Home Blog Page 1598

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Extends Partnership with U.S. Air Force, Erik Jones and Historic No. 43 Chevrolet

By
Official Release
-

STATESVILLE, N.C. (February 18, 2023) — LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owners Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson, along with Team Ambassador Richard Petty, today announced U.S. Air Force will return to the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Chevrolet and driver Erik Jones for the 2023 season.

“It’s been an honor to represent the U.S. Air Force the last few years and I’m excited to continue our partnership to have them on our No. 43 Camaro for this season,” said Jones. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet some pretty remarkable Airman the last few seasons and I look forward to meeting many more this year. Our partnership with the Air Force is such a great program to be a part of and I hope we can give them a little excitement this season and a few trips to victory lane.”

The U.S. Air Force has a storied history with NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and the famed No. 43. This season will mark the 15th consecutive season of the partnership. The U.S. Air Force will appear on the No. 43 for three primary races: Talladega Superspeedway (April 23), Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, (May 28) and Bristol Motor Speedway (September 16).

“I’m very proud of the program we have built with the U.S. Air Force for the last 15 seasons on the No. 43,” said Petty. “I’ve had the honor to meet many men and women who are serving over the years and it’s great to see their association with our team be successful both on and off the track.”

Through their partnership with the team, the U.S. Air Force utilizes their recruiting team and at-track activation to recruit the next generation of Airmen and Guardians. Throughout the season, the U.S. Air Force will host a display at various events for fans to learn about the U.S. Air Force and at select tracks, meet Jones before the race.

“I have so much respect for the military as both my grandfathers have served,” said Johnson. “The relationship we have with the U.S. Air Force is something I am very proud of as a new team owner, and Erik and the No. 43 team will be very competitive this season. I’ve had some very close ties with military sponsors and organizations in the past, and we will do everything we can to help the U.S. Air Force meet their goals both on and off the track.”

This season the No. 43 will showcase a unique paint scheme featuring U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Known as the “Pride in the Sky,” the Thunderbirds perform around the world to display the pride, precision, and professionalism of the U.S. Air Force. The Thunderbirds showcase the elite skills of its pilots and demonstrate the phenomenal capabilities of the Air Force’s legendary multi-role fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, through air shows and flyovers.

“The U.S. Air Force is thrilled to announce the renewal of our partnership with Erik Jones and the No. 43 team, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, and the addition of Jimmie Johnson as team owner. A partnership that solidifies our commitment to excellence and success in the 2023 racing season,” said Tech. Sgt. Tyson Wagstaff, Program Manager, U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service. “This partnership also supports our recruiters in finding skilled individuals, who share a passion for competition and teamwork and appreciate science, technology, engineering and math, to serve our country. We look forward to cheering on the No. 43 team as they soar to new heights and inspire the next generation of Airmen and Guardians.”

The next race for the drivers of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. ET live on FOX, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SIRIUS XM Radio.

ABOUT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE:

The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win – airpower anytime, anywhere. Whether full time, part time, in or out of uniform, everyone who serves plays a critical role in helping us achieve mission success.. For 2023, the Air Force Recruiting Service is hiring over 26,000 new Airmen. An emphasis is on recruiting people with no prior military service into one of over 130 enlisted career opportunities. The Air Force recruits to retain, so we recruit the brightest candidates possible, then provide them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America’s Air Force. For more information about Air Force benefits and opportunities, go to www.airforce.com.

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.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

CHEVROLET NCS AT DAYTONA: AJ Allmendinger Post-Final Practice Press Conference Transcript

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 18, 2023

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS CAMARO ZL1, was the fastest Chevrolet driver in the NASCAR Cup Series final practice. Press Conference Transcript:

AJ Allmendinger was the fastest Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series final practice before the Daytona 500. AJ, tell us a little bit about your car and what you’re looking forward to tomorrow.

“It was pretty easy to be the quickest Chevy… I think there was only three of us that went out there. It’s been good. We decided yesterday not to practice just to kind of fine tune everything. There were only a few things that we wanted to try. I felt like in the Duels, we never got the track position, but the car had pretty good speed in it. So, more than anything, it’s me just trying to learn the techniques of this car on the superspeedway because I didn’t run any of the (Cup) races on superspeedways last year.

Overall, I feel like it’s pretty good. It’s going to just be more about learning during the race tomorrow with 40 cars out there; how the car is reacting. It will be a little bit warmer than today. How the tires start to slide around and stuff with that many cars around you.

I’m pretty happy with everything. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow. It’s really cool to have Nutrien Ag Solutions on the car; moving up to Cup with me. It’s been a great partnership with our race team for the past several years now, so for them to come to the Cup side with me means a lot. It’s really cool to have them here.”

Based on what you’ve learned about the car so far, have you developed a strategy for tomorrow?

“I think as we’ve all seen, it’s hard to get a third line working around here. In the past, I was always one of those guys that would kind of just sit back early on in the race and just let it develop. Some of it, at those times, maybe I didn’t quite have the speed to consistently run up front. So it was more about trying to time when to get up front and stay there at the end of the race.

With this car, I feel like you have to have more track position early on. So with 100 laps to go – I think 60 to 70 to go – you need your track position. It’s hard to try to get back up there. What I fought in the Duel was I felt like we were pretty decent, but it’s just hard to make moves. So I think trying to get up front however we do that and obviously trying to stay there, especially after halfway, is going to be really critical. The cars in traffic get aero-tight. Obviously we see when you’re pushing, if you push the wrong way, it’s tough. So it’s going to be a challenge tomorrow, but I think just trying to get up front early and hopefully stay there is probably the best thing.”

You’ve done this before. You’re no stranger to this week, but it’s been five years. Is the emotion different coming back to the Daytona 500 now compared to where you were in 2018.

“No, I mean I’m always nervous. As soon as I get here, I feel the nerves right when I drive into the tunnel. It’s like as you land and drive into the tunnel, the nerves and anxiety builds up a little bit, which is a great thing because it should be like that. This is a special race to be a part of. I don’t take it for granted. I hate superspeedway racing; but with that said, when they would drop the green every year over the last five years, there was a piece of me just missing it. I feel very fortunate and lucky to be in this position and have this opportunity again. The nerves have built up over the week. I’m sure I’ll struggle to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow and basically hurry up to get to (driver) intros. There’s a lot that goes on in the morning for all the drivers, but hurry up and get to intros and get inside the car because the nerves will definitely be there. Once you start the engine, it’s go-time.”

Both times you’ve ran third here, you started deep. You start deep again tomorrow.. is that a good omen?

“The race is long enough; it doesn’t matter where you start. As I said, the track position is more critical, but if you have a fast car, you can still work your way up there. I think it’s more that you have to pick and choose when you do it because if you kind of go for it and you get kind of tossed to the back, it’s a lot harder to get back up there now. But yeah, if it’s meant to be and we make the right moves – there’s so much luck that goes into this too. You just try to make the right moves and if a wreck happens and you’re part of it, that is what it is. You just don’t want to be the cause of the wreck. That was always my mindset.

We’ll be ready to go. I’m so pumped to be back here. This is a great race for all of us to be a part. We should all feel lucky enough that we get to do this.”

When you approach three-wide situations, how do you really react to that knowing there’s not a lot of room for error?

“Yeah, I mean these cars stall out really easy. So I think if you’re trying to start the third lane, you have to have a massive run. You can’t just pop out and hope a couple of guys go with you and make it work like the old car. This car, you have to make a run; have a big head of stem and generally know that guys will go with you. If you get stuck in the middle three-wide, you have to be careful, especially later in the tire run. But it’s all part of it.”

When you compare the energy of the crowd here at Daytona versus other tracks, what do you find to be a lot more stimulating knowing the history of this track?

“It’s one of the biggest races we have in the world.. the Daytona 500. I feel like if you’re not a motorsports fan, you can still say certain races and they get what it is. You say the Indianapolis 500, they know what that is. You say the Daytona 500, they know what it is. You know if you win the race that you become a part of a legendary group that has won the Daytona 500. You feel that in the crowd, too. The people here – even the people that are first timers that have never been here and are just learning what racing is – they know what the Daytona 500 is. You feel that energy as soon as you wake up tomorrow morning. This place is packed. It’s sold out – infield, grandstands. Not that drivers need any more reason to be pumped up to race the Daytona 500, but you feel the energy in the crowd and that just gives it a little bit more.”

Simulations are great, but can you learn anything from watching previous finishes here?

“Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of in-car and race footage from last year. Just trying to get an understanding of how the runs formulate and what you have to do to put yourself in the right position. But in the end of the day, it’s great to watch all of that and put that in the notebook and the mind, but you have to feel it. You have to be in that position. As we’ve seen many of times with this race, there’s no one way or another to win it. It’s great to be the first car leading off of turn four and we’ve seen people lose it that way. I felt like Austin (Dillon) did a great job last year because they had a big run on him and he did what he had to do to win the race. But yeah, you put all of those notes in your head; but at the end of the day, it’s different every time you’re a part of it. I’ve always said – you make what you think is the best decision in the moment and after, you can always nit-pick on whether it was the right decision. But you give yourself the best opportunity to make that decision. If it works out, it works out.”

The past few days, several of us have had the opportunity to make single-car runs in the Racing Experience cars and figured out what you guys do behind the wheel is probably a little more difficult than what we give you credit for in the past. But how do you guys keep the cars settled without basically bouncing all over each other?

“Well we’re paid not to wreck, so that’s the ultimate goal to try not to wreck (laughs) and it hurts if you do. It’s a challenge. You make a single-car run, a lot of people can do that wide open. It’s not hard to do.

I will say in this car, it was a little more difficult. They bounce around a lot more in qualifying. But yeah, you get three- or four-wide, that’s why we’re supposed to be the best of the best.”

Going back to the trust factor that we hear you guys talk about, with who you’re racing around..

“We don’t trust any of each other.. let’s be honest (laughs). We know who is maybe a little safer and who’s a little more aggressive. But let’s not lie to each other, we don’t trust anyone out there.”

It’s no secret with Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity program, the team’s been dominate at Daytona and Talladega in recent years. How much have you been able to carryover from the Kaulig Xfinity results to prepare for the first multi-car Cup Series run in the Daytona 500?

“The Cup Series is such a challenge; it’s difficult. That’s the point of it. There are 40 of us out there and we’re the best of the best, and that’s why we’re in those seats. It’s a lot more challenging.

A lot of it also goes with ECR, Chevrolet and all of our partners that help us get to that point of why our stuff is so fast on the Xfinity and the Cup side of it. But yeah, it’s a lot more difficult.

I think in the Xfinity Series, part of it is – in complete honesty – there’s not as many good cars in the race, and because of that, you’re able to get a lot of cars that want to hookup with you because they know your car is fast and they just want to go with you. So sometimes it’s even easier to make moves. Although, by the end of my Xfinity side of it, the field figured out they didn’t want the Kaulig Chevy’s linked up together because – whether it was Justin (Haley), myself, and Ross (Chastain); or Ross and Justin; or Jeb (Burton), Daniel (Hemric) and Landon (Cassill) – part of the culture is that we’re all in it together to try and win the race. In the end of the day, sure, you want to be the guy that wins the race. But it sets the tone with Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice and on down the line, that we’re helping each other. I think we showed that constantly in the Xfinity Series. It’s a lot more difficult in the Cup Series. There are a lot of four-car teams that are all really good, so it’ll be a lot more challenging. But myself and Justin (Haley) work so well together, so if we’re upfront, we know we’re going to help each other. Of course we want to be the one that wins the Daytona 500, but if Justin wins and I follow him across the line, I’m taking just as much pride in that as if I’m winning. That’s still the culture and that’s what we’re going to try and do.”

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.

Kaz Grala to make 100th NASCAR national touring series career start at Daytona

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Rachel Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The 2023 NASCAR season is set to mark a new beginning for Kaz Grala, who will be competing as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for the first time in his career with Sam Hunt Racing. This season will also mark his eighth season with at least one start across NASCAR’s top three national touring series, in which he is primed to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Xfinity Series season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, Grala will achieve 100 national touring series career starts.

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Grala, whose racing career started with go-karts at X1 Boston at the age of four before moving up to Bandoleers, legends cars and stock cars, made his inaugural presence within NASCAR’s top three national touring series at Martinsville Speedway in April 2016, where he campaigned on a part-time basis in the Truck Series for GMS Racing. By then, he was coming off two full-time seasons in the ARCA Menards Series East, where he finished in seventh place in the standings during both seasons. During his Truck debut at Martinsville, Grala started 19th and finished 31st after being involved in an early single-truck incident. He proceeded to make eight additional Truck starts between GMS Racing’s Nos. 24 and 33 entries, where he recorded a total of three top-10 results and a season-best result of seventh place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September. His final start of the season occurred at Phoenix Raceway in November, where he started 11th and finished 28th after being involved in a late incident.

The 2017 season produced Grala’s first and only full-time campaign to date within NASCAR’s top three national touring series as he was assigned to a full-time driving role of the No. 33 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado in the Truck circuit. He commenced the season on a high note by becoming the youngest competitor to win a pole position and a race at Daytona International Speedway in February at age 18 years, one month and 26 days. The victory occurred after Grala dodged a final lap multi-truck wreck to claim his first NASCAR Truck career victory and claim a guaranteed spot to the 2017 Playoffs. He went on to claim five additional top-10 results throughout the 16-race regular-season stretch, including a runner-up result at Dover Motor Speedway in June and a third-place result at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in September despite getting bumped and spun out of the way for the lead by Austin Cindric on the final lap. At the start of the Playoffs, however, Grala was eliminated from title contention following respective finishes of 10th, fifth and 29th during the Round of 8. Nonetheless, he went on to finish in the top 10 in three of the final four scheduled events before finishing in seventh place in the final drivers’ standings.

Coming off a strong Truck Series campaign, Grala graduated to the Xfinity Series for the 2018 season as he started the season as the driver of the No. 24 JGL Racing Ford Mustang. Despite commencing the season with a fourth-place run at Daytona in February, the Boston native was left without a ride after JGL ceased his entry following the first 10-scheduled events. A few days later, however, Grala managed to secure a part-time Xfinity ride in the No. 61 Ford Mustang for FURY Race Cars, beginning at a Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Making a total of 12 starts with FURY for the remaining 23-scheduled events, he finished in the top 10 four times, which included a strong fifth-place result at Daytona in July.

In 2019, Grala made only five national touring series starts, all occurring in the Xfinity Series behind the wheel of the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing. His first start with RCR occurred at Texas Motor Speedway in March, where he finished 18th. He went on to finish 14th during his next three scheduled starts at Richmond Raceway in April, Dover in May and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. He then capped off his five-race run with RCR by finishing fifth at Road America in August.

The 2020 season witnessed Grala competing in a total of seven national touring series events: one in the Cup Series, five in the Xfinity Series and one in the Truck Series. His first start of the season occurred in the Xfinity circuit at Kansas Speedway in July, where he returned for a second part-time stint with RCR and finished 13th. He went on to post his best result of the season at Road America in August, where he finished fourth, followed by back-to-back ninth-place results during a Richmond Raceway doubleheader feature in September. His final Xfinity start of the season occurred at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in October, where he ended up in 31st place due to a suspension issue despite winning the first stage. In August, Grala served as an interim competitor for Austin Dillon in RCR’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE entry in the Cup Series at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in August. The news of Grala substituting for Dillon came after Dillon tested positive for COVID-19 leading up to the event as Grala made his first career start in NASCAR’s premier series. During the event, the Boston native recorded a strong seventh-place result. For the Truck Series, he made his lone start at Talladega in October, where he piloted the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado to a ninth-place result.

For the 2021 season, Grala competed in a total of three Cup events, two Xfinity events and three Truck events. In the Cup circuit, he competed on a part-time basis for Kaulig Racing that commenced by making his Daytona 500 debut after earning a transfer spot for the main event based on his qualifying speed. During the 500, he led 10 laps before falling back to 28th place in the final running order due to being involved in a late incident. He then went on to post a strong sixth-place finish at Talladega in April and a 35th-place result at Daytona in August after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. In the Xfinity circuit, Grala made a total of two starts for Jordan Anderson Racing, where he finished 18th at Road America and 15th at Texas Motor Speedway, respectively. In the Truck circuit, he made a total of three starts for Young’s Motorsports, all of which occurred on road course venues, as he finished in the top 12 during all his starts. The highlight of his three-race Truck effort occurred during the inaugural event at Circuit of the Americas in May, where he finished second after overtaking Tyler Ankrum in the closing laps.

This past season, which marked his third consecutive season of making select starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series, Grala made three starts in the Cup Series, nine in the Xfinity Series and 12 in the Truck Series. His best result in the Truck circuit was a seventh-place result in the series’ inaugural event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July, with all of his scheduled starts occurring with Young’s Motorsports. In the Xfinity circuit, he competed between Alpha Prime Racing, Big Machine Racing, Jesse Iwuji Motorsports and Sam Hunt Racing, with his best result being fifth at Watkins Glen International in August. In the Cup circuit, Grala teamed up with the newly formed Money Team Racing and embarked on a part-time campaign that commenced in the 64th running of the Daytona 500 in February. After earning a transfer spot for the main event through the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel, he ended up in 26th place in the 500 despite losing his right-front tire on Lap 40. His other two Cup starts were at Circuit of the Americas in March and in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, where he finished 25th and a season-best 23rd, respectively.

A month after the 2022 NASCAR season concluded, Grala was announced as a full-time competitor of the No. 26 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing, which he competed for and finished 23rd at Phoenix in November, for the 2023 season as he will contend for the series’ championship for the first time in his career.

Through 99 previous starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series, Grala has achieved one victory, one pole, 11 top-five results, 30 top-10 results and 75 laps led while competing for 12 different organizations.

Grala is scheduled to make his 100th NASCAR national touring series career start in the Xfinity Series season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 18. The event’s coverage is slated to occur at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

Carson Hocevar – NextEra Energy 250 Race Recap

By
Official Release
-

Carson Hocevar – NextEra Energy 250 Race Recap
Team: No. 42 WWEX Racing Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Carson Hocevar

Follow the Team: Instagram / @NieceMotorsports | Twitter / @NieceMotorsport | Facebook / NieceMotorsports
Follow Carson Hocevar: Twitter: @CarsonHocevar | Instagram: @CarsonHocevar | Facebook: /carsonhocevarracing | Web: www.CarsonHocevar.com

Start: 9th | Finish: 12th

Entering his third full-time season, Carson Hocevar has one thing on his mind, winning — five wins to be exact. The Portage, MI driver began the weekend with a 17th-place finish in practice and 9th-place starting position. Ultimately, Hocevar was able to score a 12th-place finish Friday night at The World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway.

As the green flag waved, Hocevar was able to work his way into the top-ten to score stage points with a 7th-place finish at the conclusion of Stage One.

Through the second stage, drama started to pick up as the race saw its first red flag after an incident in the lead pack. Fortunately for Hocevar, his truck was unscathed. Hocevar was able to keep the trend of stage points alive with a ninth-place finish in the second stage; securing two valuable championship points.

As the final stage began, the urgency of the drivers skyrocketed as rain became a bigger threat in the area. Hocevar was able to weave through the incidents on track to hold onto his 12th-place running position. But, after an attempt to resume the race from a rain delay failed, Hocevar escaped Daytona without a scratch on the car in 12th.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

About Worldwide Express:

Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 115,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains.

With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $5 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.

Travis Pastrana – NextEra Energy 250 Race Recap

By
Official Release
-

Travis Pastrana – NextEra Energy 250 Race Recap
Team: No. 41 WWEX Racing/ Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Travis Pastrana | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman Jr.
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Travis Pastrana: Twitter: @TravisPastrana | Instagram: @TravisPastrana | Facebook: /TravisPastrana | Web: www.travispastrana.com
Start: 25th | Finish: 13th

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series began their season Friday night under the lights at the famed Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado, Travis Pastrana, took a 25th-place qualifying effort and turned it into a 13th-place finish — his best career finish in Craftsman Truck Series competition.

As the green flag flew, the racing intensified as Pastrana was able to navigate through traffic around the 2.5-mile super speedway. With various cautions for rain throughout the duration of the NextEra Energy 250, Pastrana used these opportunities to put fuel in the car, allowing him to stay out after the first stage break to start ninth as Stage Two went green.

The action picked up in the second stage as drivers in the lead pack crashed, ultimately giving Pastrana left-side damage in the second of two wrecks this stage saw. Pastrana and team brought his plaid machine down pit road under the stage break to repair the damage, as well as change four tires and add fuel.

Once the final stage began, Pastrana rode steady in 11th-place before chaos broke loose as rain came closer to the track. The Annapolis, MD native was able to dodge three wrecks in the race to finish 13th when NASCAR officially called the race due to precipitation.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com

About Worldwide Express:

Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 115,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains.

With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $5 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.

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

By
Official Release
-

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

  • FUNKAWAY; Headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, FunkAway is a line of odor elimination products that removes the horrible effects of bad smells. Guaranteed to work on clothing, shoes, gear, pet products, car interiors and more, FunkAway allows customers to renew and refresh, rather than throw away. To learn more about FunkAway, visit Funkaway.com and connect on Instagram and Facebook.

– 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

By
Official Release
-

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

By
Official Release
-

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

By
Andrew Kim
-
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

By
Official Release
-

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.

1...1,5971,5981,599...6,645Page 1,598 of 6,645