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Ty Dillon to make 200th Cup career start at Homestead

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Kirk Schroll for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Competing in his fifth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ty Dillon is bound to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Playoff event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the driver of the No. 42 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will reach career start No. 200 in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Welcome, North Carolina, and the grandson of NASCAR championship-winning team owner Richard Childress, Dillon made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway in August 2014. By then, he had campaigned in two Camping World Truck Series seasons for Richard Childress Racing, where he accumulated three victories and a runner-up result in the championship standings in 2013 during the two seasons, and was competing in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series for RCR, where he claimed his first career victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. Driving the No. 33 Chevrolet SS for RCR, Dillon started 29th and finished 25th in his series debut. He returned to the Cup circuit at Phoenix Raceway in November, where he finished 27th on the track.

In 2015, Dillon, who continued to run in the Xfinity Series on a full-time basis while part time in the Cup Series, qualified for his first Daytona 500 start in February after piloting the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet SS to a 16th-place result in the first Daytona Duel qualifying race and earning the final transfer spot to the main event. Starting 31st, Dillon finished 28th in his first 500 attempt after being involved in a late incident. He then competed in four additional Cup races in the No. 33 Chevrolet throughout the 2015 season, where he achieved his season-best result of 14th place at Michigan International Speedway in June.

The following season, Dillon remained as a full-time Xfinity competitor for RCR and as a part-time Cup Series competitor for two organizations. His first Cup start of the season was the 58th running of the Daytona 500, where he finished 25th while driving the No. 95 Chevrolet SS for Leavine Family Racing. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Dillon served as an interim competitor for three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, who was recovering from injuries from a dune buggy accident in January. Driving the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing in three races, Dillon recorded finishes of 17th, 15th and 25th at Atlanta, Phoenix and at Bristol, respectively. He also relieved for Stewart for the remainder of the Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway in May, where he finished sixth despite the points being awarded to Stewart since Stewart started the race. Along with his interim role at SHR, he made six additional starts in Leavine Family Racing’s No. 95 Chevrolet. His best results were a 20th-place run at Texas Motor Speedway in April and a 21st-place run at Pocono Raceway in June.

After three full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series, Dillon was promoted to the Cup Series in 2017 to drive the No. 13 Chevrolet SS for Germain Racing on a full-time basis. In Dillon’s first Cup season, he recorded eight top-15 results, 40 laps led and an average-finishing result of 20.7 throughout the 36-race schedule as he concluded the season in 24th place in the final standings and in third place in the Rookie-of-the-Year standings behind Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. His best results throughout the season were a pair of 11th-place results at Talladega in October and at Phoenix in November.

Remaining at Germain Racing for a second full-time Cup season in 2018, Dillon achieved his first top-10 career result in NASCAR’s premier series after finishing sixth at Daytona in July. Throughout his sophomore campaign, he recorded four additional top-15 results and an average-finishing result of 24.1. When the final checkered flag of the 2018 season flew, he concluded the season in 27th place in the final standings.

Dillon commenced the 2019 Cup season by finishing in sixth place during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 in February. After finishing no higher than 15th over the next six races, he finished 15th at Bristol in April after winning the first stage in a photo finish over Clint Bowyer. Two races later, Dillon made his 100th Cup career start at Talladega in April, where he won the first stage before being shuffled back to 17th place in the final running order. He would then achieve his first top-five career finish (fourth place) at Daytona in July during a rain-shortened event. For the remainder of the season, he achieved an additional top 10 and four additional top-15 results before he concluded the season in 24th place in the final standings. Throughout his junior Cup season, he earned an average result of 20.6 and led a total of 14 laps.

Throughout the 2020 season, which marked his fourth season at Germain Racing, Dillon recorded an average-finishing result of 22.0 as he also achieved two results in the top 10 throughout the 36-race schedule. His lone highlight of the season was achieving a career-best third-place finish at Talladega in October following a two-lap shootout to the finish. In spite of the result, he settled back in 26th place in the final standings.

Two months prior to the conclusion of the 2020 season, Germain Racing announced plans to cease all operations in NASCAR at season’s end due to longtime sponsor GEICO not renewing with the team for the future, which left Dillon without a full-time ride for the 2021 season. A month prior to the 2021 season, he managed to secure a part-time ride with Gaunt Brothers Racing, where he attempted to qualify for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500. Prior to the 500, he competed in the newly-formed No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota Camry for the Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February, where he started 14th and finished 18th. Despite finishing sixth during the first of two Bluegreen Vacations Duel event at Daytona, Dillon did not qualify for the 500 and waited a week until he made his first Cup start with Gaunt Brothers Racing at the Daytona Road Course, where he finished 19th. His other Cup starts of the season with Gaunt Brothers Racing occurred at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in April, Circuit of the Americas in May and at Road America in July, where he finished 26th, 21st and 26th, respectively.

After spending the 2021 season as a part-time competitor with starts across all three NASCAR national touring series, Dillon returned to the Cup Series as a full-time competitor, where he joined forces with the newly-merged Petty GMS Motorsports to pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. He commenced the season with an 11th-place result during the 64th running of the Daytona 500 followed by four additional top-20 results through the first six scheduled events before he collected his first top-10 result of the season at the Bristol Dirt Course in April, where he finished 10th. Despite earning an additional eight top-20 results and an average-finishing result of 21.7 throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, Dillon did not qualify for the 2022 Cup Playoffs. Coming off five top-25 results during the previous seven Playoff events, including a 16th-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in September, he is currently ranked in 29th place in the driver’s standings.

Through 199 previous Cup starts, Dillon has achieved two top-five results, seven top-10 results, 76 laps led and an average-finishing result of 22.1. While he is set to depart Petty GMS Motorsports at the conclusion of the 2022 season, he is set to join Spire Motorsports as a full-time driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2023 Cup Series season.

Dillon is scheduled to make his 200th Cup Series career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, October 23, with the event’s coverage to start at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Soul Zhang Lu is Expecting More Authentic Social Connections in the Metaverse

By
SM
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Speaking of the future of metaverse, Zhang Lu, founder and CEO of Soul App, expects that there will be a more authentic social experience and genuine connections in the social metaverse, despite that it is a virtual space.

Zhang Lu is the one who developed Soul App and she is also currently a pathfinder in the metaverse. In 2021, she put forward the concept of social metaverse, which is positioned as a virtual playground for the younger generations. Now, this virtual social networking is prevalent among Gen Z groups. What’s its magic? How does this platform entail the future of the social metaverse? In a recent interview, Zhang Lu shared her ideas for developing the Soul App.

Just like previous generations, Gen Z aspires for authentic social connections

It seems that Gen Z is different from all previous generations. They share diversified values and they are believed to be more rebellious toward social conventions. In terms of social networking, they are obsessed with short video platforms like TikTok. However, behind their social behaviors, their aspiration for authentic social connections remained increasingly high. This tendency is also observed on Soul App. 

To cater to their demands, Zhang Lu developed a new kind of social networking that is distinct from the social mode favored by other platforms. In Soul metaverse, users are protected by their avatars, which are also the basis for their virtual identity. Moreover, Soul App’s AI would generate an interest graph for them to portray their personality. The AI will subsequently feed them to those with compatible personas.

Users regard this platform as a safe zone where they can escape for some moment from the tumultuous outside world. In the virtual platform, they feel it safe to remove their social masks and express their true feelings. As a result, young people naturally choose Soul App for the reason that they can freely explore new relationships and exchange high-quality communications with people who share similar values. 

Soul metaverse offers a template of how technology innovates social life

The construction of a social metaverse is necessarily built on technological breakthroughs like Artificial Intelligence, and AR/VR. However, many companies have neglected that one of the core components of the metaverse is its social value. The metaverse brought by Soul App is a combination of the two. 

Zhang Lu has always seen technology development as the driving force of Soul App and she is continuously increasing R&D investments. Currently, Soul App is leading its peers in formulating virtual avatars in the metaverse. It has previously planned to update its 2D-based avatars to 3D ones and now this mission is put on the agenda. Just recently, Soul App launched its NAWA 3D rendering engine, which is expected to generate 3D avatars based on the characteristics of real persons. With this engine, users can design their unique avatars and fully immerse into the virtual land with a new image.

What’s more, Soul metaverse is taking its users to experience a novel social life beyond imagination. On this platform, they can join Chat Parties to share common interests with a group of people. They can also follow the guidance of AI to build social connections. Last but not least, they can communicate with each other through gamified interactions. Soul metaverse is fulfilling the imagination of future social life.

The metaverse is both the future of social life and the digital economy

Worries concerning the metaverse have long been heard since its birth. After the fever for NFT collections ceased, it seemed that the public immediately turned to the next topic. However, the truth is that this is just one of the necessary stages in the development of new things. The metaverse still remains a heated topic, and its development is closely watched by investors from various industries.

The market of the metaverse is booming and this is also observed in Soul App. In other words, the fever for the metaverse economy has never ceased so far. Previously, Zhang Lu led her team to launch the first digital avatar collectibles, the Möbius collections. According to the latest data, more than 24, 000 people have ordered the avatar in advance. Now, Soul metaverse has become a platform that has nurtured the development of the digital economy. 

The metaverse is expected to commence its next stage of development. Simultaneously, companies large and small are taking this opportunity to create value and write their stories. Previously, Soul App officially filed its prospectus to Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ready to go public. It is revealed that the overall revenue of Soul App reached 1.28 billion in 2021, up 157.3% year-over-year increase, with a gross margin of 85%. Meanwhile, its user pool is expanding at a rapid speed. In 2021, its DAU user base reached 9,3 million, a 55.8% increase over the previous year. 

Zhang Lu has incubated a social metaverse from the initial social networking platform and this Soul metaverse is taking shape as the prototype of future human society. She held the belief that more authentic social connections will be developed in the virtual social paradise and she is taking pragmatic measures to further improve this social metaverse. 

5 Benefits of SEO for Auto Body Shops

By
SM
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If you own an auto body shop or any business in general, you have likely heard of the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). This article will help you to understand it. Continue reading to learn more.

SEO for auto body businesses is far different from SEO for e-commerce sites. The most apparent distinction is that an auto body shop caters to a specific location, whereas e-commerce stores cater to a broader area. For instance, a car owner interested in auto parts in Ohio would probably type in “auto body shop in Ohio” in their search bar. This shows how vital performing a targeted SEO campaign is to get curious prospects to contact you.

Also, keep EEAT SEO in mind for your business. Google has upgraded the concept of E-A-T to E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This is how Google evaluates its search ranking systems to ensure that they provide helpful and relevant information.

Your SEO strategy should include local keywords and high-quality content to increase website visits. Partnering with SEO companies and digital marketers can also help your business spread online brand awareness and turn leads into sales. As AI search becomes more common, LLM SEO services help by making your content easier for tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to understand and cite, which supports the rest of your strategy.

For many local service businesses, it helps to work with specialists who combine technical site work (fast, mobile-friendly WordPress builds), local citation management, and targeted on-page optimisation to prioritise high-intent searches. A focused audit can reveal quick wins—improving site speed, clarifying service pages, and tightening local keyword targeting—so your site can get found by more customers and potentially convert those into long-term contributors. Local providers often follow up with ongoing tracking and listing maintenance to prove impact.

What Does Auto Body Shop SEO Mean?

Auto body shop SEO focuses on the business’s online presence, how it is perceived in the digital world, and how it can gain more engagement.

There are diversified SEO practices and strategies to achieve digital marketing success. Some utilize in-depth keyword research, and some take advantage of the latest tools that generate high-value keywords. This can be done by the individual, or a digital agency specialising in SEO can be used to help set the business on the right path.

Understanding which keywords are best for your business and services is all about knowing what people usually type on their search bars. Keywords provide information to search engines about your website and can help you appear on search engine results pages. Your keywords should highlight the areas you serve, your specializations, and your services in the automotive industry.

When developing a digital marketing strategy, the focus should be on the services you are known for or the keywords your target consumers typically use. You might think that the keywords “auto body” and “automotive body” are the same, but your customers might use more specific terms related to the type of service they’re looking for. That’s why it’s essential to understand how customers search for your business using keywords, as this will help you direct the right clients to your automotive business.

How is SEO Beneficial for My Auto Body Shop?

Did you know that there are more than 260,000 automotive shops in the United States alone? And according to Advanced Digital Automotive Group, the number of businesses in the auto industry is swiftly increasing. This shows that it’s really competitive out there, and the best way to make yourself stand out from the crowd is through SEO.

Investing in SEO is an excellent move for a prosperous digital marketing venture. Search results can be the best way to invite visitors to your website. Here are 5 of the many benefits of SEO for auto body businesses:

 1. Appeals to Local Customers   

Studies say that more than half of all “Near Me” searches result in an offline conversion. SEO for auto body shops generates user engagement and attracts local searchers to browse the website and visit the physical store.

Finding the right clients is difficult, but it is one of the most crucial aspects of an online business. Prospects finding an auto shop that meets their needs establishes customer retention.

 2. Guarantees Business Growth   

82% of entrepreneurs who used SEO for digital marketing said that it positively affected their business. Search engine optimization promotes business development across various search engine platforms.

 3. Increases Sales   

SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy that allows businesses to save instead of spend. It can also be the root of increased profit, as one of its main goals is to produce income-generating content and attract potential paying customers looking for an auto body shop. Remember, the more positive impact your SEO gets, the more sales it can produce for your business.

 4. Boosts Brand Awareness   

Brand awareness is vital to a digital marketing campaign’s development and success. That is why partnering with an SEO company is essential. They are well-informed and experienced in the different practices that can help measure how your auto body shop business appeals to your target audience.

 5. Keeps You Up With Competitors   

One of the advantages of having an SEO strategist is that you don’t have to worry about keeping up with your competitors. All you have to do is focus on your business, and they’ll do the rest. They will be the ones to manage your website, its content, and your online reputation and unlock your business’s full potential so that you don’t get behind the competition.

The Bottom Line    

Your business’ SEO strategies should target people in your local service area, regardless of whether you are an auto body parts dealer or an auto repair shop. Find the keywords relevant to your service area and focus on them in creating helpful content for your website. Consider launching blog posts related to the automotive industry to optimize your business listings, allot time to manage your Google Profile, and coordinate closely with your SEO team to maintain your online presence.

Injured in a Car Accident? Here’s What to Do Next

By
SM
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Image Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/gog_9m2p2bU

When you’re a car owner there’s always going to be something you need to consider. It might relate to used vehicles you should know about, or steps to take following an incident on the road. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, the last thing you want to do is stress about what to do next. This article outlines the steps you need to take in order to protect yourself and your legal rights.

Prioritize Health And Safety

The first thing you should do is assess the situation and make sure that you and any passengers are safe. If anyone’s injured, call 911 immediately. If possible, have your car moved to the side of the road. Even if you don’t feel injured you should always seek an immediate medical check-up. Adrenaline can mask the pain so you may not realize the full extent of your injuries until hours or even days later. Also, if you do have injuries, getting prompt treatment can help speed up your recovery.

If necessary, your doctor will organize some X-rays or scans, or refer you to a specialist. As a matter of course, a medical record will be created that can be used as evidence to support your legal claim. If you don’t see a doctor immediately, the responsible party could deny that your injuries were a direct result of the accident.

Lawyers understand the law and can give you advice on what to do in your specific case. They also know how to negotiate financial settlements with insurance companies. There are many personal injury lawyers that will work on a contingency basis, which means they don’t get paid unless you win your case. This makes it easier for people who’ve been injured in an accident to afford legal representation.

Brooklyn is a city with a 2022 population of over 2.5 million, and it’s no stranger to road accidents. If you need a Brooklyn, NY personal injury attorney you’ll be able to get a free consultation so you can learn about your legal options from a trusted professional. Their website may discuss the different types of personal injuries and accident scenarios, as well as answers to a host of legal questions.

How can you get insurance coverage faster? A skilled Rochester Car Accident Lawyer understands the law and can give you advice on what to do in your specific case.

Involve The Police

If you’re involved in a car accident, the police may attend the scene. The benefits of involving the police are that they can:

  • Take an objective view of what happened
  • Speak to witnesses and get their accounts of what occurred
  • Make sure everyone’s safe and in no further danger

If the accident has caused a traffic jam or obstruction, they may direct traffic around it until it’s clear. In some cases, they may even close off the road entirely if it’s not safe for cars to be driving there. Once the police have gathered all the information they need, they’ll write up a report. This can be used as evidence if you decide to take legal action against the other driver. For this reason, take the police person’s contact details and incident number so you can request a copy of it later.

Take Some Pictures

If you’re able to, take pictures of the accident scene, such as any damage to your vehicles, their license plates, skid marks on the road, and any debris. If the road quality was a contributor to the accident you may also wish to take pictures of things like poor lighting, low-hanging trees, potholes, and loose gravel. Take photos showing your injuries as well, as these can enhance your claim for pain, suffering, or PTSD.

If you don’t have a proper camera, a smartphone version will do. The pictures can be helpful in documenting what happened and supporting your claim later on. If you’re not able to take pictures at the scene, ask someone else to do it or make sure to get them as soon as possible afterward.

Obtain Peoples’ Contact Information

Before you leave the accident scene, it’s important to collect the contact details of all parties involved. You’ll need their names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information. If there were any witnesses, be sure to gather their details too—this could be crucial later. A legal claim assistant can help organize and follow up on this information, especially if a formal claim needs to be filed or if witness statements are required down the line. The more details you have, the easier it’ll be to seek support or take legal action if needed.

The more details you have, the easier it’ll be to file a claim or reach out to someone for help later on down the road. Plus, if you need to go to court, this kind of evidence will be very important in establishing what happened during the accident.

Let Your Insurance Company Know

Contacting your insurance company is important for a few reasons. First, they can help you determine what steps to take next and how to proceed with filing a claim. They can also help connect you with resources like medical providers and auto repair shops. Finally, by letting your insurance company know about the accident, they can begin their own investigation into the incident and start working on any potential claims that may need to be filed.

There are a few risks associated with not contacting your insurance company after an accident. First, if you wait too long to file a claim, your insurance company may deny your claim entirely. Second, if you don’t contact your insurance company and instead try to work directly with the other driver’s insurance company, they may not be as cooperative or helpful. Finally, without involving your own insurance company, you may end up having to pay for more out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident.

You’ll also need to gather all the relevant evidence for your legal claim. Hopefully, your lawyer will gain justice on your behalf so you are fairly compensated and able to pay all your expenses. In turn, this will hopefully become a thing of the past and you’ll make a full physical recovery.

Xfinity 500 Preview – October 30th, 2022

By
SM
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2022’s Xfinity 500 is shaping up to be an exciting affair. There has been a lot of talk about who may win and whether an upset could be in the cards.

In this guide, we’ll review the chatter and give you the information you need to know before the big day on Sunday, October 30th.

We’ll also take a brief look at betting on NASCAR races, but first, let’s look at how the sport works.

About NASCAR

NASCAR has been around since 1948. Since then, the sport has grown into one of the biggest and most recognizable names in motor racing.

Throughout the year, NASCAR hosts around 1,500 races which are held around the globe, but mainly in the US, with 48 out of 50 states hosting events. Mexico, Canada, and Europe also play host.

Several competitions take place during the racing year. The most popular is the Cup Series, which is also referred to as the NCS. This takes place over 10 months, with 36 races making up the contest.

Another big competition, which we’ll focus on more below, is the Xfinity Series, and in particular the race day event, Xfinity 500. It’s a version of the sport that’s becoming increasingly popular and we’ll examine these reasons.

Betting on NASCAR

With millions of avid fans, NASCAR is also a popular sport for betting. Many people use online sportsbooks to place their bets. If using this method, you can visit odds checkers and comparison sites to make sure you get the best odds.

You can also read up on reviews and previews from Bestodds and other similar sites to ensure you take advantage of all the latest deals and offers.

In general, betting on NASCAR is pretty straightforward. You can make moneyline bets, such as backing a racer to win, or you can back them to place in the top finishing positions. You can also make proposition bets, such as betting on outcomes offered by the betting site.

How does the Xfinity 500 work?

NASCAR’s Xfinity series of races are regarded as the “minor league”. However, that perception has changed in recent years due to the increasing quality of racers as drivers from the higher divisions dropdown.

The Xfinity 500 is just one race event in the Cup Series playoff series and it’s also the final race in the Round of 8, meaning it’s of huge importance to some racers. This year it’s being held on October 30th at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.

The race is contested over a massive 500 laps, with each lap being a little over half a mile. This makes it one of the shortest tracks in NASCAR, and that in itself presents an interesting challenge for drivers. It’s shaping up to be an exciting affair. Let’s see who’s involved.

Xfinity 500 preview

There are a few favorites for this final Round of 8 race and one of them is Martin Truex. He clearly loves this track; out of the last four Martinsville races, he’s won three. This makes him a strong contender to take home the crown of the day.

However, it won’t be an easy ride. Chase Elliot is another driver who many expect to clinch the first spot. He’s been in terrific form on the Martinsville track. He won here last year as well as finishing fifth, and earlier this year, he finished second.

Close behind Elliot in the eyes of the bookmakers is Denny Hamlin. He’s a terrific racer on shorter tracks. So far this season, he’s finished second twice in Richmond, finished third at Phoenix and at Martinsville, and finished seventh at Dover. He’s a wonderfully competitive racer and could have a real shot of claiming the win.

But it’s not all about the favorites. Underdogs can surprise us all, and in Xfinity 500, there are a couple who could be real competitors. One of them is Christopher Bell. He’s already had two top-five finishes in the Truck Series at Martinsville and finished seventh in the Cup Series.

William Byron is another outsider but someone who enjoys this track, finishing in the top eight in three of his last four races in Martinsville.

If you’re looking to bet on the Xfinity 500, then backing one of these long-shot picks to place in the top five could see you walk away with a decent return. You never know, they just may win.

Chandler Smith – No. 18 Safelite Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Homestead-Miami Preview

By
Official Release
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Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 Safelite® 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

Chandler Chatter:

Chandler Smith and the No. 18 Safelite team head to Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway for the final race of the Round of 8 looking to punch their ticket to the Championship 4 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway. The 20-year-old driver enters Saturday’s race second on the Camping World Truck Series playoff grid, 30 points above the cutoff line for advancing to Phoenix, where he is the defending race winner. If Ty Majeski or a driver not in the playoffs were to win Saturday, Smith would clinch his spot in the championship round by totaling 26 points Saturday. If there is a new winner from the playoff grid, he would clinch his spot in the finals by earning 29 points.

For Smith, it will be his first start in any series at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but he has posted an average finish of 5.17 across his six starts on mile-and-a-half tracks this season, including a victory at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. He is pulling double duty this weekend, piloting the No. 26 GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, which is the backend of Saturday’s double header. With running the Xfinity Series event, Smith will get some extra track time with that series’ practice and qualifying taking place Friday night after Truck Series practice and qualifying.

The Georgia driver has recorded an average finish of 11.5 across the first two races of the Round of 8, falling behind in the Final Stage of both events after gaining valuable stage points. At Bristol, he won the opening two stages before ending the day with a ninth-place result. At Talladega, he finished fourth in the opening stanza, won Stage Two and then crossed the stripe in the 14th position. Smith punched his ticket to the Round of 8 with a win at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. Smith dominated the middle race of the Round of 10, leading 176 of the final 177 laps, picked up the Stage 2 win and the victory and added six playoff points that have carried over to the Round of 8. The victory was Smith’s third of 2022 and the fifth of his career.

The Toyota Racing Development product has produced three wins in 2022: the second race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the regular season finale at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and in the Round of 8 at Richmond. Across 21 Truck Series starts this season Smith has recorded eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. He ranks first among Truck Series regulars in laps led (440), average running position (8.853), laps completed (2898) and is second in average finish (9.0) and fastest laps run (203), and third in driver rating (102.1) and quality passes (678).

Smith made the playoffs last year in his first full-time campaign as the 10th seed. He advanced to the Round of 8 with a must-win victory at Bristol in the final race in the Round of 10. He found himself in another must-win situation in the final race in the Round of 8 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and saw his playoff run end when he finished fourth. As a consolation prize, he won the pole and swept all three stages in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

Smith earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September of 2021. Across 59 career Truck Series starts, the Toyota Racing Development driver had recorded five wins, one pole, 746 laps led, 22 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8.

Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will once again call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2022. Stockman’s drivers have produced nine victories at KBM since he joined the organization in 2020, including five with Smith behind the wheel. The veteran crew chief captured a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and also won an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s drivers have produced one win, one top-five and two top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.0 across three Truck Series starts at Homestead-Miami. In the series most recent visit to the Florida track, he guided KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch to a dominant victory leading 82 of 134 laps in June of 2020.

Safelite, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services, returned to KBM for a fifth season and will be the primary sponsor on Smith’s Tundra TRD Pro Tundra for 16 races this year, including Saturday’s race at Homestead.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:
This will be your first start in any series at Homestead-Miami. How have you prepared for this race?
“I’ve watched a good bit of film of the 2019 race and ran a lot of laps on the TRD simulator. With where we are at in the point standings we don’t want to go there and put ourselves in a bad spot. We just need go out Saturday and execute and race the racetrack and bring home a solid finish with our Safelite Tundra TRD Pro.”

You are also running the Xfinity Series race this weekend. Despite being a limited practice on Friday, do you feel like the extra seat time help you?
“With having never been to Homestead I feel like any track time will help even though it seems like the Xfinity car and the Truck race so much different there.”

With being 30 points above the cutoff line for advancing to Phoenix how will you approach Saturday’s race?
“Passively aggressive.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

  • Across 57 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded five wins, 640 laps led, 22 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8.
  • Earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory.
  • Has posted an average finish of 29.5 across two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2022, with a best result of 22nd coming at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
  • Has collected 10 wins, 10 poles, 1894 laps led, 23 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.2 across 35 career ARCA Menards Series starts.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite Tundra:

  • Across 59 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded five wins, 746 laps led, 22 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8.
  • Earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory.
  • Has posted an average finish of 29.5 across two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2022, with a best result of 22nd coming at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
  • Has collected 10 wins, 10 poles, 1894 laps led, 23 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.2 across 35 career ARCA Menards Series starts.

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, 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. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 26 career victories.

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.

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