, Briscoe has a best finish of ninth in his most recent visit in June 2020, and a NASCAR Truck Series start there in March 2017.

● Transform Your IT –The blue-and-white colors of HighPoint, the leading IT infrastructure and solutions company, return to the No. 14 Mustang for the first time in 2023 after first appearing on Briscoe’s car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2020. Briscoe earned four of his series-high nine wins that year in the HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for SHR.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What did you learn about the new Atlanta configuration during last year’s two Cup Series visits there?

“There were plenty of unknowns going into Atlanta last year, and we learned it definitely races similar to Daytona and has that superspeedway feel. Two races don’t give you a whole lot of experience to fall back on, but I think that would be more of an issue if it were a typical 1.5-mile track. In this case, we at least know what this car is going to do on superspeedways and can look back to what we did at Daytona and last year’s races. You’ll have the same ‘anything can happen’ type of race and it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.”

We say that the new configuration produced superspeedway-style racing, but it’s still a mile-and-a-half track. What makes a race at Atlanta different from a typical superspeedway race?

“Balance is more important at Atlanta than it is at Daytona or Talladega. The car does rely a little more on the setup and the runs come together a lot quicker, so you don’t want to not have the car set up right. You don’t have as much time to react to what happens in front of you, so you really need the car to be handling the right way when you’re in the pack.”

You and the No. 14 team were finally able to knock out a top-10 finish last weekend at Phoenix. Does that give you a little boost after a challenging start to your season?

“We really needed that finish. It’s no secret that we struggled at Fontana and Las Vegas, but we knew going into Phoenix we had a good chance to turn things around. We just need to find that consistency that we ended last year with. There were some changes to the car that we’re still trying to figure out, but I know the guys are going to give me everything they’ve got at the end of the day, so as long as I do my part, we’ll be OK. There’s a long way to go before we get to the playoffs and every weekend is another chance to show that we belong and are capable of getting wins. We just have some things we need to work on to get there.”

No. 14 HighPoint.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members Driver: Chase BriscoeHometown: Mitchell, Indiana Crew Chief: John KlausmeierHometown: Perry Hall, Maryland Car Chief: J.D. FreyHometown: Ferndale, California Engineer: Mike CookHometown: Annapolis, Maryland Spotter: Joey CampbellHometown: Berlin, ConnecticutOver-The-Wall Members Front Tire Changer: Shayne PipalaHometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina Jack Man: Dylan MoserHometown: Monroe, North Carolina Fuel Man: Corey CoppolaHometown: 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 FinkHometown: Mocksville, North Carolina

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 03.15.23

By
Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: March 13-19, 2023

· NCS/NXS/NCTS: Atlanta Motor Speedway – March 18-19

PLANO, Texas (March 15, 2023) – After three races on the West Coast, NASCAR teams travel closer to home with a stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Bell continues strong performance… Christopher Bell added another top-10 finish to his early season tally at Phoenix Raceway as the Oklahoma-native came across the finish line in sixth. Bell, who has finished a career-best of eighth place in the Cup Series at Atlanta, won the first-ever race for the Toyota GR Supra in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track in 2019 in dominating fashion, leading 142 of 163 laps, to earn the historic victory.

Reddick looks to add to strong Phoenix run… After a string of bad luck to start the season, Tyler Reddick had a strong run at Phoenix Raceway, earning his first top-five finish aboard a Toyota Camry TRD with a third place result for 23XI Racing. Reddick’s career-best result at Atlanta Motor Speedway came in 2021 as the California-native earned a sixth-place finish.

Smith ready to go back-to-back… Sammy Smith was very impressive in NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) action in Phoenix as the 18-year-old led 92 laps (of 200) on his way to his first-career NXS victory. The Toyota development driver looks to continue his stellar start to his rookie season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where the Iowa-native will make his track debut.

Nemechek goes for two… John Hunter Nemechek added another top-10 finish to his early season tally in Phoenix as his sixth-place run was his fourth top-10 in as many NXS races this season. Nemechek will run both legs of Saturday’s double-header in Atlanta as he makes his second start in the No. 17 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage before climbing back aboard his No. 20 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Heim looks for second straight Atlanta win… Corey Heim had many highlights during his Truck Series Rookie of the Year run, but the win at Atlanta Motor Speedway was one to remember. Heim, who is a Georgia-native, led 22 laps and passed his then teammate Chandler Smith on the final lap to score the win. The Toyota development driver has started the season strong in his first full-time Truck Series effort. Heim followed an eighth place run in Daytona with his fourth-place finish in Las Vegas.

Gray leads Toyota… Tanner Gray has gotten off to another strong start this season. Gray, who was the runner-up in Daytona, had a solid top-15 finish in Las Vegas. He currently leads Toyota in the Truck Series point standings as he sits in the ninth spot. The former NHRA Pro Stock champion finished eighth in this event one season ago.

Stay Connected

https://www.toyota.com/racing @ToyotaRacing.com @ToyotaRacing

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 20 electrified options, with more in showrooms later this year.

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

Rising Country Superstar Parker McCollum to Headline Ally 400 Pre-Race Concert at Nashville Superspeedway

By
Official Release
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  • Award-winning country music singer/songwriter Parker McCollum will perform the pre-race concert for the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
  • McCollum is expected to perform his most popular hits including platinum-selling No. 1s “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You,” and songs from his forthcoming album, Never Enough.
  • McCollum will perform at approximately 5 p.m. from the pre-race concert stage located on pit road. Fans attending the race have the opportunity to enhance their experience by purchasing a “Pre-Race Track Pass” for $75 (plus tax) that provides stage-front access for the concert and driver introductions.

LEBANON, Tenn. (Mar. 14, 2023) – Award-winning country music singer/songwriter Parker McCollum will get fans at Nashville Superspeedway revved up for the Ally 400 when he takes the stage as the official pre-race concert performer on Sunday, June 25.

McCollum will perform at approximately 5 p.m. from the pre-race concert stage located on pit road. Fans attending the race have the opportunity to enhance their experience by purchasing a “Pre-Race Track Pass” for $75 (plus tax) that provides stage-front access for the concert and driver introductions, views down pit road, and the opportunity to view the race from within the infield. The Pre-Race Track Pass must be accompanied by a race day ticket.

“It’s really an honor to play the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway,” said McCollum. “I’ve always been a big fan of NASCAR and am excited to bring my show to the track in June. See y’all there.”

McCollum is expected to sing many of his popular songs including his No. 1 platinum-selling hits “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You” from his critically-acclaimed debut album Gold Chain Cowboy.

“We are thrilled to showcase Parker McCollum, one of country music’s fastest rising superstars, at Nashville Superspeedway prior to the green flag for the Ally 400,” said Matt Greci, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Nashville Superspeedway. “As the home for NASCAR Cup Series racing here in Music City, we always want to make sure we provide an amazing music performance before America’s best drivers hit the track for the Ally 400.”

The Texas native has been recognized as an “Artist to Watch” by Rolling Stone, Billboard, CMT and many others. McCollum got his start in Austin, Texas and has been selling out venues across the country since hitting the road in 2013. McCollum’s music incorporates genres as diverse as blues, roots rock, soul and folk rock to generate his custom sound. MusicRow listed McCollum as its 2021 Breakout Artist of the Year and in 2022 he was named the ACM New Male Artist of the Year in Las Vegas. His next album, Never Enough, will release on May 12 and features the chart-climbing lead single “Handle on You,” plus recent releases “Stoned,” “I Ain’t Going Nowhere” and “Speed.”

NASCAR TICKETS

Nashville Superspeedway’s 2023 race schedule includes (all times CT):

Sunday, June 25, 6 p.m.: Ally 400 NASCAR Cup Series race (NBC, PRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio)
Saturday, June 24, 2:30 p.m.: Tennessee Lottery 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (USA, PRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio)
Friday, June 23, 7 p.m.: Rackley Roofing 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race (FS1, PRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio)

Call 866-RACE-TIX to discuss your options with an account representative or visit NashvilleSuperSpeedway.com.

Friday and Saturday tickets are FREE for kids 12 and under (with a paying adult) at Nashville and just $10 on Sunday.

FOLLOW US

Keep track of all of Nashville Superspeedway’s events by following on Twitter and Instagram or become a Facebook fan.

About Nashville Superspeedway:

Nashville Superspeedway, Middle Tennessee’s racing jewel, is a year-round family friendly destination in one of the fastest growing regions in the country, Nashville, TN. Through 2022, the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval with 14 degrees of banking has hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races, 23 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, 15 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events and eight Indy Racing League contests. The largest concrete-only track in NASCAR, Nashville Superspeedway is owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC.

Kaulig Racing Weekly Advance | Atlanta Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Ambetter Health 400
Atlanta Motor Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, March 19 at 3:00 p.m. EST on FOX

  • Kaulig Racing has made four starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, all in the 2022 NCS season.
  • The team’s best finish came last year with Justin Haley earning a seventh-place finish in the 2022 Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart.

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger has made 13 starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NCS.
  • Allmendinger has not raced in the NCS since reconfiguration of the track to superspeedway style.

“After Daytona, I think our superspeedway program is pretty good. Atlanta is a unique racetrack now after the repave and how tight it is but still being a superspeedway atmosphere. Last year, our cars were really good there so we’re looking forward to getting there and trying to have the same results and the same speed we had in Daytona. It’s a challenging race, track position is really critical and as we’ve seen there, anything can happen with pack racing like that. We’ll just try to stay clean and stay up front all day to give ourselves a chance to win.” – AJ Allmendinger on Atlanta Motor Speedway

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

  • Justin Haley has made four starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NCS.
  • Haley earned an 11th-place finish and a seventh-place finish, respectively, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the 2022 NCS season.

“Atlanta was a really great track for us last year. Obviously with it being a speedway track now, it has worked in our favor, but I think as it wears, it’s going to start getting a little bit more like a mile-and-a-half. It’s probably my favorite racetrack right now on the schedule. It’s just something so different than any other track we go to with the high speeds and it being an in-between track. I’ll also have the opportunity to get some laps in during the Xfinity race as well, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend as a whole.” – Justin Haley on Atlanta Motor Speedway  

RAPTOR 250
Atlanta Motor Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m. EST on FS1

  • Kaulig Racing has made 19 total starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NXS.
  • The team has earned one win, eight top fives, 14 top-10 finishes and has led 114 laps at Atlanta.

Justin Haley, No. 10 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro

  • Justin Haley has made four starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, all of which he finished in the top 10.
  • He also earned two top-five finishes and has led eight laps at Atlanta.

“Atlanta was a really great track for us last year. Obviously with it being a speedway track now, it has worked in our favor, but I think as it wears, it’s going to start getting a little bit more like a mile-and-a-half. It’s probably my favorite racetrack right now on the schedule. It’s just something so different than any other track we go to with the high speeds and it being an in-between track. I’ll also have the opportunity to get some laps in during the Xfinity race as well, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend as a whole.” – Justin Haley on Atlanta Motor Speedway

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Camaro

  • Daniel Hemric has earned two top fives, four top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 14.7 in his seven starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Hemric has led 45 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“With this being our third trip to Atlanta since the reconfiguration, I think everyone collectively involved is getting better on our to approach the weekend. It will be interesting with having no practice and the first lap on the racetrack being qualifying. The unknown of the new pit road that we are all going to face, and the limited amount of time that we have to learn it, will be a challenge. It is a weekend filled with questions, but a lot of opportunity for us to go and do something special.” – Daniel Hemric on Atlanta Motor Speedway

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Chevrolet Camaro

  • Chandler Smith will make his debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NXS this weekend.
  • In Smith’s last trip to Atlanta in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS), he qualified on the pole and finished the race in fourth place.

“Atlanta is a place that means a lot to me. Growing up in Georgia, I went to the track as a fan many times and won a few championships racing Bandolero cars on the dogleg oval there. We’ve had a fast Quick Tie Chevy Camaro, and our team has had a lot of fun this season. I’m looking forward to hopefully keeping our top-five streak alive and going for a win at my home track.” – Chandler Smith on Atlanta 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.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Preview: Atlanta Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
-

Race Information

  • Round: NASCAR Cup Series race No. 5 of 36
  • Track Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA
  • Race Name: Ambetter Health 400
  • Broadcast: Sunday, March 19th at 3:00 PM ET live on FOX (TV), PRN (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
  • Team Entrants:

No. 42 | Noah Gragson & Luke Lambert – Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet
No. 43 | Erik Jones & Dave Elenz – Allegiant Chevrolet

Noah Gragson, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats

  • NCS Starts: 2; Best Start: 29th, Best Finish: 34th (Fall, 2022)
  • NXS Starts: 6; Poles: 2; Best Finish: 2nd (2020), Top 5s: 3, Top 10s: 5, Laps led: 58
  • NCTS Starts: 2; Best Start: 3rd; Best Finish: 2nd (2018), Laps led: 43

2023 NCS Season Stats

  • Starts: 4; Best Start: 20th; Best Finish: 22nd (Auto Club), Current points position: 32nd
  • About Sunseeker Resorts: Opening in 2023, Florida’s newest luxury resort located in Charlotte Harbor is the first resort property of Sunseeker Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company. Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor occupies over 22 waterfront acres with 785 guest rooms, including 189 Signature Sunsuites™. Set upon the Peace River and Florida Gulf Coast, this premier resort offers 20 original food and beverage concepts; including seven stand-alone restaurants, eleven bars and lounges, two poolside offerings and a 25,000-square-foot multi-dining experience. Additional hotel amenities include a waterfront promenade, two unique rooftop and waterfront pool experiences, 60,000-square-feet of combined convention space, full-service spa and salon, a 7,100-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness center with four group exercise studios with specialty instructor lead classes, three retail and market shops, and an 18-hole championship level golf club exclusive to hotel guests only. The resort is conveniently located within a short drive of Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Tampa airports. For more information, visit www.sunseekerresorts.com. Follow us on Instagram: @sunseekerresorts and like us on Facebook: @sunseekerresorts.
  • Line ‘em up: This weekend NASCAR’s superspeedway format is effect for this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, so there will be no practice for the teams before the NASCAR Cup Series teams qualify on Saturday, March 18.
  • Lambert Knows Best: Gragson’s crew chief Luke Lambert has 11 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta recording two second place starting positions and two top-10 finishes with his respective drivers.
  • Starting at the Front: Gragson has six starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He won two pole positions, three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Gragson has completed 100% of the 988 laps attempted while leading 58 of them. He also has raced the 1.5-mile tri-oval twice in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck scoring a runner-up and a 10th place finish, and 43 laps led.
  • From the Driver’s Seat: “I’ve really enjoyed racing at Atlanta over the years. It’s going to be tough without practice on Saturday as I think we can use all the laps we can get being rookies, but we have some great notes to go on from the No. 43 team are focused forward.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats

  • NCS Starts: 8; Best Start: 10th; Best Finish: 4th (Fall, 2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 2; Laps Led: 10
  • NXS Starts: 2; Best Start: 2nd; Best Finish: 3rd (Spring, 2016); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1
  • NCTS Starts: 1; Best Start: 2nd; Best Finish 7th (2015) Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1; Laps Led: 37

2023 NCS Season Stats

  • Starts: 4; Best Start: 10th; Best Finish: 19th (twice); Laps led: 14; Current Points Position: 28th
  • About Allegiant: Las Vegas-based Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) is an integrated travel company with an airline at its heart, focused on connecting customers with the people, places and experiences that matter most. Since 1999, Allegiant Air has linked travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class vacation destinations with all-nonstop flights and industry-low average fares. Today, Allegiant’s fleet serves communities across the nation, with base airfares less than half the cost of the average domestic roundtrip ticket. For more information, visit us at Allegiant.com.
  • Atlanta Speed: Jones and the No. 43 team showed up with some fast Chevrolets in both Atlanta races last season. In the spring race, Jones ran up inside the top-10 consistently, completing stage one in fifth position. Ultimately, damage sustained from a multi-car incident hampered the end result, leading to a 14th place finish. In the fall race, Jones stepped up the run, leading 10 laps and staying up front for the majority of the event after starting deep in the field. Erik found himself in position to contend for the race win, coming away with an impressive fourth place finish – earning his second top-five of the year.
  • Best Qualifying Effort: Erik had quite the run in qualifying last time out at Phoenix Raceway. The No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet turned heads in round one, with Jones posting the second-fastest lap in Group A. After round two had come to a close, Jones would see himself line up in the 10th starting spot – his best qualifying result of the season. In addition, Jones was able to lead his first laps of the season during that race, leading 14 circuits in total.
  • READWithErik: This week, Jones visited his hometown of Byron, Mich., to read with students and donate a “Bookworm Vending Machine” to his former elementary school, Byron Elementary. The vending machine was gifted through the Erik Jones Foundation to encourage students to read. Students will earn credits that can be redeemed in the machine to purchase books, an idea inspired by Jones’s former teacher, Tammy Laurin. Th vending machine is an extension of Jones’s youth reading program initiative called #READwithErik that has become a signature activity of his foundation. Jones, an avid reader, began the #READwithErik program by reading to children on his Facebook page when COVID19 shut down the country in March of 2020. Since launching the program, Jones has read nearly 50 children’s books to young readers. His readings to kids have been viewed nearly a quarter of a million times. In addition to reading online, Jones has also read books to children at several NASCAR races around the country. For more information go to www.ErikJonesFoundation.org.
  • From the Driver’s Seat: Last year, your team was really strong in both Atlanta races. What is it about the superspeedway style of racing on the reconfiguration that fits in your wheel house?

“I liked racing in Atlanta last year. It was a lot different obviously with the new layout and new format style of racing. It’s kind of like having an extra superspeedway track for us, but you have a little more handling involved, especially more than what we have at say, Talladega. I feel like our speedway program has been strong; I feel like at the Daytona 500, we had a good car. So hopefully, we can be just as strong there and be able to just lead some laps, be up front, and have a shot to win. Last year, we were pretty close in a couple of them in Atlanta. You know, I really felt like in the second race there we had a great shot to win, and hopefully we can go back down there and close this one out with our Allegiant Chevy.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

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

For the last 75 years, the iconic Petty family name has been synonymous in NASCAR, spanning four generations. Over the course of his driving career, Team Ambassador Richard Petty forever enshrined himself as “The King”, earning 200 wins and seven NASCAR Cup Series championships alongside NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Dale Inman. GMS Racing entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021, later acquiring Richard Petty Motorsports to form Petty GMS.

The team was rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in 2023 with the addition of Johnson, another seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, to the ownership structure. As a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for the automobile racing enthusiast, fostering a team environment that will breed success for years to come. LEGACY M.C.’s vision is to honor the rich history of its past and acknowledge the future of the sport with some of today’s most iconic drivers.

LEGACY M.C. 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.

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Flagtronics Partnership Improves On-Track Safety for Trans Am, SVRA, FR Americas and F4 U.S.

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Official Release
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Technical Partnership Elevates Communication and Emergency Response at SpeedTour Race Events

CHARLOTTE (March 15, 2023) — Flagtronics is the newest partner to join SpeedTour events, adding the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas) and Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) to the growing list of race series who utilize their system to improve safety on the race track.

“We’re very excited to add Flagtronics as a partner and strategic resource for our race series and events,” said Tony Parella, CEO of SpeedTour. “We’ve spent a lot of time testing their products and have seen the efficiencies they can add to our events first hand—improving response time for emergency vehicles and cutting down on wasted time, and allowing more time for green-flag competition.”

Flagtronics products focus on three main areas to increase safety and race awareness both inside and outside the vehicle, including in-car flagging, on-track flagging and race communications. The system considers everyone’s needs—the drivers, the track director and race officials—offering easy-to-install, easy-to-use, compact solutions. The system combines in-car units that detect incidents and alert drivers to full and local cautions, on-track display panels to communicate track conditions that are directly in the line of sight of drivers as they approach each corner, race communications systems like GPS monitoring of all cars and emergency vehicles, and control of both individual flagging and full and local track conditions through the click of a button.

“We’re happy to join SpeedTour and assist with their various events and race series,” said R. Collie King, III, CEO of Monarch Autosport, the exclusive distributor of the Flagtronics Electronic Marshalling Systems. “It’s exciting for us to join new groups and see the impact Flagtronics can make on the product they offer on the track.”

Having spent nearly two years researching similar systems—and ultimately selecting Flagtronics as the company to further engage in testing, Trans Am will require all National Championship competitors to utilize the Flagtronics in-car system in 2023, in addition to using the trackside display panels at events. The series saw first-hand the impact Flagtronics could have on competition during an exceptionally wet race at Watkins Glen International last fall. Rain throughout the day led to borderline race conditions, but the visibility of the trackside display panels and in-car systems provided a flow of information to both drivers and race control to allow the execution of a successful, safe race.

SVRA will employ a portion of the Flagtronics system in 2023, utilizing the trackside display panels, while continuing testing of the in-car systems on the various cars that compete in the series, with an eye towards full deployment for the 2024 season. The implementation of the Flagtronics display panels will allow more efficient and effective communication between series officials and drivers. Not only will the chief steward be able to instantly initiate a full-course yellow or local caution by the push of a button, but the display panels will improve visibility of flags, with the panels placed directly in the line of sight for drivers as they approach a corner.

FR Americas and F4 U.S. mandated a cockpit yellow light system two years ago to alert drivers to full-course cautions, but will move to the Flagtronics in-car system next season. This year, that current system will be paired with Flagtronics’ trackside display panels to improve communication one step further and alert drivers to possible issues in any particular corner. With many FR Americas and F4 U.S. drivers new to racing cars—upwards of 75-percent of the field each year comes out of karting—the systems will help new drivers balance out learning the car, learning new tracks, getting used to racing around other cars, and of course, observing safety flags. Merging the two systems will further enhance safety on the track, while also exposing junior formula drivers to the Flagtronics system, which has become the standard in Formula 1.

Fans will notice the impact Flagtronics has on the track throughout the season. Get tickets for any of the SpeedTour events this season by visiting SpeedTour.net.

About the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli: The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli is the longest-running professional road racing series in North America. The Trans Am Series was founded in 1966 for racing factory pony cars on iconic road courses. More than 55 years after the series’ launch, Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers continue to be sold today, with Trans Am racing credited as playing a major role in their success and longevity. With five diverse and competitive classes of racecars and both National and Western Championships, Trans Am offers something for every fan and every competitor. SpeedTour will host the professional race series at 19 events nationwide in 2023.

About Sportscar Vintage Racing Association: SVRA is the largest vintage racing organization in the world. A typical event has several hundred vintage race cars representing over 100 years of automotive history on the track. The drivers of these race cars are high net-worth, prominent professionals. In 2023, SVRA will host 20 events at some of the most iconic race tracks in North America, including Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Sonoma Raceway and Circuit of The Americas, among others. This nationwide footprint has over 312,000,000 Americans living within 200 miles of our events.

About Formula Regional Americas Championship & Formula 4 United States Championship, Powered by Honda: The FIA-certified Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) & Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) are designed as entry-level open-wheel racing series offering young talent the opportunity to demonstrate their skills on an international platform while keeping affordability and safety as key elements. The Championships align with the global FIA development ladder philosophy of using common components to provide a cost-efficient, reliable and powerful racing structure as drivers ascend through the levels on their way to U.S. or global racing success. The F4 U.S. Champion is awarded a scholarship to compete the following season in FR Americas, while the FR Americas Champion is awarded a Super Formula Scholarship from Honda Performance Development and Honda Racing Corporation.

Rev Racing and Sanchez looking for results in Atlanta

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Official Release
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#2: Nick Sanchez, Rev Racing, Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado

Concord, NC — After the unfortunate ending to the Victoria’s Voice 200, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Sanchez and team are focused on a result that matches their capabilities. The second race of the season ended early due to the damage on the No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet that proved to be irreparable. After moving from 2 laps down back into the top 15, a late race tangle ended all hopes of a top 10 finish. Despite the results, the team is extremely hopeful in regards to future outcomes. In just two starts, Sanchez has started on the pole in the season-opener at Daytona and next to Kyle Busch on the front row in Las Vegas. He has also led multiple laps in Daytona and early on in the Vegas race before the night came to an early close.

Crew Chief Danny Stockman and Sanchez garnered everything they could from the last two races and remain focused on results to come at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sanchez is set to take to the track on March 18th, where the race is scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM EST. He will be behind the wheel of the No.2 Gainbridge Chevrolet for the third time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS).

“Atlanta is going to be different,” said Sanchez. “It’s a mix of a 1.5 mile track and a Super Speedway, therefore, I will be learning to balance both of those styles of racing. I have never raced at Atlanta, but I am excited to see the grip level change and the track wear from last year’s spring race.” Sanchez went on to mention the team, “Danny Stockman and the entire No. 2 team have been putting in the work and continue to keep pushing to find more speed, which I think will show in this 5 week stretch of racing beginning in Atlanta.”

Sanchez reflected on Las Vegas: “As for Vegas, it was a race of trial and error and I built up a pretty good notebook from the experience. I’m excited to take what I learned and apply it to the rest of the races.”

Since this marks Sanchez’s first visit to Atlanta Motor Speedway, the team is hopeful to get a good qualifying result in place despite no practice session on the NCTS schedule. Qualifying will begin at 3:05 PM EST. The green flag will wave at 2:00PM EST on Saturday (18th) for the start of the Fr8 208. Drivers will race 135 laps around Atlanta Motor Speedway. A distance of 208 miles around the 1.54 mile track. The race will be broadcasted on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM.

About Rev Racing: Rev Racing seeks to obtain the highest quality applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. Started by Max Siegel in 2009, Rev Racing manages the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Rev Racing currently operates and manages drivers in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and a youth racing initiative.

JR Motorsports — NXS Atlanta Preview

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Official Release
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JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Atlanta Motor Speedway
RACE: Raptor King of Tough 250 (163 laps / 251.02 miles)
DATE: Saturday, March 18, 2023

Broadcast Information – TV: 5 p.m. ET on FOX / Radio: 4:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway for his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 1.54-mile quadoval. In three previous starts, Mayer has a best finish of ninth coming in 2021.
• With 14 starts at tracks measuring 1.5 miles in length, Mayer has recorded three top-five and nine top-10 finishes, including his most recent seventh-place effort at Las Vegas this season.
• Crew chief Mardy Lindley has an average finish of 1.0 at Atlanta after scoring NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins in appearances with Kyle Busch (2021) and Corey Heim (2022).

Josh Berry
No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet
• Josh Berry’s best finish at Atlanta came last summer, when he started second and finished second, leading 13 laps along the way.
• At tracks measuring 1.5 miles, Berry has logged three of his five career victories (two wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and one at Charlotte Motor Speedway). He has added six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes at those tracks.
• With his eighth-place result last week at Phoenix, Berry has posted top-10 finishes in three of the season’s four races thus far.
• This marks the first of 10 primaries this season for Tire Pros, a JRM partner since 2021.

Brandon Jones
No. 9 Menards / Jeld-Wen Chevrolet
• Brandon Jones, an Atlanta native, has made nine starts at his home track, with a best finish of fourth at this race in 2019.
• In 74 starts on tracks measuring 1.5 miles in length in the NXS, Jones has scored two wins (Kansas Speedway), 12 top fives and 34 top 10s, while pacing the field for 183 laps.
• Crew chief Jason Burdett has called the shots for one win at Atlanta and has only finished outside of the top 10 in two of the 10 events he’s been atop the pit box. The lone win came with Allgaier during the 2021 season.
• The 26-year-old Georgian currently sits 18th in the point standings, 26 points below the playoff cut line.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier is a previous winner at the 1.54-mile quadoval, going to Victory Lane in this event in 2021 after starting sixth and leading 47 laps.
• Overall, in 14 career NXS starts at Atlanta, Allgaier has earned three top fives and nine top 10s to accompany his 2021 victory.
• Allgaier scored a third-place finish earlier this season at Daytona, in a style of racing that is similar to what currently runs on the repaved surface of Atlanta.
• The Illinois native enters this weekend having led at least one lap in every race to date during the 2023 season, including 10 or more laps led in three of the four events.

Driver Quotes

“I am excited to get back to Atlanta, coming off of the consistent streak we are having. The No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions team has been building absolute rocket ships and I can’t thank this team enough for the hard work. Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) has two wins here, so I am looking forward to another good run this weekend.” – Sam Mayer

“This new version of Atlanta is definitely a wild card. It races much more like a superspeedway, which means that anything can happen. Thankfully, JR Motorsports has always prepared some extremely strong superspeedway cars and I know that we will be up front and in contention throughout the day. Hopefully we can avoid any potential trouble out there, have a smooth, clean day, and get this RaptorTough.com Chevrolet into Victory Lane.” – Justin Allgaier

“We were pretty good here last summer, finishing second. Atlanta is really fast and races a lot like a restrictor-plate track, so you have to be aware of where the runs are coming from and how to deal with them. We did a good job last year, we were right on the leader at the checkered flag, and I think the Tire Pros Chevrolet can be just as good this weekend.” – Josh Berry

“With the added banking and how Atlanta is more like a superspeedway now, I have confidence knowing that our Menards/Jeld-Wen Chevrolet will be fast when we unload Friday. We had speed at Daytona and JRM builds great cars for this style of racing. It would be great to have a good run at my home track and get the momentum heading in our direction.” – Brandon Jones

JRM Team Updates

• JR Motorsports at Atlanta: JR Motorsports has competed in the ATL a combined 55 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the 1.54-mile facility, the organization has tallied four wins, 17 top fives and 35 top 10s. The most recent win for the organization came during this race in 2021 when Justin Allgaier drove the No. 7 Chevrolet to Victory Lane.
• Souvenir Rig Autograph Session: On Saturday, March 18, JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Legacy M.C. souvenir rig located in the Atlanta Motor Speedway fan zone from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. local time.
• Top-10 Streak Continues: Berry’s eighth-place effort last weekend in Phoenix extended JRM’s organizational streak of top-10 finishes to 14 consecutive races. Dating back to the fall event at Darlington Raceway last year (Sept. 3, 2022), at least one JRM Chevrolet has finished in the top 10 in every event since.

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