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Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview- Daytona International Speedway

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Daytona International Speedway; November 18, 2023

Track; Daytona International Speedway– Superspeedway (2.5-Miles)
Race: Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300; 120 Laps –30/30/60; 300 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday; February 18, 2023 5:00 PM ET
TV: Fox Sports 1 (FS1), and the FOX Sports App
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)- Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport; Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FUNKAWAY Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview-
Daytona International Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

News and Notes:

  • Practice; After the completion of the 50-minute practice session on Friday afternoon, 19-year-old Parker Retzlaff would record a fastest lap of 48.794 at 184.449 mph on Lap-11 of his 11-lap session scoring him 15th fastest of the 44 cars entered for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season opening Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at the Daytona International Speedway (DIS).

– Starting Position; Qualifying for the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 will take place Saturday morning at 11:30 AM ET to set the 36-car starting field. In 2023 NXS Qualifying for superspeedways will be determined by the fastest competitor in two rounds of single-lap qualifying. The fastest ten in Round 1 will move on to Round 2 where the fastest competitor in Round 2 will be determined the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 pole starter. The lineup up will then be set by the fastest 31 competitors on speed and five provisional starters. Six cars will fail to make the starting field. Retzlaff is scheduled to roll off 17th in the order for the first round. Qualifying will fire off at 11:30 AM ET on Saturday, February 18 and will be shown LIVE on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and the Fox Sports App.

– Daytona International Speedway Stats; Saturday’s NXS Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300 will mark Retzlaff’s debut with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport (JAR) and first NXS start at DIS.

Featured Partners

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– Chassis; JAR Bommarito Autosport will field Chassis No. 113 for Retzlaff to compete with in the in the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 on Saturday afternoon. Chassis No. 113 is a new superspeedway car to the JAR Bommarito Autosport fleet.

Jeb Burton– No. 27 State Water Heaters Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview-
Daytona International Speedway

Social Media; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

News and Notes:

  • Practice; After the completion of the 50-minute practice session on Friday afternoon, Jeb Burton would record a fastest lap of 48.841at 184.271 mph on Lap-13 of his 15-lap session scoring him 17th fastest of the 44 cars entered for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season opening Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at the Daytona International Speedway (DIS).

– Starting Position; Qualifying for the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 will take place Saturday morning at 11:30 AM ET to set the 36-car starting field. In 2023 NXS Qualifying for superspeedways will be determined by the fastest competitor in two rounds of single-lap qualifying. The fastest ten in Round 1 will move on to Round 2 where the fastest competitor in Round 2 will be determined the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 pole starter. The lineup up will then be set by the fastest 31 competitors on speed and five provisional starters. Six cars will fail to make the starting field. Burton is scheduled to roll off 34th in the order for the first round. Qualifying will be take place at 11:30 AM ET Saturday, February 18 and will be shown LIVE on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and the Fox Sports App.

– Daytona International Speedway Stats; Saturday’s NXS Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 will mark Burton’s debut race with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport (JAR) and eighth career start at DIS. In seven previous starts in NXS competition Burton holds an average finish of 14.30 with a best of 4th coming three separate times (2017, 2021). Burton has also made two starts at DIS in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) earning a fifth-place finish in 2013 and a seventh-place finish in 2014.

Featured Partners

  • State Water Heaters; State Water Heaters is a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters. For more than 60 years, State Water Heaters has built dependable, long-lasting water heaters for commercial and residential applications. State remains fixed on manufacturing durable products that last longer. For more information, visit StateWaterHeaters.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Solid.State.
  • Alsco Uniforms; Alsco is a fifth-generation family-owned and -operated uniform company founded in 1889 and recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the uniform rental industry. Celebrating over 130 years of business, Alsco provides uniform laundry services and other products that keep businesses clean and safe to all kinds of customers in the healthcare, automotive, industrial and hospitality industries. With more than 180 locations and 20,000 employees, Alsco provides laundry rental services to more than 355,000 customers in 14 countries, which makes Alsco Uniforms the largest uniform company in the world. Visit Alsco.com to learn more about how Alsco Uniforms is the industry’s best kept secret.

– Chassis; JAR Bommarito Autosport will bring Chassis No. 110 back to the track this weekend for the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at DIS. Chassis No. 110 last competed at Talladega Superspeedway in the WaWa 250 where driver Myatt Snider would start in the 22nd position after qualifying would be cancelled and the grid would be set by the performance metrics system.

In the first stage Snider would work as high as 8th before fading to the back of the pack at the conclusion of Stage 1 to avoid any possible accidents and would ultimately finish 18th. Stage 2 would see Snider run at the back of the lead pack and would work his way to finish ninth at the conclusion of Stage 2. The final stage would not see things as calm as accident after accident would occur. Snider would be involved in two accidents in the final stages that would require the car to come to pit row to repair damage. At the conclusion of the WaWa 250 Snider would survive with a 12th place finish.

About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport

Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) Bommarito Autosport is a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito.

Established in 2018, JAR Bommarito Autosport has competed full-time in the NCTS four times earning a team best back-to-back runner-up finishes in the 2020 & 2021 NextEra 250 season opener at Daytona International Speedway with driver Jordan Anderson.

Expanding to the NXS in 2021 the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS would drive to five Top-Five and six Top-10 finishes with various drivers behind the wheel in its first season. 2022 would see the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS claim the team’s first stage win and a runner-up finish while claiming four Top-10’s with driver Myatt Snider.

In 2023, JAR Bommarito Autosport will continue to grow fielding two full-time entries in the NXS; No. 31 for Parker Retzlaff, and No. 27 for Jeb Burton. JAR Bommarito Autosport will also compete in the NCTS with the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado various drivers in select races.

GMS Racing NCTS Recap: Daytona

Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 16TH
FINISH: 5TH
POINTS: 7TH

Post-Race Quote: “Overall, I feel like we had a good Champion Power Equipment Chevy today and yesterday. I was very disappointed in qualifying, but the honestly, the truck did everything I asked it to the whole time in practice yesterday and in the race today. I feel like we handled better than most, and Jeff made some good calls. We were in the right lane when the big one happened on the backstretch, and my spotter Tyler Monn helped me get through the second big one in turn 3.

We had a fast truck, but never were able to lead a lane. I would get some good runs on guys and be able to push them but wouldn’t have anywhere to go. I think overall though, it was a good performance. We wanted to win, but I think NASCAR made the right call to end the race because the rain really settled in. Not exactly the result we had hoped for, but all in all a good way to start off the year.”

Rajah Caruth, No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 17TH
FINISH: 29TH
POINTS: 26TH

Post-Race Quote: “I really learned a lot tonight, that’s just a pretty unfortunate deal. The No. 99 was pushing me really good there and I was just trying not to get put three wide in the middle. I didn’t want to jack up the No. 35 so I just filled it, and the No. 38 was coming down, so I lifted to not hook him, and I don’t really know what happened at that point. Our Wendell Scott Foundation Silverado was really good tonight, and I can’t say enough about the men and women at GMS Racing, General Motors, and Chevy for their support of me, along with Butlerbuilt Seats, Alpinestars, and Bell Helmets. Wish it worked out tonight.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 29TH
FINISH: 30TH
POINTS: 27TH

Post-Race Quote: “It was a bit crazy for us, just had a little trouble in qualifying. Overall in the race, I was happy with what we had working, I was just trying to learn. The first stage was kind of our practice plan, I was just trying to get my practice there, but those guys having trouble coming to five to go in that first stage kind of helped us out. But we had a good little fight back, we were in the mix there for a second, but just got caught up in the big one.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Ford Performance NCTS Daytona Post-Race Quotes

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
NextEra Energy 250 | Friday, February 17, 2023

ZANE SMITH REPEATS SEASON-OPENING DAYTONA VICTORY

Defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Zane Smith won the season-opening NextEra 250 for the second consecutive year in a race that was called due to rain 20 laps from the scheduled distance.

The win is Smith’s eighth career series victory and the 114th all-time NCTS triumph for Ford.

Smith led 17 of the 79 laps that were completed while Matt Crafton and Ty Majeski led two each.

Ford Finishing Results:
1st – Zane Smith
6th – Ty Majeski
9th – Matt Crafton
11th – Ben Rhodes
21st – Jason M. White
24th – Mason Massey
35th – Hailie Deegan

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops/Speedco Ford F-150 – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN AGAIN? “It’s huge. The past couple times I’ve actually been to Daytona I’ve gotten to Victory Lane. To do that for a third time, I honestly tried to play that race as smart as possible. When it was getting really aggressive I was getting out of it. I knew that patches of rain were a thing in our Ford meeting earlier in the day. I didn’t think it would stick around for this long, but I just wanted to be there. A huge shoutout to Love’s Travel Stops, Speeco, RTA, Ford Performance. It was awesome working with some more Fords out there this year. This is exactly how we started last year, so we’re looking good.”

ARE YOU THE FAVORITE FOR THE TITLE THIS YEAR? “It’s so early. Honestly, we should have scored some stage points there, but we’re locked in the playoffs.”

HOW DOES THIS WEEKEND FEEL WITH THE CUP RACE TOO? “It’s just been a huge week. It’s so busy going from my F-150 to my Mustang. It’s been such an awesome experience.”

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Mold-Armor/Menard’s Ford F-150 – “I ran in the top five pretty much all night, but we had somebody that was leading that second lane on the outside in front of me that didn’t quite know what to do. He wouldn’t drive back to me and he sank us back to ninth and I hate it because I know I would have got back up front. At the end of the day, we had a very fast truck all night long and ran in the top five. If you run in the top five, you’ll win some races and I’m really looking forward to this year because you’ll see this Menard’s Ford F-150 back up front again.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Ford F-150 – “The accident took away our best chance, but we still had a good chance because my guys got it sealed up really good with bearer bond and it looks like drywall screws. They got really creative and I couldn’t tell a difference. I was out there drafting and we made it all the way back up to the front again before we came in and pitted for a few more repairs when some of the bearer bond came loose. All in all, I felt like we had a really good Clark’s Pump-N-Shop F-150. It was very stable. I looked more stable than the other people that were around me. I felt like I was racier for that reason. The draft is the draft here. It’s just the wild Daytona. I just wish we were able to get some long runs together and capitalize on getting some stage points. We just had a mix of a lot of bad things happen for us tonight, and I wouldn’t say that any of it was any fault of our own, it was just racing conditions and circumstances that are Daytona. I’m ready to get to the next racetrack now. I’m hungrier than ever. When you have a race like this where you feel like you didn’t even get to go out and perform, the next race can’t get here fast enough.”

HAILIE DEEGAN, No. 13 Ford Performance F-150 – “I saw the 84 sideways and that was pretty much that. I saw him going down the track, so I went up. It was a split-second decision. You just go right or left and they ended up bouncing back up off another truck, so it is what it is. We know that Daytona is one of those races where you either finish in the top 10 or you end up on the trailer home.”

YOU SEEMED COMPETITIVE IN THE FIRST STAGE. DOES THIS STING MORE? “I think it hurts even more than any of them have because of the fact we were running really good. My truck had killer speed. We ran good with some of the other guys and I just think we could have had a good one. I mean, it’s superspeedway racing. A lot of people have a good truck or a good car here and end up in one.”

THE COMMUNICATION SEEMED GOOD WITH THE TEAM. “Yeah, it was great. All of those guys, we’ve been doing a lot of work together during the offseason and just getting to know each other and each other’s style of how they talk and what they want from me during these races, and kind of what to expect. I think we all set some really good goals and I was really looking forward to showing my ability, but I think I came into this weekend with the mindset that if it goes good, great. If it doesn’t, don’t let it affect the rest of the season. For me, where we really see is Vegas.”

HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH YOUR TEAMMATES? “It’s awesome. I love my new teammates. They’re great. They’re super helpful. You can tell it’s a really tight team and a tight organization. I worked with Ben at the IMSA race and he was great and he’s a great teammate. They’ve all be super open with information and just wanting to help me, which is really nice.”

IT LOOKED LIKE YOU HAD NOWHERE TO GO, BUT HOW WAS THE HIT? “It was fine, not one of the bad ones. I’d say I’ve had worse.”

WHEN DID YOU SEE THE TRUCK WAS ON FIRE? “It was when they called the red flag. I was down in the middle of three and four on the apron and one of the fire and safety guys came over and he was looking under the truck. I guess it was leaking some oil or something, and he saw a small flame, but nothing that I could see.”

Zane Smith emerges victorious in rain-shortened Truck Series opener at Daytona

Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith commenced the new season of competition on a high and bizarre note by winning the rain-shortened NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, Feb. 17.

The 23-year-old Smith from Huntington Beach, California, led three times for 17 of 79-shortened laps, including the final 15, where he assumed the lead on Lap 65 following a three-wide move against Corey LaJoie and Tyler Ankrum. He then retained the top spot for a few additional laps before the event was red-flagged for over an hour due to persistent rain that halted the event in the early stages. More than an hour after NASCAR attempted to dry the superspeedway venue and send the competitors back under racing conditions, Smith was declared the official winner of the event that was shortened 21 laps shy of its 100-lap scheduled distance.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, newcomer Nick Sanchez claimed his first career pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 181.899 mph in 49.478 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Ty Majeski, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 180.785 mph in 49.783 seconds.

Prior to the event, names that included Clay Greenfield, Chase Purdy, Corey LaJoie, Josh Reaume and Canada’s Jason M. White dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective trucks. Newcomer Daniel Dye also dropped to the rear of the field due to a transmission change along with Chris Hacker, who fell back due to an engine change.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Majeski and Sanchez dueled for the lead early followed by Jack Wood and Christian Eckes entering the first turn. With the truck competitors remaining dead even through two tight-packed lanes through the backstretch, Majeski gained the early advantage as he was drafted into the lead followed by Eckes. With the clean air and control of both lanes, Majeski proceeded to lead the first lap ahead of Sanchez and Eckes.

During the following lap, Majeski retained the lead through the first two laps until Eckes was drafted into the lead following a strong push from Matt Crafton on the outside lane, which dropped Majeski back to third place. Not long after, the first caution of the event flew due to sprinkles reported around the superspeedway venue. Under the first caution period, some names like Derek Kraus, Chase Purdy, Daniel Dye and Tyler Ankrum pitted while the rest led by Eckes remained on the track.

Once the track was cleared from precipitation, the race restarted under green on the sixth lap. A few seconds later, however, the caution quickly returned due to reports of more rain around the superspeedway venue. At the moment of caution, Eckes retained the lead ahead of Crafton, Matt DiBenedetto, Majeski and Sanchez. During the caution period, names like Parker Kligerman, Corey LaJoie, Kris Wright, Colby Howard, Tanner Gray and Travis Pastrana pitted while the rest led by Eckes remained on the track.

When the race restarted on Lap 10, Eckes and Crafton dueled for the lead entering Turn 1 until Eckes peeked ahead with drafting help from DiBenedetto. Crafton, however, fought back on the outside lane through the backstretch before Eckes pulled ahead on the inside lane with another push from DiBenedetto as he retained the lead through the frontstretch.

Two laps later, Crafton received a huge push from teammate Majeski on the outside lane entering Turns 3 and 4 to assume full command of the lead in his No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 entering the frontstretch. Though he led the Lap 13 mark, Eckes fought back on the inside lane as he and Crafton continued to engage in repeated swaps for the lead from the outside to inside lanes. By Lap 15, Eckes managed to pull his No. 19 NAPA AutoCare Chevrolet Silverado RST away from the side-by-side action on the inside lane followed by DiBenedetto while Crafton remained as the lead truck on the outside lane. Crafton, however, fought back by Lap 18 as he received another push from Majeski to pull away on the backstretch.

Then on the final lap of the first stage, Majeski made his move to the outside of Crafton as he assumed the lead followed by Eckes and DiBenedetto. As Majeski moved back to the inside lane, Eckes charged on the outside lane as he drew himself alongside Majeski through the backstretch. Then in Turns 3 and 4, Majeski got loose towards the apron but managed to keep his truck straight. This, however, allowed Eckes to pull away as he claimed the first stage victory on Lap 20. Crafton settled in second while DiBenedetto, Hailie Deegan, Sanchez, Majeski, Carson Hocevar, Tanner Gray, Jack Wood and Grant Enfinger were scored in the top 10 on the track.

Under the stage break, some, led by Eckes, pitted while others, led by Ankrum and including Stewart Friesen, Colby Howard, Kligerman, Purdy and Pastrana remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Kris Wright was penalized for speeding on pit road. Corey Heim was also penalized for having a crew member jump over the pit wall too soon.

The second stage started on Lap 25 as Ankrum and Friesen occupied the front row. At the start, Ankrum pulled away with the lead on the inside lane through Turns 1 and 2 until Friesen gained momentum on the outside lane as he was drafted by Kligerman into the lead. As the field battled through two tight-packed lanes through the frontstretch, Ankrum drew his No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro back even against Friesen’s No. 52 Aim Autism/Halmar Toyota Tundra TRD Pro as they dueled for the lead. Not long after, the field fanned out to three lanes as Eckes tried to march his way back to the front.

Then on Lap 28, the caution flew as a multi-truck wreck erupted just past the start/finish line and on the frontstretch when Clay Greenfield got loose, slipped sideways and ignited carnage that included Dean Thompson, Deegan, Tanner Gray, DiBenedetto, Bret Holmes, Josh Reaume and Daniel Dye. Soon after, the event entered a red flag period and the competitors parked their trucks on the backstretch due to rain returning on the venue and as the safety workers went to work to clear the wreckage. Eventually, the competitors were ordered by NASCAR to cycle their trucks back to pit road as the event remained under a red flag period due to rain.

Following a red flag period spanning approximately 12 minutes, the competitors returned to the track at a cautious pace. Once the circuit was cleared, the race restarted under green on Lap 35 as Ankrum and Howard occupied the front row. At the start, Howard briefly peaked ahead until Ankrum retained the lead as he had the draft to his advantage on the inside lane. Howard, however, prevailed during the following lap as he cleared the field with the lead while Friesen and Ankrum dueled for second.

During the following lap, Ankrum responded right back by assuming the lead through the backstretch. As Ankrum nearly got turned off the front nose of Howard entering the frontstretch, Friesen made a bold three-wide pass on both Howard and Ankrum to take the lead as the field behind also fanned out to three tight-packed lanes.

Then on the final lap of the first stage, Friesen, who lost the lead to Ankrum through the first two turns, got turned into the outside wall on the backstretch after making contact with Ben Rhodes as Codie Rohrbaugh, Howard, Kligerman and Holmes also wrecked. The incident was enough to conclude the second stage scheduled on Lap 40 under caution as Ankrum claimed the second stage victory. Purdy settled in second followed by Crafton, Sanchez and Eckes while Enfinger, Rhodes, Enfinger, Jack Wood and Hocevar were scored in the top 10.

Under the stage break, the majority of the field led by Ankrum pitted while the rest led by Corey LaJoie remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Majeski was penalized for a second time due to a rear crew member jumping over the pit wall too soon. In addition, Jason A. White, a Richmond, Virginia, native driving for TRICON Garage, was also penalized for removing equipment out of his pit box.

Amid another brief on-track delay due to precipitation as the competitors remained on the track, the final stage commenced under the green flag with 53 laps remaining as LaJoie and Zane Smith occupied the front row. At the start, LaJoie and Smith briefly dueled for the lead until Smith pulled ahead with the lead followed by DiBenedetto and Ankrum. Exiting the backstretch, however, Ankrum received a draft from Eckes to storm back into the lead as he immediately moved in front of Zane Smith. Eckes, however, remained on the outside lane as he assumed the lead for two turns until LaJoie made a move beneath Eckes to reassume the lead.

With 50 laps remaining, LaJoie was leading ahead of Ankrum as both competitors engaged in repeated side-by-side battles for the top spot. Heim was in third followed by Zane Smith and DiBenedetto while Eckes, Crafton, Chase Elliott, Enfinger and rookie Rajah Caruth were in the top 10. Meanwhile, Majeski was in 11th followed by Rhodes, Hocevar, Tanner Gray and Jack Wood while Dye, Purdy, Travis Pastrana, Sammy Smith, and Timmy Hill occupied the top 20 amid a tight battle within the front pack.

Then with 43 laps remaining, the caution flew when rookie Rajah Caruth, who was running towards the top 10, made contact with both Zane Smith and Heim entering Turns 3 and 4, which got his No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet Silverado RST sideways as he spun before he was hit by DiBenedetto and teammate Daniel Dye. Amid the carnage, a majority of competitors running towards the middle of the pack took evasive action to avoid the carnage, including Tanner Gray and Elliott as both dodged the wreck, Majeski also avoided the incident by a hair despite making contact against Dye and having to slam the brakes.

During the caution period, nearly the entire field except for LaJoie, Timmy Hill, Carson Hocevar and Josh Reaume pitted, though LaJoie’s move in remaining on the track was not as planned due to a miscommunication between himself and his pit crew on when pit road was open for service. Prior to the restart and with the majority of the competitors remaining uncertain on completing the remainder of the race’s scheduled distance on fuel, names like Timmy Hill, Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes, Travis Pastrana, Chase Purdy, Chris Hacker, Jack Wood, Nick Sanchez, Sammy Smith, Kris Wright, Grant Enfinger, Derek Kraus and Jason A White pitted again to top off on fuel.

With 36 laps remaining, the event restarted under green. At the start, LaJoie jumped ahead with the lead on the inside lane through the first two turns. He then tried to fend off Ankrum on the outside lane, but Ankrum and Zane Smith placed LaJoie in the middle of a three-wide battle entering Turns 3 and 4 as Zane Smith assumed the lead in his No. 38 Love’s Ford F-150 while LaJoie drifted all the way to the back of the lead pack after losing the draft.

Three laps later, the caution returned due to reports of rain returning to the racing surface. By then, Zane Smith was the leader followed by Tanner Gray, Howard, Eckes and Enfinger while Majeski, Ankrum, Heim, Crafton and Elliott. Another six laps later amid an extensive caution period, the field led by Zane Smith returned to pit road and the race was placed on its second red flag hiatus due to the precipitation.

An hour later, the red flag lifted and the competitors returned to the track under a cautious pace in spite of the weather remaining misty and the rain transitioning from either raining or not raining. Soon after, the field returned to pit road and under another red flag period with 21 laps remaining. Soon after, NASCAR declared the event official due to the persistent rain and Zane Smith was declared the winner of the event on pit road.

For Smith, the Daytona victory was his second in a row after winning last year’s season opener, which made him the first competitor to win back-to-back Truck events at Daytona since Todd Bodine made the last accomplishment between 2008 and 2009. It also marked his eighth career victory in the Craftsman Truck Series and his second in a row after winning both the 2022 finale and series championship at Phoenix as he became the first competitor to be guaranteed a spot for the 2023 Truck Series Playoffs. Smith’s Daytona victory also marked the sixth Truck career win for Front Row Motorsports and the eighth time where the Ford nameplate won at Daytona.

““I know there’s about a million ways to get [a win] at Daytona, but we’re proving that,” Smith, who is set to make his Daytona 500 debut on Sunday, said on FS1. “Obviously, [I] wanted to go back racing there somewhat, to duke it out with good friends of mine. Hey, we’ll take a win at Daytona any day we can get. [I] Just give a huge shoutout to everyone at Front Row Motorsports. This whole group, man, I’ve said it over and over again, they work their guts out and it proves it. [We’re] Locked in the Playoffs. It’s like a repeat of last year. Just loving life right now.”

With Zane Smith winning the event, Tanner Gray settled in a career-best second place while Eckes, Colby Howard and Enfinger concluded in the top five. Majeski, Ankrum, Heim, Crafton and Elliott finished in the top 10.

Notably, Ben Rhodes finished 11th in front of Hocevar, Pastrana settled in 13th in front of newcomer Sammy Smith, Purdy ended up 17th, LaJoie fell back to 23rd and Sanchez finished 26th in his series debut in front of Jack Wood and Friesen.

There were 20 lead changes for nine different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 41 laps.

Following the first event of the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season, Christian Eckes leads the regular-season standings by five points over Matt Crafton, nine over Ty Majeski, 10 over both Zane Smith and Tyler Ankrum, 12 over Tanner Gray and 14 over Grant Enfinger.

Results.

1. Zane Smith, 17 laps led

2. Tanner Gray

3. Christian Eckes, 19 laps led, Stage 1 winner

4. Colby Howard, two laps led

5. Grant Enfinger

6. Ty Majeski, two laps led

7. Tyler Ankrum, 15 laps led, Stage 2 winner

8. Corey Heim

9. Matt Crafton, two laps led

10. Chase Elliott

11. Ben Rhodes

12. Carson Hocevar

13. Travis Pastrana

14. Sammy Smith

15. Jason A. White

16. Timmy Hill

17. Chase Purdy, one lap led

18. Derek Kraus

19. Josh Reaume

20. Matt DiBenedetto

21. Jason M. White

22. Kris Wright

23. Corey LaJoie, 19 laps led

24. Mason Massey

25. Chris Hacker

26. Nick Sanchez

27. Jack Wood

28. Stewart Friesen, five laps down, two laps led

29. Rajah Caruth – OUT, Accident

30. Daniel Dye – OUT, Accident

31. Bret Holmes – OUT, Brakes

32. Parker Kligerman – OUT, DVP

33. Codie Rohrbaugh – OUT, Accident

34. Clay Greenfield – OUT, Accident

35. Hailie Deegan – OUT, Accident

36. Dean Thompson – OUT, Accident

With the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season underway, the series will travel west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the second event of the season. The event is scheduled to occur on March 3 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.

Toyota Racing – NCTS Daytona Post-Race Report – 02.17.23

TANNER GRAY EARNS CAREER-BEST FINISH IN TRICON DEBUT
Gray begins the season with a top-five run for the second consecutive season

DAYTONA BEACH (February 17, 2023) – Tanner Gray battled through damage from multiple incidents to lead Toyota with a career-best second-place finish in the rain-shortened NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday evening.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Daytona International Speedway
Race 1 of 23 – 100 Laps, 250 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Zane Smith*
2nd, TANNER GRAY
3rd, Christian Eckes*
4th, Colby Howard*
5th, Grant Enfinger*
7th, TYLER ANKRUM
8th, COREY HEIM
14th, SAMMY SMITH
15th, JASON WHITE
16th, TIMMY HILL
25th, CHRIS HACKER
28th, STEWART FRIESEN
34th, CLAY GREENFIELD
36th, DEAN THOMPSON
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TANNER GRAY, No. 15 Dead On Tools Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 2nd

How do you feel with the second-place finish with the rain-shortened race?

“Obviously with the way our night was going, second was a good night for us. Not as smooth of a race as we would like. Got caught up in every wreck there was, but it’s a good finish and that’s all we can ask for. Everyone at TRICON Garage did a great job bringing fast trucks this weekend and happy to have Dead On Tools on board and get them a good finish. We’re going to go back to the shop and regroup to make our speedway stuff a little bit better. I feel like we’re good, but we can be a little bit better. Just have to figure it out and get ready for Las Vegas.”

What kind of momentum does it give you to kickoff the season with a second-place finish?

“For sure, anytime you can leave Daytona and be good it helps a lot. It gets the ball rolling and gets momentum on our side so that’s good. We were lucky enough to be in the same boat last year and to start the year off again like this is awesome.”

TYLER ANKRUM, No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Hattori Racing Enterprises

Finishing Position: 7th

How do you feel about your performance tonight and winning the first stage?

“We had a really fast truck. I was super happy with my LiUNA! Tundra TRD Pro. It was just so awesome. I think I made two passes for the lead with no help and no pushes, just a really, really fast truck. Doug Randolph (crew chief) on the box made some awesome calls to get us up front after starting in the back. You get to that fifth to 12th range so he made some really good calls to get us to the front and lead. We stayed in the top-five for the whole night. I hate to have it finish like this because I really thought if we were going to go back green we could have it won. We could make moves on the top or on the bottom, it was insane. I don’t like that we’re going home seventh, but this is part of it. I would rather be seventh than caught up in a wreck early on or have a blown engine. It’s unfortunate, I hate it. I really wanted to win this race after seeing how fast we were.”

COREY HEIM, No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 8th

How do you feel about the rain-shortened event and your performance through the rest of the race?

“It’s super disappointing, I thought we brought a really strong Safelite Toyota TRD Pro with TRICON. Ran such a conservative race and we were conservative on strategy for the very end there. Didn’t worry about stage points and now here we are with 21 laps left and nothing to show for it. Just really proud of my TRICON guys. Just unfortunate.”

DEAN THOMPSON, No. 5 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 36th

What happened out there?

“I don’t know. They slowed up in front of me. I hit (Matt) DiBenedetto in left rear. It is what it is. I tried to slow up in time and what happened, happened. I don’t know if it was my fault, or Clay Greenfield, or who. I will look back at and see.”

Is the amount of frustration due to how early it was?

“I get an opportunity at Toyota, coming where I came from, and now I’m here. I have the opportunity to go and win this now and look where I am, so it is frustrating.”

How was it working with the TRICON team this weekend?

“It was fantastic. They’ve been top tier. Toyota has established itself as a top manufacturer in the Truck Series, frankly all three series, so to work with them has been awesome. TRICON guys have been good. They’ve been on top of it. My truck was perfect. All of our trucks were perfect. I could have gone out there and won the race, but look where we are at.”

Does the fact that you felt like you could have won the race give you some peace in this situation?

“It hurts even more because now I have an opportunity to go out there and show all of you guys who I actually am. I don’t think I had that opportunity last year, and now this year I do. Now I can go out there and show who I am, and stuff like this happens. It is racing. I will look back at and see what I did wrong and be better next time.”

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.

CHEVROLET NCS AT DAYTONA: Jimmie Johnson Post-Practice Press Conference Transcript

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 17, 2023

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 84 CARVANA CAMARO ZL1, was the fastest car overall in the first practice session in advance of the Daytona 500. Press Conference Transcript –

While you’ve been away, there’s been a lot of wrecks in this race at the end. How do you see that.. have we evolved to almost anything goes in the last 10 laps or not?

“I think the blocking is probably one of the biggest issues, and it’s also one of the most important things to get right to maintain track position. I think that’s what’s changed the most from the years that I’ve been a Cup driver is the late blocks and the aggression of the blocks. We’ve had variations of pushing and being able to slam draft, bump draft, whatever it might be. The cars still don’t really like that. I was able to do some of that tonight and get a feel for it. You still need a pretty delicate touch to pull it off. I think that’s what happened last night with the No. 8 car and the No. 99. Just too much energy and just gets the car toggling from side-to-side and around it goes.

I don’t think it’s intentional. I don’t think the crashes at the end of these races are that you’re not trying to crash someone. You’re trying to win, right? So you’re trying to block to protect; you’re trying to shove somebody to make your lane go. It comes from a good place, but sadly it tears up a lot of race cars.”

Do you have any sense that people might help you more because if they push you to the win, it doesn’t impact the Playoffs?

“I don’t think anybody is visualizing the win just yet. I think you’re still trying to figure out who you’re going to work with; who can receive a push, who can push well, who has speed. I certainly helped myself today by being in that fast Chevy pack and working with my old teammates. But when it comes to the last lap, it’s every man for himself. I don’t expect anyone to cut me any slack.”

At Media Day, you hadn’t really been in the car, expect for your test out in Phoenix for a day or so. Now that you’ve had a race in this new car and have had practice in this new car, what do you think of it? Does it remind you of anything you’ve driven before in your career?

“I would say 70 or 80 percent of it is still a stock car and still the draft here. So the large majority of it is familiar; the large majority of the experience. I’m remembering little details as I make laps and get into the zone that – yeah this works or doesn’t work. Turn four is always tricky. Pit lane entry, pit lane exit, blend line.. all the details are coming back and it’s still really there. That will help you run in the middle of the pack. But to win the race, you have to be on your game. That’s the part I’m still trying to refine and why I ran every lap I could just now. And I plan to again tomorrow and then still a ton of learning to come in the race itself.”

Do you like the way the car feels?

“It drives like a stock car. It doesn’t drive like an INDYCAR, thank god.. we know how that went (laughs).”

I’m sure as a veteran, you’ve had plenty of young people in your time come up and ask for advice or tricks out on the track. Have you found yourself this week asking any of the younger drivers or current Cup drivers for advice?

“Yeah, I’d say leading into Phoenix and then coming here. I did sim for both of them. I spent a lot of time in the shop with Erik (Jones) and Noah (Gragson), just asking questions. Noah was at the track in Phoenix, as well as Erik, obviously driving, so I’ve been able to really lean on those two. They’ve joked a little bit about the fact that they’re giving me so much and they thought it would be the other way around. But honestly with the new car and where the speed hides in this new style of car – setups, driving style, experience you need to really manhandle it – I’ve been all ears listening to them. They’ve both been very helpful.”

What is something specific that a Noah Gragson can teach or tell Jimmie Johnson?

“When we’re sitting there with our hands – doing all the hand talk that drivers do – in those conversations about like where the weight is sitting when you go back to the throttle; how the car might slide. This car seems to hop a lot when the rearend starts to slide across the track, which is new. I noticed that in the sim preparing for Phoenix that there was like a rear tire chatter and then the car would get loose. And I thought it was just something in the sim and maybe not the way the experience would be in real life, and then I got to Phoenix and found out that was the case. I think Conor Daly last night had the extreme that we all saw. I don’t know how he has feeling in his teeth still (laughs). So that would be one specific, kind of technical piece, that I’m trying to get used to.”

Is this one of those cases of the more things change, the more they stay the same, in reference to you being on top of a speed chart in a Cup Series car? Is this a case of with it really being your first, true weekend in a Next Gen car, that you don’t necessarily have any ‘bad habits’ to unlearn because you haven’t really experienced all of this until now?

“Yeah, I honestly think it’s too early to read far into this. It is plate racing. That was just a practice session. We didn’t make any mistakes and did some things right to end up where we did. The other races we’ll run – once we’re able to figure out what those races are – we’ll see how I stack up. If it’s a short track, a mile-and-a-half, road course, whatever it might be.. those are all different, unique challenges that come with it.

For plate racing, I think that we have a really good driving race car. I think the Hendrick cars have a bit more speed from anything I saw out there on track, which qualifying is pretty obvious for that. But it’s just still early and anything can still happen. I’m glad to be in here. I’m glad we’re at the top of the board and not at the bottom. I’m sure the headlines would read a little differently if we were on the other end of it.”

You were side-by-side with the No. 48 out there. What was just the emotion of that.. was it weird or was it just another car?

“Seeing him wasn’t weird, but having my spotter say the No. 48 car was outside of me was really weird. Two or three times, I had to remind myself because I really thought it was me when I’m hearing the No. 48. I’m like – yeah, I’m here.. why are you telling me the No. 48 is next to me (laughs). I have not driven the No. 48 car since I left that No. 48 car, so that part was different. But from a visual standpoint, I’m used to seeing Alex (Bowman) in the car and that part was fine. But through my ears, hearing about the No. 48, threw me off.”

You mentioned still trying to figure out what the rest of your schedule is going to look like. From the ownership standpoint, is it important for you to have their answer in the races that you’re running, just to better understand the feedback from the drivers and what they’re going to need moving forward?

“Yeah, there are many ways to look at the races I run. Right now, kind of our pecking order is of course finding sponsorship for the car. And then secondly, what is going to not hurt the team – from a work load standpoint, car count and aspects that go with that. And then it is to help the other two cars. Once we get six months into this and I think we can staff up accordingly, get our inventory right and kind of catch our breath from the busy offseason we’ve had – we can maybe shuffle the prioritization of those. The goal, ultimately, is to have the No. 84 car really help the other two cars. Help really drive technology and really be a performance reason as to why it’s on-track. We’re just not there yet, but that’s kind of in our 12 month forecast.”

We got a look today at the Garage 56 Camaro. What do you think of that car, that project, that opportunity?

“I’m thrilled to be a part of it and what a fun car. I’m sure you saw some of the specs for it – how much lighter the race car is, the downforce that’s on it, the carbon brakes, paddle shifting – it really is fun to drive. I’m so thankful to be part of the program. I literally leave here Sunday; drive in a rental car over to Sebring to do a 24 hour endurance test with the guys. It’s going to be a busy couple of days of driving.”

What do you need to do to prepare for Le Mans?

“Obviously, the testing that we’re doing is one piece of it. But the rules, flags, there’s a lot of things that are different in the way they officiate for that particular event. I have to go over before the race and spend a day in the simulator to learn where their flagman stations are, what their flags mean. There are some pit road procedures that I need to be aware of and pay attention to. So I’ll head over a few days early to go into their simulator to drive that.

And then at home, I’ve just been using my sim rig and doing a bunch on iRacing. I’ve been out in the Corvette GT car and I’ve put only prototypes out that are faster than me. I’ll put as many as they’ll give me.. it’s usually around 60-70 cars on track, just so they’re chasing me and overtaking me. Every time I’ve been in a sportscar race, I’ve been in the fastest division and have not had to worry about my mirrors, and I’m really concerned about that. I want to make sure I’m leaving a lane when I need to and know what’s coming behind me, and I’m using iRacing to do that.”

With the thunderbirds, where does that experience rank for you?

“Yeah, that’s probably near the top. I’ve never felt anything like that; the adrenaline, the acceleration. The first thing we did is we got off the runway and picked up the gear and did a performance turn to 10,000 feet. Instantly, I had to practice the heavy-g breathing that they talk to you about. It’s just wild. Just the weight of your body and the experience of pointing that thing in the sky; they roll it over and turn and all kinds of stuff.

It was great. I was really worried about getting sick and I’m happy to report that my ‘get sick’ bag was empty. I did not get sick during the ride, so that was super good. But I did take a little nap. We pulled 9.1G’s and I blacked out. I came to sitting in the back wondering where I was, what was going on. It was wild because I couldn’t hear anything and I’m looking around like – what am I doing in an airplane? And then I could hear somebody say ‘Jimmie.. Jimmie.. Jimmie’, and then it got loud and I’m like ‘yeah!’. They were like, ‘hey, you’re back.. I think you took a nap’. I said, ‘I believe I did.. I have no clue where I am or what I’m doing right now (laughs)’. That was wild.”

Hearing about the No. 48 in your ear – did Earl say ‘new leader No. 84’ today?

“He’s with Noah (Gragson).”

Oh, you gave Earl up?

“I did. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but wearing my team owner hat and knowing the experience that Earl has and what he can share with Noah (Gragson). Noah started talking to me about Earl before we announced that I was going to be a part of the team. Neither Earl or Noah knew what was going on. I just sensed it was the right thing to do, so I was like – yeah, I don’t know what my racing is going to be next year.. you guys put that deal together. And then I was able to call them both and say – hey, now you get it.”

Who spots for you?

“Jesse Vaughan. He was, I believe, the backup No. 11 car spotter on the Cup side, and has done Truck, Xfinity and ARCA a bunch.”

Does he know the rules, that he has to say ‘new leader, No. 84’?

“No, I’m not going to put that pressure on him. That’s an Earl-thing. We’ll see what he says. He didn’t say that tonight, though. He says ‘dude’ a lot, which I can relate with that. I’m not sure where he’s from, but I’m used to hearing ‘dude’ (laughs).”

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

Toyota Daytona Quotes — Kurt Busch 2.17.23

Toyota Racing – Kurt Busch
NASCAR Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH (February 17, 2023) – Kurt Busch was made available to media to discuss his Grand Marshal duties for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

KURT BUSCH

What does it mean to you to be included in the group of Daytona 500 Grand Marshals who have won the Daytona 500 as well as a NASCAR Cup Series championship?

“Yeah, this is a very special honor. I’ve been choked up about it since I found out about it earlier this week. To reflect back on some of the accomplishments and some of the race teams I’ve been with. Then to sit there and, ‘Whoa, this is Richard Petty, this is Bobby Allison.’ This is a group of legends and true racers and to be part of it – honestly, I’m very humbled. I’m blown away by it and this is a very unique opportunity. I’m very excited about it and a little nervous of course. I’ve got my championship rings, I’ve got my leather jacket and I’m going to bring it in from the young guy’s side. So I don’t know how the old man band is going to do, we’re not a boy band. But we’ll have fun with this moment and having the guys and girls start their engines. It’s fun to have this opportunity and stand on that side of the stage for a change.”

How long did it take you to find the leather jacket?

“It’s been hanging in the closet ready to go. It’s been idling the whole time.”

How are you doing? How is your recovery?

“I’m doing well. Everyday life is normal. When I do my workouts with the physical therapist, we switch them up a little bit now onto a balance type of pad and it helps with creating core strength and it helps with my movements that I have to do and it’s fatiguing. I notice things that bring me up and then break me down when I have to do a day on and a day off now. Where I was pushing seven days a week to try to get back to the car and then in all honesty, I took December off. It was an emotional time and that was part of this process as well. But I’m doing well. I’ve got a great consulting role with 23XI and the race team. Brand ambassadorship with Monster Energy. We’ve been together for 12 years now and still having a ton of fun. And then with Toyota, blending in with their racing family. They got to see another side of a Busch that they hadn’t seen before so it’s nice to be hanging out with them.”

Is there a strategy that works in this race over the final five to 10 laps?

“For my race, the year I won in 2017, it ended up being a long fuel run to the end. One of those classic 50 lap duels of guys conserving fuel, positioning themselves to be up front to lead. Tony Gibson, my crew chief at the time, said we were good for 48 laps, but not 50. He told me I needed to save him two laps of fuel. I had zero intention of leading any of those laps other than the last one. And the guys started running out of fuel. (Joey) Logano ran out of fuel, (Martin) Truex Jr., Chase Elliott – all the top guys. Then at the end when I was trying to make a move on (Kyle) Larson, his car sputtered and then (Ryan) Blaney is coming out of nowhere chasing me down. That was one of the last true runs at the end. Now it is circumstantial, but you have to get in position to be in that position to win. Bubba Wallace has done a great job of doing that and being in contention to win. Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin – you can see the patterns and the ones that position themselves for it. Then you have to have Lady Luck on your side.”

Is this new consulting role with the team rewarding for you?

“Everything just happened a year sooner than I expected them to and I’m happy with where everything sits. Even like Ty Gibbs, with him jumping in the Monster Energy car last year and getting him up to speed in the Cup Series, Monster Energy always told me to out my arm around him because he was going to be the one for us later on. With things being fast-forwarded and now with it being the second week of being here at track in Daytona, we did the Coliseum last week. There’s no question where my role is with the team, it’s everywhere with the team. And doing different interviews with the team and with our other sponsors. I’m doing everything the same, but not putting a helmet on and instead putting a radio on for practice, qualifying and the race.”

What’s it like to be able to share your wealth of knowledge with the drivers at 23XI Racing?

“There was a moment last night with Tyler Reddick trying to learn how to draft with Denny Hamlin, who’s his boss. I saw it and thought, I went through that last year in this race. Our debrief right after the race, it’s the thing I did last year with Bubba (Wallace), it’s to advance quicker and to advance smarter and to apply the right things to make sure that 23XI is going in the right direction. I’m not doing it by myself. I’m just an extra set of eyes and an extra set of ears. I’m pretending sometimes that I have the blinders on and I’m driving the car. I think you can see with Bubba’s maturity level last year in the second half, other than Vegas when he screwed up, but the way that he took control and had good average finishes last year, his average finishes he had in the second half were better than the average finishes I had in the first half and we put a car in the top-10 in his first season. Those were things that happened at Furniture Row and we saw how they advanced. That’s just what I hope to do with this team and have Tyler Reddick on the gas digging hard and add to his three wins that he got last year.”

What did you see with Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace in the Duels?

“With Bubba (Wallace), he had that confidence and swagger that I knew he would have. Their car doesn’t have a scratch on it and the way their pit strategy unfolded. Again, a lot of it is that on and off pit road and the gas man miscommunicated his head nod to the jackman so they lost a couple spots in the pits. That’s where Bootie Barker and I kind of saw that, got with the pit stop coach and we hope that’s not an issue as we go forward. Bubba was smart. He had a chance to go for it at the end, but again, it’s a Duel and we need to get that car to the 500. With (Tyler) Reddick, he was trying to draft with Denny (Hamlin) a few times and he just wasn’t as aggressive as he needed to be. And that’s just that first day type of jitter. He was fine on and off pit road. The 45 guys were really good with their pit stops. So again, just trying to find those last few things that will make a big difference on Sunday.”

Do your doctors believe you will be cleared and can be cleared?

“They believe it, I believe it. I just know that right here, I’m not 100 percent to race with these guys, the best of the best here at this level. Could I go do a SCCA club race next week? It’s probably not wise. Go-karting has been fine for me, the simulator has been fine, it’s just when I had my head in the headrest and there’s that movement, that’s bothers me. And then with the progress that I’ve made, progress since August, yes. I do believe there will be a full recovery and the new physical therapy I’m on is another challenge and a lot of it is with the balance and eye movement.”

If you could get cleared, would you get back into a Cup car?

“That’s the thing, life moves forward. Contracts happen. This is a big time sport and there’s eight figures these days for sponsorship money. Those don’t just fall out of the sky. I’ve got a great relationship with Monster Energy and with Toyota and that’s why you see me here at the track, pushing hard and doing everything the same as I would be if I was racing. There’s a big announcement next week with Tyler Reddick at the Monster Energy headquarters, there’s a video today with Ty Gibbs. There’s a lot of fun stuff going on. Once there’s that green light, then there’s the chance to open the door for discussions so it’s a process. Can’t push one before the other.”

How have you processed the fact that your career likely didn’t end on your terms?

“I’m fine with the way everything has gone. With the way that you know from right in here with how you push for a championship, I told Denny (Hamlin) that I had one good year in me and I signed a two-year deal. This would have been that swan song, Kevin Harvick retirement tour, but I’m glad that he’s going to have that opportunity. For me, I’ve always been that, believe it or not, that shy guy, that humble guy. I just like to go out and race cars. We’ll see where it pans out. Whether it was my decision or somebody from above, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m very happy. I’m complacent. And to have had this opportunity to race in this sport for 23 years and to hit all of the high notes and the low notes, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s a Hollywood ending going for pole on your last lap ever right. I’m smiling about it and I’m happy with it.”

Do you think NASCAR is going through a youth movement?

“There’s always been a changing of the guard or a cycle that happens whether it’s one or two guys or girls here and there or it’s a group. I was just thinking about that this morning. With myself and (Kevin) Harvick, we’re a class of 2001, class of 2002 was Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. 2003 was (Greg) Biffle. 2004 it was Kasey Kahne and then 2005 was my little brother. Kyle Busch will be the elder statesman here pretty soon, it’s pretty wild to think about. Denny Hamlin was 2006. It’s just part of time and how it catches up with you. Sometimes it’s a surprise and sometimes it’s not. There’s great young leaders that are part of our sport right now with Chase (Elliott), (Ryan) Blaney and Bubba (Wallace). Noah Gragson has yet to put his foot stably down, but I think he can be a superstar in this sport too. He’s just a passionate kid from Vegas who reminds me a lot of myself.”

Has this made you think more about how you want to approach the years to come in this sport?

“I’m doing exactly what I want to do. I don’t want to own a race team. I was getting older and I wasn’t going to drive full time. I have an unofficial PHD in this garage and to give back to young engineers, young crew members and just like yesterday on pit road, this one young engineer, last year was his first ever NASCAR race. He didn’t do any Truck Series stuff, no Xfinity things. He was standing there like a deer in the headlights. This year, he says to me, ‘Dude, there is so much to thank you for because I know exactly where I need to be and exactly what I need to do.’ I think this kid will be a crew chief one day, but he’s got a long way to go. Just to see his growth in 365 days, that’s kind of where I thought I would be at this point in my career as well.”

How has it been this weekend not being in the race car?

“It’s really tough to get around. I didn’t think people would recognize me without my driver’s suit. I literally have to leave like 20 minutes before I do anything. The fans are awesome and I’m signing diecasts still and signing hats and I didn’t expect that. That’s one fun part of it that I should have understood. It’s really neat though to be able to have my role with the team, but also still be that guy that can sign an autograph for a race fan that watched me throughout my career.”

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.

RFK Announces Partnership with Solo Stove

Solo Stove to Appear on Keselowski’s No. 6 Throughout 2023 Season

CONCORD, N.C. & GRAPEVINE, Texas (Feb. 17, 2023) – Solo Stove, a home and outdoor lifestyle brand within the Solo Brands (NYSE: DTC) portfolio, has partnered with RFK Racing for the 2023 season and will have associate marks on Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford Mustang throughout the season.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Solo Stove team to the RFK family,” said Jacob Wyne, Vice President of Partnership Sales. “They’re a proven and innovative brand, and share the same vision and goals as our team. We’re excited to showcase their brand and products throughout this season on our cars and across our social platforms.”

Solo Stove’s marks will appear on Keselowski’s No. 6 this week at Daytona International Speedway at the 65th annual Daytona 500. They will continue serving in an associate capacity throughout the season, appearing on the No. 6 at select races.

Driven by the mantra ‘creating good’, Solo Stove specializes in smokeless fire pits, camp stoves, brickyard pizza ovens, and grilling accessories designed to help you get in touch with whatever is ‘good’ for you.

“We are looking forward to partnering with RFK Racing for the 2023 season,” said Clint Mickle, President of Solo Stove. “We can’t wait to see Solo Stove on the No. 6 Ford Mustang as it circles the track. Solo Stove has an enthusiastic fan base in the NASCAR community, and we’re excited to support RFK Racing with this partnership.”

Practice sessions continue Friday (5:35 p.m. ET) and Saturday (10:30 a.m. ET) at Daytona, with the weekend culminating with Sunday’s running of the Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).

About Solo Brands, Inc.
Headquartered in Grapevine, TX, Solo Brands is a platform for the next generation of digitally-connected, direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands that develops and produces lifestyle products to help customers create good moments and lasting memories. Each brand in the Solo Brands portfolio has access to best-in-class fulfillment and operations, digital and technical expertise, and customer service to drive the best customer experience on the internet while giving back to the communities that each brand serves. Current lifestyle brands in the Solo Brands portfolio include Solo Stove, Chubbies, Oru Kayak, and ISLE. For more information visit www.solobrands.com.

About Solo Stove
Founded in 2011, Solo Stove designs simple, ingenious solutions to make life easier. For more information about Solo Stove, visit www.SoloStove.com.

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 36th season in 2023, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, brings to the team a championship mindset himself having won the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

Tyson® Brand Named Official Sponsor for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway

  • Tyson® brand is the official sponsor of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Tyson 250 on Saturday, May 20, during NASCAR All-Star Race weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Tyson brand’s history with North Wilkesboro Speedway began when the company sponsored a NASCAR Cup Series race, the Tyson Holly Farms 400, from 1990-96; To commemorate the track’s illustrious history and its relationship with the brand, North Wilkesboro’s Tyson-branded manual leaderboard will return on All-Star Race weekend
  • Tyson Foods remains actively involved in the Wilkes County community, employing 2,400 team members in the area, with nearby operations in Monroe, North Carolina, and Danville, Virginia
  • A limited number of single-day grandstand tickets will be available for purchase on Wednesday, Feb. 22, for the Tyson 250

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2023) – A familiar name will return to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the track’s first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race since 1996, with the Tyson® brand serving as the official sponsor of the Tyson 250 on Saturday, May 20, during NASCAR All-Star Race weekend.

Tyson Foods has a long relationship with North Wilkesboro’s iconic, five-eighths-mile oval. The track’s fall NASCAR Cup Series race was known as the Tyson Holly Farms 400 from 1990-96 and as the Holly Farms 400 from 1979-89, prior to Tyson Foods’ acquisition of Holly Farms. Today, Tyson Foods remains vested in the Wilkes County community. It employs nearly 2,400 team members in Wilkes County with nearby operations in Monroe, North Carolina, employing over 1,400 team members. Tyson Foods also recently invested $300 million in a state-of-the-art poultry processing facility in Danville, Virginia. The facility is expected to be completed in 2023 and will create 400 jobs for the area.

“Given Tyson Foods’ storied history with the North Wilkesboro Speedway, we are delighted to partner with NASCAR and bring fans back to this beloved racetrack for the first time in more than 25 years,” said Stephen Silzer, senior marketing director, Tyson brand. “Throughout the years, Tyson Foods has become synonymous with the Wilkes County community, through its job creations, economic development and the significant investments in our processing facility making it an integral part of the Wilkesboro identity. Our company is about bringing people together and this partnership does just that, at one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks.”

The renewed Tyson-North Wilkesboro partnership also brings with it the return of the iconic, red-and-yellow manual leaderboard, which was synonymous with racing at North Wilkesboro well into the 1980s.

“North Wilkesboro Speedway has a special history with Tyson Foods, so it makes perfect sense for us to grow our partnership with the Tyson brand on NASCAR All-Star Race weekend,” said Jessica Fickenscher, the executive director of the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. “The Tyson-branded manual leaderboard makes North Wilkesboro even more of a can’t-miss place to be in May.”

Race fans looking to experience the excitement of North Wilkesboro can do so on Saturday, May 20, which features the Tyson 250 as well as NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying, with a limited number of single-day tickets going on sale Feb. 22.

MORE INFO:
Fans can obtain the latest news and information surrounding NASCAR All-Star Race week by following North Wilkesboro Speedway on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook or by visiting www.NorthWilkesboroSpeedway.com.

About Tyson® Brand
In the 1930s, John W. Tyson moved his family to Arkansas and began delivering farm-raised chickens from his truck. From those humble beginnings, the Tyson brand grew, finding new ways to help feed the nation while staying true to its original belief that every family deserves to have high-quality farm-raised chicken on their table. The brand’s portfolio of products includes Tyson® Fresh and Frozen Chicken, Tyson Naturals® Chicken, Grilled & Ready® Chicken, Any’tizers® Snacks, Tyson® Air Fried Chicken, Tyson® Chicken Nuggets and Crispy Strips, giving families more to love every day with its vast portfolio of products.

For more information, visit www.Tyson.com.

The Future Starts Now: Xfinity Introduces New Network Brand, Partnerships for 2023 NASCAR Season

Xfinity 10G Network Delivers Powerful Internet Connectivity Giving NASCAR Fans and Customers the Best Experience to Enjoy Their Favorite Sport

Announces New Partnership with 23XI Racing Team

Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 17, 2022) – Today, Xfinity announced its plans for the 2023 NASCAR season, its fourth as a Premier Partner and ninth as an entitlement partner of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, including the launch of the next-generation Xfinity 10G Network, which provides customers with a powerful Internet connection today, while building toward a faster, more reliable tomorrow. Additionally, Xfinity announced new partnerships with 23XI Racing, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.

“NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season and the Daytona 500 provide a great platform to introduce the next generation Xfinity 10G Network to fans and to our customers,” said Matt Lederer, Vice President of Brand Partnerships, Comcast. “We are also looking forward to partnering with 23XI Racing and their incredible roster of drivers to continue connecting our customers to the sport they love in new and imaginative ways.”

The new partnership between Xfinity and 23XI Racing showcases the limitless potential, as they work together on opportunities both on and off the track, including Xfinity 10G network integration, the primary sponsor of Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for the Atlanta NASCAR Cup Series race and Xfinity Rewards customer fan experiences such as Pit Box VIP access, driver meet-and-greet appearances with Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick and more.

“The chance to work with Xfinity is great for the 23XI family,” said NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. “We look forward to opportunities where we can collaborate on initiatives that drive progress and innovation in the sport.”

“I’m excited to work with Xfinity in this new capacity as they partner with the No. 45 team and 23XI Racing,” said NASCAR driver Tyler Reddick. “The Xfinity Series has been such an integral and memorable part of my career, and I look forward to continuing to make memories throughout the Cup series and having Xfinity support my journey in NASCAR.”

Xfinity 10G Network
The Xfinity 10G Network is a next-generation broadband network that continues to get smarter, faster, and more reliable. It delivers multi-gigabit Internet speeds, the nation’s largest network of WiFi hotspots, and powerful Internet devices in the home that can seamlessly connect hundreds of devices and data-intensive applications. More information about the Xfinity 10G Network can be found here. Visit Xfinity to learn more and sign up for these exciting new products.

23XI Racing
The partnership between Xfinity and 23XI Racing, makes Xfinity the Official Integrated Communications partner of the team. As part of the partnership, Xfinity will be a primary car branding sponsor, and will work in tandem with 23XI on content creation, branding and initiatives focused on bringing more diversity to the sport of NASCAR. Additionally, through Xfinity Rewards, customer fan experiences will include 23XI Pit Box VIP access and driver meet-and-greets with Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

Xfinity Rewards
Xfinity Rewards is a free, customer appreciation loyalty program that provides special perks and experiences to its members. During the 2023 NASCAR season, Xfinity will continue to connect fans to more of what they love, by providing rewards members with opportunities such as: exclusive behind-the-scene access, race and suite tickets, pit and garage tours, driver meet-and-greets and more VIP experience.

At Daytona 500, Xfinity Rewards members will be able to meet NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, who will serve as a Xfinity brand ambassador in his 23rd and final season this year. A select group of Xfinity Rewards members will receive exclusive, VIP, behind-the-scenes access like Victory Lane, suite tickets, and more surprises.

About 23XI Racing
23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made history on October 4, 2021, when he captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI its first-ever victory. 23XI expanded to a two-car organization in 2022 with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD. With a win at Kansas Speedway in May of 2022, Busch earned 23XI the team’s first-ever playoff berth. In 2023, 23XI will feature the lineup of Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota and Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota.

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visitwww.comcastcorporation.com for more information.