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Petty GMS Announces Personnel Changes

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Official Release
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Chad Norris to Serve as Interim Crew Chief of the No. 42 Chevrolet for Remainder of 2022

STATESVILLE, N.C. (September 13, 2022) – Petty GMS today announced Chad Norris will serve as the interim crew chief of the No. 42 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series for the remainder of the 2022 season, replacing first-year crew chief Jerame Donley. The change is effective immediately starting with this week’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Following GMS Racing’s merger with Richard Petty Motorsports in late 2021, the 2022 season became a year of growth for the first-year team. The team was able to add multiple engineers and mechanics throughout the season while strengthening its relationships in the garage with partners and GM. With the added personnel, Petty GMS will start making additional changes on both the No. 42 and the No. 43 team for the remainder of the season to find the best combinations and create the strongest teams to prepare for the 2023 season.

“This year has been a growing year at Petty GMS,” said Joey Cohen, Petty GMS Director of Competition and Engineering. “When the merger happened late last year, we knew it would be tough to come out of the box and win, but also know that to win and be competitive every week, it takes the right people. With some of the recent changes we’ve made on the pit crew side, we feel this is the right time to make additional changes and see what areas still require work for the 2023 season. Our goal is to provide both Erik (Jones) and Noah (Gragson) strong teams next season and the opportunities to win races and contend for a championship. We also see opportunity to increase the performance for Ty and the 42 group the remainder of this season. These decisions are what we feel is best for the growth of Petty GMS.

“We will always be appreciative of Jerame (Donley) and everyone on the No. 42 who helped Petty GMS start in the Cup Series this season.”

Additional changes for both the No. 42 and the No. 43 teams will take place starting this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway and throughout the remainder of the 2022 season.

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. Founded in December 2021, Maury Gallagher, championship team owner of GMS Racing, purchased a majority interest of Richard Petty Motorsports. Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, known as “The King,” remains a key stakeholder of the organization. For more information, please visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow Petty GMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

John Hunter Nemechek – No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Tundra Camping World Trucks Bristol Preview

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Official Release
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John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: UNOH 200, Race 20 of 23 (Race 1 of 3, Round of 8)
200 Laps – 55/55/90; 106.6 Miles
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (Half-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 15, 2022, at 9:00p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ the Facts:

John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team will roll into the first race of the Round of 8 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway with momentum on their side. The 25-year-old driver earned his sixth pole award of the year at Kansas Speedway last weekend before sweeping all three stages in route to his second win of the season. With the points reset for the Round of 8 and the additional seven playoff points earned at Kansas, Nemechek is currently the third seed and sits 11 points above the cutoff line to advance to the Championship 4 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

The second-generation driver will be making his eighth career start at The Last Great Colosseum in Camping World Truck Series competition. He has finished inside the top 10 in six of those starts, including four third-place finishes (2015, 2017, 2018, and 2021). In the Xfinity Series, he has two top-five finishes across three starts, including a third-place finish in the fall race in 2019. He finished inside the top 20 in both of his Cup Series starts in 2020, with a best result of 13th coming in the May race.

Nemechek continues to pace the field and leads all Truck Series regulars in average starting position (6.4), poles (six), average running position (8.344), and driver rating (107.0). He is also second in laps led (335) and fastest laps run (192).

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, an industry leader in commercial fire protection since 1946, will serve as the primary sponsor for Nemechek at Bristol Motor Speedway. Pye-Barker, who acquired Nemechek’s long-term partner Fire Alarm Services in 2021, will also serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway (11/4).

Nemechek is a 13-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returned to victory lane in 2021 and 2022 with KBM. Across 143 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, he has compiled eight poles, 1,533 laps led, 49 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3.

Eric Phillips returned to lead the No. 4 team in 2022. His 44career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 34 of those coming while at KBM including five last year. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the first team in Truck No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. At Bristol, Phillips has 11 starts with one win coming in 2010 when Kyle Busch led a race-high 116 laps driving KBM’s No. 18 Tundra in the first leg of his historic weekend sweep. Phillips has also registered two Xfinity Series triumphs at The Last Great Colosseum, in 2017 with Busch and in 2018 with Ryan Preece.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
Do you feel like you have to win one of the races in the Round of 8 to advance to the Championship 4?
“There are four drivers that advance, so the obvious answer is that there will be at least one that will advance by points. So, I think it depends on who wins those three races and where they are at in the point standings. Do I feel like we have to win to get in? No, but I want to win to get in. Winning early in the round and punching your ticket to Phoenix early is obviously better, so looking forward to going to Bristol and trying to do that. We have some momentum on our side and a lot of good things aligning for us. I definitely think it is going to be tough to get in if you don’t win, but I think that there is a chance.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

  • 13-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 142 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled eight poles, 1,533 laps led, 49 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3. Registered a career-high and series-leading five victories in 2021, earned the NCWTS Regular Season championship and finished third in the final standings after qualifying for the Championship Four for the first time in his career.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
  • Across 65 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled two wins, one pole, 510 laps led, 17 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3.
  • John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra TRD Pro:
  • KBM-58: The No.4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team will unload KBM-58 for Thursday night’s race at Bristol. Nemechek has raced this Tundra three times in 2022, picking up two top-five finishes at Martinsville (April) and its most recent outing at Richmond in August. In 2021, Nemechek piloted KBM-58 to three wins, including leading a race-high 114 laps at Richmond en route to his fourth win of the year. Overall, KBM-58 has recorded four wins, three with Nemechek in 2021 and one with owner-driver Kyle Busch in 2019, 475 laps led, nine top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 17 starts resulting in an average finish of 10.6.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected four wins, five poles, 539 laps led, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.7 across 31 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Chandler Smith picked up the organizations most recent victory at the half-mile oval in 2021. Owner-driver Kyle Busch earned the other three wins for KBM, 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 Motor Speedway on March 19, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 4 has 18 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Chandler Smith – No. 18 Safelite Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Bristol Preview

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Official Release
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Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 Safelite® 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 (0.5-mile concrete oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 15, 2022, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Chandler Chatter:
Chandler Smith and the No. 18 Safelite team head to Bristol Motor Speedway, one of Smith’s best tracks, for the opening race in the Round of 8. In last year’s event, Smith muscled his way past reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Shelden Creed on a restart with five laps remaining and then held off his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate John Hunter Nemechek to collect his first career Truck Series victory in his 34th career start. As a 17-year-old, making just his third-career Truck Series start in 2019, Smith challenged for the win before finishing second to eventual series champion Brett Moffitt. In 2020, Smith went a lap down early in the race, but was able to recover and earn a fifth-place finish.

Smith punched his ticket to the Round of 8 with a win at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. Smith dominated the middle race of the Round of 10, leading 176 of the final 177 laps, picked up the Stage 2 win and the victory and added six playoff points that have carried over to the Round of 8. The victory was Smith’s third of 2022 and the fifth of his career. Beginning with his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Bristol last September, he had produced five wins, 11 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes across his last 24 starts.

The 20-year-old driver enters Thursday night’s contest second on the playoff grid, 15 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4. The No. 18 team will unload KBM-52 for Thursday night’s race at Bristol, which is the same truck that won last year’s race at Bristol with.

The Toyota Racing Development product has produced three wins in 2022: the second race of the season at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, the regular season finale at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and the series last stop at Richmond. Across 19 Truck Series starts this season Smith has recorded eight top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. He ranks first among Truck Series regulars in laps completed (2603), is second in average finish (8.7), average running position (8.722) and quality passes (603) and third in driver rating (103.0), laps led (334) and fastest laps run (182).

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

The Georgia driver earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September of 2021. Across 57 career Truck Series starts, the Toyota Racing Development driver had recorded five wins, one pole, 640 laps led, 22 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8.

Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will once again call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2022. Stockman’s drivers have produced eight victories at KBM since he joined the organization in 2020, including four with Smith behind the wheel. The veteran crew chief captured a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and also won an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s drivers have produced one win (Smith, 2021), two top-five and two top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.5 across four Truck Series starts at Bristol. In Xfinity Series action, his drivers have complied seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 7.8 across 13 races.

Safelite, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services, returned to KBM for a fifth season and will be the primary sponsor on Smith’s Tundra TRD Pro Tundra for 16 races this year, including Thursday night’s race at Bristol. Charge Me will serve as an associate sponsor on the bedtop of Smith’s No. 18 Tundra TRD Pro this weekend. Charge Me was founded on the principle that the electric vehicle (EV) revolution will require robust infrastructure support at all levels.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:
As the defending race winner, how much confidence do you head to Bristol with?
“It definitely helps having a good notebook and knowing what works good there. Not only did I win last year, but in 2019 I nearly won. So, it’s a track I’m really comfortable with and looking forward to hopefully starting off the first race in the Round of 8 on a strong note.”

How important is it to start the Round of 8 off with a good result?
“It’s extremely important, especially with having Talladega as the middle race of the round. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to make it to Phoenix, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes.”

Do you feel like you must win one of the three races in the round to advance to the championship 4?
“I don’t know if we have to necessarily win, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt and there is no better place to do it then Bristol. If you can win Bristol and lock into Phoenix with the way the schedule lays out this year, that gives you a lot of extra time to prepare for the championship round.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

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

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite Tundra:
KBM-52: The No. 18 Safelite team will unload KBM-52 for Thursday night’s race at Bristol. It is the same Toyota that Smith picked up his first career Truck Series victory with last September at Bristol. Smith also finished fifth at Bristol with this chassis in the 2020 Bristol race. This Tundra TRD Pro has raced twice this year, both dirt races, with a best result of 13th at Knoxville (Tenn.) Raceway.
KBM-52 Performance Profile

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).
  • The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 26 career victories.

Why Are Automotive iPad Applications A Problem?

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SM
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Modern automobiles are essentially computers on wheels, and many of them have internet access. Taking advantage of this internet age, automakers are now creating apps to remotely control vehicles in the most convenient ways. 

These apps can unlock and lock the doors, check the car’s location, switch on the air conditioning or heating in advance, and other things.

The caveat is that one app cannot contain all the features because various users have very unique demands. There are, therefore, third-party apps or software for each taste and budget in addition to the default software from the automakers. So, yes, it is practical. Yet, is it secure? To secure your details while using these third-party apps, install an IOS VPN or an Android VPN, whichever applies to your device OS.

Third-party Automobile Apps: Advantages

Remote door lock/unlock, climate control, engine start/stop, and other vehicle control functions are all made possible by connected third-party automotive applications.

Even though most automakers have reputable applications for their vehicles, third-party apps created by mobile app developers are popular with users because they offer distinctive features that the automaker has not yet introduced.

The majority of the major automakers are covered by third-party applications, with Nissan, Tesla, Renault, Volkswagen, and Ford, ranking among the top five vehicles that these apps are most frequently used.

On the part of the company executives, these apps are also helpful in promoting innovation and digital literacy. Moreover, these third-party apps allow companies to be virtually available to all prospective customers. Thus, giving businesses an advantage over rivals in a cutthroat market. 

Tablets, like the iPad, provide a way for auto dealers to communicate with their customers. Additionally, these devices support useful business analysis tools to understand current demands. Through these third-party automobile apps, car manufacturers can understand what needs to be improved to satisfy their customers and gain their trust. The management can sort and analyze customer behavior and usage of these “car app instructions” to better serve them.

Finally, to assist them in making marketing decisions, automakers can evaluate and engage with the data on their iPads based on the data from these third-party apps. Executives who are constantly on the move and require instant solutions need automobile apps for more informed decisions.

Third-party Automobile Apps: Disadvantages

A win-win situation for both end-users and executives, these third-party apps are not entirely a sweet treat. Even though there are many advantages to living in a hyper-connected world, there are also risks to be aware of. 

A new report claimed that third-party smartphone, tablet, and iPad apps for connected cars developed by leading automobile brands like Tesla, Renault, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Ford misuse car owners’ credentials without their permission.

Sadly, not all developers are taking a committed approach regarding information storage and gathering. This apathetic attitude results in users disclosing their personal information without their consent. As a result, cybercriminals may access your accounts and steal your data along with your personal information.

Sadly, over half of the third-party app developers fail to mention the dangers of sharing the account. Those who do alert users promise either not to keep the credentials on file at all or to store them in an encrypted format. In addition, some of them emphasize the fact that an authorization token can only be obtained by using the username and password.

However, a token, like your login credentials, enables anybody else to use the account. Thus, it might be compromised if stored incorrectly. Furthermore, there is no way to verify how user credentials are genuinely used; you can only rely on the developers’ claims.

Another issue is that there are also intermediaries connecting the automaker’s systems to external applications. They could be a feature that users are completely unaware of, and these are utilized by companies that create web services and apps for cars. It’s crucial to realize that the creators of both third-party and added apps will obtain your credentials if the third-party automotive app you select utilizes an intermediary service.

Additionally, the contact information on the websites of 15% of the app developers our researchers looked into was either missing or directed to defunct social media pages, making it difficult to get in touch with them in case of issues.

Should I Therefore Stop Utilizing Third-party Apps?

NO. Third-party apps are essential everyday tools that need not be eliminated from your iPads or smartphones. However, we are here to remind users to exercise diligence and caution when installing these automobile apps. Therefore, pick an app from a reputable developer who, at the very least, doesn’t withhold their contact information and adheres to the principle of transparency. 

Plus, don’t lose trust. Not all developers care little about protecting user data. But, as we saw, TeslaMate’s developers fixed the problem regarding these third-party apps after receiving incident reports reasonably quickly.

Lastly, some apps don’t need full, detailed access to your account. So, you don’t have to worry.

How to Take Back Control

The best way to regain control and prevent unauthorized users from accessing your credentials is by using a VPN that conceals your IP address.

What is revealed by your IP address about you? If you don’t try to hide your IP address through a VPN, you’re probably disclosing more information about your identity, where you are, and what you’re doing online, giving other people the power to control how you interact with the world online.

IP addresses and physical locations are frequently closely related. Therefore, anyone aware of your IP address could make a very accurate location prediction for you right now. 

Users should be extremely cautious about this scenario because anyone accessing your IP address could determine your location. This disclosure is dangerous for you as well as for your family.

You can regain control with ExpressVPN by changing your IP address to a private VPN IP address in over 94 server locations worldwide.

Crawford Closes F3 Championship Rookie Run on Monza Podium

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Official Release
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Jak Crawford #5 Prema, during round 9 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at Monza, on September 09 - 11, 2022. // Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202209110199 // Usage for editorial use only //

MONZA, Italy (11 Sept. 2022) – American Formula One hopeful Jak Crawford finished the FIA Formula 3 Championship with a podium finish, placing third in Sunday’s Feature Race at Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The 17-year-old Red Bull Junior Team driver closed out the season-ending weekend with a pair of points-paying finishes for the second-consecutive event, having finishing seventh in Saturday’s Sprint Race.

Crawford’s 2022 campaign saw the young American demonstrate impressive pace during the 18-race season on his way to seventh in the overall championship standings, with seven drivers less than 30 points from the championship lead, any one, including Jak could have won. Having claimed his first F3 victory in the Sprint Race at Red Bull Ring, Crawford’s points haul helped his Prema Racing squad win the F3 team title.

“It was a really good way to end the season on a good note,” Crawford said. “After getting four podiums in the first 10 races, it was great to end the season back up there today.”

The two weekends previous to Monza hosted race weekends at both Spa in Belgium and Zandvoort in The Netherlands. Jak’s string of bad luck leading up to those events continued, but this time the errors were more self-inflicted, really hurting his chance to make a real push for the championship in Monza. The speed was there in both Spa and Zandvoort but driving mistakes at key moments hurt Jak’s ultimate championship goals. With the lead pack of seven drivers so tight, there was no room for mistakes.

Then racing at the famed Monza circuit for the final time in F3 for 2022, Crawford was 10th in practice and had a strong finish to the qualifying session to place eighth. Ranked 14th with time running out, Crawford turned a fast lap to get up to third with one-minute, 35-seconds remaining. His time of 1:38.031-seconds was good enough to keep him in the top 10, with a yellow flag spoiling his final lap, which would have been even faster.

“It was hard to tell our speed in practice because it was half-wet, half-dry,” Crawford said. “This was my first time at Monza, and my car wasn’t really there in the first run of qualifying, even though the speed was all right. We made some changes for the second run and it was a lot better, and we were definitely in the fight for the pole or top three. I got a little unlucky with traffic at the end of my lap. Then there was a red flag, so I got only one push lap on my second run. But qualifying P-8 is not the end of the world, especially at Monza with the long straights.”

With the top-12 qualifiers inverted, the Texan started the Sprint Race in fifth. After losing out at the start and running seventh, he worked his way back into the top five following a safety car restart but had to settle for seventh at the finish.

“In the first race we really weren’t that quick,” he said. “We had good speed, but every time I got into a battle, I was able to make moves but I wasn’t able to keep positions after winning battles.”

Sunday’s race saw Crawford start eighth and race up to fifth by lap 15. After running in fourth before a caution for a two-car collision on lap 16, the race wasn’t restarted. With penalties being applied post race, Crawford moved up to be classified third to close out the year with another podium run.

“Sunday’s race was a lot better,” Crawford explained. “We changed a lot to the car overnight, and it was definitely a lot better. I had some tire degradation early in the race but we were still quite quick. I lost the DRS to the top three [after taking fourth place], so I was sitting back in fifth, waiting to catch the top three. But in the end, there was a red flag. It was really a shame, because there were two drivers with penalties ahead of me. I got promoted up to third, but I really think if the race had gone on, a win was especially in the cards – especially with the top two battling for the championship.”

Crawford enjoyed his first experience racing at the Italian Grand Prix circuit.

“I loved the track,” Crawford said. “It’s really, really fast, and fun to drive. The racing here is crazy, it’s one like no other. The slipstream is very strong, and the long straights mean there’s lots of battling, overtaking and general chaos.”

With the season concluded, Crawford is looking forward to heading back to his home in Texas for 10 days this week.

“I’m going to enjoy a few days back home in the U.S., and then I’m going to start to prepare for next season,” he said. “We just came off a close championship where if things had gone slightly different here or there, I could have won, but it is time to move on, I will be racing in F2 next year, but it will not be officially announced for several months. In fact, my seat fit for the official F2 Abu Dhabi test is this week, and so as one season ends we start preparing immediately for another one.”

Kawasaki Joins Inaugural California 300 with Teryx KRX® 1000 Tour and Full Line-up of SxS Demos

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Official Release
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California 300 officials are pleased to announce that Kawasaki will join this year’s inaugural California 300 event, coming to Barstow, California on October 12-16. As part of the partnership, Kawasaki will bring the Good Times™ with the Teryx KRX® 1000 Tour on-site providing an industry-leading experience with demo rides of its all-new Teryx® lineup of side-by-sides including the all-new four-passenger Teryx KRX®4 1000. Multiple Teryx vehicles are expected to compete in this year’s UTV World Championship as a part of the new event.

“It’s an honor to be able to welcome a brand like Kawasaki to the partner family for the inaugural California 300,” said California 300 CEO Matt Martelli. “When Kawasaki first announced that it would be entering the sport UTV space, we always knew that they’d bring an industry-leading product, and the Teryx has certainly surpassed expectations. It’s going to be a thrill to have them on hand for demo rides with the Teryx family of vehicles in Barstow this October, and we can’t wait to see how Kawasaki racers fare on the course as a part of this year’s UTV World Championship!”

Dominate adventure with more friends and family with four-passenger seating on the all-new Teryx KRX®4 1000 available to demo at the inaugural California 300. With an enlarged chassis, no sacrifices were made to accommodate the additional passengers. Advanced electronic suspension technology combined with beefy wheels and tires deliver the ultimate riding experience. The Teryx KRX®4 1000 reinforces and elevates the reputation of purpose-built Kawasaki sport side x sides.

Take on the great outdoors with the ability to conquer tough terrain while offering superb control and comfort. Soak up technical obstacles with ease so you can focus on the fun ahead. High build quality is evident by the burly frame and ROPS, massive suspension components, and extensive undercarriage protection. In addition, Kawasaki engineers placed great emphasis on carefully designing a roomy rear passenger space that is large enough to comfortably accommodate four full-sized adults. Thanks to its rugged performance, advanced technology and superb class-leading comfort, the Teryx KRX®4 1000 is ready to take you and your family on an adventure for the memory books. To learn more about the Kawasaki Teryx KRX®4 1000, click here.

Details regarding sponsorship packages and exhibitor vending for the inaugural California 300 are currently available at TheCalifornia300.com. Race registration is currently available through OffRoadRacer.com. Spectator tickets, camping information, and parking passes will all be released over the coming months.

About The California 300
The California 300 is a new world-class off-road desert race built to showcase the best off-road racers in the world. The multi-day event launches October 12-16, 2022 in Barstow, CA and will feature a desert cleanup, multiple days of prerunning, a public poker run, an off-road festival, and two days of spectacular off-road racing on a fast, technical and punishing 75-mile race course. An estimated 25,000 off-road and recreational enthusiasts are expected to watch over 400 race teams in 40+ classes go door to door, while Mad Media produced livestream coverage is beamed to over 500,000 viewers worldwide. The California 300 is brought to you by the team that has rebuilt The Mint 400 into one of the most successful desert off-road races in history.

DGR NCWTS Advance: Bristol Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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Thursday, September 15
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway, 0.533-mile paved oval
Race: 20 of 23
Event: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (200 laps/106.6 miles)

Schedule
Thursday, September 15
Practice: 4:30 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 5:05 p.m. ET
Race: 9:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150 

  • Hailie Deegan enters Bristol Motor Speedway for the 20th race of the 2022 season — her 43rd career start in the NCWTS.
  • In the series last outing at Kansas Speedway, Deegan fought to as high as 14th before a tight condition in the final stage rendered her to a 22nd-place finish.
  • The Temecula, CA native has shown flashes at “The Last Great Colosseum,” earning a heat race win at the track’s dirt configuration earlier this season and scoring a sixth-place finish in a 2020 ARCA Menards Series appearance.
  • Veteran Crew Chief Jerry Baxter is a former winner at the half-mile oval, hoisting the sword in 2019 with driver Brett Moffitt. Alongside his victory, the signal-caller has netted two additional top-fives and three top-10s.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

  • Tanner Gray enters Bristol Motor Speedway for his 29th start of the 2022 season and the 68th NCWTS start of his career.
  • Last time out, Gray came home 16th after a 10th-place qualifying effort at Kansas Speedway.
  • The 23-year-old will be making his third appearance on the concrete configuration, with a best finish of third-place coming in his debut 2020 rookie campaign.
  • Gray and Crew Chief Hillman Jr. enter Bristol for their first time paired together. The veteran signal caller has accumulated four top-fives and six top-10s at the half-mile oval.

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Dead On Tools Ford F-150

  • Taylor Gray straps in for double duty as he makes his seventh NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in 2022.
  • Gray has shown great promise in his limited NCWTS outings, coming within a few laps of a victory at IRP before contact took him out of contention. Last time out at Richmond Raceway, the Artesia, NM, had his best career NCWTS outing, netting a sixth-place finish.
  • Gray has made one previous NCWTS start at Bristol Motor Speedway, coming home 29th in his his first appearance at the famous track. In ARCA Menards Series competition, Gray had a best finish of third in 2021.
  • Crew Chief Chad Johnston has enjoyed several strong runs at the half-mile oval. In his Cup Series career, Johnston has earned five top-fives and nine top-10s.

ARCA Menards Series Advance: Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Thursday, September 15th
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway, 0.533-mile paved oval
Race: 18 of 20
Event: Bush’s Beans 200 (200 laps, 106.6 miles)

Schedule
Thursday, September 15th
Practice: 2:30 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 3:30 p.m. ET
Race: 6:30 p.m. ET (MAVTV/FloRacing)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Dead On Tools Mustang

  • Taylor Gray makes his third career ARCA Menards Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway; his 12th ARCA National start this season.
  • Last time out, the 17-year-old suffered engine woes on the dirt at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, forcing the No. 17 Ford Mustang to retire after just 39 laps.
  • Gray and Crew Chief Chad Johnston have made one previous appearance together at the historic half-mile paved oval, bringing home a third-place finish in 2021.
  • Gray will adorn the Dead On Tools colors this weekend, marking their first primary partnership in the ARCA Menards Series. The precision tool and work gear manufacturer will also appear on Gray’s No. 17 Ford F-150 as the Ford Performance driver performs double duty for the second year in a row at the famed “Last Great Coliseum.”

Andrés Pérez de Lara, No. 51 Empereon Constar Latam Mustang

  • Andrés Pérez de Lara straps into the No. 51 Ford Mustang at Bristol Motor Speedway for his debut in the ARCA Menards Series.
  • The Mexico City native heads to the states as the current points leader in the NASCAR FedEx Challenge, tallying three wins and five top-fives in 2022.
  • Pérez de Lara is part of the 2022 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class, boasting an impressive racing resume as one of the youngest winners in the FIA F4 championship. Securing his first victory at just 14 years old, he added Rookie of the Year honors and a third-place points finish in 2019 before shifting his focus to stock cars.
  • Crew Chief Derek Smith will call the shots for the Empereon Constar Mustang. Smith is a veteran of the ARCA Menards Series, guiding his drivers to 10 top-fives and 22 top-tens in 31 series appearances.

LTK Insulation Technologies Mustang Steady Progress Undone by Late Issue

By
Official Release
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Watkins Glen, NEW YORK – September 12, 2022 – The LTK Insulation Technologies Damon Racing team have endured a testing time this season in TA2. The team can look back on Round 10 of the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship as one of steady progress, marred by a late mechanical issue.

Piloting the distinctive yellow No. 97 LTK Ford Mustang in the Franklin Road Apparel Classic was former Ironman Tom Sheehan. The LTK Ford Mustang had been fully rebuilt after suffering significant damage at the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville. Watkins Glen was the team’s first chance to shake down the car. Official qualifying for TA2 saw Tom position the car in P24 out of 43 competitors however a component failure on Tom’s second flyer lap would find the LTK machine with flat spot tires. Team strategy confidently took the penalty for replacement of qualifying tires for the race and was gridded at the rear of the 43 car field.

The Watkins Glen TA2 race was a stop-start affair with a full-course caution as early as Lap 1. Another full-course yellow on Lap 19 closed up the field for the second time; the rough-and-tumble TA2 racing was on full display. In his typically determined and methodical fashion Tom improved his positions throughout the race and moved up to P17. He was lapping faster than several cars ahead of him before a mechanical issue stymied his progress and forced him into the pits and into early retirement. The end result was simply not a fair reflection of Tom’s efforts behind the wheel.

Tom was his usual stoic self when our reporter caught up with him after the race, “In the end we had a little mechanical problem with the car. We pitted and the guys tried to figure it out but we’ll need to take a closer look. The guys did a great job. This place is tough on the cars. It was a tough day but we’ll see everyone at Virginia International Raceway.”

The broadcast of the Franklin Road Apparel TA2 Classic will air on CBS Sports Network on Wednesday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation later that evening at 12:30 a.m. ET.

Next up for the LTK Insulation Technologies Damon Racing team is a trip to Virginia International Raceway for the Mission Foods VIR Speed Tour October 6 to 9.

Keep up with Trans Am driver Tom Sheehan on social media – Facebook page is Damon Racing; Instagram is TomSheehanTA97 and Twitter follow @TomTA2_97.

For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies please visit the website online at https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com/

About LTK Insulation Technologies:
Putting LTK insulation jackets & covers to work on your project saves your firm real money and time. The LTK Insulation products are so fast and easy. Installation is as fast as identification. Our carefully designed products line allows; fast, sure fit, 100% clean, no tool installation. Product designed for; balance valves, control valves, flex hoses, in line specialties, couplings, quick connects, unions, zone pumps. Your imagination is the only limit….GOLTK!

COMMEMORATIVE SOUVENIR BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE PROGRAM AVAILABLE FOR FREE IN BOTH PRINT AND DIGITAL FORMATS

By
Official Release
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Limited number of printed copies available for free at the track on race weekend while supplies lasts

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 12, 2022) – To help race fans enjoy this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, whether they are enjoying the race at the track or watching from the comfort of their homes, track officials are making the 70-page commemorative souvenir program available for free in both printed and digital formats.

The souvenir program has been reformatted in a Broadway Play “Playbill” style size that is more convenient for fans to carry with them while they are at the track. The printed programs will be available to guests at a variety of locations on property during the event, including the BMS Guest Services locations, BMS souvenir stands, BMS operated camp grounds and BMS ticket booths.

To access the digital version of the program, please click here or visit the Bristol Motor Speedway website. Be on the lookout for email messages from Speedway team members as well as invitations to download the program on any one of the BMS social media channels.

The program cover showcases memorable action shots from last year’s historic Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend. The main feature story is a countdown of the Top 10 Wildest Finishes in Bristol Motor Speedway history. There’s also a preview story for each of the weekend’s races. The program also includes a weekend schedule, driver rosters and hero pages for the Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series teams, a Speed Reading section that highlights the many events and happenings going on during the weekend, a list of all of the past NASCAR winners at BMS and a detailed track map.

The 2022 commemorative Bass Pro Shops Night Race souvenir program was designed by Learfield-IMG College Publishing in Lexington, Ky.

The race weekend begins with Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes and defending winner Chandler Smith battling for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Thursday night in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (Sept. 15, 9 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio). The rising stars in the ARCA Menards Series also will take on the challenging half-mile bullring in the Bush’s Beans 200 as part of the Thursday night doubleheader (Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio).

On Friday, Sparks are sure to fly in the Food City 300, as NASCAR Xfinity Series favorites A.J. Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry will be trying to lock in their Playoff positions in the season’s final regular season race (Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). The stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take to the track on Saturday for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio), where you’ll get to see all your favorite drivers racing hard to advance in the first elimination race of the Playoffs.

To purchase tickets, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and in 2021 began converting to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.

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