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M&M’S Racing: Kyle Busch Bristol Advance

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Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH
Bristol a Sight for Sore Eyes

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Sept. 14, 2022) – Despite strong efforts by Kyle Busch in each of the first two races of this year’s NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, neither neither race turned out how he and his team had hoped.

In the Round of 16 opener at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway two weekends ago, Busch led a race high 155 laps and appeared headed for victory when an engine issue derailed his bid just 21 laps from the finish. Last weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Busch again had a strong outing, having worked his way into the top-five before a pit-road penalty relegated him to the back of the field. From there, he spun through the infield grass and damaged his car enough to keep him out of contention.

While the first two playoff races have not netted the results he and his team expected, good news is on the horizon in the form of his favorite racetrack on the circuit – Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, site of Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

The event has long been a staple on the Cup Series schedule and certainly a favorite of drivers and fans alike. Many even argue that the 500-lap race is slowly and steadily evolving into a crown jewel on the schedule.

Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), has at least nine reasons why he’s been looking forward to Bristol and its significance in the 2022 Cup Series playoffs. His eight wins on its high-banked, half-mile concrete surface are the most among active drivers. If anyone thought adding dirt to the surface would slow Busch down at Bristol, they’d need to think again. Busch brought home a victory there in April’s Food City Dirt Race, giving him nine total wins within the confines of the track coined “The Last Great Colosseum.”

A ninth Cup Series victory on the concrete surface and 10th overall at Bristol would send the younger Busch brother into a tie with some all-time greats of the sport. Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and Rusty Wallace all ended their careers at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” with nine victories. If Busch was to achieve nine Bristol concrete wins, the next milestone would be Darrell Waltrip’s all-time record of 12 wins at the Tennessee short track.

A win Saturday night for the M&M’S driver would not only add to his career total at Bristol, but also vault him directly into the playoffs’ Round of 12. Heading into Saturday night’s race, Busch sits just two points below the top-12 cutline to advance. The Round of 12 begins Sept. 25 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion, holds the distinction of being the only driver in NASCAR history to win all three national series races in a single weekend, which he’s done twice at the Bristol bullring. He captured the “Bristol Triple” in 2010 and 2017, when he swept NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series races. In addition to his eight career Cup Series concrete surface wins, Busch has 14 top-fives and 19 top-10s in 32 career starts on the concrete surface at Northeast Tennessee’s “Thunder Valley.”

So, as Busch and the M&M’S team head to Bristol this weekend, it will no doubt be a sight for sore eyes. A ninth victory on the concrete surface would not only put him alongside NASCAR Hall of Famers Earnhardt, Yarborough, and Wallace, but also send him to the next round of the playoffs so he can take another step toward a third Cup Series championship.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

What are your thoughts heading to Bristol Saturday?

“I would like to get back to victory lane at Bristol, no doubt. We’ve had some decent runs there the last several years and hope we can do the same there this year. We were obviously there earlier this year but that was a completely different kind of race on the dirt surface, but never hurts to get a win there no matter what the surface looks like. There are a lot of unknowns going into this race since there hasn’t been a race with the NextGen car on the concrete surface, so a lot of unknowns, for sure. It’s always a great racetrack to circle on the calendar and know it’s a time when we can shine. We also have M&M’S on board again this weekend, so hoping we can have a solid finish and get us through to the next round.”

What makes Bristol Motor Speedway so unique?

“Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the best racetracks on the circuit. All the fans love it because of the excitement, the run-ins and the close-quarter action with all the cars being packed on top of one another at a half-mile racetrack with us 40 lunatics running around in a tight circle. With the fans, the atmosphere there always makes for a good time, and sometimes a frustrating time when things don’t always go your way.”

What is the toughest part about 500 laps at a place like Bristol?

“Races at Bristol are very demanding, both mentally and physically. I think physically just because of the nature of the non-stop driving. You are always on the go and always doing something, down the straightaway, in the corners, because it’s so long and what it takes from the corner entry throughout the corner you just don’t have any time to relax at all on the straightaway. And then the mental demands of that place, too, because it’s concrete and the vibration and the challenge it puts on your body is pretty high there. Bristol is the one the more fun racetracks for me, especially being so successful there, and I pride myself on being able to handle that and not falling out of the seat.”

What is your first memory of Bristol and what is your best story of success?

“I remember my first time. It was in an Xfinity Series car at a test session for Hendrick Motorsports. I remember I needed about 27 laps before I thought I was going to knock the wall down, with all the optimism and pumped-up feelings I had about going there. But after that, it’s been pretty fun. We’ve had some challenging times there, but I’ve also had some good times there. Looking to continue that on Saturday night with our M&M’S Camry. What’s the highlight? You can’t dismiss the sweeps there. I would say that the first one was really, really awesome and really, really special, and the second one was special, as well.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)

● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 17

● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway

● Layout: .533-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/ 266.5 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps

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

Meet the No. 18 M&M’S / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy
Hometown: Blockville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Jackman: Kellen Mills
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey
Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham
Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Road Crew Members:

Engine Tuner: Dan Bajek
Hometown: Camden, New York

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Eloy Trevino
Hometown: Adrian, Michigan

Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Justin Peiffer
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Mechanic: Tony Hamm
Hometown: Walla, Walla, Washington

Notes of Interest:

● Playoff Points: Busch has accumulated 11 important playoff points he can take with him through each round. Busch sits 11th in the playoff standings, two points below the 12th-place cutoff to advance to the next round. He has one win, six top-five finishes and 13 top-10s this season.

● All in the Stats: Busch has eight wins, 14 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and has led a total of 2,593 laps in 32 career Cup Series starts on Bristol’s concrete oval. Busch’s average Bristol concrete finish is 13.0.

● 224 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 224 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Bristol. In addition to his 60 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 62 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

What Does a Car Strut do When it Goes Bad?

By
SM
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Photo by Vlad Grebenyev on Unsplash

Hundreds of things can go wrong when a car strut is not working properly. If you are postponing the replacement of your vehicle’s strut (or shocks), this article is for you. 

Here, we will explain what changes a damaged car strut can do to your vehicle and how risky it is to drive with one. 

We all know how a lousy car strut can impact the steering of the vehicle. However, it’s nothing compared to its effect on the stability and safety of the vehicle. 

Keep reading to find out what happens if you don’t replace shocks and struts on time (and how you can avoid it).

Effects of a Bad Car Strut on Vehicle

Here’s how a bad car strut affects your vehicle:

  1. Loss of Handling and Steering

If the strut of your vehicle is not working correctly, it can impact the handling and steering of the vehicle. It is not just about convenience but it can also attract safety concerns due to reduced control over the vehicle.

You will notice that the vehicles start bouncing unnecessarily while driving. It is more prone to do this while taking a turn. 

Most experts recommend you do a shocks and struts replacement at the right time to avoid such situations. 

  1. Affects Weight Transfer of Vehicle

All of the car manufacturers focus on the transfer of weight to provide a smooth riding experience to the user. However, driving with a bad car strut can affect the weight transfer which will eventually lead to the loss of control over the vehicle. 

If you are someone who loves to drive your vehicle at high speed, you can not take chance with a bad strut. You will find it much more challenging to apply the brakes at the right time. 

  1. Excessive Weight on Other Suspension Parts

The complete suspension system includes different parts like shocks, arms, linkage, struts, etc. All these parts bear the weight of the vehicle and give you complete control over the wheels. However, when a strut goes bad, it puts more pressure on other suspension parts.

Thus, there is a heavy chance that the complete suspension system will require a replacement if you keep using a bad strut. Even if there is no other damage, they will start wearing out at a much faster rate.

  1. Impacts Braking Efficiency

You do not need to be a proper car mechanic to know that there is a clear relationship between the suspension and the braking efficiency. When there is some issue with the suspension, the brakes start taking more time to stop your vehicle and it takes longer distances to stop completely.

It simply means there’s an increased risk of an accident because the vehicle won’t stop efficiently.

  1. Tire Wear

Be ready with the tire replacement as a bad strut is going to affect your vehicle’s tire life as well. With a damaged suspension, there’s more pressure on the wheels that leads to the premature wearing of the tire. 

If you feel like your vehicle’s tires are getting worn out at a faster rate, you should get the steering and suspension checked by an expert. Simply replacing the tires won’t help you much.

Easiest Way to Know if the Struts Have Worn Out

If you are not sure about the health of your vehicle’s strut, you can refer to our guide and find out of they need a replacement or not.

Here are some easy quick tips to do it:

Tip1- Check for Noises

A bad strut will always make some noise when your vehicle needs suspension. The best way to do it is by driving through rough surfaces or listening to the noises while going through a pothole.

If there’s some noise, you will need to get the strut checked and replaced. 

Tip2- Check for Excessive Movement

A bad strut car can not absorb the shock and the vehicle starts bouncing over rough surfaces. Instead of a smooth ride, you will feel like you are losing control over the vehicle. 

Tip3- Excessive Swaying

Another way to find out if the car strut is working is by driving the vehicle at high speed. Most vehicles with a bad strut will start swaying and you will always notice it at a higher speed. However, make sure to tick out all other factors that can lead to the swaying of the vehicle before doing this test.

Tip4- Hydraulic Fluid Leakage

The most obvious way to identify a bad strut is by checking for leakage. A worn-out strut starts leaking the hydraulic fluid that is visible to everyone. If there’s some leakage, make sure to get the strut changed as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Will bad struts cause clunking noise?

A bad strut can make some noises but a clunking noise is usually due to some loose hardware. It is advisable to get your vehicle checked in such situations. 

  1. Can a bad strut cause tire wear?

Yes, a bad strut is one of the most common reasons behind tire wearing. It is because there’s more pressure on the wheels and they start wearing out prematurely.

  1. How bad is a leaking strut?

If a car strut starts leaking, it means there’s no hydraulic liquid left. That is why it is important to change the struts as soon as possible. A leaking strut can stop working anytime.

Where to Buy Car Struts For My Vehicle?

You can find some compatible car struts online and offline as well. We recommend going for online auto parts stores like SuncentAuto, CarID, Autozone, etc., as they offer better replacement options than the offline stores  Also, you can filter for compatible car struts on online websites.

You can also go for marketplaces like Amazon and eBay for some better deals. Make sure to find compatible car struts that work with your vehicle to avoid returns and replacements.

What Are the Main Types of Car Insurance?

By
SM
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Photo by Helena Lopes

If it is your first time purchasing automobile insurance, you are not to blame for being confused. With so many options available, it can be difficult to know which ones to choose. You can start by checking out sites like Waffle Insurance which offers multiple bundles to suit you, but keep reading this article to discover the types of insurance available and help you select the proper coverage.

Liability Insurance

Liability car insurance covers your compensation costs when you are responsible for a vehicle accident that causes damage or injuries to others. Liability insurance also covers the costs associated with your legal defense if you are sued due to an accident.

Liability insurance covers a wide range of vehicle-related incidents, such as crashing your vehicle into private property, causing a car accident that damages another person or vehicle, hitting a pedestrian with your car, or scratching another car in a car park. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to insurance.

All the states in the United States require liability car insurance aside from New Hampshire and Virginia. The minimum insured sum required by law and the insurance cost differs from state to state. So, Pennsylvania car insurance and state minimums may be significantly less than in New York.

While state minimums may be adequate in some situations, they typically only cover minor accidents. If you are involved in a multi-vehicle crash, the resulting medical bills could easily exceed basic policy limits. Therefore, it is prudent to insure yourself for more than just the state minimum.

Collision / Comprehensive Insurance

Collision and comprehensive insurance are two types of insurance that are frequently sold together as they cover a range of peripheral problems that may come with car ownership. They are commonly packaged with vehicle lease agreements to ensure that rental cars are covered for any damage.

Collision insurance pays for car repair expenditures after a car collision, regardless of who is at fault. Comprehensive insurance covers various events such as car theft, vandalism, animal collisions, or falling branches. It also covers damage from natural occurrences such as hail, floods, and fire.

Uninsured Motorist Insurance

There is nothing worse than being involved in an accident and discovering that the driver that is liable for the accident does not have insurance. The process of securing compensation from an uninsured motorist can take months and cost you thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses.

Uninsured motorist insurance and underinsured motorist insurance are two ways that you can protect yourself from irresponsible drivers. These policies will also cover expenses incurred from the accident in the event that the other driver’s insurance company refuses to compensate you.

Uninsured motorist insurance and underinsured motorist insurance can be used to pay for medical treatment for you and your passengers who got hurt during the accident, lost wages from work missed due to the accident, and funeral expenses in the event of a death. In some states, they can also be used to cover vehicle repair and replacement costs.

Personal Injury Protection

Personal injury protection coverage ensures that you and your passengers will be covered for any medical expenses for injuries sustained in an automobile collision, regardless of who caused the accident. In some states, this is compulsory, while it is optional in others.

Aside from medical bills resulting from the accident, personal injury protection will cover the costs of rehabilitation or therapy. It will also compensate you for lost wages due to the inability to work and the cost of replacement services to cover household tasks that you cannot perform.

Gap Insurance

Gap insurance is another type of insurance that is often mandatory if you lease your vehicle. Should your car get stolen or destroyed, gap insurance will cover the difference between the value of your car and the balance remaining on your auto loan. In some cases, this can amount to thousands of dollars.

New Car Replacement Insurance

As its name suggests, new car replacement insurance will replace your car with a brand new vehicle of the same make and model—minus the deductible—if your car is damaged beyond repair after an accident. This option is ideal for vehicles that depreciate quickly after purchase.

How to Choose Car Insurance Coverage

If you are buying a new car or taking out a car loan, you will need to have full coverage auto insurance. The definition of full coverage can change depending on your state but it typically refers to a combination of policies such as liability insurance and comprehensive and collision insurance.

Make sure that the policy you buy meets your state’s minimum insurance requirements and consider if you have the budget to increase your coverage. Although a higher monthly insurance premium may seem unappealing, it can save you tens of thousands of dollars in the event of a serious crash.

Do your research online, visit sites that rate car insurance companies, and be duly informed about your state’s requirements. Read reviews from existing customers about the different products and claim processes. Then, compare quotes from various reputable providers to find one that suits your needs.

Auto insurance is part and parcel of car ownership in the US. A solid insurance policy not only protects you but also your passengers and other road users. By getting educated about the numerous types of car insurance available, you can make the best choice to safeguard your assets.

Wheel Spacer Facts: What To Know Before You Buy

By
SM
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Wheel spacers have become one of the most common aftermarket accessories today. Millions of people are trusting them to provide better stability to their vehicles. Still, many people question the safety issues of installing wheel spacers.

In this article, we will explain what wheel spacers are and get into their pros and cons. After reading, you will have a better idea of this add-on accessory and to better decide whether you need to get wheel spacers for your vehicle.  

What are Wheel Spacers?

A wheel spacer is a part that increases the space between the wheels by bolting between the wheels and the mounting hub. This way, anyone can give their vehicle a visibly enhanced look by increasing the gap between the wheels by the desired distance. 

Another important thing about the wheel spacers is you can change the entire pattern of the wheels by getting these wheel spacers. However, it depends on the type of vehicle you have and whether it can support the vehicle load by changing the wheel’s positions. 

What are Wheel Spacers Made of?

Most of the wheel spacers are made of high-quality aluminum for trucks and SUVs. It is because this metal can hold more weight and provides ample strength for overall vehicle stability. 

Experimenting with other materials to make wheel spacers can cause safety issues. The only reason you can not use steel is that it weighs more than aluminum and requires more metal to provide the required support.

Pros and Cons of Wheel Spacers

This list of pros and cons of using wheel spacers will give you an idea of whether you should go for them or not.

Pros

  1. Lets you Fit Wider Wheels

If you are someone with a soft spot for larger wheels or tires, wheels spacers let you do it with minimum modifications. It won’t only improve the vehicle’s look but also gives you better control of the vehicle. If you have an off-roader, you would want to replace the stock wheels by using the wheel spacers.

  1. Improves Brakes Quality

Another benefit of using wheel spacers is you can improve the performance of your brake system. It works by letting you use wider brakes that work better on wider wheels (using wheel spacers). Adding the wider brakes after the wheel spacers ensures they do not rub against the wheel wells to avoid damage.

  1. Improves Handling

No doubt having wheel spacers can improve the handling of your vehicle as it offers more area to manage the vehicle’s weight efficiently. Apart from this, you also get a much better grip on the road with the wider wheels.

  1. Easy to install

Using wheel spacers is the easiest solution to get wider wheels with minimum modifications. You only need a few tools to do it yourself. However, there can be some alignment issues, and getting professional help is recommended.

Cons

  1. Affects Ride Quality

Every car manufacturer keeps ride quality in mind when introducing new models. The stock wheels are designed to provide the best riding experience to the user. However, altering the wheel size can affect the ride quality and the vehicle may not be comfortable for long rides.

  1. Takes more Effort to Steer

Even if you have a power steering vehicle, you will have to put in more effort to move the wheels. It’s because using the space wheelers increases the space between the wheels and it has to cover more area to steer now.

Are Wheel Spacers Safe?

There’s always confusion among car owners about the safety of wheel spacers. To find the right answer, you must understand how they work.

The main thing to understand is wheel spacers can affect the weight-bearing capacity of a vehicle. With the stock mountings, a vehicle is designed to hold the weight of all the car parts. However, when you make modifications to that mounting (to install wheel spacers), you may compromise the safety of the vehicle. 

To avoid this issue, you must find the most compatible wheel spacers that are tested by the manufacturer on compatible models. By doing this, you can ensure you have all the safety measures done before using your vehicle again. 

So overall, the safety factor comes in when you upgrade your vehicle with wheel spacers without following the procedure the right way. Always find compatible wheel spacers after making sure your vehicle can support wide wheels.

Should I get Wheel Spacers for my Car?

Getting wheel spacers is a completely personal choice and you can always use your vehicle without getting the wheel spacers as well. However, there are some clear benefits like better stability, control of brakes, and vehicle weight management by getting the wheel spacers.

However, the main factor is the compatibility of the wheel spacers with your vehicle. Not every vehicle is suitable for wheel spacers and installing them there will do more harm than good. Thus, if you have any other vehicle other than an SUV or truck, you must make sure it can support the increased space between the wheels. 

There are some downsides like steering issues which must be considered while getting wheel spacers. 

According to some experts, getting wheel spacers on a perfectly-fine working vehicle can impact the user’s performance. 

How to Find Compatible Wheel Spacers For your Vehicle

You can easily find compatible wheel spacers for your vehicle online. Many platforms offer high-quality compatible wheel spacers for a specific vehicle. The easiest way is to get them from professional auto parts sites like SuncentAuto, Carparts, and Autozone, which lets you buy wheel spacers that are designed specifically for your vehicle.

All you need is to select your vehicle model on the website and select from the results. 

You can also use marketplaces like Amazon and eBay to find wheel spacers online. Just make sure to check the reviews and the photos submitted by the buyers.

Magical Vacation Planner Racing: Chase Briscoe Bristol Advance

By
Official Release
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CHASE BRISCOE
Bristol Advance
No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 16
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile concrete oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.7 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner (MVP) Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is on a mission to conquer The Last Great Colosseum Saturday night in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Briscoe heads into the final race of the first-round of the playoffs 15th in the standings, nine points below the cutoff line to advance to the Round of 12. He began the playoffs with a 27th-place result at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway after being caught up in an accident early in the race. Last Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Briscoe looked to be on pace for a top-five finish until he was held up during a pit stop and lost several positions. Though the No. 14 MVP Ford Mustang was fast, Briscoe was unable to work all the way back through the field and finished 13th.

● Briscoe started 20th and finished 13th in last year’s night race at Bristol, his first Cup Series start on the concrete surface. He was the third-highest-finishing non-playoff driver in one of his stronger performances of the season. It was a reminder of the success Briscoe had found at Bristol in the NASCAR Xfinity Series just the year before.

● In September 2020, Briscoe claimed his first Bristol Xfinity Series victory after leading only 11 laps. It was his sixth Xfinity Series start at the Tennessee short track. The Mitchell, Indiana, native also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts there – one on the traditional concrete surface in which he earned a 12th-place finish in 2017, and one on the dirt surface in 2021 resulting in a top-five effort.

● The last time the Cup Series visited Bristol, when the track was covered with dirt for the April 17 race, the 27-year-old racer put on a show but ultimately ended up with a roughed-up No. 14 Ford Mustang parked last on pit road. Briscoe started fourth, won the second stage and led a total of 59 laps. He was closing in on leader Tyler Reddick in the final laps before attempting a slide job exiting turn two. Briscoe was unable to clear Reddick and collected him when the No. 14 spun in the bottom groove, handing the win to Kyle Busch. Briscoe was credited with a 22nd-place finish.

● MVP was founded by Jamie Ane Eubanks alongside her husband JJ, a former professional basketball player, as a storefront travel agency in 2006. Today, it is a company that provides one of the best vacation planning services in the industry. It operates through three branches: MVP Parks, MVP Cruising and MVP Getaways. The company provides its exclusive and personalized, stress-free planning service at no additional expense to its clients, making the extensive array of Disney options and add-ons easy to understand and navigate. MVP actively seeks savings for its clients, monitoring early-morning releases of discounted room or vacation packages while also scouring existing reservations for price drops to where they can modify an existing reservation at the newfound lower price. MVP will also plan a family’s itinerary, expertly navigating Disney’s Genie+ and Lighting Lane systems to maximize resort and park times by avoiding long lines while also securing those premium Disney dining experiences that include coveted character meetings.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You’re only nine points below the cutoff line as we head into this weekend. What will it take to advance to the next round?

“A clean race. Bristol is chaotic and unpredictable. Nine points above the cutoff line would be a lot better than nine below, but either way we’d have to go in and have a good race with some stage points and no mistakes. So, I don’t think it makes much difference. We know we can do it, we’ve just got to avoid the chaos and I feel like we can go there and get some stage points and be in good shape.”

This will be the first time in the Next Gen car at Bristol on the concrete surface. Is there any information that can be carried over from last year, or from the dirt race in the spring, to help preparation for Saturday’s night race?

“No, I don’t think there’s anything that you can use. We know what racing at Bristol is like. It’s a fast short track with a lot of banking and guys trying to figure out how to make passes without a lot of time to figure it out. You typically have to put yourself in a position you may not want to be in to get where you want to be. But as far as what we do with the car, I think we’ll have to rely a little on what we’ve seen at some other tracks this year and a lot on sim data. This car has shown it races a lot differently than what we’ve had in the past and you definitely can’t compare to anything that happened in the dirt race.”

Does that make you nervous with this being the cutoff race for the first round?

“I don’t think so. I’ve done well at Bristol, it’s one of my stronger tracks, and I enjoy racing there. I think we’ve done well on the short tracks, which is definitely not my strength. We certainly can’t afford to have a bad race and we’ll need to be aware of what is going on with other guys. You’ve got to be focused on running your race just as much as you’re trying to stay out of other people’s messes, and things happen quickly. We’ll have to do that without compromising our chances of moving on. I feel good about it, I know the guys on this team are going to give me what I need and I’m excited to get to Bristol.”

No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner 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

Corey Heim – No. 51 Crescent Tools Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Bristol Preview

By
Official Release
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Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 Crescent Tools Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: UNOH 200, Race 20 of 23 (Race 1 in the Round of 8)
200 Laps – 55/55/90; 106.6 Miles
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (half-mile concrete oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 15, 2022, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Story on Corey:

Corey Heim and the No. 51 Crescent Tools team head to Bristol Motor Speedway for the opening race in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s playoffs. Heim propelled the team to the next round with three top-10 finishes in the Round of 10, putting them 33 points above the cutoff line for advancing. Overall, the Georgia driver has put together a stretch of four consecutive top-10 finishes, including his seventh-place result last week at Kansas Speedway. With the points reset to start this round, the No. 51 team sits sixth on the playoff grid, four points below the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4.

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

Thursday night’s 200-lap event will mark Heim’s first Truck Series start at the half-mile oval. He has one ARCA Menards Series start at Bristol, a fifth-place result in last year’s race. Heim finished third in the 100-lap Super Late Model feature at the U.S. Nationals at Bristol in 2018.

Across 12 Truck Series starts this season, Heim has produced two wins, two poles, 64 laps led, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.8. The Georgia driver picked up his first career Truck Series victory in just his fifth start earlier this season at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March and was also victorious in June at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts, the 19-year-old driver became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.

Heim leads the Truck Series rookie of the year standings by 124 points over Lawless Alan. Heim will look to join three other KBM drivers that have won the award, reigning winner Chandler Smith, William Byron (2016) and Erik Jones (2015). Overall, Heim sits 15th in the driver point standings, despite only starting 12 of the 19 events, and is ahead of six full-time competitors.

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

Mardy Lindley returned to KBM for his second season atop the pit box of the No. 51 team. Lindley has led his team to six wins since coming to KBM at the start of the 2021 season, including two with Heim and one with Kyle Busch this year. In 2021, his drivers produced three victories, two with Busch and one with Martin Truex Jr. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley’s drivers have an average finish of 27.5 across two Truck Series starts at Bristol.

Crescent Tools, a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, will be the primary sponsor on Heim’s No. 51 Tundra TRD Pro Thursday night and for two more races this season. JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, returns for their final race of the season at Talladega (Ala.) Motor Speedway.

Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:
The No. 51 team starts the Round of 8 four points below the cutoff line for advancing the Championship 4. What is it going to take to advance?
“It’s going to take a good effort from everyone on this No. 51 crew. Kyle Busch Motorsports has been giving me great Tundras, I think executing at the track is the last piece of the puzzle.”

You’ve raced ARCA and Late Models at Bristol, but this will be your first start in a truck at Bristol. How much different will the racing in the Truck Series at Bristol be?
“Running the truck at Bristol will definitely be a challenge, with all of the experienced drivers on a technical racetrack like that.
Regardless of that I’m really excited to see how I fare against the field.”

You won the ARCA race at Kansas on Sunday. Even though it’s not in the same series, can you build off that momentum heading to Bristol for the Truck Series race Thursday night?
“Anytime I can get some momentum I definitely think it helps. Kansas was good in both the arca and the truck, and the extra seat time should help me knock the rust off and get right up to speed at Bristol.”

Corey Heim Career Highlights:

  • Picked up first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway March 19, 2022 in just his fifth start. Across 15 career starts has two wins, two poles, 66 laps led, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.8.
  • With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts, the 19-year-old driver became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.
  • Finished runner-up in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2021 after collecting six wins, three poles, 406 laps led, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 3.1 across 20 starts.
  • Across 43 career ARCA Menards Series starts has nine wins, 814 laps led, 31 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3. Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
  • Corey Heim’s No. 51 Crescent Tools Tundra TRD Pro:

KBM-62: The No. 51 Crescent Tools team will unload KBM-62 for Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol. This Toyota has two starts in 2022, a third-place finish with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April and a fifth-place finish with Heim at Indianapolis Raceway Park. KBM-62’s best result across 10 starts was a runner-up finish with Busch at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in 2021.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected four wins, five poles, 534 laps led, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.7 across 31 starts at Bristol. Smith won last year’s race at Bristol. Owner-driver Kyle Busch collected the first three of his organization’s victories at the half-mile oval, winning the Camping World Truck Series race as a part of his historic Bristol Sweeps in 2010 and 2017 and he also won the 2013 event.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (98) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway earlier this year, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • With 40 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

Second Career Trans Am Win Extra Sweet for TeamSLR’s Connor Mosack

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Official Release
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Charlotte Native Victorious at Iconic Watkins Glen International for the Second Year in a Row, Tightens Trans Am TA2 Title Chase

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Sept. 13, 2022) – Connor Mosack called last Saturday’s Franklin Road Apparel Classic at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International the most fun race he’s ever had in the TA2 class of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli.

Who could argue with the 23-year-old, second-year, fulltime driver of the No. 28 Open Eyes/Nacarato Truck Centers/Nic Taylor Custom Fit Underwear Ford Mustang for TeamSLR? He had just secured his second career victory on the very same 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen circuit where a year ago he scored his maiden victory in just his 13th start in the Trans Am Series’ hotly competitive TA2 class.

Mosack arrived at Watkins Glen as one of the prohibitive favorites to finish atop the 43-car field in Saturday’s 30-lap race, which was presented by Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers and will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (Sept. 14) and rebroadcast at 12:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday (Sept. 16).

Mosack qualified his Team SLR-prepared M1 Racecars machine on the pole and waged a race-long battle with Thomas Merrill, swapping the lead with the 36-year-old veteran on multiple occasions before getting around Merrill a final time with just four laps remaining. Mosack took the checkered flag by a .732-of-a-second margin.

“It was a really a fun race, probably the most fun Trans Am I’ve ever been a part of, just good, clean racing up front all the way,” Mosack said. “This is amazing. We’ve been so close this year and to finally get it done, I feel like we really deserved this one. I was trying to give it away there a couple of times, gave him the lead back with some mistakes, but thankfully this car was so good, we were able to get by him multiple times.”

Merrill, who started the race second, was able to get by Mosack on the opening lap and held the lead for the first 16 tours of the iconic circuit. After patiently biding his time and offering occasional aborted attempts to get back by Merrill, Mosack finally retook the lead on lap 17 and stayed there for the next eight laps, surviving a restart along the way. Mosack admitted to an error on the side of caution that gave the lead back to Merrill on lap 25, but that lead proved to be short-lived. Mosack’s winning pass came on lap 27.

“He passed me on the start, and then I got him about halfway through the race, and then just drove away on that long, green-flag run, and had a good restart,” Mosack said. “And then I think I made a mistake. There was grass all over the track and I was a little too careful through there and he just didn’t care, so that’s on me for being a little too cautious. And then he made a mistake and I was able to get by him around the outside of the carousel, and that was it. We knew we had a really good car, so even if we lost the lead there at the beginning, we thought we’d be OK. That’s what happened. We lost the lead but we weren’t too disappointed because I knew we had the car to get back by him.”

Mosack’s victory, his fourth podium finish through 10 races this season, tightened the points race atop the TA2 championship with two races remaining. The Charlotte, North Carolina-native stands third, just four points behind Merrill and 16 points behind series leader and defending-champion Rafa Matos, who finished third in Saturday’s race. Only the Oct. 8 race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton and the Nov. 6 race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, remain on the schedule.

“It was a great race. I had a lot of fun out there racing Thomas,” Mosack said. “Thanks to him for racing me clean. I had to trust him a few times getting by him, and I kept making mistakes and letting him back by. It was a fun race and he kept me honest, that’s for sure. I want to thank the guys at TeamSLR who gave me a really good car. Thanks to Open Eyes, Franklin Road Apparel, Nacarato Trucks, Nic Tailor and everyone who makes it possible to race every week. Hopefully this is the momentum we needed and we can finish the season off with two good finishes at VIR and COTA.”

Joining Mosack near the top of Saturday’s leaderboard was fellow TeamSLR driver Dillon Machavern, the 27-year-old from Charlotte, Vermont, started seventh and finished sixth in his second race of the season in the No. 17 UniFirst/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro. Opening-lap drama ended the race for the two other drivers in the four-car TeamSLR armada at The Glen. Chris Liesfeld and his No. 96 Fields Racing/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro was caught up in a multicar accident not of his doing, and Justin Marks was forced to retire with transmission issues shortly after taking the green flag in his No. 99 Team Trackhouse/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro.

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 100 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Aric Almirola and Kel Kearns Discuss BlueOval City on No. 10 Mustang at Bristol

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bristol Night Race | Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Aric Almirola will have a new sponsor on his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Mustang this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway as BlueOval City will be featured. BlueOval City is a 3600-acre campus covering six square miles in western Tennessee and will produce Ford’s next all-new electric truck and batteries to power future Ford and Lincoln vehicles when it opens in 2025. Kel Kearns, Electric Vehicle Center Plant Manager for BlueOval CIty, joined Almirola for a media call earlier today to discuss the partnership.

KEL KEARNS, Electric Vehicle Center Plant Manager, BlueOval City – WHAT IS BLUEOVAL CITY AND WHAT DOES THIS OPPORTUNITY MEAN TO YOU? “Ford is leading the electric revolution with strong plans to create a sustainable automotive manufacturing ecosystem at BlueOval City. We have an electric vehicle center. We have a battery plant and other suppliers that together we’ll be producing the next generation battery electric truck for Ford while creating 6,000 jobs. We’re really excited to be showcasing BlueOval City on Aric’s Ford Mustang this weekend.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 BlueOval City Ford Mustang – WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO HAVE NEW PARTNER ON BOARD FOR THIS WEEKEND? “It’s awesome. Obviously, Ford has been a great supporter of mine over the last 11 years. That’s the only Cup car I’ve ever driven has been a Ford, so that’s been fun over the last 11 years and then to see the progression Ford Motor Company has made over those 11 years of me driving a blue oval and to now represent them this weekend at Bristol with BlueOval City and what a phenomenal facility they’re gonna built there. I just hope that the $5.5 billion that they’ve committed to build this facility doesn’t take away from our racing program. Is that OK, Kel?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE REPRESENTING THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY THIS WEEKEND AT SUCH AN ICONIC RACE? “It means a lot and to do it in the playoffs with a large spotlight on us, do it in Bristol, Tennessee. The new plant is gonna be in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s just a really cool weekend and a great opportunity for me, like you said. Over the last 11 years I’ve seen a lot of progression out of Ford Motor Company. I remember getting to go down in the basement of Ford World Headquarters and I had to give my cell phone to a security guard and wasn’t allowed to take my cell phone in there and I got to go see the clay model of the Ford GT when they were getting ready to come out with that. And then also got to go down there and see when they were developing the Bronco a year before anybody else even knew about it. The same thing with the electric Mustang and getting to see that, so I’ve been able to see the future and the growth of Ford Motor Company over the years through my relationship with them and it has been so much fun for me to be able to see behind the curtain. Here’s another opportunity to be involved in the future of Ford Motor Company and to be able to cast a spotlight on BlueOval City and what a phenomenal place that they’re gonna build there. They’re gonna create between there and BlueOval SK 11,000 new American jobs. It’s just incredible and it’s been really enjoyable to be along for the ride throughout the journey.”

DO YOU FEEL THESE LAST 8 RACES ARE WORKING TOWARD 2023 OR ARE THERE POTENTIALLY TOO MANY CHANGES WITH THE CAR THAT WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING ISN’T AS FOCUSED ON 2023 AS IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS? “No, we’re working really hard on 2023. The last six races before the playoffs we were really trying to just kind of massage on things and trying to take race cars that we felt like were capable of running seventh to 12th and like fine-tune it hoping that we would hit on that missing ingredient to get to where we needed to be to be a winning race car, and now that we’re out of the playoffs we’ve really used this opportunity as a team, the 10 team individually, we’ve used it as an opportunity to kind of swing for the fences on stuff that is way outside of the box on anything that we’ve looked at previously, 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 often times 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 line for the cut off for the playoffs on points, and 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, 19th in points. It doesn’t really matter as much to us as much as it does to learn as much as we can going into next year so that we can go race for a championship next year. Drew 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 the 22 car missed the playoffs and came back the next year and won the championship.’ So, we’re not gonna get too upset and hang our heads. We’re just gonna look ahead and focus on getting better for next year.”

ELECTRIFICATION IS COMING DOWN THE ROAD. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THOSE KIND OF CARS? “I’ve driven the Mach-E quite a bit. The people at Ford were gracious enough to let me have one for a week and the kids loved it. We raced every single person we could from a stop light in Mooresville, Cornelius and Kannapolis, North Carolina. Everybody that was willing to race us from a stop light we raced, at least to the speed limit. So, zero to 45 or zero to 55 I don’t think there was a race we lost, so we had a lot of fun with that. It’s quite spectacular what the entire auto industry is doing, but specifically Ford. Having conversations with Jim Farley earlier this year and just his excitement and enthusiasm for where they’re headed as a company and where they’re headed with electrification is fascinating to me because I feel like we’re living in one of those eras to where you’re getting ready to see something spectacular and you’re getting ready to live through it. You think back to when we went from those big heavy muscle cars to lighter weight more aerodynamic more sophistication, more electronics, electronic fuel injection and all those things. My father and grandfather got to live through that transition, so here we are getting ready to live through the transition of seeing more electrification and what the capabilities are. I think that’s the most impressive part from my standpoint is for a guy that likes to hold the steering wheel and to mash the throttle, you want it to be an exciting experience. You want to enjoy driving the vehicle and I’ve been just amazed and fascinated with the vehicles that Ford has put out with electrification.”

KEL KEARNS CONTINUED – YOU’RE ADVERTISING A NEW MANUFACTURING PLANT. IS IT NO ACCIDENT OF THE LOCATION WHERE YOU’RE ON THE CAR? THE PLANT IS IN TENNESSEE AND YOU’LL BE ON THE CAR IN THAT STATE AS WELL. WAS THAT THE IMPETUS BEHIND DOING IT THERE? “It’s a great opportunity to showcase what’s happening in BlueOval City in Tennessee at Bristol and partner with a great event with NASCAR and Aric and his Ford Mustang. Aric really said it well. Electrification is the future. It’s the next generation. It’s exciting new technology, but that doesn’t change what Ford is. Ford is about Ford Performance and racing is part of our DNA, so that’s what we’re going to showcase this weekend as we move forward and showcase BlueOval City on the No. 10 this weekend.”

ARIC ALMIROLA CONTINUED – WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR YOU TO HAVE A GREAT PERFORMANCE WITH THIS NEW SPONSORSHIP? “To be totally honest and transparent, that’s the goal every weekend regardless of who is on the car, but certainly when you are representing Ford Motor Company and their new campus that they’re building in Memphis, Tennessee with BlueOval City, and you’re doing it in Bristol, Tennessee, there certainly is an added bonus for running well, getting the TV coverage and the notoriety and all of those things that they deserve. So, yes, I’m excited to have that opportunity. I’m looking forward to it. Nobody really knows what to expect at Bristol, to be totally honest, because this is a very unique racetrack and we have not run there with this car on this configuration. When we ran there earlier this year it was dirt, totally different from what we’re gonna have here this weekend. It’s a bit of an unknown for all of us, but I’m excited. If history has anything to say, Bristol has been a really good racetrack for me throughout my career, so hopefully we can do it right and we can get BlueOval City all the press that they need by going to Victory Lane.”

WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR DECIDING TO COME BACK IN 2023? “That decision ultimately came down to the fact that the sponsor wanted me to stay and asked me to reconsider. The team asked me to stay and to reconsider and I talked with my wife about it, we prayed about it and we just felt like circumstances in our life had changed drastically in the last 12 months since we had previously decided that it would be it. So, for me, my desire to still race was there. I love to drive race cars, but I was willing to sacrifice doing what I love to do for my family. I felt like it was important to not miss out being the husband that I wanted to be and being the dad that I wanted to be, but things change. My kids started at a school to where Fridays were satellite work days, to where they don’t have to go to school on Friday. They can work from home online and turn their work in, and so now we could travel as a family to go to these races because we could leave on Thursday night or Friday morning to make it to the races and my kids weren’t missing school. And the other thing that changed were my kids’ activities. We found activities for them that were during the week, which for my daughter was easy. She was already doing that with theater and horseback riding during the week, but my son was playing baseball and football and those happened on the weekends. The games were on Saturdays and we ended up getting involved with a league in our community where practices are on Monday nights and games are on Tuesday and Thursday nights, so now not only am I not missing games on Saturdays, but I’m actually coaching my son’s baseball team, which has been really enjoyable for me. I feel like a normal dad. I feel like I have that ability to be there and be present and I’m not missing it. If I was gonna continue to miss it, I was totally willing to give up driving a race car. I was not willing to continue watching my son’s baseball games or football games on Facetime or my wife video texting me his at-bats. I wanted to be there. When he did good I wanted to be able to give him a high-five, and when he did something pooly I wanted to be able to talk to him about it and give him a hug, pat him on the butt and tell him to go get it next time. The same for my daughter. I want to be there and want to be present, but now with their activity schedule, their school schedule, they’ve traveled to I think 24 races already this year and they’re gonna go to four or five more before the end of the year, so we’re spending more family time together this year than we have ever in the past, and it’s been enjoyable. For those reasons, we just felt like God had manipulated some things in our lives to make it to where the opportunity was still there and the circumstances matched up to where I was able to say yes.”

IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU WOULD OWN A TEAM IN THE FUTURE OR RACE PART-TIME IN XFINITY OR TRUCK? “To own a team in the future, probably not. I would say that’s not in the cards for me. Financially, I’m not in a position to do that most likely and even the time commitment that I feel like it would need to take I don’t think I would be willing to do that going forward, but race part-time? Yes, I would love to do that. Once I step away from full-time racing in the Cup Series, I would still have a strong desire to scratch the itch and continue to drive race cars. If the opportunity presented itself to run six, eight, 10 Xfinity races and a handful of Truck races, I would love to do that to still strap in and go drive a race car.”

HOW DIFFICULT WITH IT BE TO RACE WITH THIS CAR ON THE ASPHALT AT BRISTOL? “Well, it’s concrete if we’re being totally accurate here, and I think it is going to be very, very different. I think there’s a lot of unknowns that we’ve already talked about, but some of them are very intricate unknowns, like how aggressive are the bumps gonna be on the racetrack and how low can you get your car without it getting upset from hitting those bumps, and just all those things we don’t have the answers to and we’re gonna have to try and figure it out in 15 minutes of practice. And how is the PJ1 gonna take effect and are we gonna run the bottom predominantly or are we gonna move up? We probably won’t figure that out in 15 minutes of practice because typically when we go to Bristol we practice for an hour and it takes 45 minutes of the hour of practice until we move up the racetrack, so I think even practice will be not the greatest indicator of how the race is gonna play out because I think a lot of things are gonna continue to evolve throughout the weekend.”

HAS THE DECISION TO COME BACK ALLOWED YOU TO RELAX MORE, KNOWING YOU’LL BE BACK? “No, I don’t think so. I was pretty relaxed anyway just thinking about it, not having to deal with the grind anymore to be totally honest. I was ready either way and I live in a pretty relaxed state. I don’t get too hyped up over a whole lot. I don’t get too anxious. There’s a lot of work involved. It’s certainly a grind to go throughout the 38 week stretch, but when I think about having next year honestly it adds a little bit more to the plate. I’m already sitting down thinking about photo shoots and commercial shoots with the marketing department here at the race team for next year. I had a meeting this morning with the suit manufacturer and getting re-measured for fire suits and stuff for next year, so there’s a lot of work that goes into being a race car driver behind the scenes – sponsor-related, media-related, just a lot of different stuff. The workload is pretty high and I think people underestimate that, but I have a great team around me. I have a great team of people and everybody helps to make it work and make it run smoothly.”

DO YOU THINK YOUR RETURN TO SHR HAD AN AFFECT ON THE KYLE BUSCH DECISION TODAY? “I have no idea. I can’t answer that. I was involved to a degree with the race team on trying to help them figure out what the plan was going forward and ultimately they came back and just asked me if I would be willing to reconsider and come back. The same for the sponsor. Outside of that, I don’t have a great answer to your question because I simply don’t know, but what I do know is that I’m gonna go to Bristol, Tennessee this weekend and represent BlueOval City, which I’m pretty fired up about and the reason that we’ve done this Zoom call today.”

Erik Jones, Ty Dillon Join Charlotte Area Students To Paint ‘Turtles’ Ahead of Oct. 7-9 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Weekend

By
Official Release
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Students from Royal Oaks School of the Arts paint their "turtle" at Charlotte Motor Speedway as fifth graders from Cabarrus, Iredell and Mecklenburg counties took part in a special STEAM event at the famed 1.5-mile superspeedway ahead of the Oct. 7-9 Bank of America ROVAL 400 weekend. (CMS photo)
  • Six schools from Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Iredell Counties decorated the kerbs as part the speedway’s STEAM education initatives; fans can vote on their favorite design
  • To purchase tickets, camping and upgrades for the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend Oct. 7-9, fans should visit charlottemotorspeedway.com or call 800-455-FANS (3267)

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 13, 2022) – Petty GMS drivers Erik Jones and Ty Dillon joined students from six Charlotte-area schools at Charlotte Motor Speedway to paint ‘turtles’ as the famed 1.5-mile superspeedway prepares for the upcoming Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend, Oct. 7-9.

Students from Charlotte Christian School, Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School, Royal Oaks School of the Arts, Beverly Hills Elementary School, Mooresville Intermediate School and East Mooresville Intermediate School each decorated their ‘turtle’ based on a literary theme of their choosing as part of the speedway’s STEAM education initiative.

“It’s cool just to see kids interested in reading and learn about their favorite books,” said Erik Jones, driver of the famed No. 43 for Petty GMS. “It can be tough sometimes getting kids interested and getting them wanting to read, but I think when you can tie it into something like racing, it makes it a little bit easier to learn. If you can get them interested in reading, getting them talking about racing – talking about NASCAR – that’s what works. It’s a good connection.”

The 100-pound kerbs, dubbed ‘turtles’ because of their rounded shape, will be bolted to the track surface to help keep drivers on the 17-turn, 2.28-mile course during the upcoming Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend, Oct. 7-9.

“It’s so fun to see the smiles on the kids’ faces; they’re having so much fun,” Dillon said. “And they’re incredible artists too. I can’t wait to be out there on the track seeing the paintings and knowing what schools and what kids put their touches on these turtles. It’s a great thing that the speedway is doing, to just learn and have fun – and also to show kids our sport.”

Fans can vote on their favorite ‘turtle’ at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/paint-the-roval-turtles/, through Sept. 28. The winner will be announced at the speedway’s STEAM Expo on Oct. 7, with the winning school earning a breakfast party. All six ‘turtles’ will be on track throughout the upcoming NASCAR weekend.

Paint for the event was provided by Sherwin-Williams.

TICKETS:

Adult tickets for Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina start at just $25. Kids 12 and under get in free with an adult. Tickets to the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 start at just $49 for adults. Kids 12 and under get in for just $10 with an adult. For tickets, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.

FOLLOW US:

Keep track of all of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

No. 10 BlueOval City Ford Racing: Bristol II Race Advance

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Official Release
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ARIC ALMIROLA
Bristol Race Advance
No. 10 BlueOval City Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 17
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps / 266.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● History at Bristol: In 24 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol, Almirola has two top-five finishes, four top-10s, and has led three laps.

● Last weekend at Kansas: Almirola had to rally for a 21st-place finish after an engine change on Saturday forced the No. 10 team to start in the rear for Sunday’s race. After the team opted to stay on track during the first stage break, Almirola led the field to green to start the second stage but was collected in an accident not of his own doing later in the race, which ultimately created handling issues that could not be remedied.

● 2022 Season: Through 28 races this season, Almirola has earned two top-five finishes, seven top-10s, and has led six laps. His average finish of 17.4 and seven top-10s have bettered his totals for the entire 36-race 2021 season.

● Driver Points: Almirola arrives at Bristol 20th in the driver standings with 618 points.

● Almirola’s career: In 416 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has earned three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 91 top-10s, three poles, and has led 899 laps.

● BlueOval City: This weekend, Almirola will sport a brand new paint scheme that showcases one of the largest auto manufacturing facility projects in U.S. history. BlueOval City is an all-new electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus located in West Tennessee. This $5.6 billioninvestment will be home to Ford’s next-generation electric truck and will produce batteries for future Ford and Lincoln vehicles. The site spans six square miles and will encompass vehicle assembly, battery production, and a supplier park in a vertically integrated ecosystem. Once fully operational, the assembly plant at BlueOval City will be carbon neutral, send zero waste to landfills, and meet Ford’s air emission goals. Production of the all-new electric truck will begin in 2025. In addition to the 4,100-acre property, two BlueOval SK battery plants will be built in Kentucky, creating a total of 11,000 new American jobs. These facilities reimagine how electric vehicles and batteries are designed, built and recycled – all built for America with an $11.4 billion investment by Ford and its partners.

● 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 Friday, 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 BlueOval City Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

We’re back on the concrete surface at Bristol. Does that excite you?

“Absolutely. The original Bristol is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit. I know the dirt race puts on a good show for the fans, but there is nothing like Saturday-night short-track racing under the lights. You’re beating and banging the entire time and just always on edge. I’ve been looking forward to Bristol all year and our short-track program has been good this year. I hope we’ll have a shot at adding another non-playoff driver win to the scoreboard this weekend.”

How cool is it to be a part of such a revolutionary project with Ford Motor Company?

“One of the many great things about being a Ford driver is that you are part of a company that helped reshape America. That’s what Henry Ford did when he formed Ford Motor Company and BlueOval City will have the ability to do the same thing for this generation when it gets up and running. I’m excited to see what the future holds and hope I can give them a good run on Saturday night.”

No. 10 BlueOval City 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

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