TeamSLR Ready To Defend at The Glen

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September 8, 2022

Fulltime TA2 Racer Connor Mosack Seeks Repeat Victory at Iconic New York Circuit as

He’s Joined by Chris Liesfeld, Dillon Machavern and Justin Marks for 10th TA2 Round of 2022

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2022) – Connor Mosack returns to the scene of his first career TA2 victory in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli as he and the four-car TeamSLR contingent head to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International for this weekend’s Franklin Road Apparel Classic at the iconic 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course.

Mosack scored his victory in the second race of last September’s Saturday-Sunday TA2 doubleheader at Watkins Glen. He started and finished fourth on Saturday, but by laying down the second-fastest lap of the race, he earned a front-row starting spot for the Sunday race alongside polesitter and defending TA2 champion Rafa Matos. By the time the field reached turn two on Sunday, Mosack had cleared Matos. The 23-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, went on to hold the lead for all 30 laps, taking the checkered flag by .272 of a second ahead of runner-up Tyler Kicera.

Mosack is back at The Glen as part of a four-car armada from TeamSLR, the family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr. Joining Mosack in the 10th race of the 2022 TA2 season is Chris Liesfeld, back for his third outing with the team this season, along with Dillon Machavern and Justin Marks, both of whom are returning to TeamSLR for the second time.

Mosack arrives at The Glen a solid third in the driver standings and atop the leaderboard for the Peter Gregg Foundation Young Gun Award with three races remaining. The driver of the No. 28 Open Eyes/Nacarato Truck Centers/Nic Tailor Custom Fit Underwear Ford Mustang is coming off a strong second-place finish in the series’ most recent race Aug. 6 on the downtown streets of Nashville, Tennessee, where Mosack scored his seventh career TA2 podium and third of the season. He brings that momentum and some added experience at The Glen to this weekend’s event, as Mosack competed in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series races at Watkins Glen three weeks ago. On Aug. 19 in the ARCA race, Mosack was battling for third with three laps to go when he was taken out by another competitor. On Aug. 20 in the Xfinity Series race, Mosack drove from his 13th-place starting spot in the 38-driver field and was battling for a spot among the top-five in the closing laps before having to pit for a shredded tire.

Machavern, the 27-year-old from Charlotte, Vermont, will be behind the wheel of the No. 17 UniFirst/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro for the first time since this year’s season-opener at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, where he qualified eighth and powered his way into the top-five before mechanical gremlins ruined his bid. This weekend marks his milestone 50th career TA2 start since first racing in the series in 2015. Machavern relishes this weekend’s opportunity to race a TA2 car at Watkins Glen, where he has scored multiple victories during his career, including a TA2 win in 2016, and the prestigious Sahlen’s Six-Hour race with powerhouse GTD-class team of Turner Motorsports in 2018. He’ has also scored back-to-back IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge victories at The Glen the past two seasons with co-driver Bill Auberlen. Machavern contested the full TA2 schedule three times in his career with a best result of second in the 2019 championship.

Liesfeld, the 47-year-old who calls Richmond, Virginia, home, is ready for his third race of the season behind the wheel of the No. 96 Fields Racing/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro. Liesfeld owns and operates Fields Racing, which has competed in an array of racing disciplines over the years, including Stock Car Championship Series, Spec Miata, SCCA Pro and Trans Am. Liesfeld is making his second TA2 appearance in a row after his 19th-place finish in Nashville last month. His first race this season was Memorial Day weekend at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Marks, the 41-year-old from Rocklin, California, is a veteran NASCAR and sportscar racer in his second year as owner of Trackhouse Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, whose drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain each have scored breakthrough victories this season and are currently competing in the NASCAR Playoffs. Marks will be making his third career TA2 start and first at The Glen this weekend, but he is certainly no stranger to the facility. He co-drove a Meyer-Shank Racing GT Daytona-class entry to victory in the 2019 Sahlen’s Six-Hour race and scored another podium in the endurance classic in 2005 among his 10 sportscar outings at the track. He drove his TeamSLR entry to a fourth-place finish from the sixth starting position in the August 2021 Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, and returned to TeamSLR for this year’s July 3 race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where he charged to a seventh-place finish from the 28th starting position after battling a mechanical issue in practice and qualifying.

Connor Mosack, driver No. 28 Open Eyes/Nacarato Truck Centers/Nic Tailor Custom Fit Underwear Ford Mustang:

A year ago this month, you scored your first career TA2 win at Watkins Glen. How special was that for you?

“Yeah, it’s definitely special in that Watkins Glen is where we got our first TA2 win. It was a pretty solid weekend all around. We qualified fourth for the Saturday race and pretty much stayed there to the end. And things really went our way on Sunday and we were fortunate enough to capitalize on it. We’re still looking for our first win of this season and we’re hoping we can get it done. We’ve been strong pretty much everywhere we’ve been this year but just haven’t had everything go right on any given weekend, which is what it takes to win in this series, it’s so competitive. Watkins Glen is a place where if we don’t qualify on the pole, we can certainly move our way to the front. And if we do qualify on the pole, I feel it’s a place where I know what needs to be done to defend.”

Watkins Glen has to be fresh on your mind after your double-duty weekend there Aug. 19-20 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series. How do you feel that will benefit you this weekend?

“I think every bit of time on the track helps. It’ll be good to go back there in the TA2 car after racing there in the bigger, heavier stock cars. Those two races didn’t turn out quite like we had hoped for various reasons. In the ARCA race, we were racing for third at the end and just got put off the track and then had to pit for a shredded tire. We had an early issue in the Xfinity race that put us back, but we were able to race our way back up to 15th, so that gave us some good momentum to finish the weekend.”

Those two races took place on the abbreviated, seven-turn Watkins Glen circuit. What will it be like to adjust to the traditional 11-turn layout when you go back for the Trans Am race?

“It’s the more traditional Watkins Glen layout this weekend, for sure, and more fitting for the TA2 cars that are made for road racing. The trickiest part of the track is going up the hill through the esses, and through the bus stop, no matter which circuit they’re using. Running the long course this time, my first priority when we start testing and practice will be getting it just right through (turns) six, seven, eight and nine. When your car is right, it’s a track that flows really well and there are places to make up ground.”

Dillon Machavern, driver No. 17 UniFirst/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:

You’re back with TeamSLR for the first time since the TA2 season opener in March at Sebring. What keeps you coming back to this series?

“I want to stay involved for a few races to keep the skills sharp because there’s really nothing like a Trans Am car anymore in road racing, other than hopping into a NASCAR car. There’s nothing quite as raw as a TA2 car with no electronics, minimal driver aids. It’s just the driver and the car and nothing else, and I enjoy that. It’s nice to go back to the roots a little bit. It’s just fun. You have to be on it the whole time. The technology in the more modern cars can mask mistakes. In the TA2 car, you don’t have the opportunity to make those mistakes, so it’s really fun to keep those skills sharp.”

What is it like racing a TA2 car at Watkins Glen compared to the several IMSA-class sportscars you’ve raced there during your career?

“I’m proud to say we had a TA2 win there way back in the day. A lot of it is about how you attack the braking zones. In a more sophisticated car with ABS, you just hit the pedal as hard as you can when you come up to the brake zone and just trail out of it to help turn the car. In a TA2 car, you have to roll into the brake hard to slow it down, but you also have to roll out of the brake in a little different fashion to get around the corner because you don’t have that support of the ABS to keep you from locking. It’s all seat-of-the-pants. Obviously, turn one is a big one, because it leads you all the way up through the esses, so getting off turn one is super important. But being an old-school, flowy track, you’ve got to be on it everywhere because there’s nowhere to rest. You’ve got to be up on the wheel the entire lap to be competitive.”

How do you like racing at Watkins Glen, in general?

“I tend to really enjoy the old-school tracks that are designed around the topography more so than the tracks nowadays that are very technical and designed just on a piece of paper. I like the tracks like Watkins Glen, VIR and Road America that are old-school, bad-ass, fast tracks. You can get into a flow, but you also have to hold on because things come up on you pretty quickly. There’s also a lot of passing opportunities at those tracks. I just like the tracks where you can really let the cars run. You can carry a lot of speed and have hard braking zones where you can pass. That’s what I really enjoy about it.”

Chris Liesfeld, driver No. 96 Fields Racing/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:

This weekend’s race at Watkins Glen will be your first of any kind at the track. Talk about that.

“I’m certainly excited about it. I’ve never been there before. It’s always fun going to a new track. It’s definitely going to be night-and-day different from my last race at Nashville. It’s a little more high-speed corners, nice elevation change, and it’s the type of racing I prefer – I like that style of track. I’m excited, ready to do it. Watkins Glen has been on my bucket list of tracks to run for a long time.”

How have you prepared for your first career race at The Glen?

“I’ve been working a little bit on the sim – a little bit, not as much as I’d have liked to. But what I’ve done I feel will be enough. It’s gotten me pretty familiar with the layout of the track. And I think I’ve prepared well enough and I think I know the track well enough to get out there and try to get up to speed pretty quickly. This type of track is something I prefer over the ones with tight corners and the point-and-shoot style of racing. The corners are more high-speed and sweeping. There are a couple of tighter corners. And everybody talks about the bus stop, which is a feature of Watkins Glen, like ‘Oak Tree’ at VIR.”

You’re fresh off the previous TA2 round at Nashville, albeit four weekends ago. Will that help you get up to speed more quickly this weekend at The Glen?

“When you see that I finished 19th at Nashville, it may not look like the most impressive result, but considering I came from 39th on the grid, I feel like it gives me some momentum for this weekend, for sure. We had an issue in qualifying that forced us to abort the session. But, obviously, everything was working well on raceday and we were able to pick up all those spots, which on a temporary street course is not an easy thing to do, as everyone knows. I’m glad to have another chance to get back to it at a track like Watkins Glen.”

Justin Marks, driver No. 99 M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:

Like Road America, where you last raced with TeamSLR on July 4 weekend, you’ve logged a lot of laps and have enjoyed success in your career at Watkins Glen. What do you like about it?

“I love this track because it’s a driver’s track. There are a lot of passing opportunities and the track has a really nice flow. It’s truly a classic American road-racing circuit.”

What would you say are the biggest challenges of making your way around Watkins Glen?

“I’d say one of the biggest challenges is getting the car to work well everywhere. It has high-speed, high-risk corners, but it also has very technical, slower sections, so it places a premium on a well-balanced racecar.”

You rallied from far back in the field for a strong, seventh-place finish at Road America in July. Talk about that.

“We struggled with an issue with the car in qualifying that the team did a great job of diagnosing and fixing before the race. We had to start back in 29th, but the car was great in the race, and I just had to manage risk and let the race come back to us a bit, and it turned out well.”

You’re also driving in the Sunday Trans Am race at Watkins Glen this weekend. Safe to say you’re looking forward to pulling double duty?

“I just love to drive racecars, so if I’m going to spend four days away from home at a racetrack, I want to be on track as much as possible. I think the added track time will just help the process of really understanding what it’s going to take to be successful and, hopefully, contend to win both races.”

About TeamSLR:

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

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES: WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA – TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

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Official Release

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September 8, 2022

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

ONE TO GO – THREE TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS TO VIE FOR NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

Point leader Will Power and teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin are among five drivers mathematically eligible to win the Astor Cup

DETROIT (Sept. 8, 2022) – As the 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series (NICS) season roars to a close at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (WTLS) on Sunday, three Team Chevy drivers are among the five that are mathematically eligible to win the INDYCAR Championship and take home the Astor Cup.

Will Power, No.12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, heads to the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey season finale as the points leader with 523 points. Power led the standings twice earlier in the season and retook the top spot after Race 13 (Indianapolis road course-July 30). He has one win, four poles and 11 top-five finishes (the latter two are most in INDYCAR this year).

Teammate Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, is tied for second, 20 points down to Power, and holds the tiebreaker with five wins (most in INDYCAR this year). He also has one pole and seven top-five finishes.

Sitting fifth is Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, fresh off his convincing win at Portland and the announcement of a contract extension. He is 41 points behind Power and has recorded three wins, three poles and eight top-five finishes.

Scott Dixon (Honda) is tied with Newgarden, and Marcus Ericsson (Honda) is fourth in the standings.

A total of 54 points is available Sunday: 50 points for the race win, one point each for pole position and leading one lap, plus two points for leading the most laps in the 95-lap race around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course.

“To have five drivers vying for the championship, three of which are Chevy-powered, going into the final race of the INDYCAR season is remarkable,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet program manager for the NTT INDYCAR Series. “With 11 wins in 16 races, I am extremely proud of the effort put forth by our teams, the Chevrolet engineers and Ilmor, our engine partner. We had our challenges from time to time, but everyone pulled together and moved forward. And here we are … poised for a final run for the title times three.

“We feel well-prepared for Sunday’s race at Laguna Seca to support not only our title-contending teams, but all of our Bowtie teams as they engage in the final 95-lap battle of the season. Good luck to Will, Josef and Scott as they all drive to cap off their season off by winning the Astor Cup.”

TIDBITS:

· Points leader Power has one previous podium at WTLS (second in 2019).

· Newgarden was crowned the 2019 NTCS champion at WTLS without winning the race (eighth in 2019).

The Grand Prix of Monterey will commence with practice on Friday, Sept. 9, at 2:30 p.m. local (5:30 p.m. ET). On Saturday, practice will start at 10:15 a.m. local (1:15 p.m. ET); Firestone Fast Six qualifying will start at 2:05 p.m. local (5:05 p.m. ET). The morning warmup on Sunday is at 9 a.m. local (noon ET). All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio and XM Channel 160. The 95-lap race will take the green flag at 12:30 p.m. local (3:30 p.m. ET) live on NBC.

BY THE NUMBERS: Chevrolet in INDYCAR

· 1: Chevrolet’s position in the INDYCAR Engine Manufacturer standings after 16 races

· 2: Consecutive front-row starts in the Indianapolis 500 for Rinus Veekay of Ed Carpenter Racing

· 4: Consecutive victories by Chevrolet to open the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin won the pole and race at St. Petersburg. Penske teammate Josef Newgarden won at Texas and Long Beach, and Pato O’Ward was victorious at Barber Motorsport Park for Arrow McLaren SP

· 5: Wins by Chevrolet-powered entries in CART/Champ Car World Series at Laguna Seca in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Four came via Team Penske including Paul Tracy’s victory in 1993

· 6: Different Chevrolet drivers to win races dating to the start of 2020. Scott McLaughlin was the most recent at St. Petersburg

· 6: Number of Manufacturer Championships in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012

· 6: Number of Team Chevy Driver/Entrant championships since 2012

· 14: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including past 11 with Chevrolet. He won at Belle Isle in 2022

· 26: Wins by Will Power since 2012. All have come with Chevrolet, giving him the most of any driver with same manufacturer

· 42: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver

· 106: Chevrolet victories in NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012

· 116: Earned poles by Chevrolet since 2012

· 181: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR

3503-1-1004 2022-08-07 00:05:00

ABOUT CHEVROLET

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Kris Wright Race Advance – Kansas Speedway

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Official Release

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September 8, 2022

KRIS WRIGHT
No. 68 Wright Chevrolet Chevrolet Camaro SS
NASCAR Xfinity Series News and Notes
Event: Kansas Lottery 300
Date: Saturday, September 10
Venue: Kansas Speedway
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Track Description: 1.5 mile(s)
Race: 200 laps / 300 mile

Heart Of America Statistics … This weekend marks Kris Wright’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) track debut at the Kansas Speedway.

Wright has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series appearances at the Kansas Speedway, with his series track debut on May 1, 2021. As well, the Pittsburgh, Pa., – native has two (2020, 2021) ARCA Menards Series starts at the Kansas Speedway with two top-seven finishes. He posted a career-best sixth-place finish at the track on October 16, 2020.

On Board This Weekend … Family-owned and operated, Wright Chevrolet is the primary partner on the Brandonbilt Motorsports No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro SS. As a respected Wexford dealer serving the Pittsburgh, Cranberry and Beaver areas, Wright Automotive Group’s six locations carry an extensive inventory of new and used luxury cars and SUVs.

Speedway Stats: This weekend marks Kris Wright’s second speedway (tracks 1 to 2-miles in length) start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The 28-year-old also has 18 combined NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on speedways.

KRIS WRIGHT STATISTICS

QUOTE WORTHY

Kris Wright, driver of the No. 68 Wright Chevrolet Chevrolet Camaro SS for Brandonbilt Motorsports

On the Kansas Speedway:

“I am upset our Brandonbilt Motorsports team was not able to finish and complete all the laps contested at the Darlington Raceway last weekend to be able to continue building on and gain experience for the end of the season. Nevertheless, I am excited to go to Kansas Speedway, a 1.5-mile track. At this point it is all about learning and we have all been working together on the Kansas Speedway package hard to get to where we want it to be.”

Kris Wright on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit KrisWrightMotorsports.com, or connect with Kris Wright on Facebook (/KrisWrightRacing), Twitter (@KrisOnNASCAR) or Instagram (@krisonnascar).

Brandonbilt Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at the Kansas Speedway … The organization posted a team-best 11th-place with driver Brandon Brown at the wheel on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at the 1.5-mile tri-oval track with progressive banking. The five previous starts at the Kansas Speedway have earned Brandonbilt Motorsports an overall average starting position of 21.6 and an average finish of 16.2.

Brandonbilt Motorsports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2016, the Mooresville, N.C., -based organization has logged 134 starts with five drivers. Brandonbilt Motorsports has collected one victory (Brandon Brown, 2021: Talladega), six top-five finishes and 20 top-10 finishes and has logged an average starting position of 19.4 and an average finishing position of 19.4.

BRANDONBILT MOTORSPORTS STATISTICS

Catch the Action … The Kansas Lottery 300 at the Kansas Speedway will be broadcast on the USA Network starting with the NASCAR Xfinity Series: Countdown to Green at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, September 10 at 2:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 2:30 p.m. (ET). Qualifying for the 25th event of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule will air on Friday, September 9 at 5:00 p.m. (ET).

Kaulig Racing Weekly Advance | Kansas Speedway

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Official Release

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September 8, 2022

Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)

Sunday, September 11 at 3 p.m. ET on USA

In the 2022 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned two top fives, seven top-10 finishes and has led 33 laps

Noah Gragson, No. 16 CURE Token Camaro ZL1

Noah Gragson has made one start at Kansas in the NCS with Kaulig Racing earlier this year where he earned a top-20 finish
Gragson has one top five and three top-20 finishes in the 2022 NCS season

“Racing at Kansas earlier this year, I felt like we made so many gains and learned so much as a team. Kaulig Racing has made some steps in the right direction over the past few weeks, so I’m looking forward to getting back in the No. 16 Camaro with CURE Token onboard this week and showing the progress we have made together.” – Noah Gragson on Kansas

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Camaro ZL1

Justin Haley has made three starts at Kansas in the NCS
He has earned one top five, two top 10s and and nine top-15 finishes in 2022
Haley has led 28 laps in the 2022 season

“After a great weekend in Darlington, I’m excited to build on what we learned and take those notes to Kansas. Although our finish didn’t show it, we had one of our fastest cars of the year this past weekend, and Kansas is a similar racetrack with similar grip and similar speeds.” – Justin Haley on Kansas

Kansas Lottery 300

Kansas Speedway

NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)

Saturday, September 10 at 3 p.m. ET on USA

Kaulig Racing has earned three wins, 17 top five and 38 top-10 finishes in the 2022 NXS season
The team has led 349 laps in the 2022 NXS season so far
Allmendinger: 278 laps
Hemric: 54 laps
Cassill: 17 Laps

Landon Cassill, No. 10 Carnomaly Chevrolet

Landon Cassill has made five starts at Kansas in the NXS
Cassill has earned three top five and nine top-10 finishes in the 2022 NXS season
He has led 17 laps so far in the 2022 NXS season

“Kansas is another really fun racetrack. We have been working on our 1.5-mile program here at Kaulig Racing and have been really focusing on these last couple races of the regular season. With this being the last race that Carnomaly is on our No. 10 Chevrolet this season, hopefully we will have a decent day and be in a good spot heading into Bristol.” – Landon Cassill on Kansas

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Ag1 Chevrolet

Daniel Hemric has earned two top fives and three top-10 finishes at Kansas in the NXS
Hemric has an average finish of 8.8 and has led 143 laps led at Kansas across five starts

Hemric has earned two top fives, nine top-10 finishes and has led 54 laps in the 2022 NXS season

“After a tough weekend in Darlington, we’re ready to get back to Kansas, a place I have had some success at in the past. We have been working really hard to help put us in a good spot to finish out the regular season and have all three of these Kaulig Racing cars in the playoffs.” – Daniel Hemric on Kansas

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet

Allmendinger has made two starts and has led 10 laps at Kansas in the NXS
He has earned a win for Kaulig Racing in four-straight NXS seasons
In 2022, Allmendinger has led 278 laps, recorded three wins, 12 top five and 21 top-10 finishes
Allmendinger is currently the only full-time NXS driver averaging a top-10 finish (6.4)
Allmendinger currently has the most top-10 finishes of any driver in the 2022 NXS season

“Last year, we had a really solid day in Kansas. We were probably a sixth-place car but had some really good strategy, which put us in position for a third-place finish. If we can have another decent day and steal another stage win, we will be in a good spot to go into the regular season finale.” – AJ Allmendinger on Kansas

About Kaulig Racing™

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

NCS AT KANSAS: Team Chevy Advance

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Official Release

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September 8, 2022

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas
September 11, 2022

NCS PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 16: RACE #2 AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY

One last trek to the Midwest lies ahead for all three NASCAR national touring series, with the 1.5-mile tri-oval of Kansas Speedway set to host a tripleheader race weekend. While it will be the first time that the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will take on the Kansas venue this season; it will be a return trip for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), but this time with playoff implications on the line for both series. With the playoffs in full swing for NASCAR’s premier series, Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 will mark the second of three races in the NCS Playoffs Round of 16 and the next opportunity for playoff drivers to clinch their spot in the next round with a victory.

Kansas Speedway has held a spot on the NCS post-season schedule since the debut of the playoffs to the series in 2004. While the series saw the track during the Round of 8 in 2021; this season marks the first time that Kansas has hosted the second race of the playoffs. Last season’s Kansas playoff race – race two of the Round of 8 – Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Camaro ZL1 posted a dominating performance to go two-for-two in wins during the round. Larson became the third driver to record the win in the NCS playoff race at Kansas Speedway and go on to win the championship title that season.

In 33 NCS races held at Kansas Speedway, Chevrolet has made the trip to victory lane 13 times to lead all manufacturers. Of those triumphs include the series’ inaugural race at the track in 2001, where Jeff Gordon powered the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory lane. The NASCAR Hall of Famer went on to become a repeat winner the following season; and to-date, Gordon is one of only four drivers to record back-to-back wins at the track.

A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into race two of three in the Round of 16, including season numbers and career stats at Kansas Speedway:

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 2

Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 6; Laps Led: 662; Average Finish: 17.7; Stage Wins: 4

At Kansas Speedway (9 starts):

Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 5; Laps Led 117; Average Finish: 16.1

Of Note:

The 2022 season marks Byron’s fourth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.
Bryon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs came in 2021, finishing the season 10th in the final standings.
Following a stage win and a top-10 finish at Darlington, Byron moved from 5th in the playoff standings to 2nd.. just six-points out of the lead.

Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 5th in Playoff Standings

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 2

Top-Fives: 9; Top-10s: 12; Laps Led: 331; Average Finish: 16.1; Stage Wins: 2

At Kansas Speedway (6 starts):

Top-10s: 2; Average Running Position: 14.262; Average Finish: 17.667

Of Note:

The 2022 season marks Reddick’s second consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs, with his first coming in 2021.
Reddick earned a playoff berth following his first career NCS win at Road America; going on to win his second of the season at the Indianapolis Road Course.
Following his ninth top-five of the season, Reddick jumped from eighth to fifth in the playoff standings.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 7th in Playoff Standings

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 2

Pole Wins: 3; Top-Fives: 10 (tied for series-leading); Top-10s: 13; Laps Led: 307;

Average Finish: 14.3; Stage Wins: 3

At Kansas Speedway (15 starts):

Victories: 1; top-fives: 5; top-10s: 7; Average Finish: 14.6

Of Note:

In 2021, Larson scored his first career NCS Regular Season Championship, going on to win his first career NCS Driver Championship.
The 2022 season marks Larson’s sixth appearance in the NCS playoffs, with 2021 bringing Larson his first trip to the Championship 4.
During the playoff era (2004-present); Larson leads the series in ‘multiple playoff race wins in a single season’ with five in 2021 (Bristol, Charlotte ROVAL, Texas, Kansas, Phoenix).

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 8th in Playoff Standings

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 2

Top-Fives: 10 (tied for series-leading); Top-10s: 14; Laps Led: 584; Average Finish: 14.8;

Stage Wins: 5

At Kansas Speedway (7 starts)

Top-10s: 1; Average Finish: 22.429

Of Note:

The 2022 season marks Chastain’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs.
Chastain secured a playoff berth with his first career NCS win at COTA in March; also marking Trackhouse Racing’s first win in the organization’s second season in the series.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 9th in Playoff Standings

2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular-Season Champion

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 4 (series-leading)

Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 17; Laps Led: 719; Average Finish: 11.5 (all are series-leading)

Stage Wins: 5

At Kansas Speedway (13 starts):

Victories: 1; Top-Fives: 6; Top-10s: 8; Average Finish: 11.231

Of Note:

For the first time in his NCS career, Elliott was crowned the 2022 NCS Regular Season Champion.
The 2022 season marks Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.
Elliott has advanced to the Championship 4 the past two seasons, winning his first career NCS Driver Championship in 2020.
Six of his 17 career NCS wins have come in the playoffs.

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 – 10th in Playoff Standings

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 3 Top-10s: 11; Laps Led: 29 Average Finish: 15.5; Stage Wins: 1

At Kansas Speedway (14 starts):

Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 6; Average Finish; 16.929

Of Note:

The 2022 season marks Bowman’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs.
Bowman has raced his way into the Round of 12 in each of his NCS playoff appearances; making it to the Round of Eight in the 2020 season to score a career-best sixth in the final standings.
With his 11th top-10 finish of the season, Bowman moved from below the cutline, up to the 10th position in the playoff standings.

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 12th in Playoff Standings

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 6; Top-10s: 10; Laps Led: 238; Average Finish: 16.6; Stage Wins: 2

At Kansas Speedway (11 starts):

Top-10s: 1; Average Finish: 22.273

Of Note:

The 2022 season marks Suarez’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs.
Suarez earned his playoff berth following his first career NCS win at Sonoma Raceway.

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 14th in Playoff Standings

2022 Season To-Date:

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 8; Laps Led: 18; Average Finish: 16.7

At Kansas Speedway (18 starts):

Top-10s: 5; Average Finish: 16.333

Of Note:

The 2022 season marks Dillon’s fifth appearance in the NCS playoffs.
Dillon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs is 11th, accomplishing that feat in 2017 and 2020.
Chevrolet All-Time NASCAR Cup Series

Championships:

Manufacturer Championships:

1st Chevy Title: 1958

Most Recent Title: 2021

Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 13 (2003-2015)

Driver Championships:

1st Chevy title: Buck Baker (1957)

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 7 (2005-2011)

ERIK JONES BECOMES NINTH VICTORIOUS TEAM CHEVY DRIVER OF 2022

Erik Jones and the No. 43 Petty GMS Camaro ZL1 stole the headlines of the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener, taking the crown jewel win in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The win – Jones’ first since taking the seat in the iconic No. 43 – is the first time that a non-playoff driver has won the opening race of the playoffs since NASCAR started the playoff format in 2004. The win was even more special for the Chevrolet team, Petty GMS, as it marks the first win for the organization since the team merged and entered NASCAR’s premier series at the beginning of the 2022 season.

The 26-year-old Michigan native is now the ninth Chevrolet driver – from the fourth different Chevrolet team – to score a NCS win this season, extending the Camaro ZL1’s win total to a manufacturer-leading 16 victories in 2022. Now with a double-digit lead in wins over its manufacturer competitors with only nine races remaining; Chevrolet has already clinched the most NCS wins recorded in a single season among all manufacturers.

THREE IN A ROW IN WEEKEND SWEEPS

For the past three consecutive race weekends, the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series has seen an all-Chevrolet victory lane in each race to sweep the race weekend. All three bowtie sweeps have been performed on drastically different racetrack configurations, including: road course (Kyle Larson’s NXS and NCS wins at Watkins Glen International); superspeedway (at Daytona: Austin Dillon – NCS; Jeremy Clements – NXS); and an intermediate oval (at Darlington: Erik Jones – NCS; Noah Gragson – NXS).

With the pair of trips to victory lane at Darlington; Chevrolet has now swept the wins when the NCS and NXS are in competition on the same weekend for the 10th time, the most of all manufacturers. Of that series-leading feat, two of those race weekends included a NCWTS win, making it a sweep across the board of all three NASCAR national series.

A RECORD WIN FOR JR MOTORSPORTS

In a three-way battle of the bowties in the closing laps of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the “Lady in Black”; Noah Gragson made a last-lap pass on both the race leader Sheldon Creed and second-place Kyle Larson to take the checkered flag for a career-best fourth time this season. Gragson’s victory was not only JR Motorsports’ fourth consecutive win at Darlington Raceway, but the organization’s 10th NXS win of 2022.. breaking the team’s record for the most wins recorded in a single season, all behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine. The victory – Chevrolet’s third consecutive NXS win – brought the manufacturer’s series-leading win count to 17 in 24 races this season.. 14 of which have been recorded in the past 16 races.

Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 marks the first of two remaining opportunities for Chevrolet drivers to secure their place in the 2022 NXS playoffs and their chance to take part in the championship title hunt. Five of the seven NXS drivers that have clinched their playoff berth by virtue of a win comes from the bowtie camp, including series points leader AJ Allmendinger, who’s also looking to go back-to-back in NXS regular-season championship titles.

NCWTS: ONE LAST CHANCE TO ADVANCE

The stakes are high for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff drivers, as Friday night’s Kansas Lottery 200 is the Round of 10 elimination race, cutting the playoff field from 10 to eight drivers. Thanks to his win in the series’ playoff opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; Chevrolet playoff contender Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team has already secured their spot in the Round of Eight. Also representing the bowtie brand in the NCWTS playoff battle, Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar is heading into the pressure-packed event below the cutline, but only three points out of the top-eight in the points standings.

BOWTIE BULLETS

· Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway include:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 (2021)

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 (2018)

· In addition to its 13 manufacturer-leading NASCAR Cup Series wins at Kansas Speedway, Chevrolet has also recorded 11 pole wins – the most of all manufacturers – as well as 65 top-fives and 141 top-10s.

· Career Chevrolet drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, are among five drivers tied for the most NASCAR Cup Series wins (3) at Kansas Speedway. Of those wins for Gordon includes the inaugural NCS race at the 1.5-mile Kansas venue (2001).

· Erik Jones’ win at Darlington Raceway made him the ninth Chevrolet driver, from the fourth different Chevrolet team, to score a NASCAR Cup Series win in 2022. The victory also marked the first for Chevrolet team, Petty GMS, since the organization merged and entered NASCAR’s premier series at the beginning of the season.

· With the pair of trips to victory lane at Darlington Raceway; Chevrolet has now swept the wins when the NCS and NXS are in competition on the same weekend for a manufacturer-leading 10th time, including the past three weekends.

· In 27 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying racing, Chevrolet continue to lead all manufacturers in NCS race wins (16), top-fives (65), top-10s (117), laps led (3,130) and stage wins (22). With a double-digit lead in wins over its manufacturer competitors with only nine races remaining; Chevrolet has already clinched the most NCS wins recorded in a single season among all manufacturers.

· Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 22 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:

   Tyler Reddick 2 - Fontana x2

   Alex Bowman 1 - Las Vegas

   Ross Chastain 4 - Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono, Richmond

   William Byron 4 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington

   Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte

   Chase Elliott 3 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2

   Kyle Larson 3 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono

· Reigning NASCAR Cup Series and NASAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer Champions, Chevrolet, continues to lead in the manufacturer points standings in both series. The bowtie brand leads the NCS manufacturer points standings by 87-points, with the manufacturer’s lead in the NXS standings expanding to 109-points.

· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 830 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.

FOR THE FANS

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Kansas Speedway.

· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2023 Bolt EUV 2LZ, 2022 Colorado ZR2, 2023 Corvette 3LT, 2023 Tahoe Z71, 2022 Silverado 1500 ZR2, 2022 Trailblazer ACTIV.

· At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Friday, September 9

· Grant Enfinger & Jack Wood: 4 p.m.

· Derek Kraus & Colby Howard: 4:15 p.m.

· Matt DiBenedetto & Tate Fogleman: 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 10

· Stefan Parsons: 10:45 a.m.

· Rajah Caruth & Nick Sanchez: 11

· Josh Berry: 11:45 a.m.

· Daniel Dye: 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 11

· Ross Chastain: 11:05 a.m.

· Ty Dillon: 11:30 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Friday, September 9: 1 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 10: 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sunday, September 11: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Tune In:

USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 11. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Kansas Lottery 300 at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 10. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kansas Lottery 200 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, September 9. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

What is the key to have a long, successful run in the playoffs?

“I don’t really know what it takes to have a long, successful run in the playoffs because I’ve never been in this position before. I’m just taking it week by week, just like I would do in the regular season.”

How does it feel to be in the playoffs for your first time?

“As a fan, I remember watching some of these guys growing up. Now, to be in the playoffs with them is really cool.”

Can you describe Kansas and what you think of it?

“Kansas is in a group of tracks that you run pretty high on, up near the wall, and early in my career, that was not normal or comfortable for me. I’ve put a lot of effort in, just like a lot of guys have. I truly enjoy running at the top there now and up against the wall. I didn’t grow up racing at tracks on the high groove. I grew up racing around the bottom groove. I go to Kansas now and confidently run the wall. I’m super happy I get to run the Xfinity car at Kansas. It was on my priority list to run the Xfinity race to get more track time and more reps.”

If you were to win the pole at Kansas, would you put an engine in the pedal car that they give away to pole winner?

“I think the chances of me doing that could be pretty high. Growing up, a lot of things that I had would have a motor in it.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 GET BIOETHANOL CAMARO ZL1

How is Kansas unique compared to some of the other 1.5-mile tracks?

“Kansas Speedway has done a really good job with their banking. There’s a line right up by the fence that has a little extra grip. There’s an angle up there that I don’t think many tracks have figured out yet, but Kansas got it right. You can run from top to bottom there. The bottom groove is the preferred groove at the beginning, but it becomes too tight to try and run around there in turns one and two sometimes depending on what the balance of your race car is. I’ve enjoyed that track a lot ever since they repaved it. I wish every track could do as good as a job as Kansas has with repaves.”

Can this team win the trophy from where it starts in the NASCAR Playoffs?

“Why not? I’m confident at the tracks in the playoffs. RCR has shown speed at every type of track with Tyler Reddick winning the road courses, and the No. 3 team winning the speedway. At Martinsville Speedway, I finished third but was probably the second-best car there, and we probably should have won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I was really close there. I’m happy to be in this spot and I think we’re the underdog. Some people are already putting us out, which is just fine with me because it takes pressure off and we’ll go have fun and try to upset some of these guys. We’re taking it as survive and advance mode from here on out.”

Is there any problem flipping the switch for the NASCAR Playoffs?

“If anything, I’ve learned with 15 winners that you need to stay aggressive. I talked to the guys about it the other day. Some of the strategy calls we made over the last couple of weeks we probably wouldn’t have done it if we were racing for points. We maximize more points by being aggressive on strategy and putting ourselves in better position. So, I don’t think a whole lot is going to change. We’ll monitor where everybody is running during the race and go from there. I believe we should stay on the same strategy path that we’ve been on.”

How does your previous NASCAR Playoffs experience help you?

“Just knowing how every position matters. Looking back at a couple of times when you’re outside looking in and it came down to a point or two points, knowing that you have to get it at all cost.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on why Kansas Speedway fits his driving style:

“I think Kansas (Speedway) fits my driving style because it’s an intermediate track with multiple grooves so you can move around to find grip. Usually the fastest lane is right up next to the wall – and at times that is where I am most comfortable.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Daniels on if the win last year and runner-up result this year provides confidence at Kansas:

“I don’t have a good feel at all. The reasons that I say that is at the end of the race (in May) – yes, we ran second and we were up front – we didn’t run as well as we needed to and we’re on a different tire (compound) this weekend. No one has been on this tire for a Cup weekend. We have things from May that we need to work on and now we’re going to add a new tire, so that’s a very tough equation to understand exactly what we’re going to need.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on racing at Kansas:

“Kansas (Speedway) is a place that typically has some groove options. It seems like the cooler it is, the more groove options we have. When it’s hotter, the outside lane tends to become more dominant. To me, that place feels like a shorter mile-and-a-half for some reason – it just feels a little tighter than some of the other ones. Momentum is going to be tough to beat and the track is aging too. They have some pretty hot summers and some pretty harsh winters, so that place is getting some age to it now. Typically as those tracks age, momentum starts to be king over time and that outside lane tends to give you that. I think as time goes the top will continue to be more and more dominant unless you just have that perfect weather situation where it’s cool and the short way around has enough grip to not break momentum. It’s going to be a fight for track position and how well you can get around the top.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Gustafson on the team’s mindset heading into the final two races of the Round of 16:

“One of the great things about our team is when we have a bad race, we learn from it and move on. We don’t dwell on it. Chase is so good at being able to do that, putting the previous race in the rearview and focusing on the week ahead. That’s what you have to do – take things week by week. I think that’s key to being able to survive in these playoffs.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Byron on what he expects during Sunday’s race at Kansas:

“Honestly, Kansas (Speedway) might be the one track in the playoffs that I’m the most worried about. I feel like we know what to expect at a place like Talladega (Superspeedway) or the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) ROVAL and other tracks we have already raced at this year so we have notes. We raced at Kansas in May and had speed, led laps early and then had a flat tire that damaged the underneath of the car. We kept going but the car never handled the same. That means we don’t have our own notes on how we expect the Next Gen car to handle throughout the run, etc. The good thing is we can lean on our teammates some and use our past mile-and-a-half notes as well. The good news is I like racing at Kansas, and it’s a place that both Rudy (Fugle) and I seem to have taken to really well. Hopefully, we can do what we did at Darlington (Raceway) last week, put together a solid points day and be there at the end to possibly lock ourselves into the next round.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Fugle on wanting to improve their mile-and-a-half track package:

“We’re excited for the chance to continue to get better at mile-and-a -half tracks early on in the playoffs. We have Texas (Motor Speedway), Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and Homestead (Miami Speedway) coming up even though Homestead is kind of its own animal. Having a solid race, stay in it all day long and try to get another building block to be competing for a win this weekend. And if we’re not, then to get to a point that we’re competing for the win at Texas. William (Byron) is great at Kansas (Speedway). We ran well there at the first race, led laps and had a flat left-rear tire land damaged the car. We should have won that race last year but we had a loose wheel late in the race. We came back to finish six after leading a bunch of laps. I love Kansas and I’m excited to get back there.”

Fugle on why he thinks Byron is good at tracks like Kansas:

“Any time you have a lot of throttle time, William is really good at those tracks. Places like Texas (Motor Speedway), Michigan (International Speedway), Kansas (Speedway), places like that. He’s really good at keeping momentum up, using the throttle and running high speed. I think he’s a very underrated guy who runs against the wall. People don’t really think about him with that, but I think he does an amazing job at it. That’s what we’ll be doing for a lot of the run in Kansas. He’s also good at just driving underneath the tire. Kansas is a track that still has a lot of grip, but in the right condition if you overheat the tires, you go from a lot of grip to not a lot of grip really quick. That’s why you see the races spread out there in my opinion.”

TY DILLON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKERRESORTS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Heading to Kansas Speedway this weekend, what is it about this track that excites you as a driver?

“I’m excited to be returning to Kansas this week, this track is a fun place with a lot of different grooves, which allows the drivers to have a lot of options getting going on restarts and on long runs. We’re looking to have a strong finish there with our No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on heading to Kansas:

“I really like that track. Kansas (Speedway) is one of the tracks that has widened out and has multiple lanes and ways to get around it. I feel like I have always gone there and been competitive and this weekend doesn’t feel any different from any other weekend I have headed there. I know our team will build a fast No 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 like they do every week and we will go there and race just as hard as we always do. Hopefully, it is enough to grab a win.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Ives on where they stand in the playoffs after Darlington Raceway:

“I think we made a lot of progress with our 10th-place result at Darlington Raceway last Sunday. Moving from 15th to 10th is a nice jump, but the points are still so close, so we need to go to Kansas Speedway this Sunday and have another solid day. Alex (Bowman) really likes Kansas and coming off a top-10 finish, I think our team has a lot of wind in our sails right now. He (Bowman) has said it before, we always feel like underdogs, so there is a little bit of a fire lit under the No. 48 team right now and I think that’s exactly what this team needs as we navigate the playoffs.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts going into Kansas?

“We are ready. We had a really fast car at Darlington Sunday. I made a mistake (speeding on pit road) and you can’t have that. We have some things to clean up, but if we are as fast at every playoff race as we were in Darlington then we are going to be fine.”

How does it feel to be part of the playoffs?

“It feels nice, but honestly it feels normal. I believe that I belong here. When you have a team like the one I have, I feel like it’s more like a must to be in this position.

I think we’re in a great position. I have an amazing team behind me. Trackhouse Racing has done a tremendous job this year. We have to continue to evolve. It’s the most important part of the season, of course. We have to continue to do the same thing that we’ve been doing and continue to get better.”

Can anyone win the championship in 2022?

“Yeah, I think so. If it was last year, I would tell you ‘this guy is going to win it or this guy is going to win it’ because the gaps were so big. With this car, if you’re telling me who is going to win any race and you get it right, I’ll give you a thousand dollars (laughs). I don’t think you’re going to get it right. There is not one guy.. anyone can be good. I love that about this car. It’s unpredictable. Everyone has an opportunity.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 ALLEGIANT SILVERADO RST

“It will be nice to be able to return to Kansas for a second time this season with our No. 23 team. I feel like we learned some stuff that helped us gain speed towards the end of the race in the spring, and also as a whole, we have really improved on our intermediate program, so I feel like we are bringing a better truck this time around. I want to say thank you to Allegiant for coming onboard this week, and I’m hoping that we give everyone a good run to be proud of on Friday night.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 24 SEVWINS SILVERADO RST

“Kansas is the only track on our schedule that we’re going to visit twice this year, so I think there’s definitely some expectations set by both of us driver, crew members, and everyone in the organization to head back to the track stronger than how we unloaded earlier in the year. I definitely have high hopes for this race, and we have implemented some different parts on our setup that we are excited to try out, so hopefully we will have a better showing this time around. I’m looking forward to having Sevwins back on my Chevy, it’s always great to bring some cool partners like them back to the racetrack. More importantly, I’m looking forward to getting back in our truck. I’ve been very blessed to have this opportunity to be a part of this team, and we have five more races this year to make the most of it. All of our guys on the No. 24 team have our heads down and will continue to be fighting hard in these races!”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 40

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2022 STATISTICS:

Wins: 16

Poles: 7

Laps Led: 3,130

Top-five finishes: 65

Top-10 finishes: 117

Stage wins: 22

Tyler Reddick (Fontanax2)
Alex Bowman (Las Vegas)
Ross Chastain (Las Vegas), (Darlington), (Charlotte), (Pocono), (Richmond)
William Byron (Phoenix), (Atlanta), (Talladega), (Darlington)
Daniel Suarez (COTA), (Charlotte)
Chase Elliott (Martinsvillex2), (Charlotte), (Atlantax2)
Kyle Larson (Bristol Dirt), (Sonoma), (Pocono)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 830 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 730

Laps led to date: 244,466

Top-five finishes to date: 4,203

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,672

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,164

       Chevrolet: 830

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 817                                                         

       Ford: 717

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 167

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Kansas NXS Advance

By

Official Release

-

September 8, 2022

RILEY HERBST
Kansas NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Kansas Lottery 300 (Round 25 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
• Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• The Kansas Lottery 300 Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City serves as the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ lone visit to The Sunflower State in 2022. But Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, has already logged plenty of laps around the 1.5-mile oval. The 23-year-old racer from Las Vegas competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race back in May, finishing 12th in a David Gilliland Racing-prepared Ford F-150. It was Herbst’s ninth overall start at Kansas across the Truck Series, Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series.

• Herbst has made three Xfinity Series starts at Kansas, with a best finish of ninth in his first Xfinity Series start at the track in July 2020. He has two Truck Series starts, with ninth also being his best finish in that series, earned in his first Truck start at Kansas in 2019. The bulk of Herbst’s Kansas starts have come in ARCA. In four career ARCA starts at the track, Herbst has two top-five and three top-10 finishes, with his best result coming in his most recent outing – a third-place drive in July 2020 where Herbst started on the pole and led 18 laps.

• While Herbst is seeking his first career Xfinity Series win, the No. 98 team has already earned a victory at Kansas. The Richard Boswell-led team won at Kansas in October 2020 with driver Chase Briscoe, who led a race-high 159 laps and beat runner-up Daniel Hemric by 1.199 seconds. In the NASCAR Cup Series, Stewart-Haas Racing owns three Kansas wins – one by Tony Stewart (October 2009) and two by Kevin Harvick (October 2016 and May 2018).

• Only two regular-season races remain before the Xfinity Series playoffs begin Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Herbst is in a solid position to make the 12-driver playoff field, sitting eighth in the driver standings with 651 points, 112 markers above the top-12 cutoff line. A win would lock Herbst into the playoff field, but he can also secure his position by pointing his way into the postseason with continued consistency through the regular-season finale next Friday night at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

• Consistency has been a key element of Herbst’s 2022 campaign. In his third fulltime Xfinity Series season, Herbst has matched his career best of five top-five finishes, first earned in 2021. He is only three top-10 finishes away from surpassing his career best of 17 top-10s, which he earned in 2020.

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

In your most recent race last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, a crash not of your making derailed what was shaping up to be another strong finish. Your No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang had speed throughout the race, so what do you take away from a weekend like that, where you had a great racecar but not the desired result?

“We have to minimize the mistakes if we want to be in position to win these races. Ultimately, last weekend I made a mistake that put us in a difficult position and put us out of the race. We can’t dwell on it because we have to turn around and race again this weekend, but we’re always learning and getting better. Our Monster Energy Ford Mustang had the speed last weekend, so we know that we can run up front. We have to clean up our races, and that’s what we’re doing.”

This is the only visit the Xfinity Series makes to Kansas this year. However, you raced there in the spring with the Truck Series. Is there anything you learned in that race that you can apply to this weekend?

“There’s a lot that can transfer over. Honestly, just the extra seat time at Kansas helps. I love this track. Kansas is probably one of my favorites because I’ve always performed decently there. I was grateful to get behind the wheel of the No. 17 Ford F-150 back in the spring, and I’m hoping that experience can help us run up front his weekend.”

Only two races remain before the playoffs begin Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway. You’re solidly eighth in points, highest of the drivers without a win yet this season. Talk about your year and how you feel heading into these last two regular-season races.

“Obviously, 2022 has been good to us, but we’re still searching for our first win. I think we’re close, and to get it before the end of the season would be awesome. We’ve worked on being consistent and running well, but we need to continue that. This No. 98 Monster Energy team deserves to be in victory lane and I know that we can get there. Don’t count us out.”

No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: Matt Noyce
Hometown: Oregon, Wisconsin

Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Kevin Teaf
Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Davis Sampere
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Fueler: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Jackman: Kapil Fletcher
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Road Crew Members:

Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine

Tire Specialist: Austin Quick
Hometown: Flagstaff, Arizona

Amber Balcaen; Rette Jones Racing Optimistic Ahead of Kansas Speedway Return

By

Official Release

-

September 8, 2022

KANSAS CITY, Kan: Saturday night’s Kansas ARCA 150 at Kansas Speedway could be exactly what the doctor ordered for ARCA Menards Series rookie Amber Balcaen and her Rette Jones Racing team.

A dismal summer stretch has been flattened with respectable finishes over the past three races, but the final intermediate race of the 2022 season brings a sense of excitement and optimism for the Mooresville, N.C.-based team.

In May, Balcaen impressed with one of her most astounding performances of the season where she started 13th in her No. 30 ICON Direct Ford but hustled to an impressive ninth-place finish.

With the bigger mile-and-a-half tracks fitting into the popular driver’s niche, Balcaen returns to Kansas Speedway in hopes of capturing her fourth top-10 finish of the season.

“I am really excited to go back to Kansas Speedway because it will be the first time this season that I have had experience at a certain race track,” said Balcaen. “I think this will be a huge advantage for our team having already gone there this year knowing that I have developed some comfortably with the track.”

Like any rookie driver wanting to make their second appearance better than their first, Balcaen is determined to utilize what she learned during May’s Dutch Boy 150 that will give her an opportunity to better her season-high finish of seventh earned at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May.

“The first time at Kansas, I used both practice and the race to learn the line, get comfortable with the track, get into a rhythm, and improve speed,” she explained. “Now having already been there, I’m expecting us to be up to speed much quicker in practice so we can work on getting the car dialed in for the race so we can have a really strong run.”

With Kansas marking the first career top-10 in Balcaen’s young ARCA Menards Series career, she is hoping the return to the Midwest will offer the confidence she needs to not only challenge to better her season-high finish but even propel her Mark Rette-led team into the top-five for the first time this season.

“I really enjoyed Kansas the first time, so I know I will enjoy it even more going back! It was also our first top 10 of the seasons that gives good confidence knowing we can back that up again,” Balcaen added. “I enjoy the bigger tracks so am looking to have a carrier best finish this Saturday night.”

After getting dumped in her most recent race at the Du Quoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds while running in the top-10, Balcaen knows the time is running out before the end of the season to become the first female competitor to win in the premier ARCA Menards Series – but while winning may not be at the top of their agenda, delivering as many top-10 finishes before the season-finale at Toledo Speedway next month is.

“I feel we have shown good speed most of the year, we just don’t have the finishes to back it up which is pretty frustrating but part of racing,” explained Balcaen. “At least knowing we have speed gives me some confidence that I can do this, and just need to keep pushing forward.

“Rette Jones Racing has given me fast cars good enough to run inside the top-10 and even the top-five this season. I’d love to win. That’s what we set our hearts to do every single time we hit the track.

“A win in the ARCA Menards Series though is never easy and if we can’t be in that position to win this weekend or for the four remaining races – then for sure we are going to attack and fight to put our No. 30

ICON Direct Ford Fusion inside the top-10.

“We have endured more than our fair share of bad luck this season. Too much in fact. But as a team, we rise above the negative and feed off the positives. I think Kansas can be that opportunity to put a huge smile on our faces.

“We have four races left to showcase some good finishes. As long as luck is on our side, we should be able to add some more top 10s to the season.”

For crew chief and co-team owner Mark Rette, he continues to be proud of the resilience of his young driver and believes the stretch drive to the end of the season will be the team’s strength.

“Yes, Du Quoin was a major bummer but the speed that Amber continues to showcase is the backbone of our race team,” offered Rette. “We have worked hard to make sure we come to the track each week and give her the best race car possible. Du Quoin was another race where she wasn’t respected on the track and we all paid the price with a less than satisfying finish.

“With all that said, we’re upbeat about returning to Kansas at a track she knows and feels good about it. I’m expecting big things from Amber on Saturday night to further showcase her ability but also keep our team and partners in the spotlight.”

Amber Balcaen 05.09.22a.jpg

ICON Direct will continue to adorn the primary positions on Balcaen’s race car in their 17th of 20 races this season.

ICON Direct is a manufacturer of high-quality plastic component parts for the RV industry, located in Manitoba, Canada. ICON aftermarket replacement parts are available through RV Dealers and Distributors across North America and directly through their website IconDirect.com.

The Winnipeger’s new endeavor at Rette Jones Racing will also be supported by Glenn McLeod and Sons – cementing a full Canadian roster of partners for her ARCA Menards Series rookie season.

Longtime RJR partners Ford Performance, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Jones Group Demolition and Abatement and JRi Shocks will continue their relationship with the team in 2022 and serve as associate partners on Balcaen’s No. 30 ICON Direct Ford Fusion.

RJR is co-owned by Canadian entrepreneur and former race car driver Terry Jones.

Entering Kansas, Balcaen sits seventh in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 56 points out of fourth and 164 markers in the arrears to championship leader Nick Sanchez.

“Mark (Rette) and the entire RJR team have worked their butts off this year,” sounded Balcaen. “It hasn’t been easy with the schedule and the number of DNFs we’ve had but they have kept plugging away to put good cars together to bring to the track for me week in and week out.

“I have learned a lot as a driver from Mark, he’s really helped improve my knowledge and skills. I get so much support from all the guys on my crew and feel they really believe in me which is super important for a team to have belief in their driver. I am very grateful for all of them.

“I want to still put together some top 10s and hopefully even some top-fives by the end of the season. I know we have it in us. I think our bad luck streak must be over by now and I am focusing on the positives of the speed and progression we have shown.”

For more on Amber Balcaen, please visit amberbalcaenracing.com, like her on Facebook (AmberBalcaenRacing) and follow her on Instagram (@amberbalcaen10) and Twitter (@amberbalcaen10).

For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing) or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and Twitter (@RetteJones30).

The Kansas ARCA 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the 17th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 9:15 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. General Tire pole group qualifying kicks off at 10:00 a.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and FloRacing beginning at 6:00 p.m. CT | 7:00 p.m. ET. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

About Rette Jones Racing:

Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never-give-up attitude.

Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plan to field a full-time entry in 2022 in the ARCA Menards Series, while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series East and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) respectively.

The winning ARCA team also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.

NASCAR All-Star Race Moves to Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway for 2023

By

Official Release

-

September 8, 2022

Headlining NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the sport’s biggest stars will return to one of the original venues for stock car racing as part of a three-day weekend of motorsports entertainment, May 19-21, 2023
Tickets for the 39th running of the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend will go on sale later this fall; Fans can reserve their spot on a priority-to-buy list with a $25 donation to Speedway Children’s Charities starting Friday at Noon;
Visit northwilkesborospeedway.com for complete details

RALEIGH, N.C. (SEPT. 8, 2022) – Speedway Motorsports and NASCAR announced today that, as part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the NASCAR All-Star Race will be held at historic North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2023, capping off a three-day event weekend at one of stock car racing’s most storied venues, May 19-21, 2023.

“The NASCAR All-Star Race has always been the fans’ race, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the fans during NASCAR’s 75th anniversary than returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “We couldn’t have made this happen without tremendous support from so many people including Gov. Cooper, our state legislature, NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and of course, the people of Wilkes County. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got the will to create something special alongside a community and hard-working staff that will get it done.”

The announcement was made outside of the North Carolina Museum of History, with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell joining Smith for the program.

“Motorsports are critical to North Carolina’s history, culture and economy, and our investments have helped to get the engines running again in places that needed revival,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “North Wilkesboro Speedway is back and better than ever, and the All-Star Race will take it to new heights.”

In November of last year, an $18M allocation from federal American Rescue Plan funds was designated for infrastructure improvements at North Wilkesboro Speedway through the North Carolina state budget. Earlier this week, Wilkes County awarded construction contracts for the forthcoming work. The General Assembly has agreed in principal to provide a $4M economic grant next year toward additional facility improvements to host the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race and future special events.

“For decades, North Wilkesboro Speedway was at the heart of racing and tourism in Western North Carolina,” Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said. “We look forward to seeing the renaissance of this track as it transforms into a premier venue for races and events in Wilkes County.”

North Wilkesboro, then a dirt track, hosted its first race in May of 1947. Over the next five decades, the 0.625-mile circuit hosted 93 NASCAR Cup Series races – its list of winners a variable who’s who of NASCAR royalty, including Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and hometown hero Benny Parsons. Next year, the 39th running of the NASCAR All-Star Race will mark the first Cup Series event at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996.

NASCAR Hall of Famer and noted motorsports historian Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been a passionate supporter of the revitalization of North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“Some of my best memories as a little boy were going to North Wilkesboro,” said Earnhardt. “And it got even better when I raced there as a teenager. I never thought I’d see that place full again, and then I got to race there this summer in a late model before a full house. There’s just something special about it. I know the track, the fans, and the community will put on a show when we’re back with the Cup cars for the All-Star race.”

“North Wilkesboro Speedway boasts a winners list that features the true giants of our sport, and next year, another great will be added as the NASCAR Cup Series stars once again race at this historic facility,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief operating officer. “As part of our 75th anniversary season, we’re are excited to return to the roots of the sport for the NASCAR All-Star Race. This will be a can’t-miss event as we honor our past and look forward to the future.”

Complete schedules for on-track competition and fan entertainment will be announced at a later date, as will the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race format. Register for the “Join the Movement” email list and follow North Wilkesboro Speedway social channels to stay up-to-date on all the latest information. The NASCAR All-Star Race will be broadcast on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

TICKETS:

Three-day NASCAR All-Star Race weekend ticket packages will go on sale later this year. Fans can make a $25 donation to Speedway Children’s Charities starting Friday at noon to reserve a spot on the priority-to-buy list. All proceeds from the SCC Reserve List will serve children in need in Wilkes County. For more information or to “Join the Movement” e-mail list for the latest updates surrounding the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, fans can visit www.northwilkesborospeedway.com.

FOLLOW ALONG:

For the latest news, schedules and ticket information, visit www.northwilkesborospeedway.com.

Burton, Menards Team Looking for Strong Run at Kansas

By

Official Release

-

September 8, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Menards/Masterforce team are headed to Kansas Speedway hoping to build on a steady performance when the Cup Series visited the Kansas track back in May. In that race, Burton qualified 26th but moved into the top 15 midway through the second Stage and ran there for much of the remainder of the race before dropping to 21st at the checkered flag.

Crew chief Brian Wilson said that gives him a dose of optimism headed into this weekend’s 22nd running of the Hollywood Casino 400 on the 1.5-mile track.

“Any return trip to a track is welcomed when you’re a team that’s building a notebook,” Wilson said. “Kansas is especially welcomed by everyone on the Menard’s Ford since we raced in the top 15 for most of the first race there.

“During that race weekend there were multiple tire failures for other teams. This weekend Goodyear has brought a new tire combination. With the added durability there’s also a stagger change.

“This change is the biggest source of conversation and concern as we study the notes from the first race.”

Wilson said he believes the Menards/Masterforce team can adapt to the changes.

“I’m confident that through our simulation work, previous notes on stagger changes as well as the simulator time provided by Ford that we’ll unload with all the necessary adjustments,” he said, adding that the team also will be focusing on Saturday’s qualifying session. “We know that a great starting position also comes with a great pit stall.

“All of that would give our pit crew a huge advantage. Our guys have been doing a tremendous job lately, and we want to help them capitalize on that.”

Practice for the Hollywood Casino 400 is set for Saturday at 11:05 a.m. (12:05 p.m. Eastern Time) to be immediately followed by qualifying.

Sunday’s 400-mile, 267-lap race is scheduled to start just after 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern) with TV coverage on USA Network. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the WoodBrothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

Christian Rose Eyes Top-10 Finish in ARCA Kansas Speedway Debut

By

Official Release

-

September 8, 2022

KANSAS CITY, Kan: The hard work paid off.

Using a conservative approach to his most recent ARCA Menards Series race at The Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile, rookie Christian Rose impressed with a solid and hard-fought top-15 finish in the combined ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East Sprecher 150 last month.

Having the past two weeks to reflect on the effort of his Cook Racing Technologies (CRT) team in the heart of Wisconsin, Rose returns to the ARCA Menards Series tour eyeing a top-10 finish in Saturday night’s Kansas ARCA 150.

Sticking by the motivational slogan of “Never Give Up” – Rose was able to find some light at the end of the tunnel where a frustrating rookie season that has showcased speed and finesse has been compounded with a pile of bad luck and priceless learning experience.

Returning to the high banks of an intermediate race track, Rose looks to repeat the speed he showcased at the larger tracks earlier this year at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where Rose muscled his No. 42 West Virginia Tourism race car into the top-10 on both occasions before falling victim to mechanical woes.

This weekend, Rose is hoping for another quiet and conservative weekend and to build on his career-best premier ARCA Menards Series finish achieved at The Milwaukee Mile.

“I was confident that our bad luck string was coming to an end and we would have a solid performance where our notebook would expand and make us stronger for our remaining races this season,” said Rose.

“I can’t thank everyone enough on our Cook Racing Technologies team for their endless efforts to work on our No. 42 West Virginia Tourism Toyota not only at Milwaukee but for Kansas this weekend and the rest of our remaining races in the ARCA homestretch.

“We wanted to be better at Milwaukee, but as a team, I believe we know what we need to do to improve our performance on the flatter tracks and we’ll take all of those notes into consideration as we continue to build for the future.”

Having the opportunity to reflect and cling to the positives of Milwaukee, Rose is starting to shift his attention to Kansas where he hopes to impress and build even more confidence even though the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season is winding down.

“I’m upbeat about Kansas Speedway this weekend,” sounded Rose. “I think our Cook Racing Technologies has showcased throughout the season to have a lot of speed on the bigger tracks and I don’t expect Kansas to be any different.

“I know that Kansas has similar characteristics to Charlotte, but no two tracks are exactly the same. For me, it’s just about making strides with our No. 42 West Virginia Tourism Toyota. Bettering our lap times from practice to qualifying and doing what we can to stay on the lead lap and contend for a top-10 finish at the end of Saturday night.

“If we can do that, the weekend will be a huge success and give us, even more, welcomed confidence heading into our handful of races remaining this season.”

This season, Rose who will compete in all three of ARCA’s national platforms, the ARCA Menards Series, the ARCA Menards Series East and the ARCA Menards Series West will continue to strengthen a relationship with the West Virginia Department of Tourism.

The West Virginia Department of Tourism promotes West Virginia as a leading four-season travel destination and a top state to live, work and retire.

Known as the Mountain State, West Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the United States and home to thousands of acres of parks and public lands, including America’s newest national park and 45 state parks and forests.

In addition to its majestic mountains and rolling hills, West Virginia is full of rich historic sites, enchanting art galleries, charming towns and an immense sense of belonging found only in its heaven-like landscapes.

In West Virginia, let country roads lead you far away from everything. And a little closer to heaven.

“My relationship with the West Virginia Department of Tourism is everything to me,” added Rose.

“Without them, I would not be able to race at Kansas Speedway. It is my goal throughout the year to spread the mission of everything the West Virginia Department of Tourism means.

“It goes without saying that we have had a lot of speed with our West Virginia Department of Tourism race cars this year and I’m hopeful we can climb that ladder of consistency during the end of this summer stretch and into the fall.

“We are seeing a great amount of response from the fans about their experience in West Virginia and that’s part of why we are building this program. On the heels of some appearances in West Virginia over the last couple of weeks, it’s been wonderful to receive all the positive feedback about our West Virginia Department of Tourism Racing program.

“We are just getting started.”

Following Kansas Speedway, Rose and CRT plan to compete in the ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200 | Sioux Chief Showdown at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Thurs., Sept. 15.

For more on Christian Rose, please like him on Facebook (Christian Rose Racing) or follow him on Instagram (@christianroseracing) and Twitter (@CRoseRacing).

The Kansas ARCA 150 (100 laps | 150 miles) is the 17th of 20 races on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 9:15 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. General Tire pole group qualifying kicks off at 10:00 a.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV and FloRacing beginning at 6:00 p.m. CT | 7:00 p.m. ET. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

About The West Virginia Department of Tourism:

The West Virginia Department of Tourism promotes West Virginia as a leading four-season travel destination and top state to live, work and retire.

Known as the Mountain State, West Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the United States and home to thousands of acres of parks and public lands, including America’s newest national park and 45 state parks and forests.

In addition to its majestic mountains and rolling hills, West Virginia is full of rich historic sites, enchanting art galleries, charming towns and an immense sense of belonging found only in its heaven-like landscapes.

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

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