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Corey Heim – No. 51 Crescent Tools Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Homestead-Miami Preview

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Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 Crescent Tools Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Baptist Health 200, Race 22 of 23 (Race 3 in the Round of 8)
134 Laps – 30/30/74; 201 Miles
Location: Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Oct. 22, 2022, at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Story on Corey:

Corey Heim and the No. 51 Crescent Tools team head to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the final race in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s playoffs 26 points below the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4 after a disappointing ending at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Heim was running inside the top five as the field approached the tri-oval on the final lap when he made a three-wide move to the outside lane in an effort to win the race. As he made his move, he got turned from behind into the outside wall and was relegated to a 26th-place finish, leaving the No. 51 team eighth on the owner’s playoff grid.

The Talladega finish ended a stretch of five consecutive top-10 finishes in Camping World Truck Series action for the Georgia driver. Heim finished the regular season with a fourth-place finish at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, propelled the No. 51 team through the Round of 10 with three top-10 finishes and opened the Round of 8 with a 10th-place finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Saturday’s 134-lap event will mark Heim’s first Truck Series start at Homestead-Miami Speedway in any series. He has finished inside the top 10 in three of his four starts on mile-and-a-half tracks this season in Truck Series action this year, including his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March.

The No. 51 team qualified for the owner’s portion of the playoffs via Heim’s two wins this season (Atlanta and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway). They are tied with the No. 18 and No. 38 teams with a series-leading three wins this season. In addition to Heim’s two wins, Kyle Busch was victorious at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June. The No. 51 team has captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s championship three times (2013-2014 & 2019) and as on organization KBM has collected a series-record seven owner’s titles.

Across 14 Truck Series starts this season, Heim has produced two wins, two poles, 64 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.2. The 19-year-old driver leads the Truck Series rookie of the year standings by 153 points over Lawless Alan. Heim will look to join three other KBM drivers that have won the award, reigning winner Chandler Smith, William Byron (2016) and Erik Jones (2015). Overall, Heim sits 15th in the driver point standings, despite only starting 14 of the 21 events, and is ahead of six full-time competitors.

The Georgia driver picked up his first career Truck Series victory in just his fifth start earlier this season at Atlanta and won again at Gateway in is ninth start. With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts; Heim became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.

Heim picked up his ninth career ARCA Menards Series victory Sept. 10 at Kansas Speedway. Across 43 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has produced 814 laps led, 31 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3. Heim finished second to Ty Gibbs in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship standings.

Mardy Lindley returned to KBM for his second season atop the pit box of the No. 51 team. Lindley has led his team to six wins since coming to KBM at the start of the 2021 season, including two with Heim and one with Kyle Busch this year. In 2021, his drivers produced three victories, two with Busch and one with Martin Truex Jr. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Saturday’s race will be Lindley’s first atop the pit box at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Crescent Tools, a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, will be the primary sponsor on Heim’s No. 51 Tundra TRD Pro for the final two races of the season.
Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:
How have you prepared for your first race in any series at Homestead-Miami?
“Without any real life experience, it’s been a process to figure out Homestead because it is really unique. Luckily with Toyota providing the sim time, I’ve been able to get a pretty good idea of what it is going to be like this weekend.”

Are there any other tracks that you’ve raced at that are similar to Homestead-Miami?
“Homestead is definitely unique in its own, but if I could compare it to anywhere it would have to be Kansas, just because of all the different grooves you can run. Kansas is a track that I really like and have had a lot of speed at in both the ARCA and Truck Series, so hopefully that’s a good sign for our Crescent Tools team this weekend.”

Being 26 points below the cutoff line in the owner’s playoffs do you feel that you are in a must-win situation?
“I feel like it is definitely a must win for us, but it doesn’t change out mindset. We try to win every race, so this weekend is business as usual with our Crescent Tundra TRD Pro.”

Corey Heim Career Highlights:

  • Picked up first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway March 19, 2022 in just his fifth start. Across 17 career starts has two wins, two poles, 66 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.6.
  • With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts, the 19-year-old driver became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.
  • Finished runner-up in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2021 after collecting six wins, three poles, 406 laps led, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 3.1 across 20 starts.
  • Across 43 career ARCA Menards Series starts has nine wins, 814 laps led, 31 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3. Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
  • Corey Heim’s No. 51 Crescent Tools Tundra TRD Pro:

KBM-74: The No. 51 Crescent Tools team will unload KBM-74, a brand new Tundra TRD Pro, for Saturday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected five wins, one pole, 416 laps led, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.9 across 29 starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Owner-driver Kyle Busch has three victories at Homestead-Miami, winning in the series most recent visit in 2020 as well as in 2010 and 2013. Darrell Wallace Jr. (2014) and William Byron (2016) each have one at the Florida track.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (98) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway earlier this year, Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • With 40 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

John Hunter Nemechek – No. 4 GEARWRENCH Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Homestead-Miami Preview

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John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 GEARWRENCH® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Baptist Health 200, Race 22 of 23 (Race 3 of 3, Round of 8)
134 Laps – 30/30/74; 201 Miles
Location: Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Oct. 22, 2022, at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ the Facts:

John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 GEARWRENCH team head to Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway for the final race in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs. Nemechek enters Saturday’s elimination race seventh on the playoff grid but just five points below the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4. The second-generation driver accumulated 19 stage points in the last event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway after winning the opening stage and finishing second in Stage Two before going for a spin through the infield grass trying to avoid “The Big One” on the last lap, which relegated him to a 24th-place finish.

The 25-year-old driver has made four Truck Series starts at Homestead-Miami, with a best result of second in the 2015 event. In those four starts, he has tallied 24 laps led, one top-five and two top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 8.8. In his two Cup Series starts at the mile-and-a-half facility, Nemechek recorded a best finish of 19th in the June 2020 race. He has finished inside the top-10 in both of his Homestead starts in the Xfinity Series, with a best result of third in 2018.

While it has been nearly two years since Nemechek last raced at Homestead-Miami, in September he participated in a two-day Next Gen Cup Series test session with 23XI Racing at the mile-and-a-half track.

As the Camping World Truck Series season winds down, Nemechek continues to lead Truck Series regulars in poles (seven) and driver rating (104.3), while he ranks second in average running position (8.937) and third in average starting position (7.6) and laps led (372). Overall, on the 2022 Truck Series season he has recorded two wins, nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.0 across 20 starts.

Nemechek is a 13-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane in 2021 and 2022 with KBM. Across 145 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, he has compiled nine poles, 1,553 laps led, 49 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.4.

Eric Phillips returned to lead the No. 4 team in 2022. His 43 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 34 of those coming while at KBM including five last year. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the first team in Truck No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. At Homestead, Phillip’s drivers have collected one win, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 8.3 across 10 starts. He was victorious with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch at the mile-and-a-half oval in 2010.

The Toyota Racing driver made his 11th Xfinity Series start of the season and eighth with Sam Hunt Racing last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway piloting the No. 26 GR Supra. Nemechek qualified 11th and was competing in the top-10 before a pit road speeding penalty midway through the race set him back, taking the checkered flag in 16th.

GEARWRENCH will make their season debut on board Nemechek’s No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro this weekend at Homestead-Miami. GEARWRENCH® is the No. 1 professional-grade mechanics’ hand tool brand, offering products that are designed and manufactured to meet the requirements of pros, mechanics and auto technicians who make a living with their tools. GEARWRENCH understands the problems mechanics face every day and provides tools that increase productivity through speed, strength, and access. Since the launch of the five-degree ratcheting wrench, the GEARWRENCH brand has led the industry with breakthroughs in pass-thru ratchets, sockets, screw/nut drivers, pliers, extraction tools and specialty tools.

GEARWRENCH PitBull™ pliers will also adorn the tail of No. 4 Tundra this weekend. GEARWRENCH PitBull™ pliers are cutting and gripping machines. PitBull AutoBite™ pliers feature one-handed automatic gripping action, so they’re perfect for tough work in tight spaces, while PitBull Tongue and Groove pliers have a K9™ jaw that bites hard to grip strong, even when attacking at an angle. If superior cutting’s your thing, PitBull cutting pliers deliver big time with 35% less force needed to cut and 50% longer blade life. When it comes to unstoppable gripping and cutting performance, nothing beats GEARWRENCH PitBull pliers.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:

Being just five points below the cutoff line, how do you approach Saturday’s race at Homestead-Miami?
“I think going into Homestead and being below the cut by five points, we just have to go run our race, maximize everything that we can, try to get as many stage points as we can and try to go win the race. I don’t know if it’s going to take a win to lock ourselves in, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt us to go win at Homestead and at least know that we are locking ourselves in rather than relying on points and everything else. Everything has to go your way and you can’t make any mistakes and just go run our race and not beat ourselves.”

You have had experience at Homestead-Miami in the past, how will that help you this weekend?
“I think being able to go to Homestead and race, it’s a very cool and unique racetrack where tires wear out really fast and pace falls off. I’m really looking forward to Homestead, it’s one of my favorite places to go to, you can run multiple lines and the Truck Series hasn’t been there since 2020 I believe, so a little bit off for them but at least I’ve been there the past couple of years being able to race and test there. I’m excited to go down there and see what we can do. Hopefully, we can go school the field.”

The previous Truck Series races at Homestead have been at night, what differences do you expect this year with the race being during the day?
“It changes how the track will race a lot. The track definitely won’t be as gripped up as it is at nighttime when it starts to cool off. It’s going to be hot, sunny, and slick. Let’s go get it, my favorite!”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

  • 13-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports and returning to victory lane in 2021 and 2022 with KBM. Across 145 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled nine poles, 1,553 laps led, 49 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3. Registered a career-high and series-leading five victories in 2021, earned the NCWTS Regular Season championship and finished third in the final standings after qualifying for the Championship Four for the first time in his career.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
  • Across 67 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled two wins, one pole, 570 laps led, 17 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.6.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 GEARWRENCH Tundra TRD Pro:

KBM-73: The No. 4 GEARWRENCH team will unload KBM-73 for Saturday’s race at Homestead. Nemechek raced this Tundra once earlier this season in its maiden start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May where he qualified 15th and drove his way to a third-place finish.
KBM-73 Performance Profile

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have tallied five wins, one pole, 416 laps led, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.9 across 29 starts at Homestead-Miami.
  • Owner-driver Kyle Busch has notched three of KBM’s wins at Homestead (2010, 2016, & 2020) while Bubba Wallace (2014) and William Byron (2016) each have one win.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (98) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 4 has 18 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Brad Keselowski – Homestead Advance

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Team: No. 6 Violet Defense Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski
Race Format: 400.5 miles, 267 laps, Stages: 80-85-102
NASCAR Cup Race at Homestead – Sunday, Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

Group practice and qualifying sessions return for this weekend’s schedule at Homestead-Miami.

Keselowski at Homestead-Miami

  • Keselowski makes his 15th Cup start at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend where he has a 14.2 average finish and six top-10 finishes. His best career finish is third – which he ran in back-to-back races in 2014-15.
  • Keselowski finished fifth four years ago at HMS, and last year crossed the line 16th after leading 47 laps in the No. 2 machine. Overall he’s led 155 laps at the 1.5-mile track.
  • Keselowski has a 9.2 average starting position in Miami – his best among active tracks – with 11-straight starts inside the top-10 and eight starts inside the top five overall.
  • Keselowski has two Xfinity wins at Homestead (2011, 2013) in eight starts, and an additional two starts in the Truck Series.

Matt McCall at Homestead-Miami

  • McCall will be atop the box for his eighth Cup event from Homestead where he has a 13.6 average finish and two top-10 results.
  • His best run came in 2005 with Jamie McMurray – a fifth-place finish – and last season he led Kurt Busch and the No. 1 team to an eighth-place result.
  • Last season he qualified fifth with Busch, his career-best qualifying run to date.

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Homestead:
“We’re expecting good things this weekend in Miami coming off a test there a while back that was really beneficial for our team, and should definitely give us an advantage and plenty of notes to work from. It’s a place that carries so much speed, and couple that with a good setup, typically that’s a recipe for success. We’re excited for the weekend in our Violet Defense Ford.”

Last Time Out
Keselowski finished 17th in the King’s Hawaiian Ford Sunday at Las Vegas.

On the Car

Violet Defense returns to Keselowski’s No. 6 this weekend for its sixth appearance with the No. 6 team in 2022.

About Violet Defense

Violet Defense uses UV disinfection to protect everyday spaces from harmful pathogens by killing up to 99.9% of E. coli, Salmonella, MRSA, C. diff., Norovirus, C. auris, and coronavirus. Violet Defense’s technology is the only known Pulsed Xenon solution that can be installed into a room full-time, creating a continuous way to address disinfection needs of all types of settings. For more information, visit www.violetdefense.com or follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn (@violetdefense).

Chris Buescher | Homestead Advance

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Chris Buescher – Homestead Advance
Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves

Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400.5 miles, 267 laps, Stages: 80-85-102

NASCAR Cup Race at Homestead – Sunday, Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

Group practice and qualifying sessions return for this weekend’s schedule at Homestead-Miami.

Buescher at Homestead-Miami

  • Buescher makes his seventh Cup start at Homestead-Miami where he has a 20.8 average finish.
  • He has a best finish of 16th (2019) and a 19th-place run last season.
  • Buescher carries a 21.3 average finish with his two best qualifying efforts coming in the last two races (13th and 12th).
  • Buescher made two Xfinity Series starts at HMS in 2014-15 with a best finish of fifth in the No. 60 machine.

Scott Graves at Homestead-Miami

  • Graves will call his seventh Cup race from Homestead this weekend where he has a 23.2 average finish and two top-10s.
  • He led Ryan Newman to a P7 finish last season, one of two seventh-place runs there in the last three years.
  • Graves has an Xfinity win to his credit at Homestead after he and Daniel Suarez started from the pole and led 133 of 200 laps in 2016 en route to the victory.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Homestead-Miami:
“We had a really good car at Homestead a year ago, picked up a stage win and I think surprised some people. We’ve come a long way since then, so we have high expectations entering the weekend. We have some great data from Brad testing there a few weeks ago, and it’s one of those places that’s really fun to drive if the handling is there.”

Last Time Out
Buescher finished 15th Sunday at Las Vegas.

On the Car

Fastenal, in its 12th season with RFK in 2022, makes its 19th appearance with the No. 17 this weekend. In its early days with RFK, Fastenal originally was a partner with the No. 99 team before moving over to the No. 17 team since. They were also the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers Milwaukee Tool, Rust-Oleum, Brennan Industries, Duracell, OSG USA on Buescher’s No. 17 this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

DGR NCWTS Advance: Homestead-Miami Speedway

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Saturday, October 22nd
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
Race: 22 of 23
Event: Baptist Health 250 (134 laps/201 miles)

Schedule
Friday, October 21st
Practice: 4:00 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, October 22nd
Race: 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Wastequip Ford F-150 

  • Hailie Deegan straps in at Homestead-Miami Speedway for her 45th career start and first NCWTS appearance at the facility.
  • In the series last outing at Talladega Superspeedway, the Ford Performance driver escaped last-lap carnage and carried her Ford F-150 to a career-best finish of sixth.
  • Deegan is fresh off the heels of her Xfinity Series debut, placing 13th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Saturday.
  • The 21-year-old has plenty of confidence on 1.5-mile tracks, boasting a higher average finish on intermediate speedways than in any other pavement configuration.
  • Veteran Crew Chief Jerry Baxter is a former winner at Homestead-Miami, scoring two victories alongside Cale Gale and Bubba Wallace. In addition, the shot-caller has netted three top fives, four top ten’s and carries an average finish of 11th.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Place of Hope Ford F-150

  • Tanner Gray will make his 70th career NCWTS start on Saturday afternoon when the series invades Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  • At Talladega Superspeedway two weeks ago, Gray ran inside the top-10 for most of Stage 1, but disaster struck on lap 78 when he was caught up in a five truck pileup ending his day early with a 31st-place finish.
  • In two previous appearances at Homestead, the 23-year-old has finishes of 16th and 12th in 2019 and 2020.
  • Mike Hillman Jr. possesses two wins, three poles, six top-fives, six top-10s in 14 starts at the 1.5-mile track. The victories came with Todd Bodine in 2005 and 2008.
  • Place of Hope will be featured on the sides of the No. 15 F-150 this weekend. The Florida-based foundation provides programs and services to children, youth, and families to end the cycles of abuse, neglect, homelessness, and human trafficking in local communities.

Ryan Preece, No. 17 RaceChoice Ford F-150

  • Ryan Preece will make his 10th and final NCWTS start of the season in the DGR No. 17 F-150 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday.
  • RaceChoice.com returns as a primary partner for the third time in 2022 with Preece. Vehicle remote start and security solutions company Compustar will be featured on the hood.
  • The Connecticut driver looks to continue his remarkable consistency in the Truck Series. After a fourth-place finish at Talladega, he bettered his average finish to 4.7 in 11 starts.
  • Chad Johnston will be atop the pit box this weekend for the No. 17 team. In 2022, the driver and crew chief duo has combined for finishes of 4th, 3rd, 11th, 2nd and 3rd.

Zane Smith Looks to Grab Championship Four Spot in Homestead

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No. 38 Team Enters Final Race Before Championship Race in Phoenix

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 18, 2022) – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Zane Smith, will look to grab one of the Championship Four spots this weekend at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon’s race will be Smith’s last change to lock himself into the ‘Round of Four’ before Phoenix’s championship race in two weeks’ time. A task that he does not take lightly.

“Everything we have done this year has led to this moment right here,” Smith stated. “I’ve said it all year, getting locked into the ‘Round of Four’ is a championship of its own. All we can control is our truck and our race. We will do just that to give us the best shot at advancing to the final round.”

Saturday also marks the end of the year for Speedco, a premiere partner for Smith that adorned the No. 38 for two of Smith’s three wins in 2022 and an associate with Love’s for his season opening win at Daytona.

“Everyone at Love’s and Speedco have meant so much to me this season,” said Smith. “Without them, a lot of this would not be possible. They’ve been with us for each of our wins starting all the way back in Daytona. I really want to go out on a high note with them this weekend and deliver them that fourth win.”

Smith and the No. 38 Speedco Ford F-150 will hit the track at Homestead on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on FS1.

About Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Love’s Travel Stops Returns with McDowell in Miami

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Team Looks for Strong Finish in Final Three Races

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 18, 2022) – Michael McDowell is amid a career-best season and he and his Love’s Travel Stops team is now ready to finish strong in the final three races of the season. Next up McDowell and the No. 34 team head to the fast, banked, mile-and-a-half Homestead-Miami Speedway. McDowell has 12 previous starts at the track- with a best finish of sixth in 2021.

“We had our best finish in Homestead last season when we finished sixth,” said McDowell. “We came here and had a good test. We really feel that a top-five is attainable, and we should be able to be in the top-10. We will be disappointed if now.

With three races remaining in the 2022 season, McDowell and his crew are as focused as ever.

“Right now, the goal is to get a win,” continued McDowell. “It is just that simple. As team, we can get it done. It is not easy, but we have the team to do it. We have put a lot of effort into this weekend to have the best car possible. We raced well at the mile-and-a-half tracks, and I think Sunday we will have a good Love’s Travel Stops Ford.”

McDowell and his Love’s Travel Stops Ford team will race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Spire Motorsports to Field two Full-Time NASCAR Cup Series Entires in 2023

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Corey LaJoie Returns to No. 7 Chevrolet Cup Series Veteran Ty Dillon in No. 77 Chevrolet

CONCORD, N.C. (October 18, 2022) – Spire Motorsports announced today Corey LaJoie will return to the seat of the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and veteran Ty Dillon will join the team’s two-car effort, taking over full-time driving duties of the No. 77 Chevy for the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 season.

The team also announced Ryan Sparks will return as LaJoie’s crew chief while Kevin Bellicourt will lead Dillon’s No. 77 team as crew chief next season. Sparks has also been elevated to the organization’s Director of Competition and will oversee all aspects of Spire Motorsports on-track efforts.

“There’s little doubt that we raised some eyebrows when we entered the sport as race-team owners,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “We knew that we needed to learn how to crawl before we attempted to walk and eventually run. We’ve been quite fortunate to build a strong foundation for Spire Motorsports over the past several years. That’s a testament to the people of Spire Motorsports, and Corey LaJoie, Ryan Sparks and Kevin Bellicourt have been the bedrock of this organization.

“The next step in our progression is to add an equally capable full-time driver for the No. 77 team and we’ve found just that individual in Ty Dillon. Clearly, the path that T.J. (fellow Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr) and I have taken to be here today has been atypical. We have great respect for our contemporaries in the sport, and we are humbled to be among them. Collectively, we’ve been fortunate to serve a lot of functions and roles in racing over the past 20 years. That allows us to have a great appreciation and perspective of what it takes to be successful in this super-competitive environment. We’re very proud of what every member of the organization has helped us build.”

Spire Motorsports was founded in 2018 and quickly earned its inaugural victory when Justin Haley took the checkered flag on July 7, 2019 in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

The Concord, N.C. based organization has logged 210 Cup Series starts, posting one win along with three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

Meanwhile, LaJoie has become a Cup Series mainstay logging 197 starts over seven seasons. His career totals include five top-10 finishes with a career-best fifth-place effort coming this season in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In 33 NASCAR Cup Series events this year, LaJoie has scored one top-five, one top-10, seven top-15 and 14 top-20 finishes. LaJoie is currently 31st in the season championship standings heading into this weekend’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway.

A third-generation racer whose father and grandfather are members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, LaJoie won his way to the NASCAR Cup Series ranks through top developmental series like the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (six victories) and the ARCA Menards Series (three wins). The 31-year-old driver also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (two top 10s) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (one top 10) enroute to his full-time seat in NASCAR Cup Series.

“I’m excited to return to Spire Motorsports for the 2023 season,” said LaJoie, now in his fourth year in the Cup Series. “With another year under our belts and a notebook on the new car, I know we can have a solid season and get that first win. It’s cool my buddy Ty (Dillon) is joining us as well. It will be nice to have a full-time teammate in the No. 77 to work with. We’ll all be headed to the Daytona 500 with the same goal in mind, to ‘Stack Pennies’.”

Dillon, 30, made his NASCAR Cup Series debut August 31, 2014, for Richard Childress Racing. The Lewisville, N.C. native comes to Spire Motorsports after spending 2022 at the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet for Petty GMS. In 199 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Dillion has recorded two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He notched a career-best third-place finish October 4, 2020, in the Yellawood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, Dillon is a veteran of 161 starts, including four poles, one win, 34 top fives and 92 top 10s. He is a veteran of 58 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts scoring five pole positions, three victories, 20 top-five and 36 top-10 finishes. Dillon is a nine-time ARCA Menards Series race winner and the division’s 2011 champion.

“I’m thankful for this opportunity, a new beginning with a very hungry team that is excited for the future,” said Dillon. “Spire Motorsports has been growing year after year, when you look at the way that Corey (LaJoie) and the No. 7 team has developed to be competitive. The organization is heading in the right direction and I’m excited to be a part of bringing the No. 77 up to where Corey has been running. Hopefully we raise the whole level of competition together.

“I’m excited to be a teammate. To me, as a team, high tides raise all ships and I want to be a part of all of us being successful. One person doesn’t have to fail for the other to be successful, and I’m looking forward to us, as Spire Motorsports, growing and bringing the program to new heights.”

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a full-time, two-car NASCAR Cup Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2023, Spire Motorsports will field the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for driver Corey LaJoie and No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Ty Dillion. The team also fields a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team in select events.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway.

Entrepreneurs’ Organization of South Florida Ready for On-Track Debut Partnership Kicks Off at Homestead-Miami Speedway this Weekend

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 18, 2022) – A full weekend of activities are planned this weekend around the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Cup Series events at the Homestead-Miami Speedway for The Entrepreneurs’ Organization of South Florida (EO South Florida) and Front Row Motorsports (FRM). The partnership will be highlighted by eight different companies of EO South Florida joining together to be the primary partner of Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team.

The companies include:

ValidiFI – A leading specialty Consumer Reporting Agency focusing on expanding consumer access to credit and promoting financial inclusion.

Direct Colors – The leader in Decorate Concrete, providing the largest selection of premium concrete colors and project guidance to DIYers and contractors worldwide.

Paw.com – Award winning designer and manufacturer of high-quality, innovative pet lifestyle products.

Team Bennett – Unishippers is a people business, who strives to train and develop our teams to grow from sales representatives to executives.

Gold Aviation Services – With a fleet of next generation aircraft, Gold Aviation provides exclusive business class service for chartered flights, management, maintenance, sales, and acquisition.

Streeme.TV is a streaming television service that offers live and on-demand programming from more than 180 networks. Its wide range of programming from the largest networks to uniquely curated content, has led it to become the fastest growing provider of streaming television to college campuses in the US.

CloudHesive – With a fast-growing team of 140 employees, CloudHesive is an Amazon Web Services Premier Consulting partner that delivers cloud computing services including cloud migrations and management, contact center modernization, end-user computing, DevOps consulting, and cybersecurity services.

GAINSWave® – The leader in sexual wellness, provides you with the high-performance fuel injection you need to cross the finish line.

This first-time collaborative effort will see EO South Florida host more than 60 members and guests throughout the race weekend and enjoy VIP experiences, meeting the FRM drivers and team members, and learning the business of the team.

“What a huge weekend this will be for our organization and EO South Florida,” said Gilliland. “We’ve been working on this weekend, talking about all the partnerships working together, and now it’s finally time to go to the track and show them a great time.”

EO South Florida is one of the largest chapters in the global Entrepreneurs’ Organization that allows forward-thinking entrepreneurs to have peer-to-peer networking. The NASCAR program with FRM allows the Chapter and its’ members to collaborate with the team and Gilliland to learn about the business of motorsports and grow their business with others in the sport while connecting with the millions of NASCAR fans.

“It’s such a unique partnership in motorsports and in all of sports, really,” continued Gilliland about EO South Florida. “NASCAR is a business-driven sport and we’re showcasing eight like-minded companies led by the sharpest entrepreneurs on our car. It’s pretty cool and something that is different and good for our sport.”

Gilliland enters Sunday’s 400-mile race at Homestead with just three races remaining in his rookie campaign. A year filled with highs, lows, and a lot of learning experiences.

“Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series is an experience like no other,” commented Gilliland. “I have learned a ton from this year and have been able to have some good finishes to show for it. I’m looking forward to ending this year on a high note and closing this chapter of my career. It starts this weekend at Homestead with EO South Florida.”

Gilliland and the EO South Florida No. 38 Ford Mustang hit the track at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

ABOUT EO SOUTH FLORIDA

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization is a high-quality support network of 16,500+ diverse business leaders from more than 60 countries. We help entrepreneurs achieve their full potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learning.

EO has been helping entrepreneurs achieve transformational growth since 1987. Our member network is committed to learning and helping each other succeed. Gain access to the world’s top experts. Grow beyond your personal limits. Make breakthroughs as you redefine and realize your goals in life and in business.

Today’s EO members employ more than four million people worldwide and the network continues to thrive and grow.

South Florida is one of the top five EO Chapters in the world, boasting over 300 members in multiple industries. EO South Florida encompasses Miami, Broward and Palm Beach Counties with member companies employing more than 8,000 and earning combined revenues approaching $3 Billion dollars.

Our Chapter includes owners and founders of businesses you know, work with, that create jobs and opportunities within our community. Our members make up the core parts of our economic, social, and cultural engine.

About Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Homestead-Miami Playoff Advance

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Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI PLAYOFF ADVANCE

Homestead-Miami Speedway plays host to three playoff races this weekend, including an elimination event that will determine the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, while the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series conduct the second of three races in the Round of 8. Here’s a look at the weekend schedule and where Ford drivers rank in the current standings.

This Week’s Schedule:

Saturday, October 22 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 1 p.m. (FS1)
Saturday, October 22 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 4:30 p.m. (USA)
Sunday, October 23 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2:30 p.m. (NBC)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT HOMESTEAD

· Ford has a manufacturer-best eight series wins at Homestead-Miami.
· Joey Logano (2018) and Kevin Harvick (2014) have NCS wins at HMS.
· Greg Biffle won three straight years at HMS (2004-06).
· Roush Fenway posted five consecutive wins at HMS (2004-08).
· Jack Roush is second for the most owner wins in the series at HMS with seven.

ROUND OF 8 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 advance after Martinsville)

  1. Joey Logano (Clinched: Las Vegas Winner)
  2. Chase Briscoe -9
  3. Ryan Blaney -11

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT HOMESTEAD

· Ford has eight series wins by eight different drivers at Homestead-Miami.
· Dale Jarrett won the first NASCAR race held at HMS (1995).
· Chase Briscoe is the last Ford driver to win at the track (2020).

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT HOMESTEAD

· Ford has six series wins by six different drivers at Homestead-Miami.
· Dave Rezendes won the first series race held at HMS (1996).
· Chase Briscoe is the last Ford driver to win at the track (2017).

ROUND OF 8 NCWTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 advance after Homestead)

  1. Zane Smith (+18)

LOGANO PUNCHES TICKET TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4

Joey Logano’s win last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway clinched a spot in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. Logano, who won the title in 2018, has now made it into the final group five times during his career, ironically in even years (2014,’16,’18,’20,’22). The Team Penske driver has three wins this season, not including his season-opening victory in the Clash at the Coliseum non-points event. In addition, Logano is sixth on the all-time Ford Cup Series win list with 28, which is also the most for a Team Penske driver with Ford.

BRISCOE LOOKING TO JOIN SELECT COMPANY

Chase Briscoe is looking to join Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick as the only drivers who have won a race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in all three of NASCAR’s top touring series, Briscoe, who enters the weekend in sixth place, nine points behind fourth-place Denny Hamlin, captured the first win of has NASCAR career in 2017 at the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 200 NCWTS race and followed that up in 2020 with a victory in the NXS Contender Boats 250. Busch has three NCWTS wins (2010,’13,’20), two NXS victories (2009,’10) and two NCS triumphs (2015,’19). Harvick has one win in each series: NCWTS (2009), NXS (2004), and NCS (2014).

BLANEY LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK

Ryan Blaney was a contender at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leading 39 laps to close out the second stage and begin the third. However, he hit the wall on lap 229 and received enough damage that resulted in him finishing seven laps down in 28th place. As a result, Blaney goes into Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway trailing by 11 points for the final Championship 4 transfer spot (seventh place). In seven career NASCAR Cup Series starts at HMS, Blaney has one top-10 finish with that being a third place run in 2020.

SMITH GOING FOR THIRD STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP 4 APPEARANCE

Saturday is a scheduled elimination race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as the field will be trimmed from eight to four at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ford’s Zane Smith finds himself third on the playoff grid and 18 points ahead of fifth-place Christian Eckes. While this marks Smith’s first season with Ford and Front Row Motorsports, Smith is no stranger to the Championship 4, having qualified each of the past two seasons and finishing second in the final standings in 2020 and 2021.

HOMESTEAD-MIAMI IS TOPS FOR HARVICK

Kevin Harvick is good everywhere on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, but statistically Homestead-Miami Speedway is his best. Harvick has finished fifth or better in seven of the last eight events on the 1.5-mile track. In 21 career starts at HMS, Harvick has completed all but two of the 5,613 laps run during that time and has an average finishing position of 7.3. That includes 18 top-10 and 12 top-5 efforts.

CUSTER AND BRISCOE RETURN TO SCENE OF FIRST VICTORIES

Homestead-Miami Speedway is sure to bring back good memories for Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe, who both earned victories on back-to-back days at the track in 2017. Briscoe won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race to kickoff the weekend, marking the first national series victory in his rookie season while Custer dominated the NASCAR XFINITY Series race the following day, leading 182-of-200 laps, to post his first career series triumph.

FIVE-YEAR WIN STREAK HIGHLIGHTS ROUSH HISTORY AT HMS

Car owner Jack Roush has had his share of success on intermediate speedways, but his streak of winning seven times in nine years at Homestead-Miami is arguably one of the best. Kurt Busch won the organization’s first Cup race at the track in 2002 before Greg Biffle won three straight from 2004-06. That was part of a five-year winning streak that saw Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards go to victory lane in ’07 and ’08, respectively. Edwards eventually capped the run by winning for a second time in 2010. Since then, Roush has celebrated NASCAR XFINITY Series championships at the track, twice with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2011 and 2012, and once with Chris Buescher in 2015.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT HOMESTEAD

2002 – Kurt Busch

2004 – Greg Biffle

2005 – Greg Biffle

2006 – Greg Biffle

2007 – Matt Kenseth

2008 – Carl Edwards

2010 – Carl Edwards

2018 – Joey Logano

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT HOMESTEAD

1995 – Dale Jarrett

1998 – Jeff Burton

2003 – Kasey Kahne

2006 – Matt Kenseth

2008 – Carl Edwards

2013 – Brad Keselowski

2017 – Cole Custer

2020 – Chase Briscoe (2)

FORD NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT HOMESTEAD

1996 – Dave Rezendes

1997 – Kenny Irwin Jr.

1998 – Rick Crawford

1999 – Mike Wallace

2006 – Mark Martin

2017 – Chase Briscoe

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