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No. 10 Smithfield/IHOP Ford Racing: Texas II Race Advance

By
Official Release
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ARIC ALMIROLA
Texas Race Advance
No. 10 Smithfield/IHOP Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 30 of 36)

● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 25

● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth

● Layout: 1.5-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 334 laps / 500 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 105 laps / Stage 2: 105 laps / Final Stage: 124 laps

● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● History at Texas: In 21 NASCAR Cup Series starts on the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Almirola has one top-five, five top-10s, and has led 101 laps. His previous start was the NASCAR All-Star Race in May, when he started eighth and finished 12th.

● Last weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Almirola earned his fourth Cup Series pole award and led the opening 36 laps. But misfortune struck by way of a steering failure that took the 38-year-old out of the race with 82 laps to go.

● 2022 Season: Through 29 races this season, in addition to last week’s pole position, Almirola has earned two top-five finishes, seven top-10s, and has led 45 laps. His average finish of 17.7 and seven top-10s have bettered his totals for the entire 36-race 2021 season.

● Driver Points: Almirola arrives at Texas 20th in the driver standings with 627 points.

● Almirola’s career: In 417 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has earned three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 91 top-10s, four poles, and has led 938 laps.

● IHOP will adorn the No. 10 Smithfield Ford this weekend with a specialty paint scheme for the second time this year. Smithfield Foodsis an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.SmithfieldFoods.com, and connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

● Back for More: Earlier this year, Almirola announced that he would step down from fulltime racing following the 2022 season.Through the course of the year, Almirola has discovered a new balance between his passion for racing and dedication to his family. His wife Janice, and kids Alex and Abby, join him on most race weekends, oftentimes enjoying once-in-a-lifetime experiences together as they travel the country. His rapport with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer has flourished, and the intense pressure he had put on himself was replaced with the joy of simply being present. Not only did Almirola see a new perspective on the sport, but so did anchor partner Smithfield Foods, who broached the subject of Almirola returning to fulltime racing in 2023. On Aug. 26, Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Smithfield Foods announced his return with a multi-year agreement and the largest allotment of races since joining the team in 2018.

● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series:In 2022, Almirola is once again sharing his life beyond the No. 10 Smithfield Ford with season three of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and it gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.

● Almirola was the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to finish in the top-10 in this year’s opening three races. He finished fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, sixth at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Almirola’s top-10 streak ended with a 12th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway despite running inside the top-10 throughout the race.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield/IHOP Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Are the last seven races a building opportunity for 2023?

“Yes. We’re working really hard on 2023. In the last six races before the playoffs, we were really trying to massage on things and take racecars that we felt were capable of running seventh to 12th and hoping that we would hit on that missing ingredient to get where we needed to be. Since we’re out of the playoffs, we’ve really used this opportunity to swing for the fences on stuff that is way outside of the box and it’s also a big learning curve for our organization. We have a lot of great engineers here that have a lot of bright ideas and, oftentimes throughout the middle part of the season, we would shoot them down because we’re like, ‘Man, we can’t try that. We only have 15 minutes of practice and what if it doesn’t work? If it doesn’t work, we can’t get it back out of the car.’ So we weren’t really willing to take that risk and, especially in the early summer months, we were right on the cutoff line for the playoffs on points, so we were just trying to be consistent and we couldn’t really take that risk. Now with not being in the playoffs, we all kind of held hands and don’t really care about finishing 17th, 18th or 19th in points. It doesn’t really matter to us as much as it does to learn all we can going into next year so we can go race for a championship next year. Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) and I had that conversation with our team after we missed the playoffs at Daytona. We came back to the shop and we talked and we said, ‘Hey, I remember a handful of years ago the No. 22 car missed the playoffs and came back the next year and won the championship.’ We’re not going to get too upset and hang our heads. We’re just going to look ahead and focus on getting better for next year.”

What are your thoughts heading to Texas this weekend after finding speed at Kansas and Bristol?

“I’m really excited to see what we bring this weekend. We’ve tried some new setups and they’ve worked. At Kansas. I was able to pass a lot of cars from the back and it felt like we had really improved. Getting the pole at Bristol this past weekend gave this 10 team a lot of confidence after a tough year. Texas is a place where we have found a lot of speed, even outside of the playoffs. In 2019, we had a shot at the win in the closing laps. We’ll see what we have, but I feel good about it.”

What do you think of the competitiveness between non-playoff and playoff drivers?

“It’s incredible to see this much competition. It keeps us motivated knowing that the best car and best driver can win on any given weekend. It’s healthy for the sport and makes it that much more difficult for the guys in the playoffs to race for a championship. The remaining races in the season suit us well, so we’re counting on having a shot at a win every weekend.”

No. 10 Smithfield/IHOP Ford Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Davin Restivo
Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Robbie Fairweather
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Rusty Davidson
Hometown: Mount Juliet, Tennessee

Transporter Co-Driver: Steven Casper
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

CAT Trailer Sales to Partner with Brandon Brown at Texas Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Brandon Brown Welcomes Arkansas-based Trailer Sales Company for the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 20, 2022) – Brandonbilt Motorsports (BMS) announces today its newest partnership with CAT Trailer Sales as the primary sponsor of Brandon Brown’s No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 24.

CAT Trailer Sales has been serving the residents of Central Arkansas since 2020. The family-owned and operated company strives to provide the best in customer service and top-quality products at an affordable price. CAT Trailer Sales supplies a wide range of trailers to suit any hauling needs, including utility, car haulers, dump trailers, gooseneck, enclosed cargo, and equipment trailers.

“Brandon Brown has proven that he is a talented driver” said Mike Bixler, Co-Owner of CAT Trailer Sales. “Just like we inspire our customers to keep pushing forward, we encourage and support Brandon to do the same in his career.”

Bixler continued by saying, “Our partnership with Brandonbilt Motorsports is a commitment – a commitment to never give up, no matter the hardships one may face. So, Brandon, work hard and stay focused. Chase your dreams, and chase that checkered flag!”

Brandon Brown heads to Texas Motor Speedway confident in his ability at the 1.5-mile quad oval. The Woodbridge, VA., native has a best finish of fifth in the Lonestar state.

“I am proud to partner with CAT Trailer Sales and introduce another family-owned business to NASCAR,” said Brown. “It’s important to surround yourself with positive, uplifting people during trying times, and the CAT (Trailer Sales) team has been just that. I am thankful for their support and encouragement, but most of all, for their belief in me.”

“I love the challenge that Texas (Motor Speedway) presents – it’s one of the fastest tracks on the schedule,” said Brown. “Hopefully, we can have a strong performance and put CAT Trailer Sales in Victory Lane for their first NASCAR race.”

The No. 68 CAT Trailer Sales Chevrolet Camaro will make its NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on Saturday, September 24 at the Texas Motor Speedway, with coverage airing live on USA Network at 3:30 p.m. ET.

For more information about CAT Trailer Sales, please visit www.cattrailersales.com.

About CAT Trailer Sales

CAT Trailer Sales is the next leader in the trailer sales industry. With the company’s inception in 2020, its leadership is intent on providing top-quality products to its customers without the hassle of high-pressure sales tactics and time-wasting negotiations. CAT Trailer Sales has two locations in the state of Arkansas – Conway (AR) and Fort Smith (AR).

About Brandonbilt Motorsports

Brandonbilt Motorsports (BMS) is a race-winning organization that competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and fields the No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro.

For team updates, follow BMS on social media: Twitter at @BMSRaceTeam, Facebook at Brandonbilt Motorsports and Instagram at @bmsraceteam. Visit www.bmsraceteam.com for more team related information.

Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Racing: Chase Briscoe Texas Advance

By
Official Release
-

CHASE BRISCOE
Texas Advance
No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 30 of 36)

● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 25

● Location: Texas Motor Speedway near Fort Worth

● Layout: 1.5-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 334 laps/500 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 105 laps / Stage 2: 105 laps / Final Stage: 124 laps

● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is riding a wave of momentum heading into the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway near Fort Worth. In only his second year of Cup Series competition, Briscoe has advanced to the Round of 12 of this year’s NASCAR Playoffs, which begins with Sunday’s 334-lap race at Texas, then heads to the 2.5-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Oct. 2, and concludes Oct. 9 at the year’s final road-course race on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. Briscoe begins the Round of 12 just four points below the cutline to advance to the Round of 8.

● Briscoe’s lone points-paying Cup Series start on the 1.5-mile Texas oval came last October, when he brought home a 15th-place finish. He also competed there in the 2021 All-Star Open, in which he finished fourth, and the 2022 All-Star Race, which resulted in an 18th-place finish.

● The sum of Briscoe’s results on intermediate tracks this year isn’t indicative of the No. 14 team’s capabilities. Only two of his finishes on tracks that fall in that category were top-five or better – his first Cup Series victory earned in March 13 at Phoenix Raceway in the fourth race of the season, and a fourth-place result on May 29 in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. However, Briscoe was also a contender at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, and the June races at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis and Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, before a series of events derailed his performances.

● In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Briscoe has two top-fives in five starts at Texas with a best finish of second in March 2020. He also competed in two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at the track, finishing second and fourth in the 2017 events.

● This weekend at Texas, Briscoe’s Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang will carry the name of cancer hero Ann Tidwell, mother of SHR employee Jason Tidwell, as part of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero program. Ann’s love and compassion for others was exemplified in everything she did even through her battle with ovarian cancer.

● Rush Truck Centers is proud to employ 2,500 talented service technicians throughout the largest network of commercial truck and bus dealerships in North America, operating in 23 states and Ontario, Canada. At Rush Truck Centers, service technicians are the heartbeat of its dealerships, and the company is always looking to add the best and brightest technicians to its team. Service technician interested in looking for the next step in their careers can find additional information and listings of open positions on the Rush Enterprises Technician Careers page.

● All of the SHR racecars travel from race to race in haulers from Rush Truck Centers, the premier service solutions provider to the commercial vehicle industry. And in October, SHR haulers will sport different mudflaps in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Now through the end of October, Rush Truck Centers is proud to offer limited-edition pink Breast Cancer Awareness mudflaps. And for every mudflap sold, $4 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by Rush Truck Centers and mudflap manufacturer Roechling Industrial Gastonia.

● Indiana-based Cummins, from car owner Tony Stewart’s hometown of Columbus, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. It is best known for its diesel truck engines. Since its founding in 1919, Cummins has grown to employ approximately 61,600 people and serves customers in about 190 countries and territories through a network of some 8,000 wholly owned and independent dealer and distributor locations.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You said before the start of the playoffs that you could make it through the first round on points, but that you would likely have to win in the second round to advance. Why is that?

“The second round has tracks that are wild cards. Talladega is anyone’s race, the Roval really can be the same, and Texas you’re going to have to be good in qualifying to get track position and maintain that all day. I feel pretty good about Texas. Our mile-and-a-half stuff has gotten better, but track position is key. We can’t make mistakes and we’ll have to be good from the start, then race the track. If we can get through Texas and Talladega, I feel good about the Roval, too. You could look back at our finishes and say I wasn’t good at some of these places, but we were in a different situation then and we’ve made a lot of progress.”

You’ve already been to Texas once this year, for the All-Star Race, and there was a lot of feedback from drivers and teams on the way the NextGen car raced there. Do you expect it to be any different with longer runs than we saw during the shorter All-Star Race segments?

“Nobody expects it to be any different. I would say the teams have probably all got their cars handling better since we’ve last been there, but I wouldn’t expect anything different. We’ve tried some different things with PJ1 and resin, but I don’t know if you’re going to all of a sudden see different racing in Texas. At places like Charlotte, where it’s worn out and the track is aged well enough to where we can move around, we put on really good races. Even with the resin at Texas, I just don’t know if it’ll make a difference because the track surface is pretty new.”

No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe
Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: John Klausmeier
Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey
Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen
Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Joey Campbell
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Jack Man: Dylan Moser

Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Naples, Florida

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Rob Fink
Hometown: Mocksville, North Carolina

Formula One reveals record-breaking 24-race schedule for 2023 season

By
Andrew Kim
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The 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship schedule was revealed in a season that will feature a record-breaking 24 Grand Prix events spanning from early March through mid-November. 

The schedule, which received approval from the World Motor Sport Council, features new date changes for some familiar venues and the return of two countries along with a debutant of another venue in the United States of America while one notable country will not host an event for the upcoming season.

For a third consecutive season, the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir will serve as the host of the season-opening Grand Prix event on March 5 to commence a new season of Formula One competition. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit will remain as the season-finale event for a 12th season on November 26.

Notably, the United States of America will host three Grand Prix events in 2023, starting with the second annual Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, on May 7. The United States Grand Prix will remain at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for an 11th season on October 22. Lastly, the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Street Circuit will be hosting its inaugural Grand Prix event on November 5.

Familiar circuits that are set to return for the upcoming season include the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit on April 16 and the Qatar Grand Prix at Losail International Circuit on October 8. The Chinese Grand Prix was last held in 2019 while the Qatar Grand Prix occurred for the first time in 2021. Qatar is slated to remain on the F1 calendar on a 10-year contract.

Additional changes for the 2023 season include the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit moving up from June to April 30, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Iola Circuit scaling down from April to May 21, the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya also scaling down from May to June 4, the Austrian and British Grand Prixs swapping dates in early July (July 2 & 9, respectively), the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps moving up from late August to July 30, the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort moving one week early from early September to August 27, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit moving one week early on September 3 and the Singapore and Japanese Grand Prixs moving up from early October to late September (September 17 & 24, respectively).

The upcoming F1 schedule will be featuring a one-month summer break period for the competitors and teams following the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa on July 30 before returning to action at Circuit Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix on August 27.

Both the Belgian and Monaco Grand Prixs, which were rumored to be removed from the schedule, will remain following contract extension for both countries. The Belgian Grand Prix will be returning to the upcoming schedule following a one-year extension while the Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco will span through 2025 under a new deal.

Notably, the French Grand Prix, which occurred at Circuit Paul Ricard this past July, will not be featured on the 2023 schedule.

The full 2023 Formula One schedule is as follows:

1. March 5: Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir)

2. March 19: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)

3. April 2: Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)

4. April 16: Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)

5. April 30: Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)

6. May 7: Miami Grand Prix (Miami)

7. May 21: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Imola)

8. May 28: Monaco Grand Prix (Monaco)

9. June 4: Spanish Grand Prix (Spain)

10. June 18: Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)

11. July 2: Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)

12. July 9: British Grand Prix (Silverstone)

13. July 23: Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest)

14. July 30: Belgium Grand Prix (Spa)

15. August 27: Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)

16. September 3: Italian Grand Prix (Monza)

17. September 17: Singapore Grand Prix (Singapore)

18. September 24: Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)

19. October 8: Qatar Grand Prix (Losail)

20. October 22: United States Grand Prix (Austin)

21. October 29: Mexico City Grand Prix (Mexico City)

22. November 5: São Paulo Grand Prix (São Paulo)

23. November 18: Las Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas)

24. November 26: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina) 

“We are excited to announce the 2023 calendar with 24 races around the world,” Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula One, said. “Formula 1 has unprecedented demand to host races and it is important we get the balance right for the entire sport. We are very pleased with the strong momentum Formula 1 continues to experience and it is great news that we will be able to bring our passionate fans a mix of exciting new locations such as Las Vegas to the Championship with much loved venues across Europe, Asia and the Americas.”

“The presence of 24 races on the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale,” Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of FIA, added. “The addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA’s sound stewardship of the sport. I am delighted that we will be able to take Formula 1’s new era of exciting racing, created by the FIA’s 2022 Regulations, to a broader fan base in 2023.”

The 2022 F1 season, which introduced new technical regulations towards the cars and for the teams, is currently down to its final six scheduled events. Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 champion for Oracle Red Bull Racing who has won 11 of 17 Grand Prix events that have occurred this season, currently leads the drivers’ standings by 116 points over Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who has won three Grand Prixs. In addition, Red Bull Racing leads the constructors’ standings by 139 points over Ferrari and 174 over the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.

With the 2023 racing schedule unveiled, the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship season is set to resume at Marina Bay Street Circuit for the return of the Singapore Grand Prix on October 2.

Thrilling 2022 Season Propels Upward Trajectory for INDYCAR

By
Official Release
-

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022) – Five drivers taking the race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship to the final laps of the season finale. A return to a full racing calendar, with successful reboots of two events. Growing numbers of viewers on television and streaming platforms. An exciting new era for Indy Lights.

Add it all up, and INDYCAR’s trajectory during and after the 2022 season continues to move upward.

“INDYCAR continues to build on its strengths as the fastest, most daring and exciting circuit racing in the world,” said Mark Miles, Penske Entertainment Corp. president and CEO. “Working closely with our teams, manufacturers and sponsor partners, our long-term strategy for growth is succeeding at every level.

“The 2022 season was memorable on and off the track for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, and we can’t wait to see this collaboration generate even more progress next year.”

Thrilling, Close Competition

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship was decided at the final event of the year for the 17th consecutive season, with Will Power clinching his second title for Team Penske by just 16 points over teammate Josef Newgarden.

Five drivers – Power, Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske and Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing – entered the season finale eligible to win the Astor Challenge Cup as season champion. That’s the most drivers with a chance for the championship in a regular-points season finale since 2003.

The championship lead also was exchanged seven times between McLaughlin, Newgarden, Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, Power and Ericsson during the season.

Nine different drivers won at least one of the 17 races this season, led by Newgarden with five. That’s just two shy of the all-time INDYCAR SERIES record for different winners in one season.

Power and Dixon also made history with significant career milestones. Power broke a tie with fellow legend Mario Andretti with his 68th career pole at the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, an all-time INDYCAR SERIES record. Dixon’s victory at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville was the 53rd of his illustrious career, breaking a tie with Andretti for No. 2 all time on the INDYCAR SERIES win list, behind only the 67 victories by the legendary A.J. Foyt.

Other highlights were Ericsson’s thrilling victory in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and three wins by McLaughlin in just his second season of open-wheel racing.

Vibrant, Consistent Schedule

After two seasons of pandemic-related reshuffling, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned to a more traditional, 17-race schedule in 2022, with anchored dates familiar to fans.

Highlights included once again starting the season with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and finishing with the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach restored to its traditional April date, and the welcome return of the Honda Indy Toronto to Canada’s largest city for the first time since 2019.

Another welcome sight was the return of full capacity for fans at the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 29 after two years of pandemic-related restrictions, including no fans admitted in 2020. Fans responded with vigor, as a near-sellout crowd of more than 300,000 attended the world’s largest sporting gathering since the onset of COVID-19.

Perhaps the biggest success story of the 2022 schedule was the revitalization of INDYCAR racing at Iowa Speedway after a one-year hiatus. The Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend featured a doubleheader for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and a single event for Indy Lights on the fast oval. A successful promotion with enthusiastic title partner Hy-Vee, which included four concerts with country and pop music superstars at the track, resulted in big crowds despite stifling summer heat.

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, which debuted in 2021 to rave reviews on the streets of Nashville, also continued to flourish in its second year.

Continued Audience Growth

The growing popularity of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES was reflected in the most-watched season in six years on television, with viewership up 5 percent over 2021. The season averaged a Total Audience Delivery of 1.30 million viewers across NBC, USA Network, Peacock and NBC Sports digital platforms, the best in NBC Sports history.

Half of the season’s 16 races on television delivered more than 1 million viewers, the highest mark since 2008. A record 14 of 17 races were on NBC network television in 2022, and selected series races also were televised by Telemundo Deportes on Universo.

This also was the most streamed INDYCAR season on record, with exponential growth compared to 2021. A series race, the Honda Indy Toronto, was streamed exclusively for the first time, and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge was the most streamed INDYCAR SERIES race ever.

International coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and domestic and international coverage of Indy Lights was available around the world through the new INDYCAR Live! streaming platform.

INDYCAR’s digital presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok also attracted record audiences, with page views also up at INDYCAR.com and IndyLights.com.

Growing Team Investment

At least 25 cars competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES event outside of the 33-car Indianapolis 500, as teams and their commercial partners found mutual benefits from the enticing, attractive mix of street courses, natural road courses and ovals found in no other series on Earth.

Juncos Hollinger Racing switched from part time to full time with one car in 2022 and announced plans to add a second car for the 2023 season. Arrow McLaren SP also unveiled plans to add a third car to its lineup in 2023.

Off the track, Arrow McLaren SP, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Andretti Autosport also announced plans for gleaming, expanded new headquarters and race shop facilities in the Indianapolis area.

New Commercial Partners

Many commercial partners joined INDYCAR or NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams or extended pacts with both in 2022.

PeopleReady, Shell, PIRTEK, PPG, Gallagher Insurance, The American Legion and Autograph were added to the impressive roster of INDYCAR partners, while Dallara, Gainbridge, Ruoff Mortgage and TAG Heuer extended pacts with the sanctioning body.

Sustainability Efforts Blossom

Penske Entertainment continued its sustainability journey by announcing a lineup of additional energy solutions for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis Motor Speedway during May and beyond. The variety of initiatives will help reduce the carbon footprint within INDYCAR and power progress toward more sustainable motorsports in North America.

Among the initiatives announced was Shell’s 100% Renewable Race Fuel to be introduced into the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The fuel developed by Shell is set to make the NTT INDYCAR SERIES the first United States-based motorsports series to power racing with 100 percent renewable race fuel and enables at least 60 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to fossil-based gasoline.

Firestone also debuted a new eco-friendlier tire made from the North American-sourced guayule shrub. It was introduced during the Indy 500 pit stop competition and as the alternate tire at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.

Indy Lights Grows

INDYCAR assumed in 2022 promotion and execution of the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship, the final step of preparation before the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

The season featured 14 races, all at the same tracks and on the same weekends as NTT INDYCAR SERIES events as the two series blended their paddocks when possible to provide further exposure for Lights drivers.

Swedish driver Linus Lundqvist won a series-high five races in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry and clinched the Lights championship with a race to spare, ending with a 92-point advantage over Sting Ray Robb. Lundqvist will receive an enhancement package to climb to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES next season.

Indy Lights also saw growth in participating drivers, with 12 to 14 cars competing at every race. Like in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Lights teams also announced expansion plans for 2023, with championship team HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing planning to field eight cars.

The series also will enter a new era in 2023 with longtime NTT INDYCAR SERIES tire supplier Firestone also providing rubber for Indy Lights teams, increasing the synergy between the two series.

Gilliland Talks Texas

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Official Release
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Talks Challenges of Racing at Track

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 20, 2022) – This weekend, Todd Gilliland and the First Phase Ford Mustang team return to the Texas Motor Speedway. The team raced at the track earlier this year during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star weekend. Gilliland now returns for Sunday’s 500-mile race.

Sunday’s race is the final 500-mile race on a mile-and-a-half track of the season. It comes at a track that has been one of the most challenging in terms of passing. Gilliland talks about the work ahead to be successful on Sunday.

“First, this is going to be a long race,” said Gilliland. “Five Hundred miles, I’ve never raced this race, but I know it’s going to be a long day. So, you have be prepared mentally and physically for that challenge. Then, you have to think about the track. We know that it’s been tough to pass on. We all love that bottom and it’s really slick up top. I think eventually throughout the day the track takes some rubber and it gets better, but we need to really think about strategy.”

“We must think about that final 100 miles of the race. We need to be on the Lead Lap, first and foremost. Then, you have to have tires left in the pits to put on. Finally, you must think about what is needed to be near the front at the end. That’s a lot for the crew chief, engineers, and myself. We need to be on the top of our game all afternoon.”

Gilliland will have First Phase on his No. 38 Ford Mustang on Sunday. First Phase has been the cornerstone partner of Gilliland during his rookie campaign.

Gilliland and the No. 38 First Phase team will race on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

ABOUT CURO

CURO Group Holdings Corp (NYSE: CURO) is a full-spectrum consumer credit lender serving U.S. and Canadian customers for over 25 years. Our roots in the consumer finance market run deep. We’ve worked diligently to provide customers a variety of convenient, easily accessible financial services. Our decades of alternative data power a hard-to-replicate underwriting and scoring engine, mitigating risk across the full spectrum of credit products. We operate a number of brands including Cash Money®, LendDirect®, Flexiti®, Opt+®, Revolve Finance®, Heights Finance, Southern Finance, Covington Credit, Quick Credit, First Phase, and First Heritage Credit.

ABOUT FIRST PHASE

First Phase is a new credit card issued by The Bank of Missouri that provides pathways to financial freedom for people with unestablished or imperfect credit. It’s a powerful tool that can provide flexibility and help fuel the next chapter of their financial future. First Phase is the doing business assumed name of CURO Credit, LLC, whose ultimate parent company is CURO Group Holdings Corp (NYSE: CURO).

About Front Row Motorsports

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

Ford Performance NASCAR: Texas

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Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: TEXAS PLAYOFF NOTES

Texas Motor Speedway will host a doubleheader this weekend as the NASCAR XFINITY Series opens its playoff schedule on Saturday afternoon with the first of three races in the Round of 12. That will be followed on Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series starts the second round of its postseason with 12 drivers still in contention for this year’s title. Here’s a look at where Ford drivers stand.

This Week’s Schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 24 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, Sept. 25 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA)

ROUND OF 12 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)

2nd – Joey Logano (+16 above cut line)
8th – Ryan Blaney (+4)
9th – Chase Briscoe (-4 below cut line)
12th – Austin Cindric (-7)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT TMS

· Ford is tied for the most all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins at TMS with 15.
· Kevin Harvick has won 3 of the last 5 Texas playoff races.
· Jack Roush is 2nd for the most wins among car owners at TMS with nine.

ROUND OF 12 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)

11th – Riley Herbst (-3 below cut line)
12th – Ryan Sieg (-4)

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT TMS

· Ford has 13 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at TMS.
· Mark Martin won the first NXS race at Texas and leads Ford with three series victories overall.
· In addition to his 9 Cup wins, Jack Roush also has 9 NXS victories at TMS.

TEAM PENSKE STILL ALIVE IN CHAMPIONSHIP HUNT

All three Team Penske drivers have advanced to the Round of 12 after Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric all finished above the cut line after Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. As Texas Motor Speedway prepares to host the opener of this round, Logano and Blaney find themselves in positive territory as eight drivers will advance following the Charlotte Roval event next month. Logano is in second place as the round begins, 16 points over the cut line while Blaney is in the final transfer spot by four points. Cindric is 12th in the recalibrated standings, but only seven points out of eighth place.

LOGANO ALL-TIME FORD PLAYOFF WINS LEADER

Chris Buescher’s playoff victory on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway was the first of his career in the postseason. Team Penske’s Joey Logano has won 10 career playoff races with Ford, making him the manufacturer’s all-time wins leader in that department. Carl Edwards ranks second behind Logano with eight playoff wins while Greg Biffle is third with seven.

THREE STRAIGHT IN THE PLAYOFFS

As noted above, Kevin Harvick has won three of the last five NASCAR Cup Series playoff races at Texas Motor Speedway with all three of those coming in consecutive seasons (2017-18-19). He became the second Ford driver to win the same playoff race three years in a row. The first was Greg Biffle of Roush Fenway Racing, who captured the season finale in what was then known as Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

HERBST AND SIEG BEGIN NXS CHAMPIONSHIP BID

Ford drivers Riley Herbst and Ryan Sieg will begin their championship bid this weekend as the 12-driver field opens its postseason at Texas Motor Speedway. Herbst clinched his spot prior to last Friday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway while Sieg claimed the final spot after a 10th-place finish in the Food City 300. Herbst and Sieg are seeded 11th and 12th, respectively, and have three races to move up into one of the eight spots that will transfer after the Charlotte Roval race. Herbst is only three points out of eighth place while Sieg is four.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT TEXAS

1997 – Jeff Burton

1998 – Mark Martin

2001 – Dale Jarrett

2002 – Matt Kenseth

2004 – Elliott Sadler

2005 – Greg Biffle (1) and Carl Edwards (2)

2008 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)

2011 – Matt Kenseth (1)

2012 – Greg Biffle (1)

2014 – Joey Logano (1)

2017 – Kevin Harvick (2)

2018 – Kevin Harvick (2)

2019 – Kevin Harvick (2)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT TEXAS

1997 – Mark Martin

1999 – Mark Martin

2000 – Mark Martin

2004 – Matt Kenseth

2007 – Matt Kenseth

2010 – Carl Edwards (2)

2011 – Carl Edwards (1) and Trevor Bayne (2)

2012 – Ricky Stenhouse (1)

2013 – Brad Keselowski (2)

2015 – Brad Keselowski (2)

2018 – Ryan Blaney (1) and Cole Custer (2)

2020 – Austin Cindric (1)

McDowell Returns to Texas Eying a Top-Five Run

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Official Release
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Love’s Travel Stops and No. 34 Team Continue Strong Season Together

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 20, 2022) – Michael McDowell, Love’s Travel Stops and the NASCAR Cup Series are heading to the Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for their second of two visits this season.

When McDowell raced at the speedway last May in the annual All-Star Race, he and his team posted a fifteenth-place finish. With the progression the Love’s team has shown this year, they have their collective eyes set on capturing that elusive first win of the season.

“We’ve had some good runs in the past at Texas,” stated McDowell. “However, I don’t think it would be fair to compare prior years to this year, given the new circumstances everyone in the series is experiencing. Everyone has had to learn, shift, and adapt to the new conditions we are running in. I feel we’ve have been successful as a team in finding that success on a consistent basis.”

“Everyone learned a lot from the All-Star race earlier this year. I feel like it was a turning point in our intermediate program and we feel like we are a top-ten threat at each mile-and-a-half track. We will take what we learned earlier in the season and build on that to break into the top-five.”

Michael McDowell and his Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang team will race this Sunday at the Texas Motor Speedway at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA.

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.

Hunt Brothers Pizza Racing: Kevin Harvick Texas Advance

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Official Release
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KEVIN HARVICK
Texas Advance
No. 4 Hunt Brothers® Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 30 of 36)

● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 25

● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth

● Layout: 1.5-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 334 laps / 501 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 105 laps / Stage 2: 105 laps / Final Stage: 124 laps

● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Kevin Harvick will be seeing red this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. His No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang has eschewed its traditional green livery in favor of a red paint scheme for Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 NASCAR Cup Series race. Why? Check out this video.

● Harvick has a stout track record at Texas, especially in his time since joining Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2014. In his last 14 NASCAR Cup Series races at the 1.5-mile oval – all of which have come with SHR – Harvick has only one finish outside of the top-10. That lone result came in the 2020 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 when Harvick finished 16th after his No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang slipped off turn two while leading and brushed the outside wall as a heavy mist made the track slick. Harvick rebounded in his next point-paying start at Texas, finishing fifth in last year’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500. In the 12 races prior to that 2020 race where Harvick finished 16th, he scored nine top-fives, three of which were wins, while three others were second-place results.

● In those three wins at Texas – November 2017, November 2018 and November 2019 – Harvick led a total of 334 laps, which is the exact same lap total for a 500-mile race at Texas.

● Prior to joining SHR, Harvick’s laps-led total at Texas was five, an amount earned over the course of 22 races. In his 15 Texas starts since being a part of SHR, Harvick has led 677 laps. His total of 682 laps led at Texas is the second-most among all NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Only Kyle Busch has led more laps at Texas (1,069).

● Before joining SHR, Harvick’s best finish at Texas was third (November 2016). It was one of just three top-fives and 11 top-10s he had at the track

● Harvick will make his 38th NASCAR Cup Series start at Texas in Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500, the most among all Cup Series drivers, past and present. Texas will mark Harvick’s 783rd career Cup Series start.

● Harvick also leads all NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-10s at Texas with 24. Next best on this list is Kurt Busch with 23 top-10s and Jimmie Johnson with 22 top-10s.

● Harvick is good at Texas even outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. He has five wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and has led a total of 779 laps, the second-most among all drivers despite not competing in an Xfinity Series race at Texas since 2018. Only Kyle Busch has led more laps in Xfinity Series competition at Texas (1,795). Busch led those laps across 23 starts and Harvick earned his tally in 21 starts. In four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Texas, Harvick owns a win (November 2011) and one other top-five – a fourth place drive in his first Truck Series start at the track in June 1998 when Harvick was just 22 years old and still three years away from his Cup Series debut.

● The only times when Harvick hasn’t been good at Texas is when the track has hosted the annual NASCAR All-Star Race. He finished 15th in the 2021 event and 17th in the 2022 version. Thankfully, the All-Star Race moves to North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway in 2023.

● Riding along with Harvick in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 is Sidney Thirlwall. Via a decal over the passenger-side window of Harvick’s No. 4 Ford Mustang, Thirlwall’s life is being highlighted by the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero program. The wife and mother from Papillion, Nebraska, fought a 12-year battle with cancer before succumbing to the disease on Nov. 2, 2022. She was nominated for the Honor a Cancer Hero program by her husband, John Thirlwall.

● The 2022 season marks the 13th year of partnership between Harvick and Hunt Brothers Pizza. The nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry has sponsored Harvick for years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Hunt Brothers Pizza joined Harvick fulltime in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 and has been a mainstay in NASCAR’s premier division ever since. With more than 8,000 locations in 30 states, Hunt Brothers Pizza offers original and thin-crust pizzas available as a grab-and-go Hunk A Pizza®, perfect for today’s on-the-go lifestyle, or as a customizable whole pizza that is an exceptional value with All Toppings No Extra Charge®. Hunt Brothers Pizza is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and is family owned and operated. For additional information, visit www.HuntBrothersPizza.com or download the app.

● Said Harvick about his more than decade-long partnership with Hunt Brothers Pizza: “Our fans are pretty loyal to the brands that are on our cars. Many of my pictures come from the standees in the store. People take selfies next to them. There are a number of reasons you have sponsorships – you want that brand recognition, the brand integration. Hunt Brothers Pizza is a very family-oriented company and we’re a very family-oriented group. Those relationships you build through the years with brands that recognize and reflect what you believe in are few and far between. We’ve grown with the Hunt Brothers Pizza brand. They’ve grown with us and have been very loyal to us, and I think our fans are very loyal to Hunt Brothers Pizza. It’s fun to see that brand recognition and that understanding of loyalty and partnership. You realize how many Hunt Brothers Pizza stores there are as you drive to racetracks.”

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang

You’re out of the playoffs, but racing continues. Without a championship to strive for, how do you stay motivated through these final seven races?

“That’s just something from when I wrestled in high school and raced our Late Models, it was always pounded into my head that it’s OK to not be good, but it’s not OK to quit. It’s never OK to not give it 100 percent. It’s never OK to quit grinding away for every single second of whatever it is you’re doing because you’re letting yourself down. And in this deal, you’re not only letting yourself down, you’re letting your whole team down, and I think that’s contagious, because nobody ever lets down. We can be off and struggling in a race, but we can keep ourselves on the lead lap and have a good pit stop and all of a sudden show up and finish fourth or fifth at the end of a race just because five or six of them have crashed and we’ve ground away all day at the little things and made our car a little bit better and hung in there and all of a sudden here we are. Sometimes it’s just about grinding away and doing the little things right. You don’t have to be the fastest, but if you just do more right than everybody else, you’re probably going to be pretty successful. There’s a lot of details that go into what we do to be good. Even with a slow car you can still find 100 details to make a slow car faster, and sometimes making a slow car faster is OK on certain days. Every day is different. Every day you have to find something to improve on and it’s a constant improvement. There’s a saying that we live by and it’s, ‘Evolve or die,’ and this year that saying has never been more relevant.”

At this level of racing, what does it mean to put in the work?

“Long before you get in the car on Sunday, you have a meeting with the team and the crew chiefs and the drivers on Tuesday. You try and get as much information as possible from all parties involved so you can make the right decisions, because you only have a short amount of practice come the race weekend. And then you have the evolution of everything that happens in the lead up to the weekend. For us, that’s a Wednesday simulator session. Usually in that simulator session, you start on next week’s race and then you end on that week’s race and then they decide, ‘OK, we took this, this and this from this particular session and we took it back to the shop and we put that in the car.’ And then there’s the physical part, where you work to stay in shape. Overall, it’s a lot of work.”

You’re in your 22nd year in the NASCAR Cup Series. What’s important to you now at this stage in your career compared to where you were 15-20 years ago?

“I worry less about what I want to accomplish and just try to accomplish what I need to accomplish, and that is to engage with my team on a week-to-week basis to get the most out of our cars and our vehicles. You want to do everything you can to try and take as much as you can out of every single week that you’re at the racetrack because, at some point, there won’t be a next week. It’ll be what you used to do, and you want to give it your all while you can.”

Your only experience at Texas with the NextGen came in May during the NASCAR All-Star Race. What is your expectation as you return to Texas with the NextGen car, but this time, for a points-paying race?

“We can’t do any worse than we did in the All-Star Race. I think we ran last and next-to-last, us, Aric (Almirola) and Chase (Briscoe), so we had them covered from the wrong end of the field. But I really think that was part of the progression of the new thought processes we had in working on the car, and we’ve come a long way since Texas. That was one of those nights where it was, ‘OK, let’s do this. This is going to be a great night to test some things.’ It definitely ended with, ‘Don’t ever do that.’ Usually you find out more things at a test – which is kind of what the All-Star Race was for us – to not do than you actually find that are better.”

Back in 2017, Texas was repaved and turns one and two were reconfigured. How has the track aged since then and has it changed how you drive the track?

“It changed where you drive on the racetrack. You move up the racetrack, so you don’t have to be as technical through (turns) one and two as you used to. Just put it on the grip strip and hope for the best. It’s still a good racetrack for us, still a lot of good things that have happened for us, and hopefully we can continue that.”

Explain a lap around Texas, specifically, how you approach turns one and two and how you approach turns three and four?

“Texas is unique in the fact the two ends are so different. When they changed the racetrack, they made the width of the racetrack a lot wider through (turns) one and two than what it used to be. It’s a lot flatter, as well. It’s a very technical corner both in order to get your car positioned correctly and in order to make your car turn and stay in the throttle. It’s not as technical as it used to be now that the PJ1 is there, but you still have to put your car in the right spot in order to make a good lap time.”

No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith
Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer
Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Stephen Doran
Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard
Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks
Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal
Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Richie Bean
Hometown: Bradford, Vermont

Mechanic: Nick DeFazio
Hometown: Orange, California

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski
Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell
Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

DXDT Racing Ready to Stand Out in Sunshine State for Sebring Doubleheader

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Official Release
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Sebring, Fla., (September 20, 2022) – As North American sports car racing says goodbye to the final days of summer, the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS enters the penultimate weekend of the 2022 season at Sebring International Raceway. Eighteen entries are set to compete in the pair of races this Saturday and Sunday, racing on the infamous track, known through the racing community for its bumpy surface and demanding layout. DXDT Racing earned a second-place finish at the Sebring, Florida track in 2021, and will be strong contenders to return to the steps again.

With three podiums and eight top-five finishes, the pair of DXDT Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 cars are eager as ever to add those first wins of the 2022 season to the team’s existing seven wins in the series. Since the team joined the series in a part-time effort in 2018, DXDT Racing has accumulated an impressive 41 podiums, coming in second in the Pro/Am team championships for the last two years. Consistency and passion for excellence have established the team as a staple in the SRO America-sanctioned series.

Drivers David Askew and Dirk Muller earned the first podiums of the year for the pair of green and blue Mercedes AMG GT3 machines. Racing the No. 63 usalco, the duo earned a set of third-place finishes at VIRginia International Raceway, giving the team a boost of momentum into the second half of the season. Scott Smithson and Bryan Sellers clinched their first podium at Road America last month after a masterful performance at Road America.

The team will ride that momentum to Sebring, Florida, the home of Sebring International Raceway. The home of the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the track is one of the oldest operating tracks in North American sports car racing. Located on what used to be a World War II training base, the track first hosted a motor race in January of 1950 and has hosted racing’s biggest names from Formula One, the American Le Mans Series, GT World Challenge, and more. Notorious for its concrete surface comprised of old sections of the WWII landing fields, the 3.741-mile, 17 surface has undergone many changes over the years, except for the traditional repaving most modern tracks undergo. The result is a surface that demands the most from drivers and cars, no matter the race length.

This weekend’s activities will consist of the usual pair of 90-minute races in which two drivers each complete a minimum amount of drive time. Race one will take place on Saturday, September 24 at 2:15 PM ET, and Sunday’s race will close out the weekend, starting at 1:15 PM ET. Both races will air live in the United States at YouTube.com/GTWorld.

DRIVER QUOTES

David Askew | No. 63 USALCO Mercedes AMG GT3

Sebring is becoming my new home track. Since my wife and I moved to Miami, it seems like I find myself there more and more. I’m really coming to love the place, bumps and all. It’s probably the toughest track we race at, and I hope it stays on our schedule for a long time. We had a great test here just last week. We always learn something!

Dirk Müller | No. 63 USALCO Mercedes AMG GT3

Sebring this late in the year is going to be new to me! We had a great test there last week and I feel we will be well prepared! The weather could play a role there, as we had had rain both days. I’m super glad that both cars got their podiums in, now it’s a full pull for a victory! David and Scott are doing a great job, so Bryan and I can go more aggressive with the setup. We really work very well together as a team and we will continue to push forward.

Scott Smithson | No. 08 Qelo Mercedes AMG GT3

This will be the first time I have raced at Sebring. We have tested and it is challenging. Coming off a good weekend at Road America, I hope Bryan and I can keep the momentum going. I think the team will be strong this weekend, based on our testing.

Bryan Sellers | No. 08 Qelo Mercedes AMG GT3

I’m very excited to be heading back to Sebring. It’s such a historic track and one of my favorites. We had a very strong performance in Road America and I am hoping we can build on that next weekend.

ABOUT DXDT RACING
DXDT Racing is a high-performance sports car racing team founded in 2014 by team principal David Askew and located in Statesville, N.C. The Team’s primary focus is GT3 and Touring Car racing in North America. DXDT is a provider of turnkey racing support and delivers customized racing solutions for its clients and sponsors. DXDT is a performance-driven team comprised of highly experienced racing professionals capable of delivering wins and championships, including ten wins in GT World Challenge and a Rookie of the Year in 2020 alone. Follow the team on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for race season updates.

About USALCO
USALCO is the premier manufacturer of Aluminum based chemicals for industrial and municipal markets. USALCO® is the leader in potable as well as industrial water and wastewater treatment chemistry. We are well-known for high quality and low cost alumina chemical applications, such as products for the manufacture of catalysts, titanium dioxide and molecular sieves. With over 60 years of experience in manufacturing coagulants, USALCO’s extensive product line includes our industry leading brands DelPAC®, AlcoPAC®, and Delta-Floc®. USALCO has 27 manufacturing locations, as well as its own dedicated fleet of trucks, ready to service needs anywhere in North America.

About Qelo
Qelo is a seasoned land development firm, founded and managed by experienced partners who hold over 50 years combined experience in real estate investment and capital management. The firm’s varied projects range from land development, vertical construction, and land banking. Qelo focuses on a portfolio of diversified projects throughout the ever-expanding Utah market and across the Intermountain West – this focus allows the firm to strategically select high-quality short-term and long-term projects to take advantage of a rapidly expanding economy within the region.

For more information, visit www.qelocapital.com.

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