Home Blog Page 1764

Final race on Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval set for Feb. 26, 2023

By
Official Release
-

Planning continues for new short track on current site as NASCAR prepares for one final celebration on the current racing configuration

FONTANA, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2022) – NASCAR and Auto Club Speedway announced today that the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series race on Feb. 26 will be the final race on Auto Club Speedway’s classic 2-mile oval. Planning continues for a new short track located on the current site, but details will be announced at a later date.

Concurrently, NASCAR and Auto Club Speedway are continuing to work with Hillwood Properties on redeveloping portions of Auto Club Speedway’s property. To accommodate this process, the Speedway has removed portions of the Turn 1 and Turn 4 grandstands in anticipation for the future short track development pending approval.

Yet the focus right now is racing on the 2-mile oval, and Auto Club Speedway is gearing up for an incredible grand finale on its current configuration. It’s a track that has produced exciting races won by legendary winners for more than a quarter century. And on Feb. 26, 2023, the best drivers in the world will vie for the bragging rights of winning the last race on this D-shaped oval located in the heart of the Inland Empire.

“This is going to be a can’t-miss event,” said Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen. “This 2-mile oval has produced so many incredible memories during the past 25 years, and we know the final race on this surface will produce more memories that will last a lifetime.

“Moreover, the continued redevelopment of this property will inject more fuel into the local economy, and we’re excited what the future holds for our racetrack and the Inland Empire as a whole.”

Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval opened as California Speedway in 1997. It quickly became the region’s premier motorsports destination featuring breathtaking NASCAR and IndyCar races. Some of racing’s greatest drivers have won races on the high-speed track, including NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and reining NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who won the WISE Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 27.

The complete NASCAR Cup Series schedule was unveiled today, and it revealed that the final race on Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval will hold a premium spot on the premier series’ schedule. Once again, it will be the much-anticipated follow-up to the DAYTONA 500 and set the tone for what promises to be a NASCAR Cup Series season to remember.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will also compete one final time on the 2-mile layout on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Tickets for the final NASCAR Cup Series weekend on Auto Club Speedway’s 2-mile oval are on sale now. Fans are encouraged to visit www.autoclubspeedway.com for the latest ticket information.

About Auto Club Speedway

Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles in Fontana, Auto Club Speedway is California’s premier motorsports facility, hosting over 320 days of track activity each year including a NASCAR Cup Series weekend. The two-mile D-shaped oval is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit. The Speedway is also home to numerous movie, television and commercial productions, photo shoots, new car testing, club racing and a variety of racing schools. For more information on events at Auto Club Speedway, call 1-800-944-RACE (7223), visit www.AutoClubSpeedway.com or download the new NASCAR Tracks App at www.autoclubspeedway.com/nascar-tracks-app/

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

NASCAR Announces 2023 NASCAR National Series Schedules

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR’s Diamond Anniversary Season Highlighted By New Venues in all Three Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2022) – NASCAR today announced the 2023 schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. During the organization’s 75th anniversary season, NASCAR’s national series will visit an exciting mix of history-rich venues, short tracks and road courses, with the sport reaching a new level of excitement with the already-announced Chicago Street Race – a bold, first-of-its-kind addition in a globally renowned city.

“As we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, we are committed to delivering a schedule that acknowledges the deep history and tradition of our sport while establishing a bold future that brings the best racing in the world to new markets and new fans,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy. “The 2023 schedules are a product of continued collaboration across our industry and partners. We are incredibly proud of what our sport will have to offer fans next season, and excited to celebrate this milestone season with the most diverse compilation of tracks in motorsports.”

The 2023 Cup season will get underway with “round two” of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, which will take place in East Coast primetime on Sunday, Feb. 5 on FOX. Two weeks later, on Sunday, Feb. 19, the 65th annual DAYTONA 500 will unfold live on FOX from Daytona International Speedway.

Additional highlights to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule include:

  • NASCAR will head west for the final race on the two-mile version of Auto Club Speedway (Sunday, Feb. 26) before visiting Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Mar. 5) and Phoenix Raceway (Sunday, Mar. 12).
  • As previously announced, NASCAR’s annual All-Star Race (Sunday, May 21) will be hosted by North Wilkesboro Speedway – the first time the track will welcome the Cup Series since 1996.
  • The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will once again begin at Darlington Raceway (Sunday, Sept. 3), with the NASCAR Championship Race set for Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 5.

As for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a pair of road courses join the schedule for the first time in its four-decade history, as Names Will Be Made at Sonoma Raceway (June 10) and the Chicago Street Race (July 1). Bristol Motor Speedway will host the Xfinity Series Playoffs opener (Friday, Sept. 15) and the series will culminate with its championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 4.

What’s old is new for the ‘Tough Trucks’ as CRAFTSMAN returns to the series, as does a race at the historic Milwaukee Mile. Trucks will make a return to the Milwaukee Mile Speedway for the second race of the Round of 10 on Sunday, August 27. The visit will mark the first time the Trucks have returned to Brew City since 2009.

In addition, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will get the festivities started on All-Star weekend when the trucks join the stars from the NASCAR Cup Series at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996, on Saturday, May 20.

The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs will get underway on Friday, Aug. 11 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and like the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, will crown a champion at Phoenix Raceway (Friday, Nov. 3) for the fourth consecutive year.

For tickets to 2023 NASCAR events, please visit www.nascar.com/2023schedule.

The FOX Sports and NBC Sports family of networks will again broadcast the 2023 NASCAR season. Networks and start times will be announced at a later date.

Below are the full 2023 NASCAR National Series schedules (Playoff races in bold font):

2023 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

DateRace / Track
Sunday, February 5Clash (L.A. Memorial Coliseum)
Thursday, February 16Duel at Daytona
Sunday, February 19DAYTONA 500
Sunday, February 26Auto Club
Sunday, March 5Las Vegas
Sunday, March 12Phoenix
Sunday, March 19Atlanta
Sunday, March 26COTA
Sunday, April 2Richmond
Sunday, April 9Bristol Dirt
Sunday, April 16Martinsville
Sunday, April 23Talladega
Sunday, April 30Dover
Sunday, May 7Kansas
Sunday, May 14Darlington
Sunday, May 21North Wilkesboro (All-Star Race)
Sunday, May 28Charlotte
Sunday, June 4World Wide Technology Raceway
Sunday, June 11Sonoma
Sunday, June 25Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, July 2Chicago Street Race
Sunday, July 9Atlanta
Sunday, July 16New Hampshire
Sunday, July 23Pocono
Sunday, July 30Richmond
Sunday, August 6Michigan
Sunday, August 13Indianapolis Road Course
Sunday, August 20Watkins Glen
Saturday, August 26Daytona
Sunday, September 3Darlington
Sunday, September 10Kansas
Saturday, September 16Bristol
Sunday, September 24Texas
Sunday, October 1Talladega
Sunday, October 8Charlotte Roval
Sunday, October 15Las Vegas
Sunday, October 22Homestead-Miami
Sunday, October 29Martinsville
Sunday, November 5Phoenix (Championship)

2023 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SCHEDULE

DateRace / Track
Saturday, February 18Daytona
Saturday, February 25Auto Club
Saturday, March 4Las Vegas
Saturday, March 11Phoenix
Saturday, March 18Atlanta
Saturday, March 25COTA
Saturday, April 1Richmond
Saturday, April 15Martinsville
Saturday, April 22Talladega
Saturday, April 29Dover
Saturday, May 13Darlington
Saturday, May 27Charlotte
Saturday, June 3Portland
Saturday, June 10Sonoma
Saturday, June 24Nashville Superspeedway
Saturday, July 1Chicago Street Race
Saturday, July 8Atlanta
Saturday, July 15New Hampshire
Saturday, July 22Pocono
Saturday, July 29Road America
Saturday, August 5Michigan
Saturday, August 12Indianapolis Road Course
Saturday, August 19Watkins Glen
Friday, August 25Daytona
Saturday, September 2Darlington
Saturday, September 9Kansas
Friday, September 15Bristol
Saturday, September 23Texas
Saturday, October 7Charlotte Roval
Saturday, October 14Las Vegas
Saturday, October 21Homestead-Miami
Saturday, October 28Martinsville
Saturday, November 4Phoenix (Championship)

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES SCHEDULE

DateRace / Track
Friday, February 17Daytona
Friday, March 3Las Vegas
Saturday, March 18Atlanta
Saturday, March 25COTA
Saturday, April 1Texas
Saturday, April 8Bristol Dirt
Friday, April 14Martinsville
Saturday, May 6Kansas
Friday, May 12Darlington
Saturday, May 20North Wilkesboro
Friday, May 26Charlotte
Saturday, June 3World Wide Technology Raceway
Friday, June 23Nashville Superspeedway
Saturday, July 8Mid-Ohio
Saturday, July 22Pocono
Saturday, July 29Richmond
Friday, August 11Lucas Oil IRP
Sunday, August 27Milwaukee
Friday, September 8Kansas
Thursday, September 14Bristol
Saturday, September 30Talladega
Saturday, October 21Homestead-Miami
Friday, November 3Phoenix (Championship)

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series™, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour™), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series™). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

Toyota Racing Weekly Preview – 09.14.22

By
Official Release
-

This Week in Motorsports: September 13-19, 2022

· NCS/NXS/NCWTS/ARCA: Bristol Motor Speedway – September 15-17
· NHRA: Maple Grove Raceway – September 18

PLANO, Texas (September 14, 2022) – NASCAR’s top three series take on Bristol Motor Speedway, while ARCA is set to crown a champion. In Pennsylvania, the NHRA begins its post-season with the kickoff event at Maple Grove Raceway.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCWTS

Wallace continues recent hot streak… Bubba Wallace earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Wallace, who has earned career-highs in top-fives, top-10s and laps led this season, has recorded top-10 finishes in six of the last nine events with four of them in the top-five. Wallace scored a top-10 finish in Bristol in 2020.

Bell Cup Series points leader… Christopher Bell drove to his second straight top-five finish to start the 2022 Playoffs as the Oklahoma-native drove to an opening stage win and a third-place finish. With the results, Bell took over the NCS points lead for the first time in his career and is the only driver locked in to the Round of 12 heading into the cutoff race at Bristol.

Hamlin on podium streak… Denny Hamlin has started his Playoff run with back-to-back second place finishes to give the multi-time Championship 4 driver a healthy 47-point advantage over the Playoff cutoff line heading into Bristol. Hamlin has multiple wins at Bristol, including a triumph in the Bristol night race in 2019.

Busch heading to one of his best tracks… Kyle Busch is headed to Bristol Motor Speedway with a two-point deficit to make the Round of 12, but his winning history at Bristol is unmatched. The Las Vegas-native has eight Cup Series wins at the track, including Toyota’s first four wins at ‘The Last Great Coliseum.’

Jones ready for another strong run at Bristol… Brandon Jones has had multiple strong runs at Bristol Motor Speedway, including back-to-back top-five finishes. He earned a track-best third-place finish in 2020 and added a fifth-place finish at this race one year ago.

Earnhardt back-to-back with SHR… Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to Sam Hunt Racing for back-to-back races at Bristol Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway to close his season with the team. Earnhardt has earned a top-10 finish and five top-20 finishes in seven NXS starts with the team this season.

Rhodes looks to sweep Bristol… Ben Rhodes won the Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this season – but that was when the event was run on dirt. The reigning Truck Series champion led 95 of 150 laps in the spring, and he now looks to score his first win on the pavement at Bristol. Rhodes earned a top-five finish at the track in 2017.

Toyota drivers fill Truck field… Toyota has filled the Round of 8 in the Truck Series field as six Tundra drivers will be competing for the championship – Chandler Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Stewart Friesen, Ty Majeski and Christian Eckes. Toyota looks to become the first manufacturer to sweep the Championship 4 spots in the Truck Series.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Smith plans to clinch two titles in Bristol… With another impressive run in Kansas, Sammy Smith is on track to clinch two championships in Bristol on Thursday evening. Smith leads the ARCA Menards Series East standings by 33 points and the Sioux Chief Showdown championship by 26 points. He has earned top-five finishes in every ARCA East and Sioux Chief Showdown event this season.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Toyota Top Fuel teams look to continue streak… Toyota’s Top Fuel teams have won the last three events on tour with multi-time champions Antron Brown and Steve Torrence claiming victories. Brown has won two of the last three points-paying events at Topeka, Kansas, and the historic U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, while Torrence scored his first win of the season in Brainerd, Minnesota, before adding the all-star callout win in Indianapolis.

Ashley plans to keep consistency… Toyota’s top-ranked Top Fuel driver is Justin Ashley, who in his debut season with Toyota, is in the third season competing in the Countdown. Since his Bristol victory on Father’s Day weekend, Ashley has gone to the semi-finals or better six times in eight events, including the past three events.

Reigning champion looks for another crown… Ron Capps earned the second victory for the Toyota GR Supra Funny Car in Indianapolis, delivering Toyota’s third win in the historic race in the past six U.S. Nationals. With the win, Capps moved to the second seed in the standings as he looks to earn his second consecutive, and third overall, Funny Car title.

Stay Connected

https://www.toyota.com/racing @ToyotaRacing.com @ToyotaRacing

facebook.com/ToyotaRacing Camera With Flash on Apple iOS 11.3 ToyotaRacingMedia.com

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Rosenqvist retained by Arrow McLaren SP, Palou remains at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Three days following the conclusion of the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season, the future fates for both Felix Rosenqvist and Alex Palou were revealed. For Rosenqvist, he will be remaining as a full-time driver for Arrow McLaren SP and be part of the team’s three-car expansion for next season. Palou, meanwhile, will continue to pilot the No 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

The news comes following a summer-long swirl highlighting both competitors and organizations that started in July when Palou initially disputed the news of CGR retaining him for 2023 by announcing his intentions of joining McLaren in 2023. Palou’s news of being placed as an option for McLaren prompted Ganassi to file a civil action lawsuit against the Spaniard who won the 2021 IndyCar championship in Ganassi’s No. 10 entry, which lasted throughout the summer. The contract dispute between Palou and CGR also began to affect Rosenqvist’s future with McLaren and AMSP, in spite of the Swedish competitor signing a contract extension to remain at McLaren, but with no specific series announced.

With the news on Wednesday that Palou and CGR have reached a resolution to their contract dispute, Rosenqvist, who also appeared to be remaining in IndyCar with McLaren for next season, will compete in his third season for AMSP in 2023. The news means that Rosenqvist completes AMSP’s three-driver lineup that includes Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi, who was announced to be joining the organization in June while being replaced at Andretti Autosport by Kyle Kirkwood.

“There’s no better way to enter the off-season than with this news!” Rosenqvist said. “I love this team, and I’m so happy to continue working with all the incredible people I’ve gotten to know over the past two seasons. With everything the team has in the pipeline, the continuing relationship with Pato and the addition of Alex Rossi, we are going to bring our A-game for 2023. It will be the most exciting season for me so far. Let it be March already!”

Rosenqvist, who last visited Victory Lane in the IndyCar circuit since Road America in July 2020, is coming off a strong 2022 campaign, where he finished in eighth place in the final drivers’ standings with 393 points on the strength of two poles and his maiden podium with McLaren after finishing third at the Exhibition Place in Toronto, Canada, in July. He also piloted the No. 7 AMSP Dallara-Chevrolet to a total of 10 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 11.8 throughout the 17-race schedule. His eighth-place result in this year’s final standings marked an improvement of 13 spots from the previous season, where he finished no higher than sixth place on the track and missed two races in June following a hard accident during the first of a Belle Isle Street Circuit doubleheader feature on Saturday, June 12. His 2021 average-finishing result was 16.4.

“I’m delighted that Felix will again be racing with AMSP through 2023,” Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, added. “He had a strong 2022 season, and I look forward to seeing what he, Alex Rossi and Pato O’Ward can do when they join forces in papaya. It’s also great to have Alex Palou joining the McLaren Racing family in our Testing of Previous Cars programme.”

For Palou, the 2023 season will also mark his third campaign with Chip Ganassi Racing. The Spaniard, who won the 2021 IndyCar title with Ganassi on the strength of his first three career victories, capped off the 2022 season by capturing his first elusive checkered flag of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. The victory along with six podiums, 173 laps led and an average-finishing result of 8.0 throughout the 17-race schedule were enough for Palou to conclude the season in fifth place in the final standings despite tying Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin for fourth place with 510 points.

Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Following the news, Palou, who will still participate in a McLaren F1 testing session at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain this week, took to social media to confirm his racing plans for next season.

With both drivers’ plans for next season set, they turn their attention to contend for the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series championship. The 2023 schedule remains to be determined.

Kaulig Racing and Hemric Team Up with First Bank of Alabama at Talladega

By
Official Release
-

Hemric to Pilot No. 11 First Bank of Alabama Chevrolet in Sparks 300

 LEXINGTON, N.C. (September 14, 2022) – Kaulig Racing and Daniel Hemric announced today their partnership with the First Bank of Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway for the Sparks 300.

Proudly serving Talladega and the surrounding area for nearly 175 years, the First Bank of Alabama looks to showcase the positive impact it has on its local communities, as it is featured on Hemric’s No. 11 Chevrolet for the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ (NXS) playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.

“Our desire to partner with Kaulig Racing was driven highly by the reputation they have of giving back and service,” said Chad Jones, President & CEO First Bank of Alabama. “First Bank of Alabama and Kaulig Racing share this philosophy, and it seemed a natural fit for how we will continue to serve our communities. Our mission statement drives how we perform excellence in service through our empowered employees to make a positive impact. We believe that both Daniel and Kaulig Racing can propel our partnership to the top level that our customers and shareholders expect from First Bank of Alabama, and we are proud to be a part of this weekend in our ‘backyard.’”

In addition to its partnership with Hemric and Kaulig Racing, First Bank of Alabama is also teaming up with Talladega Superspeedway to provide over 500 students the opportunity to attend “Driving STEM at Talladega”, an experience First Bank of Alabama has been providing to local middle school students since 2019 to help develop their leadership skills, abilities to communicate, collaborate and problem solve.

“Not only does First Bank of Alabama strive to provide excellent service to its customers, but its local communities as well,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “Both Kaulig Racing and Daniel have a passion for paying it forward and helping others, which is what makes this partnership such a perfect fit.”

Hemric, currently sitting 10th in the 2022 NXS playoff standings, offers an annual scholarship to students at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College who qualify for financial aid and have chosen a field of study in either motorsports, welding or mechanical engineering.

“This partnership with First Bank of Alabama is special in more ways than one,” said Hemric. “I have had so many people help me throughout my racing career, so to have them as a partner at Kaulig Racing, as well as seeing them giving students the opportunity to find their passion is something that is close to my heart.”

Hemric and First Bank of Alabama will take the green flag at Talladega Superspeedway for the second race of the 2022 NXS playoffs on Saturday, October 1 at 4pm ET on the USA network.
 
About First Bank of Alabama

First Bank of Alabama, based in Talladega, AL, is the banking subsidiary of FirstBanc of Alabama, Inc. and a full-service community bank with approximately $930 million in total assets. Formed in 1848, First Bank of Alabama is the oldest continuously operated bank in the state of Alabama and operates 12 offices in East Central Alabama. For more information, please visit www.firstbankal.com.

 
About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. They will continue fielding three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. With multiple wins, Kaulig Racing has come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team made multiple starts in the NCS in 2021 and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The young team has acquired two charters for the 2022 NCS season, with Justin Haley competing as its first, full-time driver in the series. The team’s second entry will be shared by part-time teammates AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

JR Motorsports — NXS Bristol Preview

By
Official Release
-

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway
RACE: Food City 300 (300 laps / 159.9 miles)
DATE: Friday, Sept. 16, 2022

Broadcast Information – TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 7 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Huck’s Market Chevrolet
• By virtue of last week’s ninth-place finish, Sam Mayer has clinched a playoff berth heading into the last race of the regular season at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Mayer will make his second start at “The Last Great Colosseum.” In this race last season, Mayer led 49 laps before finishing ninth.
• Bristol is a great track for the 19-year-old Franklin, Wis. native as he won the ARCA Menards Series race and Truck Series race in the same night during the 2020 season.

Josh Berry
No. 8 HarrisonsUSA.com Chevrolet
• In three career starts at half-mile tracks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Mayer has tallied two top fives, three top 10s, and an average finish of 6.0.
• Josh Berry made his lone start at Bristol last season as a fillin driver for JRM’s No. 1 team.
• Berry has made four starts at tracks measuring a half-mile in length in the NXS, tallying one win, one top five and one top 10, while pacing the field for 95 laps.
• With last week’s seventh-place finish, Berry has now finished inside the top 10 in seven of the last 10 races dating back to Road America in July. He has earned a top 10 in 60% of his 25 starts this season.
• In his first full-time season in the NXS, Berry sits fifth in the driver standings.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will attempt to become the first JRM driver to win three consecutive races on Friday night at Bristol. Only Chase Elliott (2014), William Byron (2017), Justin Allgaier (2020) and Gragson (2021) have had the opportunity for the team.
• Over his last seven NXS starts, Gragson has three victories (Pocono, Darlington and Kansas), five top-five and six top-10 finishes.
• On tracks 1-mile or less in his career, Gragson has earned four wins, including one at Bristol in 2020. His other triumphs have come at Richmond and Martinsville in 2021 and Phoenix earlier this year.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier returns to the site of his first career NXS victory this weekend at Bristol. Allgaier started 30th and led 27 laps en route to the win in the spring of 2010.
• In 21 career NXS starts at the famed short track, Allgaier has earned one win, 10 top fives and 13 top 10s.
• Additionally, the 856 laps led by Allgaier at Bristol are the most at any track he has competed on in the NXS.
• Heading into the final race of the regular season, Allgaier currently sits third in the championship standings.
• With last week’s second-place finish at Kansas, Allgaier has now placed inside the top five in four of the last six races.

Driver Quotes

“Bristol is one of my best tracks and the one I have had the most success at in the past. This team gave me a really great car last year, and it showed with us racing up front and leading laps. I know this Huck’s Market team is working really hard to bring that same speed this weekend and hopefully we can end the regular season on the right foot and build some momentum for the first round of the playoffs.” – Sam Mayer

“I love Bristol. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the schedule. We’ve come so close to going to Victory Lane here over the past couple of seasons, but just didn’t have circumstances fall in our favor. Hopefully this weekend we can have a smooth, trouble-free day and be up front fighting for the win in the end with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. The playoffs are right around the corner and nothing would be better than to end this regular season on a strong note under the lights on Friday night in Bristol.” – Justin Allgaier

“Last year was a last minute deal for me to run at Bristol, but the track time definitely helped going into this year. We had a good car last year but definitely don’t have the result to show for it. We’ve been pretty strong the last few weeks and I know this team is working their tails off to get us back in Victory Lane. It’s our last chance to get some playoff points and that is the goal for this weekend.” – Josh Berry

“We are getting hot at the right time for the championship. Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and the No. 9 team have been giving me fantastic Chevrolets all season, and we have been turning that into wins here lately. Winning at Bristol was a highlight of my career so far, and winning again Friday night would be even better. It will give us a huge boost heading into the playoffs.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:

• JR Motorsports at Bristol: JR Motorsports has competed at “The Last Great Colosseum” a combined 84 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the .533-mile high-banked facility, the organization has tallied two wins, 22 top fives and 51 top 10s. The most recent win for JRM at Bristol came during the 2020 season with Noah Gragson taking the checkered. Bristol also ranks as the No. 2 track in laps led for the organization with 1,057.
• Harrison’s USA: Shop your Back to School outfit needs by visiting your closest Harrison’s USA store or by shopping online here.
• Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson and Josh Berry will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Hendrick Motorsports souvenir rig on Friday, Sept. 16 from 1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
• Food City Stage: All four JRM drivers will appear at the Food City Fan Zone stage located in the Bristol fan zone on Friday, Sept. 16 from 4:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
• Huck’s Market: Huck’s kares for kids all year long by providing funding to the following: Cancer Treatments, Back Pack Programs, St Jude, Scholarships, SIH Southern Illinois Healthcare, Coach Kill Fund, and more! Please consider donating today.

Busch’s move to RCR a gain for Chevrolet, but a huge loss for Toyota

By
Joseph Shelton
-
Busch's transfer to Richard Childress Racing ends a 15-year run with Toyota. Photo by Simon Scroggins

Tuesday morning’s news that Kyle Busch is moving from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing was undoubtedly the worst kept news in NASCAR for at least the past month. Busch leaves the JGR Toyota camp after 15 seasons and two Cup championships to pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet currently occupied by Tyler Reddick.

At first glance, it’s obvious this will be a boon for the mid-pack RCR camp. Since losing Kevin Harvick in 2013, RCR has celebrated success sparingly within the organization, with seven wins (four for Austin Dillon, one for Ryan Newman, two for Reddick) since the 2014 season. To bring in a driver like Busch could very well turn the tides for RCR and could bring in the level of success the group was used to during Harvick’s tenure with the team.

It’s all dependent, however, on how much money Chevrolet is planning on throwing in RCR’s and Busch’s direction. With the move to RCR, Busch’s Kyle Busch Motorsports Camping World Truck teams will be making the switch to Chevrolet as well. Considering that the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is heavily observed by the manufacturers, the loss of the best Toyota team is a dent in their driver pipeline. This could also bring Toyota Racing Development to pay closer attention to the drivers in their pipeline and possibly rectify the issues their clogged driver pipeline is facing (i.e., Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland, etc.).

It’s a no-brainer that Chevrolet will be doing everything in their power to make RCR an elite team like Hendrick Motorsports. But one can’t help but wonder just what happened which led TRD and JGR to drop the ball so hard with Busch’s negotiations. Without Busch, there’s no successful Toyota Cup organization in Cup. Busch was TRD in NASCAR. He was the flagship name, he was the face of the Toyota surge in NASCAR.

For them to lose such a big name to a rival team and manufacturer couldn’t have been a deliberate matter. Busch is a generational talent; that just doesn’t happen by chance. It’s more likely by mistake or ignorance if anything. But with the loss of KBM in the trucks, that leaves Halmar-Friesen Racing and ThorSport Racing as the lone Toyota truck teams. Given the usual strength of the Toyota driver pipeline, the loss of KBM leaves their drivers with few options to go elsewhere as neither team has a high turnover rate.

The options are marginally better in the Xfinity Series aside from Joe Gibbs Racing, but it does look bleak for the time being. Undoubtedly the landscape will look different come Daytona next season, but it’s all going to be extra work scrambling to fill Busch’s shoes at JGR and Toyota.

Meanwhile, longtime manufacturer Chevrolet could be finding even more success in NASCAR with the addition of Busch and what he’ll be bringing. Another boon is more in the direction of RCR, as they’ll be bringing in a driver with a bad boy reputation the likes of which haven’t been seen since Harvick. The partnership is fitting regarding the Childress legacy, the Busch legacy, and the Chevrolet legacy. But along with that, they’ll be bringing Busch’s brand – the dark horse, the rebel, the villain.

Rowdy be thy name.

Weekend schedule for Bristol Playoff Race

By
Angie Campbell
-

This week NASCAR travels to Bristol Motor Speedway for three days of racing under the lights. It’s the elimination race for the Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 and once it’s over, only 12 drivers will advance to compete for the 2022 championship.

The Xfinity Series heads to Bristol for the final race of its regular season. Ten drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver playoff field including Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Josh Berry, Jeremy Clements, Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, Riley Herbst, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer.

Bristol will mark the beginning of the Round of 8 for the Camping World Truck Series Playoffs with contenders Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, John H. Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Stewart Friesen, Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger and Christian Eckes.

The ARCA Menards Series will join the competition Thursday evening for the Bush’s Beans 200 at 6:30 before the Camping World Truck Series race.

NASCAR Press Pass will be live throughout the weekend for post-race coverage.

All times are Eastern.

Thursday, Sept. 15

2:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice – No TV
3:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Qualifying – No TV
4:30 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – FS1
5:05 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – FS1
6:30 p.m.: ARCA Sioux Chief Showdown 200 – FS1/MRN

9 p.m.: Truck Series UNOH 200
Distance: 106.6 miles (200 Laps)
Stage 1 ends on Lap 55, Stage 2 ends on Lap 110, Final Stage ends on Lap 200
FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
The Purse: $703,945

Friday, Sept. 16

2:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – NBC Sports Stream
3:10 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – NBC Sports Stream
4:35 p.m.: Cup Series Practice- NBC Sports Stream /USA at 5 p.m.
5:20 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – USA/NBC Sports Stream

7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Food City 300
Distance: 159.9 miles (300 Laps)
Stage 1 ends on Lap 85, Stage 2 ends on Lap 170, Final Stage ends on Lap 300
USA/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports Stream
The Purse: $1,567,510

Saturday, Sept. 17

7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Distance: 266.5 miles (500 Laps)
Stage 1 ends on Lap 125, Stage 2 ends on Lap 250, Final Stage ends on Lap 500
USA/PRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports Stream
The Purse: $8,338,394

Brandon Jones Named to JR Motorsports 2023 Lineup

By
Official Release
-

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 14, 2022) – There will be a new face behind the wheel of the No. 9 Chevrolet in 2023. JR Motorsports announced today the signing of 25-year-old Brandon Jones to the organization where he’ll compete full time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season.

Jones is five-time winner and eight-year veteran in the series who has qualified for the NXS Playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. In addition to his five wins – including a popular victory earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway – Jones claims 35 top-five and 97 top-10 finishes, and a best points effort of sixth in 2020.

“Brandon’s been a tough competitor over the years, and he’s a talented addition to JR Motorsports,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, JRM co-owner and general manager. “He’s a series veteran that brings a lot of experience, and we’re going to see big things from Brandon and the 9 team in 2023.”

In 2022, Jones owns one win, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes, and sits seventh in the championship points battle with one race remaining before the onset of the playoffs. He also won three out of four ARCA Menards® Series starts he’s made in 2022.

“To watch how competitive JRM has been over the years is really impressive,” Jones said. “They’re a threat to win every week, and one of the premier teams in our series. I’m so thankful to Dale (Earnhardt Jr.), Kelley and Mr. Hendrick for allowing me to be part of it.

“Reuniting with Chevrolet again is awesome, too. They were a big part of my career early on, and I’m looking forward to building on those relationships and driving a Camaro in 2023.”

Jones has found Victory Lane at every level of NASCAR national series competition in which he’s raced. The Atlanta native lays claim to eight ARCA wins, a K&N East-West Challenge victory and a Truck Series triumph in 2020.

JRM’s No. 9 team has won three championships (2014, 2017-18) and tallied 20 of the company’s 69 overall victories since 2014.

Sponsorship and crew chief duties for Jones and the No. 9 team will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 21st year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

Greg Van Alst and Team Scramble to Compete at Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
-

BRISTOL, Tenn: It’s been a tiring week for ARCA Menards Series driver Greg Van Alst and his Greg Van Alst Motorsports team.

After exiting Sunday’s rain-postponed Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansa Speedway with a wrecked No. 35 CB Fabricating Ford Fusion, Van Alst wasn’t sure if he would be able to keep his full season of competition intact but the team is thriving on the popular American English proverb “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” to compete in Thursday night’s Bush Bean’s 200.

“I still don’t know what happened,” said Van Alst referring to the Kansas Speedway accident.

“All I know is it definitely made a dent in what we are trying to accomplish, but we thoughtfully put together a plan that I think will work that will allow us to get to Bristol this week and then just hope for the best.”

Van Alst was hoping to take the Kansas Speedway car to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway but will instead repair the heavily-damaged Du Quoin car to prepare for 200 laps of battle Thursday night.

“This is our best option at this point,” admitted Van Alst. “We were waffling back and forth on whether we would try and convert our road course car to a short track car or just do our best to repair our Du Quoin car and it just made sense to go to Bristol with the car that had the right parts and pieces,” Van Alst explained.

“We don’t want to use the Daytona car either, so this is our best option and we’ll spend the time getting prepared the best we can and then go to Bristol and just see what happens.”

Bristol is a race that Van Alst has circled on his calendar since he announced in January the team’s intentions of running the full ARCA Menards Series schedule.

Now, Van Alst will head to one of his favorite race tracks at a disadvantage but is hoping for motivation, perseverance and a little luck helps deliver his 10th top-10 of the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season.

“It doesn’t get better than Bristol,” explained Van Alst.

“I’ve been in love with Bristol ever since I’ve raced there in a Super Late Model and we almost won. I thought having the opportunity to come back in an ARCA car would be one of our best shots at winning in an ARCA race.

“Last year though we were plagued by brake issues and this year, we’re battling more gremlins. There is no quit in our team though. We will come, we will fight and leave nothing on the table.”

Following Bristol, Van Alst welcomes a small but much-needed break to allow his Anderson, Ind.-based team to focus on the two remaining short tracks this year.

“We’ll have a small break to regroup and prepare for the final two races of the 2022 ARCA season at Salem and Toledo.”

Chris Barkdull’s CB Fabricating, a longtime partner with Greg Van Alst Motorsports has boosted its commitment to the team and will continue its role as the primary marketing partner of Van Alst’s No. 35 Ford Fusion.

Headquartered in Anderson, Ind., CB Fabricating offers a complete list of fabricating from design, laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, welding, powder coating, and assembly.

Their 26,000-square-foot facility allows them to service the needs of many different industries. Everything from the Automotive, agricultural, aquatic, medical, transportation, electrical enclosures, and much more.

“Through the trials and tribulations of our 2022 ARCA Menards Series season, we’ve tried to approach each race with a positive attitude and with extreme grace because of the support of CB Fabricating and Chris (Barkdull),” Van Alst mentioned.

“With every race complete, even if it is not the finish we are hoping for, it’s a small victory for our team knowing the large mountain that is still left to climb to celebrate in Victory Lane eventually.

“Bristol can be somewhat of a wild card race, but I’m thankful and the team is extremely appreciative to have the support of Chris and CB Fabricating.”

In addition to CB Fabricating, Top Choice Fence, Norton Transport, KRJ Race Products and Lintz Creative will serve as associate marketing partners for Van Alst’s 29th career ARCA start.

Entering Bristol, Van Alst sits a career-high fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 108 markers in the arrears to championship leader Nick Sanchez.

“Unfortunately, the championship appears out of our reach, so our focus will shift for these remaining three races to stay tucked up inside the top-five,” sounded Van Alst. “It is going to be tough to keep Sammy (Smith) behind because of the pace of his team right now and Toni and Amber are having solid runs too.

“I’d love to think that we can fight to third by the end of the season, I just don’t think it is realistic at this point but wherever we land – we will make it a priority to finish higher in 2023.

“This is a tough series and we are still proud of where we are at.”

For more on Greg Van Alst and Greg Van Alst Motorsports, please visit GregVanAlst.com, like them on Facebook (Van Alst Motorsports) and follow him on Twitter (@GregVanAlst35).

For more on CB Fabricating, please visit CBFabricating.com and like them on Facebook (CB Fabricating).

The Bush’s Beans 200 (200 laps | 106.6 miles) is the 18th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Thursday, September 15, 2022, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. A timed General Tire pole session kicks off at 3:30 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire festivities. All times are local (ET).

1...1,7631,7641,765...6,650Page 1,764 of 6,650