Home Blog Page 1767

Zane Smith Looks to Clinch Final Four Spot

By
Official Release
-

 Speedco Begins Stretch of Three Races at Bristol

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 13, 2022) – Zane Smith enters the ‘Round of Eight’ this weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and looks to clinch his spot in the championship four early with a win.

Smith, who has already captured three wins in 2022 and crowned the Regular Season Champion at the start of the playoffs, is ready to tackle the ‘Last Great Colosseum’ and punch his ticket to Phoenix.

“Bristol is a really fun racetrack but can also be very unforgiving,” Smith stated. “This is where the consistency that our team has shown all year can really pay off. Hopefully, we can win this weekend and solely focus on Phoenix and not worry about Talladega in a few weeks.”

Speedco, an anchor partner for the No. 38 truck team, returns to Bristol to kick off the first of three races where they will be the primary partner for Zane Smith.

“Speedco has been a tremendous partner this year,” said Smith. We’ve been able to deliver them three wins so far this year, and we have three more races to try and deliver them more. I hope we can get that started this weekend at Bristol.”

Smith and the No. 38 Speedco Ford F-150 will race Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1.

About Front Row Motorsports

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

Kyle Busch to Join Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series Stable in 2023

By
Official Release
-

One of the NASCAR Industry’s Most Storied Teams Joins Forces with One of the Sport’s Most Successful Drivers

WELCOME, NC (September 13, 2022) – Richard Childress Racing announced today that Kyle Busch will join the organization’s NASCAR Cup Series stable in 2023, merging one of the NASCAR industry’s most storied teams with one of the sports’ most successful modern era drivers.

Since making his NASCAR debut 18 years ago, Busch has grown into a successful driver, team owner and businessman, easily becoming one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR’s modern history. He owns 60 wins in the elite NASCAR Cup Series and is the only active multi-time champion. He is currently competing for his third Cup Series championship in the NASCAR Playoffs. In addition to his two Cup Series championships, the Las Vegas native won the 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and is the all-time wins leader in that series (102) as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (62). As an owner, he has led Kyle Busch Motorsports to 98 career victories and seven owner’s championships, both are Truck Series records.

“RCR has an impressive history in NASCAR and I’m honored that Richard is putting his trust in me to come in and continue to build on that legacy,” said Busch. “Growing up in a family of passionate racers myself, I feel like the culture that the Childress family has built within their organization will be an ideal fit for me. As I begin the next chapter of my career, I’m looking forward to driving for RCR and working with everyone there to add more wins and championships to both of our resumes.”

From a one-man team in 1969, Childress has grown RCR into one of the most storied organizations in NASCAR, with more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018).

“The addition of Kyle Busch to the Richard Childress Racing lineup is significant, not only for our organization, but for the sport as a whole,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Kyle is a proven contender at the highest levels of the sport, and I believe that his experience and dedication to motorsports will elevate our race program across the board. I’ve always admired Kyle’s driving style and his ability to win and race for championships ever since he entered the sport. Who wouldn’t want a proven NASCAR Cup Series Champion driving their car?”

Busch, who has more than 220 career wins spread out among NASCAR’s top-three national series, will drive the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under the Richard Childress Racing banner, adding a multi-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion to the Chevrolet Racing camp. Randall Burnett will serve as crew chief.

“We’d like to welcome Kyle back to Team Chevy, where he started his NASCAR career,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “As a 60 Cup race winner and two-time champion, he will be a valuable addition to Richard Childress Racing and the Chevrolet line-up. We look forward to working with Kyle starting in 2023.”

Tyler Reddick, who is currently competing for a championship in the No. 8 Chevrolet, remains under contract at RCR and will drive for RCR in 2023.

Additional details on the program, including sponsor lineup, will be announced at a later date.

For more information, please visit rcrracing.com.

About Richard Childress Racing:

Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2022 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet), along with two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Sheldon Creed (No. 2 Chevrolet) and Austin Hill (No. 21 Chevrolet).

Stock Car Pro Series and WSC Sports Bring AI Generated Race Highlights to Motorsport Fans in Brazil

By
Official Release
-

Tel Aviv, Israel and Sao Paulo, Brazil — September 13, 2022 — Stock Car Pro Series, the leading Brazilian motorsport company, and WSC Sports, the global leader in AI sports video technology, today announced a partnership bringing AI and machine learning video highlights to stock car fans across Brazil and Latin America via social media and digital properties.

Since the checkered flag was waved during the recent race in the Velocitta race track in São Paulo, Stock Car Pro Series has utilized WSC Sports’ machine learning platform to automatically create race highlights in real-time, saving valuable time and improving workflow. In addition to creating video at speed and scale, highlights can be tailored by Stock Car to serve every type of race fan, with the goal of increasing fan engagement and maximizing brand sponsorship opportunities.

The WSC Sports platform works by analyzing and indexing Stock Car race actions in real-time, then cropping and applying graphics to videos, to create personalized highlights that can be delivered across Stock Car Pro Series’ social media and digital properties.

“The partnership with WSC Sports is strategic for us. Being able to automatically create highlights of our Stock Car Pro Series races and drivers is a game changer for us and for our fans. Stock Car is always looking to innovate and use the best technology to improve the content delivery for our fans.” said Guga Carvalho, Marketing Director of Stock Car Pro Series.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Stock Car Pro Series in Brazil to help them innovate the fan viewing experience, within Brazil and the entire LATAM region. From the start of every race to the photo finish, motor sports fans will feel like they are live on the track and part of the action thanks to the power of AI,” said Raul Fernandez, Business Development North America, WSC Sports.

The relationship with Stock Car Pro Series is the latest partnership in LATAM for WSC Sports as the region becomes a focal point of its expansion. The technology company also works with the media conglomerate Grupo Globo in Brazil, and other broadcasters, leagues and teams in the region. Motorsport is a growing focus for WSC Sports, with recent partnerships with NASCAR, NTT INDYCAR Series, Extreme E and more.

About WSC Sports

WSC Sports automates the creation and distribution of highlights for over 250 leagues and broadcast partners across the globe, including the NBA, ESPN, Globo, DirectTV, NASCAR, YouTubeTV, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and DAZN.

Utilizing advanced AI and Machine Learning technologies the WSC Sports proprietary platform analyzes live sports broadcasts, identifies each and every event that occurs in a game, and in real-time creates and publishes customized short-form videos. This enables sports media rights owners to maximize the use of their content, creating new revenue streams and a personalized fan experience on every platform for every type of fan.

About Stock Car Pro Series

Created in 1979, the Stock Car Pro Series is the main racing series in South American motorsport. Throughout its history, the main names of Brazilian motor sport have taken part on its grids, generating disputes that have made the series a benchmark for competitiveness in the continent.

In the 2022 season, icons such as Rubens Barrichello, Nelson Piquet Jr., Tony Kanaan, Ricardo Zonta and Felipe Massa compete in the series, in addition to other great names listed among the main drivers of the international sports scene. With races broadcast to more than 80 countries and bringing together more than 200 brands, Stock Car is a main hub of B2B and B2C relationship and experience for the Brazilian sports market.

Since the end of 2021, Stock Car has neutralized its events through carbon credits in a partnership with Orma, a Brazilian company specializing in capturing and investing resources on the preservation of areas such as the Amazon rainforest region.

Brad Keselowski – Bristol II Advance

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski
Race Format: 500 miles, 266.5 laps, Stages: 125-125-250

NASCAR Cup Race at Bristol – Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· The traditional weekend schedule returns this weekend with practice and qualifying on deck for Friday in group format, which will determine Saturday’s lineup.

Keselowski at Bristol

· Keselowski is set for his 24th Cup start at Bristol. In 23 starts he has three wins with eight top-10s and a 16.8 average finish.

· He most recently won the 2020 spring race after starting from the pole, and won back-to-back races in the 2011 fall event and 2012 spring race.

· Keselowski has led laps in 13 different Bristol races totaling 904 laps led, his second-best effort among all tracks.

· He carries a 9.6 average starting spot with two poles (2020 – both) and 14 starts inside the top-10.

· Keselowski also made 14 Xfinity starts at Bristol with one win and eight top-10s, and seven Truck starts with one win and three top-10s.

Matt McCall at Bristol

· McCall will call his 14th Cup race from Bristol this weekend where he has a 13.1 average finish and four top-10 results. He and Kurt Busch teamed up for top-10s in three-straight races in 2019-20, with his best career finish of second with the No. 1 team in 2019.

· He also finished eighth with Jamie McMurray back in 2016, and has finished outside the top-20 just once dating back seven seasons.

· McCall has an average starting position of 16.4 with three starts inside the top-10, including a career-best fourth with Busch in 2019.

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Bristol:
“I’m excited to get to Bristol, as this is one of the most thrilling and event-filled races on our calendar. Our cars are continuing to get better both in results and how they drive, so our goals for getting better every day have not changed. We’re looking forward to a great Saturday night in Bristol.”

Last Time Out
Keselowski finished 25th a week ago at Kansas.

On the Car

Kohler returns for its 11th primary race this season. Kohler is the anchor partner for the No. 6 team throughout the 2022 campaign, and will be the primary in 14 races after initially joining the RFK partner family in 2021 with eight events on the No. 6 team.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 40,000 associates. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

A global force in power solutions since 1920, Kohler manufactures engines and complete power systems, including generators (portable, marine, residential, commercial and industrial), automatic transfer switches, switchgear, monitoring controls, and accessories for emergency, prime power and energy-management applications all around the world. The business is committed to reliable, leading edge power-generation products, clean energy solutions, as well as comprehensive after-sale support. Visit KohlerGenerators.com, facebook.com/KOHLERPower, and on Twitter at @KOHLERPower.

Chris Buescher – Bristol II Advance

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 500 miles, 266.5 laps, Stages: 125-125-250

NASCAR Cup Race at Bristol – Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· The traditional weekend schedule returns this weekend with practice and qualifying on deck for Friday in group format, which will determine Saturday’s lineup.

Buescher at Bristol

· Buescher is set for his 13th Cup start at Bristol this weekend. He has two top-10s and a 22.1 average finish with a best of fifth (2016). He also finished eighth in 2020.

· This weekend also marks Buescher’s 250th start in the Cup Series overall, as he’s in his seventh full season and eighth overall.

· He has a career-best starting position of 12th (2016) with a 23.7 average starting spot overall.

· Buescher made five Xfinity Series starts at Bristol with three top-10s and a best finish of third (2015).

Scott Graves at Bristol

· Graves will be on the box for his 12th Cup race from Bristol, and has a career-best finish of ninth with Ryan Newman in 2019.

· He called seven Xfinity races for a combined three drivers, leading Buescher to a third-place finish back in 2015 in his Championship season, one of his three top-10s overall at the track.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Bristol:
“This is one of, if not my favorite, race track we go to, so I’m pumped up to get to Bristol and race under the lights in what is one of our best events annually. We’ve continued to show improvements week over week, and know that this is one we’ve had circled for months as we work on our short-track program. I’m looking forward to it.”

Last Time Out
Buescher overcame a three-lap deficit after making contact with the wall and pitting under green to finish 15th at Kansas.

On the Car

Fastenal, in its 12th season with RFK in 2022, makes its 15th appearance with the No. 17 this weekend. In its early days with RFK, Fastenal originally was a partner with the No. 99 team before moving over to the No. 17 team since. They were also the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

Petty GMS Announces Personnel Changes

By
Official Release
-

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

By
Official Release
-

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

By
Official Release
-

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?

By
SM
-

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

By
Official Release
-
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.”

1...1,7661,7671,768...6,650Page 1,767 of 6,650