The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, established in 1984, has seen quite a few highs and lows. The premier racing fast-paced sport is one of the most popular closed-wheeled races in the world. The Cup Series is at its peak with 40+drivers and over 30 races owing to a good deal of drama, excitement, and jitters amongst the fans, drivers, teams, and owners. The command, “Start your engines”, has been cheering up fans across the globe for more than 70 years.
NASCAR’s history goes back to the Prohibition area when possession, production, transportation, and sale of alcohol were banned. People who made a living from alcohol fast-tracked in modified cars to boost their speed. They competed on dirty country roads at more than 120 mph, which eventually gave birth to stock car racing.
NASCAR is an incredible sport that can get your adrenaline rushed every time the car hits the track. Race car aficionados, cheering spectators, and the driver’s determination can create a burst of zest like the jazzsports signup bonus.
Let’s walk you through the past with some fact-findings.
NASCAR was founded by William Henry Getty France, an amateur stock car driver and service station owner. With strong backing from a huge fanbase and some crazy sponsorship deals, making NASCAR is what it is today.
Despite an average weight of 3,400 pounds, a NASCAR vehicle can speed up to 200 mph.
It took almost 36 years for NASCAR to host the first-ever All-Star Race. The inaugural event was held in 1985 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
NASCAR officials changed the format to a 135-lap and 3-segment structure in 1987.
Jimmie Johnson won seven NASCAR Cup Series titles and in 2013, he joined Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty in the Hall of Fame as the series championship leaders.
Although the sport is male-dominated, Sara Williams Christian was the first woman driver in NASCAR history and Danica Patrick was the first woman to win a NASCAR Cup Series pole in 2013.
One of the darkest moments in NASCAR history was the death of the seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt in 2001.
The first NASCAR opened in 1950 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
In 2004, NASCAR began its first season under the banner of Nextel with a new format to determine the series champion.
In 2017, NASCAR introduced a new three-stage format of racing across all national series racing.
NASCAR announced the acquisition of the Automobile Racing Club of America in 2018.
Jim France inherited the role of NASCAR chairman and CEO in 2018.
Future anticipation:
NASCAR is looking to set up its own electric racing series for which a demonstration race will be held in Los Angeles in 2023.
Besides the long and eventful history, the enthusiastic sport unveiled its next-generation racecar in North Carolina.
Kyle Larson is a big favorite to win the NASCAR Cup 2022, with the tough competition with his teammate Chase Elliot.
With an addition of the Chicago street course in 2023, the American road course is expected to slide off the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Chase Elliot, Austin Cindric, and Ty Gibss look like the future faces of the sport.
NASCAR Chairman France has high remarks on the future.
Virtual Daytona race to be livestreamed at ADAC SimRacing Expo in Nuremberg, Germany
Daytona Beach, FL (October 11, 2022) – The eNASCAR International iRacing Series returns with a five-race schedule, including a virtual race livestreamed at the ADAC SimRacing Expo in Nuremberg, Germany on December 6. D-BOX Technologies and Digital Motorsports continue as series partners with drivers across the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series and NASCAR Driver for Diversity Driver Development program all scheduled to compete.
After a spring season that saw NASCAR Euro Series driver Alon Day atop the point standings, the DBOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports will feature several new tracks in a five-race stand to close out the 2022 season. Drivers will visit virtual tracks in the United States, Canada and Belgium, beginning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday, November 15. Competition will take place through iRacing.com, the official simulation partner of NASCAR, which provides one of the top online racing simulation portals and features officially-sanctioned, laser-scanned replicas of race tracks around the world.
“We continue to grow our international presence through racing series around the globe,” said Chad Seigler, Vice President of International Business Development and Partnerships. “With the support of DBOX and Digital Motorsports, we’re able to extend our reach with the eNASCAR International iRacing Series, providing up-and-coming talent with the opportunity to further hone their skills and make a name for themselves as they rise through racing’s ranks.”
For the first time, the DBOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports will livestream a virtual race in-person at the ADAC SimRacing Expo in Germany. The Daytona International Speedway race will close out the expo on Sunday, December 4 at 9 a.m. ET with registrants able to watch live at the event.
The field will once again have a mix of drivers from the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series, and select drivers from NASCAR’s 2022 Drive for Diversity class.
“Competing in the eNASCAR International iRacing Series is good experience to practice driving these tracks that were unfamiliar to me prior to the series,” said Treyten Lapcevich, NASCAR Pinty’s Series driver. “Circuit Zolder is one in particular that I likely would have never tried had it not been for the series. I do believe it’s helped me progress in real life as well. As someone with minimal road racing experience, the level of competition in the series has forced me to continue practicing road courses and improving in the sim, and those improvements translate to real life racing.”
Events will be livestreamed on eNASCAR.com/live and on the EuroNASCAR YouTube Channel at 6 p.m. EST for a worldwide audience with the event at Daytona International Superspeedway featured at 9 a.m. ET. For more details on the DBOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports, visit https://www.enascar.com.
2022 eNASCAR International iRacing Series Schedule November 15 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway November 22 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park December 4 – Daytona International Speedway (9 a.m. ET) December 13 – Circuit Zolder December 20 – Darlington Raceway
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
STATESVILLE, North Carolina (Oct. 11, 2022) – As the NASCAR Cup Series heads out west to Sin City, Petty GMS announces a new partnership with Lucky29 Liquors and Ty Dillon for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Lucky29 Liquors, which was founded in Napa Valley in 2018, produces a number of different spirits, ranging from vodka, whiskey, tequila, rum, seltzers, and more. Dillon’s car will be primarily featuring their “casino edition” vodka, which ties in perfectly for the market.
The brand name, “Lucky29”, is derived from the company’s proprietary distillation process, in which it takes twenty-nine steps to go from bottling to distribution. Included with each bottle of spirits is one of twenty-nine unique statements and symbols of good luck.
Ty Dillon looks to use some of this luck and earn his second Top-10 finish of the season on Sunday. In March, when the series first visited the speedway this year, the No. 42 team finished in 20th. After the most recent race in Charlotte, the veteran has gained two spots in the points standings, and continues to climb higher in the drivers’ ranking.
“I’m proud to partner with the team at Lucky29 Liquors this weekend in Las Vegas. You gotta have luck on your side to perform well on the track or on the strip, so I think this partnership will be a hit with the fans. Vegas is a track that our No. 42 team ran well at in the spring, so I’m looking forward to representing the Lucky29 brand and give them something to cheer for on Sunday.” says Dillon.
“NASCAR brings people together from all over the world and from all walks of life to enjoy and celebrate the skill and competition of its drivers and race teams. Although countless hours of hard work are the greatest contributor to winning, we at Lucky29 also believe that luck also plays an important role in achieving a ride to victory lane”, said Blane Huff, Founder and CEO of Lucky29 Liquors. “We are thrilled to team up with Ty Dillon and the Petty GMS No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Ty’s talent, character, unwavering spirit and relentless pursuit of success makes him a perfect partner for our Lucky29 brands. Together with luck, we know that Ty is positioned for great success in Las Vegas”.
Watch Ty Dillon in the No. 42 Lucky29 Liquors Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday at 2:30 PM ET on NBC. For more news, coverage, and behind-the-scenes content, follow Petty GMS across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
About Lucky29 Liquors:
Founded in 2018, Lucky29 Liquors is based in Napa Valley, CA and brings an unprecedented number of premium spirits under one brand, all created with their proprietary distillation and filtering techniques. According to the brand, Lucky29 is inspired by and founded on luck and the different ways our lives are enriched by the many forms that luck can take. Crafted with Lucky29’s proprietary distillation & bottling process, each of our spirits embodies an element of the good fortune we all hope to experience in life: Good Health, Financial Security, and Long term Friendships, just to name a few. We believe the Lucky29 brand offers more than a coincidental pathway of good fortune to our consumers. It provides an enhancement of those characteristics that make our spirits one of a kind. We believe that each bottle we produce represents an element of the good fortune we experience which is why we are including one of 29 unique statements and symbols of good luck on every bottle. Do You Feel Lucky? Come visit us at lucky29liquors.com.
ABOUT PETTY GMS:
Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. Founded in December 2021, Maury Gallagher, championship team owner of GMS Racing, purchased a majority interest of Richard Petty Motorsports. Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, known as “The King,” remains a key stakeholder of the organization. For more information, please visit www.pettygms.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow Petty GMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Team: No. 6 King’s Hawaiian 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 Las Vegas – Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
Weekend Format
Group practice and qualifying sessions return for this weekend’s schedule at Las Vegas.
Keselowski at Las Vegas
Keselowski is a three-time winner at Las Vegas, one of 11 tracks the 2012 Cup Champion has multiple wins at. He has an overall 11.3 average finish with 12 top-10s and eight finishes inside the top five in 18 starts.
Keselowski first won in Las Vegas in 2014 after starting from the second position and leading 53 laps. He followed that with wins two years apart in 2016 and 2018. Dating back to 2013, the 2012 Cup Champion has finished outside the top-10 at Vegas just twice (13th – 2020 fall, 24th – 2022 spring).
The Michigan native has an average starting position of 11.1 with two poles (2013, 2017). Overall he has eight top-10 qualifying efforts.
Keselowski also has a win at Vegas in the Xfinity Series (2014) with four overall top-10s in 10 NXS starts. He also made one truck start back in 2005.
Matt McCall at Las Vegas
McCall enters the weekend in his 13th Cup start at LVMS. Overall he has an 18.9 average result with four top-10s, including a win with Kurt Busch in 2020.
McCall and the No. 1 team led 29 laps in the fall race two years ago, one of his three Cup wins overall. Last fall they ran eighth, and this spring he finished 24th with the No. 6 team.
In the last six races in Vegas, McCall has led his team and driver to three top-10 qualifying efforts, including a career-best fifth with Kurt Busch in 2019.
QUOTE WORTHY Keselowski on racing at Las Vegas: “Vegas has been a really good track to me over the years and a place I feel pretty comfortable and confident at. We’ve come a long way since the spring race with still work to be done, but I’m excited to see our improvements since the first race and see what we can do in the King’s Hawaiian Ford.”
Last Time Out Keselowski finished 14th last weekend on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
On the Car
King’s Hawaiian returns for its third race with the No. 6 team. Known for its famous soft and fluffy dinner rolls, King’s Hawaiian has launched its Million Dollar Showdown, a sweepstakes that will reward a lucky fan with a cash prize of $1,000,000 and a trip to the Super Bowl in 2023. Keselowski’s machine this weekend will highlight the campaign with a slightly different design than past races. Visit kingshawaiianshowdown.com for full rules and to enter.
About King’s Hawaiian Founded more than 70 years ago in Hilo, Hawaii, by Robert R. Taira, KING’S HAWAIIAN is a family-owned business that for three generations has been dedicated to providing irresistible, original recipe Hawaiian foods made with Aloha Spirit. A priority for the company is sharing the Hawaiian Way – a uniquely Hawaiian approach to hospitality based on graciousness, generosity, and a commitment to making everyone feel a part of the KING’S HAWAIIAN ‘ohana’ (extended family). KING’S HAWAIIAN makes the #1 branded dinner roll in the United States, along with other great Hawaiian foods including hamburger buns, hot dog buns, sandwich bread and more. The company operates baking facilities in Torrance, California, and Oakwood, Georgia. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.KingsHawaiian.com, or find KING’S HAWAIIAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
NASCAR Cup Race at Las Vegas – Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
Weekend Format
Group practice and qualifying sessions return for this weekend’s schedule at Las Vegas.
Buescher at Las Vegas
Buescher makes his 12th Cup start in Vegas this weekend where he has an average finish of 17.7 with one top-10 (ninth – 2020).
Most recently Buescher finished 18th this spring, and ran 25th last fall.
His best qualifying effort of 16th came in the 2020 fall race, and he overall has a 24.5 average starting position.
Buescher made two Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas and recorded a best finish of ninth (2014) in the No. 60 entry for Jack Roush.
Scott Graves at Las Vegas
Graves will be on the box for his 11th Cup race Sunday at Las Vegas where he has two top-10s and an average finish of 18.4.
Graves led Daniel Suarez to an eighth-place run in 2018 fall race, and followed that with a P10 finish with Ryan Newman a year later. This spring he and Buescher finished 18th.
Graves also called three Xfinity Series events from LVMS, earning a second-place finish with Suarez in 2016, and a ninth-place run with Buescher in 2014.
QUOTE WORTHY Buescher on racing at Las Vegas: “We’re ready to head back West and see what we’ve got in the Castrol Ford this weekend. This should be a track where we see significant improvements given the success we’ve seen the latter part of this year. Glad to have Castrol back on the No. 17 and look forward to putting on a great show for them and everyone this weekend.”
Last Time Out Buescher earned his 10th top-10 of the season Sunday at the ROVAL, and fifth-straight top-10 on a road course with a P6 finish.
On the Car
Buescher and the No. 17 team will carry the Castrol banner this weekend in Vegas as the second appearance on the No. 17 this season for the brand. They were on Buescher’s machine at the Kansas race in the Castrol GTX scheme, with this weekend slated as the last scheduled appearance in the 2022 campaign.
About Castrol Castrol, a global leader in lubricant technology, serves consumers in over 140 countries. Our leadership brands include Castrol® GTX® — a premium conventional motor oil; Castrol® GTX® High–Mileage™ – a premium synthetic blend designed for vehicles with over 75,000 miles; the Castrol® EDGE ® line of advanced full-synthetic super premium motor oils that offer unsurpassed strength and performance; as well as our range of commercial transport lubricants. To find out more about Castrol products and programs, please call 1–888–CASTROL or visit www.castrol.com/us.
Friday, October 14th Track: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 3/8-mile oval Race: 10 of 11 Event: Star Nursery 150 (150 laps, 106.6 miles) Schedule Practice/Qualifying: 5:15 p.m. ET Race: 10:15 p.m. ET (FloRacing)
Taylor Gray, No. 71 Ford Mustang
Taylor Gray has concluded his ARCA Menards Series and ARCA East seasons for 2022 and will venture west for the final two ARCA West events of the year at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.
Last Saturday afternoon, the No. 17 team brought home a fourth-place finish in the ARCA season finale at Toledo Speedway in a special tribute paint scheme to Frank Kimmel.
Gray returns to The Bullring looking to repeat his dominant performance from last season where he started second and led 123 laps en route to victory lane.
The 17-year-old pilot has historically been successful on the ARCA West trail with four victories, seven top-fives and nine top-10s. He is one for one in 2022 with his early season triumph at Phoenix.
With Gray’s usual number being claimed on the West circuit already, he will utilize the No. 71 for the final two events of the season.
Andrés Pérez de Lara, No. 51 Empereon Constar Latam Mustang
Andrés Pérez de Lara returns to the No. 51 at The Bullring for his second of three starts with DGR.
In his ARCA debut at Bristol Motor Speedway last month, the 17-year-old impressed with a seventh-place finish.
Pérez de Lara is a part of the 2022 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class and was announced as a Drive for Diversity Combine participant for 2023 last week.
Crew Chief Derek Smith will once again call the shots for the Empereon Constar Mustang. Smith is a veteran of the ARCA Menards Series with well over 30 races to his credit between the three ARCA series.
The 60th anniversary of the first Formula 1® race in Mexico City will be celebrated with this special tribute to the two brothers who give their name to the Mexican race track
Ricardo Rodríguez remains the youngest Ferrari F1® driver in history while older brother Pedro triumphed in both Formula 1® and major international sportscar races
Mexico City. 11 October 2022 – The winner of this year’s pole position at the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken, will receive replicas of the iconic helmets of the brothers Pedro and Ricardo Rodríguez de la Vega, two of the most famous and successful drivers in the history of Mexican motorsport.
The driver that sets the fastest time in qualifying will receive these two helmets in memory of the brothers who have given their name to the Mexico City circuit. This year marks the 60th anniversary of both the first-ever Formula 1 race to be held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and also the tragic of death of Ricardo Rodríguez.
It’s not the first time the pole position holder has received such an award. Back in 2021, Valtteri Bottas was presented with a replica of the helmet of Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio. This year, the Fangio Foundation in collaboration with the organising committee of the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken have decided to maintain the award, but on this occasion to honour the Rodríguez legends.
“It is a great honour to collaborate again with the Fangio Foundation to offer an invaluable gift to the winner of the pole position of our event. The Rodríguez brothers are great heroes of motorsport not only in Mexico, but also in Latin America and throughout the world. I am sure that just as Valtteri Bottas was honoured to receive Fangio’s replica, the 2022 pole winner will be delighted to collect both helmets on this special 60th anniversary of the arrival of Formula 1 in our country,” said Federico González Compean, general director of the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken.
Mexico City hosted its first non-championship F1 race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 1962 named in honour of Pedro and the younger Ricardo. The latter continues to hold the record for being the youngest Ferrari driver to take part in a Grand Prix, while Pedro made his mark in sportscars, winning both the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours and Daytona 24 Hours, as well as taking two F1 victories.
Early in his career, Ricardo Rodríguez caught the attention of Luigi Chinetti, the director of Ferrari in the United States under the NART (North American Racing Team) designation. After achieving second place overall in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Mexican was invited by Enzo Ferrari to compete in the 1961 Italian Grand Prix, where he qualified on the front row at just 19 years, six months and 27 days. For 19 years he held the record as the youngest driver to start in the world championship — a feat that Max Verstappen currently holds — and remains the youngest F1 driver to compete for the Scuderia in F1.
In a difficult 1962 season, Ferrari decided not to travel to Mexico for the inaugural non-championship F1 race held at the Autódromo de la Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca (now Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez) in Mexico City.
In Ferrari’s absence, Ricardo found a seat in a Lotus-Climax run by Rob Walker. What was meant to be a celebration turned to tragedy when the young Rodríguez fatally crashed in qualifying at the notorious Peraltada curve, putting a premature end to one of the most promising racers to hail from Mexico.
Ricardo’s sudden loss was a blow to Pedro, however he showed great courage and returned to the wheel a year later to become one of the greatest drivers of all time. Particularly adept in wet-weather, (that earnt him the nickname ‘cat eyes’) it was in sportscars driving the white-knuckle Porsche 917 that Pedro truly made his mark.
The design of Ricardo and Pedro’s helmets are iconic, with Ricardo’s utilising his favourite colour yellow and featuring Ferrari’s famous Cavallino Rampante logo on the front. Meanwhile Pedro used a metallic grey livery with a navy blue stripe that borders the visor. A similar design was used in tribute by Sergio Pérez at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix — a race which the man from Guadalajara won.
The organisers of the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken are grateful to the Fangio Foundation in helping create these two replica helmets for the pole position winner for the race that will take place on October 28-30, 2022 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
For further information on FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken visit: http://www.mexicogp.mx/
About the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken
Recognized with the award “F1’s Best Event” for the five past editions, the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken has proven to be much more than a sporting competition to become an unparalleled promotional platform to share with the world Mexico City’s rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions.
About Formula 1®
The history of Formula 1® began in 1950 and is the most prestigious motorsport competition in the world, as well as the most popular annual sports series in the world. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.
Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the shares of the Formula One Group.
The logo of F1 FORMULA 1, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related brands are registered trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company. All rights reserved.
For further information about Formula 1®, visit: www.formula1.com
About CIE:
Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento, S.A.B de C. V. www.cie.com.mx
Established in 1990, Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (“CIE”) (BMV: CIE) is an outstanding participant in the out-of-home entertainment industry in Latin America. It promotes and produces concerts, music festivals, theater shows, and sporting, family and cultural events. CIE operates Centro Citibanamex, which is a venue for expositions and conventions in Mexico City, and the amusement park El Salitre Mágico in Colombia. The Company also produces corporate events and events for the public sector. CIE promotes and markets the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Mexico City.
Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento is a publicly traded company whose shares have been listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange since 1995 under the ticker symbol “CIE.”
FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: LAS VEGAS PLAYOFF ADVANCE
The Round of 8 begins this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series. Ford leads all manufacturers with 13 Cup wins in 29 races, which includes three victories by Brad Keselowski and two by Joey Logano. Here’s a look at where Ford drivers stand in the playoffs and their history at LVMS.
· Ford leads all manufacturers with 13 series wins in 29 all-time events. · Roush Fenway Racing tops all organizations with 7 victories, including the first three. · Round of 8 driver Joey Logano has 2 career Las Vegas Cup Series wins.
ROUND OF 8 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 advance after Martinsville)
Joey Logano +11
Ryan Blaney -3
Chase Briscoe -9
FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT LVMS
· Ford has 11 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at LVMS.
· Ford’s last winner was Chase Briscoe in 2020 (season sweep).
· Car owner Jack Roush has 6 series victories at LVMS.
FORD’S ROUND OF 8 CUP LINEUP
Ford will have three drivers in the Round of 8 as Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney join Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe in their bid for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. Logano begins the round seeded in second place and is 11 points ahead of the fifth-place Blaney, who is only three behind the final transfer spot. Briscoe is seeded eighth and heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a nine-point deficit.
VEGAS PROVES TO BE LOGANO’S BEST TRACK
Joey Logano has two career victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and those wins have helped make the track his best statistically on the circuit. Logano sports an 8.9 average finish in 18 career starts, which includes a 14th-place run earlier this year. In fact, it’s the only track in which he’s made more than 10 career starts where his average finish is in single digits. Besides his two victories, Logano has 6 top-5 and 11 top-10 finishes at LVMS since joining the circuit in 2009.
BLANEY AND BRISCOE AT LVMS
Even though Ryan Blaney has yet to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he’s been consistently at the front of the field. In 12 career Cup Series starts, Blaney has eight top-10 finishes and five top-5 runs. Briscoe has competed in only three Cup events at LVMS with his best finish being 14th in this event on year ago, but he registered two wins in five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts from 2018-20.
SWEEP DELIGHT FOR KESELOWSKI
Brad Keselowski completed a weekend sweep in 2014 after taking the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series events on consecutive days. Even though Keselowski led the most laps in the NCS race, he needed a little bit of luck and got it on the final lap when Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was in conservation mode, ran out of gas on the back straightaway. That enabled Keselowski to win going away and post the first of his six victories that season.
MARTIN LEADS FORD CHARGE IN INAUGURAL VEGAS CUP EVENT
Ford took the checkered flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the inaugural race at the 1.5-mile facility on March 1, 1998 as Mark Martin led a manufacturer runaway that saw 13 of the top 14 finishers driving a Taurus. The win was the first for Taurus, which became the first full-time four-door entry in NASCAR, after Ford decided to use it in the NASCAR Cup Series starting with the 1998 season. Martin bested Roush Fenway teammate Jeff Burton by 1.605 seconds to win the Las Vegas 400 with Rusty Wallace, Johnny Benson and Jeremy Mayfield rounding out the top-five. The only non-Ford to finish in the top-10 was the late Dale Earnhardt, who was eighth.
No. 38 Team Looks to Continue Stretch of Good Finishes
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 11, 2022) – Ruedebusch Development and Construction and NASCAR Cup Series Rookie, Todd Gilliland, will partner for their final race in 2022 this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Gilliland has had success with the Ruedebusch colors on the sides and hood of the No. 38- including Gilliland’s first top-five finish of his career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course earlier this year. The team is looking for another great run on Sunday. Gilliland is hopeful as he has seen his performance increase over the past months.
“It is exciting to have Ruedebusch Development and Construction back this weekend on our No. 38 Ford Mustang,” Gilliland said. “Last time they were on board we captured our first top-five finish of my Cup career, a moment I’ll never forget. Hopefully, we can deliver a similar run to them this weekend.”
Gilliland enters Sunday’s 267-lap event focused on building strong runs to finish out his rookie season.
“We have done a great job as a team at closing out these last few races,” continued Gilliland. “We really want to keep these strong runs going heading into Las Vegas this weekend and beyond to this final stretch.”
Gilliland and the Ruedebusch Development and Construction Ford Mustang No. 38 will tackle Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 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.
Love’s Travel Stops/Luber-Finer Team Look to Rebound after Roval
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 11, 2022) – Michael McDowell has been strong this season, and while he and the Love’s Travel Stops/Luber-Finer team did not get the result they deserved at the Roval, 12 top-10 finishes this season has made the team hungry for more success. McDowell has also been strong on the mile-and-a-half tracks and is eager to replicate their season success this weekend.
“I feel like we are as strong as we ever have been to close out a season,” said McDowell. “Our performances have shown that, too. Blake and the team have brought great cars to the race track each week, and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Luber-Finer Ford Mustang has been gaining more speed as the season’s end draws closer. We have had the performances we expect, and outside of circumstances beyond our control, have gotten the results we expect as well. We will give it all we have this weekend and hope to play the spoiler.”
With four races left in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, McDowell and the Love’s team are searching for their first win of the year. They have come close this season.
“It’s going to be hard, but I know we can do it,” said McDowell. “We’ve worked hard to put the whole ‘deal’ together, and if we can play our cards right, we will be in contention at the end of the race. At tracks like Kansas, Texas, and even Las Vegas earlier in the season, we had a top-10 car. We just need to execute in every phase of the race. If we can do that, there will be a chance to get that win this weekend.”
McDowell and his Love’s Travel Stops/Luber-Finer Ford team will race at the Las Vegas Motor 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.
