Leading stolen vehicle recovery and connected-car technology solution to be showcased at Bristol, Texas and Homestead-Miami Speedway
CONCORD, N.C. (September 7, 2022) – Spire Motorsports announced today that leading stolen vehicle recovery and connected-car solution – LoJack – will partner with Zeigler Auto Group aboard Josh Bilicki’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for three NASCAR Cup Series races in 2022, beginning with the September 17 Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
LoJack will also be featured aboard Bilicki’s Chevy Camaro later in the season at the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and again for the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In 2022, LoJack joined Solera’s product portfolio suite after Spireon was acquired by Solera.
“This multi-race sponsorship is indicative of LoJack’s longstanding relationship with Zeigler Auto Group,” said Alberto Cairo, Solera’s Managing Director of Vehicle and Fleet solutions. “We’re excited about this continued partnership and the opportunities that have come with it.”
The LoJack-Zeigler partnership initially started with Zeigler’s desire to combat increased theft that occurred during the COVID pandemic. Once the Zeigler team learned more about LoJack’s “make money, save money, retain customers” solution, they quickly enabled sales and asset management efficiency through the LoJack dealer app while also driving profit and retention through the F&I (finance and insurance) office and post-sale marketing via the LoJack consumer app.
“We are proud to expand our ongoing partnership with the Zeigler organization through this exciting sponsorship,” said Brian Skutta, Spireon’s President of Automotive. “It is a testament to the way our teams have been able to work together to tackle business challenges while driving incremental profit and efficiency. We truly appreciate the confidence Aaron Zeigler, Sam D’Arc and Josh Bilicki have in LoJack and want to thank the Zeigler team for how we’ve been able to reach new heights together.”
“Zeigler Auto Group’s partnership with LoJack, on and off the track, shows the strong, ongoing commitment to our customers by offering added security functionality and peace of mind that only LoJack can provide,” said Aaron Zeigler, President of Zeigler Automotive Group. “LoJack provides our customers with state-of-the-art technology while steering positive relationships through industry-leading security and connection systems.”
Bilicki, a Richfield, Wis., native has been a regular on NASCAR’s premier circuit for the last several seasons, while also making select starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The 27-year-old veteran racer logged a season best 16th-place finish in the March 20 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“It’s exciting to see the partnership between LoJack and Zeigler Auto Group come together at the racetrack,” said Bilicki. “LoJack products are installed in every vehicle Zeigler sells so this program is an authentic extension of that relationship. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway is always a fan favorite, so we’re thrilled to kick things off at the ‘Last Great Coliseum.’ Even better, we get to race the LoJack/Zeigler Auto Group Chevy Camaro again later this season at Texas and Homestead.”
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race from Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on USA Saturday, September 17 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 29th of 36 races on the 2022 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
About LoJack LoJack, a Solera company, is a leading connected car solution. Built for dealers and their customers, it features industry-leading technology that provides efficient lot management, increases aftermarket sales, boosts customer retention, and protects vehicles. With real-time visibility and rich data insights that enhance key facets of the dealership, LoJack provides more than just theft protection. For consumers, LoJack keeps vehicles and loved ones safe with 24/7 GPS monitoring technology and speeding alerts, trip history, and theft assistance that recovers stolen vehicles with a high recovery rate. In 2022, LoJack was acquired by Solera, the global leader in vehicle lifecycle management. For more information, visit www.lojack.com.
About Zeigler Automotive Group Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 78 franchises across 35 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all of the domestic and the majority of the imported manufacturers.
Besides its extensive automotive portfolio, the organization owns and operates Zeigler Motorsports, an 85,000-square-foot motorsports dealership and action park, offering 19 different powersports brands, plus its own onsite restaurant: Trak Houz Bar & Grill. Additionally, Zeigler Motorsports houses the Elevate Leadership & Team Building Academy, an executive training company. The Kalamazoo, Mich.,-based dealer group also owns and operates Zeigler Pre-Owned of Chicago, a Carquest Auto Parts store, three Byrider franchises, three finance companies, several insurance firms, and a leasing firm.
Founded in 1975, the organization employs over 2,300 people, ranking among the top one percent of automotive dealers in the nation with estimated annual sales of $2.2 billion for 2022. The family-owned and -operated company is well known for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction. Zeigler is regularly recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation, also earning similar accolades in Chicago and Michigan.
About Spire Motorsports Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 and is co-owned by Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2022, Spire Motorsports will field two full-time NASCAR Cup Series entries. Corey LaJoie will drive the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in NASCAR’s premier series for the entire 2022 campaign while Josh Bilicki and Landon Cassill will split time in the team’s No. 77 entry. The team also fields a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team in select events.
Spire Motorsports earned an upset victory for the ages in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019.
GMS Racing is set to achieve a milestone start in the team’s 10th season with one start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. When GMS competitors Grant Enfinger and rookie Jack Wood take the green flag in this weekend’s Playoff event at Kansas Speedway, GMS Racing will reach a combined 650 career starts in the Truck circuit.
GMS Racing, which was established by Allegiant Travel Company CEO Maurice Gallagher and is currently based in Statesville, North Carolina, made its inaugural presence during the 2011 ARCA Menards Series season. Two years later, the team expanded its program into the Camping World Truck Series and attempted to compete in five events with the No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado piloted by Spencer Gallagher, son of Maurice Gallagher. Throughout the season, Spencer Gallagher managed to qualify for three events as he finished 22nd at Kansas Speedway in April, 20th at Texas Motor Speedway and 32nd at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, respectively.
In 2014, GMS Racing fielded the No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado as a full-time entry for Joey Coulter. The team also fielded the Nos. 23 and 33 Chevrolet Silverados on a part-time basis, where Spencer Gallagher, Max Gresham and Brandon Jones piloted the entries. Throughout the season, Jones, who piloted the No. 33 truck in two events, finished 32nd and 12th at Martinsville Speedway in October and at Phoenix Raceway in November, respectively. Gallagher and Gresham each recorded a top-10 result in the No. 23 Chevrolet, with Gallagher earning a strong third-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October. Coulter, meanwhile, earned three top-five results, 10 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 13.1 throughout the 22-race schedule before finishing in seventh place in the final drivers’ standings.
Photo by Kirk Schroll for SpeedwayMedia.com.
During the following season, Coulter, who did not compete due to a lack of funding, became team relationships coordinator for GMS while the No. 21 entry made a single appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, where Brennan Poole piloted the truck to an 11th-place result. The Nos. 23 and 33 Chevrolet Silverado entries became full-time entries, with Spencer Gallagher driving the No. 23 truck while Brandon Jones, Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon split the No. 33 ride. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September, Austin Dillon recorded the first NASCAR career victory for GMS Racing after leading a race-high 80 of 175-scheduled laps en route to his seventh Truck career victory from pole position. To go along with the victory, the Dillon brothers recorded a combined two poles, four top-five results and five top-10 results in six starts in the No. 33 entry while Jones, who made two starts, earned his best result of the season in 12th place at Phoenix in November. In his first full-time campaign in NASCAR, Gallagher notched his career-best result of second place at World Wide Technology Raceway in June along with a total of six top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.6 before finishing in 10th place in the 2015 standings.
The 2016 season featured a major addition to GMS Racing’s Truck driver lineup as veteran Johnny Sauter was named a full-time competitor of the No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado entry, where he competed alongside the No. 23 entry retained by Spencer Gallagher and the No. 33 truck split between newcomers Grant Enfinger and Kaz Grala. GMS also debuted the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado entry that competed on a part-time basis while split between Kyle Larson, Clint Bowyer, Shane Lee, Grala and Enfinger. In May, Ben Kennedy joined the team’s lineup, where he split time between the Nos. 24 and 33 entries, after departing Red Horse Racing. The team’s highlights throughout the 16-race regular-season schedule included Sauter winning in his debut with GMS at Daytona International Speedway in February and Kennedy notching his first career win in the No. 33 Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. The victories made by Sauter and Kennedy were enough for both to qualify for the inaugural Truck Series Playoffs. Meanwhile, Spencer Gallagher drove the No. 23 Chevrolet to six top-10 results throughout the regular season, which were not enough for him to make the Playoffs, while the No. 24 GMS entry earned a victory at Eldora Speedway in July with Larson along with six top-10 results. Through six of the seven-race Playoff stretch, GMS earned three additional victories after Enfinger drove the No. 24 Chevrolet to his first career win at Talladega Superspeedway in October while Sauter achieved back-to-back wins at Martinsville Speedway and at Texas Motor Speedway between October and November. The Playoff victories made by Sauter were enough to transfer the Wisconsin veteran and the No. 21 team all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. During the finale, Sauter achieved the first NASCAR championship for himself and for GMS Racing after finishing third on the track and ahead of title rivals Matt Crafton, Christopher Bell and Timothy Peters. Overall, the 2016 season was a breakout season for GMS Racing, which went to Victory Lane six times and achieved its first NASCAR national touring series championship, and for Sauter, who achieved his first multi-win season (three), racked up the most top-five (12) and top-10 results (19) in his career and earned his first NASCAR title. While Sauter earned the title, Kennedy finished in seventh place in the final standings after being eliminated from title contention following the Round of 6 while Gallagher, who achieved his first two career poles, ended up in 12th place.
Photo by Ted Seminara for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Embarking the 2017 season as the reigning champion, Sauter retained his seat in the No. 21 Chevrolet while Kaz Grala graduated to a full-time driving role in the No. 33 Chevrolet. The No. 24 Chevrolet also became a full-time entry for Justin Haley, the reigning K&N Pro Series East champion. Haley, however, was not allowed to compete in the first two scheduled events at Daytona and at Atlanta due to age restrictions, with the events filled by Scott Lagasse Jr. and Alex Bowman, respectively. Lastly, the No. 23 Chevrolet appeared for only the first three events of the schedule, with Spencer Gallagher driving at Daytona while Chase Elliott competed at Atlanta and Martinsville. Throughout the season, Elliott recorded the lone victory for the No. 23 entry at Martinsville in March while the No. 24 entry achieved a total of 13 top-10 results made between Lagasse, Bowman and Haley. Despite commencing his first season in the Truck Series at Martinsville in March and recording 10 top-10 results throughout the 16-race regular-season stretch, Haley did not make the Playoffs. Nonetheless, he went on to finish in the top 10 twice during the seven-race Playoff stretch before capping off his first Truck season in 12th place in the drivers’ standings. Meanwhile, Grala commenced his first full-time Truck season by becoming the youngest competitor to win both a pole and race at Daytona at age 18 after he dodged a multi-truck wreck on the final lap to capture his first NASCAR career victory in February. He went on to record five additional top-10 results for the remaining 15 regular-season events before entering the 2017 Truck Playoffs as a title contender. His title hopes, however, came to an early end following respective finishes of 10th, fifth and 29th during the Round of 8. He went on to finish in the top 10 three times during the final four-scheduled events before settling in seventh place in the final standings. Like Grala, Sauter secured his spot for the 2017 Playoffs on the strength of winning at Dover in May and at Chicagoland in September. After recording consistent top-10 results to transfer to the Round of 8, Sauter notched back-to-back victories at Texas and Phoenix in November, respectively, to advance to the Championship Round at Homestead for a second consecutive season. During the finale, however, Sauter finished third on the track, one spot behind Christopher Bell as Bell claimed the championship while Sauter, who was unable to defend his series title, was left with a runner-up result in the final standings coupled with four victories, 13 top-five results, 19 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 6.3. Despite falling short of defending its title, GMS Racing tied its career-high number of victories as an organization in a season at six.
Photo by Simon Scoggins for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Sauter and Haley remained as drivers of the Nos. 21 and 24 GMS entries for the 2018 season while the team welcomed Cody Coughlin and Dalton Sargeant as drivers of the newly-formed Nos. 2 and 25 Chevrolets, respectively. Midway into the season, however, Sargeant, who earned four top-10 results throughout the 16-race regular-season stretch, and Coughlin, who earned six top-10 results in 18 starts, were released from the team and both of their entries were piloted by multiple competitors that included Timothy Peters, Sheldon Creed, Spencer Gallagher and Tyler Dippel for the closing stretch of the season during the Playoffs. The No. 2 team concluded the season in 14th place in the owners’ standings, one spot behind the No. 25 GMS team that went to Victory Lane with Peters at Talladega in October. Meanwhile, Sauter and Haley achieved great on-track success, which started with both finishing first and second at Daytona in February that was won by Sauter. During the next nine scheduled events, Sauter racked up additional victories at Dover Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and at Texas Motor Speedway between May and June while Haley earned his first Truck career victory at World Wide Technology Raceway in June. Sauter proceeded to win the regular-season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and clinch the 2018 Truck regular-season title as he and Haley entered the Playoffs with momentum. Haley commenced the Playoffs on a high note by winning at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in August after overtaking a spinning Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson on the final lap and final corner. After Sauter won at Martinsville in October and Haley won at Texas following a dramatic final lap overtake on Gilliland, both solidified spots for the Championship 4 finale at Homestead. During the finale, however, Haley finished eighth on the track, four spots ahead of teammate Sauter, as he and Sauter concluded the season in third and fourth place in the final drivers’ standings. Ultimately, the 2018 season produced GMS Racing’s highest number of victories in a season at 10.
Photo by Don Dunn for SpeedwayMedia.com.
In 2019, Brett Moffitt, the reigning Truck Series champion who was released by his championship-winning team Hattori Racing Enterprises, joined GMS Racing to drive the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado in a quest to defend his series title, where he replaced Justin Haley as Haley moved up to the Xfinity Series. GMS also hired Sheldon Creed, the reigning ARCA Menards Series champion who drove the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado on a full-time basis, and newcomer Sam Mayer, who piloted the No. 21 Chevrolet in three events after Sauter parted ways from the organization. Mayer’s best on-track result was 19th at Phoenix in November while Creed, who did not make the Playoffs, notched two runner-up results, four top-five results, 11 top-10 results, a 10th-place result in the final standings and a runner-up result in the Rookie-of-the-Year standings during his first full-time Truck campaign. For Moffitt, he recorded five top-10 results during the first nine-scheduled events before being awarded his first victory of the season at Iowa in June. The victory occurred after NASCAR disqualified initial winner Ross Chastain due to his truck failing the post-race inspection process, thus prompting NASCAR to award the win for the runner-up finisher Moffitt. Two races later, he earned his first win of the season at Chicagoland before the 2019 Playoffs commenced. Moffitt’s pursuit to defend his title commenced on a strong note by winning the first two Playoff events at Bristol and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in September, respectively, as he transferred from the Round of 8 to 6. Despite finishing 29th at Martinsville, Moffitt utilized consistency to transfer to the Championship Round at Homestead for a second consecutive season. He was unable to defend his title after finishing fifth on the track and third in the final standings. Overall, Moffitt achieved four wins, three poles, 13 top-five results, 17 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 8.8 in his first season with GMS.
Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.
The 2020 Truck Series season featured a major expansion for GMS Racing in the series, where the team fielded five entries: the No. 2 Chevrolet for Creed, the No. 21 Chevrolet for rookie Zane Smith, the No. 23 Chevrolet for Moffitt, the newly-formed No. 26 Chevrolet for Tyler Ankrum and the No. 24 Chevrolet for multiple competitors that included Chase Elliott, Chase Purdy, Justin Haley, David Gravel, Kris Wright, Sam Mayer and Greg Biffle. Commencing the season by placing four of its five trucks in the top 10 at Daytona, GMS achieved its first Truck victory of the season at Charlotte in May when Elliott claimed a $100,000 bounty by beating Kyle Busch. The Charlotte event was also a banner event for GMS as teammates Zane Smith, Moffitt and Creed finished in the top five. Throughout the 16-race regular-season stretch, Creed piloted the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado to his first three career victories in the series at Kentucky Speedway in July followed by Daytona International Speedway Road Course and World Wide Technology Raceway in August. Smith also earned his first two career victories in the series after winning at Michigan International Speedway and at Dover International Speedway in August following two-lap shootouts. The victories enabled Creed and Smith to make the 2020 Truck Playoffs along with Moffitt and Ankrum, both of whom made it in on points. Mayer then spoiled the start of the 2020 Truck Playoffs by claiming his first career win at Bristol after beating teammate Moffitt by more than four seconds. While Creed, Moffitt, Smith and Ankrum transferred from the Round of 8 to 6, Moffitt and Creed earned respective wins at Kansas Speedway and at Texas Motor Speedway in October to qualify for the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway in November. Smith also transferred to the finale by three points while Ankrum failed to transfer past the Round of 6. During the finale, Creed utilized fresh tires to go from ninth to first during a two-lap shootout to win the 2020 Truck Series championship, which marked his first NASCAR national touring series title in his second season in the series and second for GMS in the Truck circuit. To go along with the championship, the 2020 Truck season was a memorable one for GMS as Zane Smith settled in second place in the final standings and captured the 2020 Truck Rookie-of-the-Year title while Moffitt, who initially had the championship lead within his grasp during the finale prior to the two-lap shootout, concluded the season in third place in the final standings, thus giving GMS a 1-2-3 in the final drivers’ standings. In total, GMS achieved a combined 10 victories, 33 top-five results and 59 top-10 results with its extensive drive lineup.
Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images.Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.
Coming off their second championship, GMS Racing remained as a five-truck operation in 2021 while retaining Creed, Smith and Ankrum to the Nos. 2, 21 and 26 Chevrolets, respectively. The only changes made to the team included assigning Chase Purdy to a full-time role in the No. 23 Chevrolet and welcoming Raphaël Lessard to drive the No. 24 Chevrolet. Following the first seven scheduled events, however, Lessard, whose best finish of the season was third at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in March, was released due to funding issues as the No. 24 Chevrolet was split between Ryan Reed, Chase Elliott, Doug Coby and rookie Jack Wood for the remaining 15 events. The lone highlight for GMS throughout the 15-race regular-season stretch was when Creed won at Darlington Raceway in May following a two-lap shootout. While Creed and Smith qualified for the 2021 Playoffs, Ankrum and Purdy did not accumulate enough points to make the postseason battle for the title. Once the Playoffs commenced, Creed notched back-to-back victories at World Wide Technology Raceway and at Darlington between August and September to transfer from the Round of 10 to 8. Then at Martinsville in October, Smith, who also transferred to the Round of 8, prevailed in a two-lap shootout to win and punch his ticket to the Championship Round finale at Phoenix for a second consecutive season. Creed, however, failed to transfer to the finale nor have the opportunity to defend his title by four points. During the finale, Smith was in position to achieve his first Truck title until he was overtaken by Ben Rhodes with eight laps remaining and ended up in the runner-up spot in the final standings for a second consecutive season. Creed finished fifth in the final standings, Ankrum ended up 15th and Purdy, who was absent for one event at Watkins Glen International in August following a positive COVID-19 test and was replaced by AJ Allmendinger, fell back to 19th. The No. 24 “all-star” entry settled in 18th place in the final owners’ standings on the strength of four top-10 results.
At the start of this season, GMS Racing scaled back to fielding two full-time entries in the Truck circuit: the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Jack Wood and the No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Grant Enfinger, who reunited with the organization since 2016. Despite recording seven top-10 results throughout the 16-race regular-season stretch, Enfinger secured a spot for the 2022 Truck Playoffs based on points. He then rose to the occasion during the first Playoff event at Lucas Oil Raceway in late July by charging from fourth to first during a two-lap shootout to record his first victory of the season and the seventh of his career. With his latest result being a fourth-place run at Richmond in August, Enfinger is currently guaranteed a spot for the Round of 8 in the Playoffs by virtue of winning at Lucas Oil Raceway. Meanwhile, Wood’s highest on-track result is 13th, which occurred at Atlanta in March. To go along with a total of five top-20 results and an average-finishing result of 25.2, he is ranked in fourth place in the Rookie-of-the-Year standings.
Through a combined 648 starts, GMS Racing has achieved two championships, 42 victories, 14 poles, 158 top-five results, 308 top-10 results and 5,239 laps led with 36 different competitors.
GMS Racing is set to achieve a combined 650 career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kansas Speedway on Friday, September 9. The start of the event is scheduled to occur at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
-Ranger scores top-ten, Styres gains six positions
(September 7, 2022) The Wight Motorsports Inc (WMI) racing teams returned to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) for the second time in the 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series this past weekend to compete in the WeatherTech 200 Sunday afternoon. Once again, the group showed the ability to overcome any obstacles and post positive results.
During the Saturday practice session several WMI teams suffered from mechanical issues. Brandon Watson had transmission trouble, Andrew Ranger was not comfortable with the handling of his car and Glenn Styres also had a problem prior to qualifying that relegated him to the back of the field for the start of the race. All overcame these issues to post solid results.
Ranger would start the 51-lap feature in fifth position; however, his race strategy was negatively impacted by caution periods. He would charge from the back of the lead lap pack for a eighth place result. Brandon Watson picked up five positions during the race and finished just outside the top-ten. Glenn Styres gained six spots during the race.
Regrettably both Mark Dilley and TJ Rinomato had mechanical malfunctions that hurt their final results during the main event.
QUOTES: “I have to say I’m really pleased with how our team dealt with everything that occurred during the weekend. Everyone has unexpected situations pop up, but how we dealt with them was the key”. “Andrew didn’t have the race play out favorably for his strategy or he would have been in the mix at the end, still eighth place is solid. Another strong showing for Brandon on the road course too”. “Glenn did a great job racing his was forward picking up six spots and finishing on the lead lap”. “Tough days for Mark and TJ’s team. But everyone is now focusing on closing out the season strong at Delaware Speedway”. -David Wight, WMI Principal
WMI TEAM RESULTS: Andrew Ranger 8th, Brandon Watson 11th, Glenn Styres 17th, Mark Dilley 22nd, TJ Rinomato 25th
TV & LIVE STREAMING The WeatherTech 200 will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 at a date and time TBD. All races are streamed live on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada and through FloRacing in the United States.
NEXT EVENT: WMI teams will compete in the final event of the 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series season at Delaware Speedway on Sunday September 25th.
The 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series will consist of 13 total races in five provinces with a mixture of oval tracks, road and street courses.
Race fans can get the latest information regarding WMI and the drivers on these social media channels:
ARIC ALMIROLA Kansas Race Advance No. 10 Farmland Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
Event Overview
● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 26 of 36) ● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 11 ● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City ● Layout: 1.5-mile oval ● Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400 miles ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps ● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● History at Kansas: In 21 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas, Almirola has seven top-10 finishes and has led 69 laps.
● Last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Almirola drove from a lap down to an 11th-place finish, which equaled his finishing position at Darlington in this year’s May race.
● 2022 Season: After 27 races this season, Almirola has earned two top-five finishes, seven top-10s, and has led six laps. His average finish and number of top-10s have bettered his totals for the entire 36-race 2021 season.
● Driver Points: Almirola arrives at Darlington 19th in the driver standings with 602 points.
● Almirola’s career: In 415 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has earned three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 91 top-10s, three poles, and has led 899 laps.
● Farmland, which has been bringing great tastes to tables since 1959, will adorn the No. 10 Ford Mustang with a special blue, white and green paint scheme. For over 60 years, Farmland has been the brand of the Heartland that fuels hard work – bringing home the spirit of the farm. Whether it’s a morning meal, weekly tailgate, or note tucked into a school lunch, Farmland celebrates the big and small traditions shared daily with food. Hard work, prioritizing time with family, finding comfort in wholesome, hearty meals, and nourishing the community – Farmland has been committed to these values from day one, so consumers can enjoy high-quality, flavorful, and wholesome pork products today and for many years to come.
● Back for More: Earlier this year, Almirola announced that he would step down from fulltime racing following the 2022 season.Through the course of the year, Almirola has discovered a new balance between his passion for racing and dedication to his family. His wife Janice, and kids Alex and Abby, join him on most race weekends, oftentimes enjoying once-in-a-lifetime experiences together as they travel the country. His rapport with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer has flourished, and the intense pressure he had put on himself was replaced with the joy of simply being present. Not only did Almirola see a new perspective on the sport, but so did anchor partner Smithfield Foods, who broached the subject of Almirola returning to fulltime racing in 2023. On Friday, Aug. 26, Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Smithfield Foods announced his return with a multi-year agreement and the largest allotment of races since joining the team in 2018.
● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series: In 2022, Almirola is once again sharing his life beyond the No. 10 Smithfield Ford with season four of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and it gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.
● Almirola was the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to finish in the top-10 in this year’s opening three races. He finished fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, sixth at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Almirola’s top-10 streak ended with a 12th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway despite running inside the top-10 throughout the race.
Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Farmland Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
You came from a lap down to a solid 11th-place finish at Darlington last weekend. Does that build confidence going into the next few races?
“It just shows that this team has a lot of fight. That is one thing this team will always have and why I know we will continue to get better. Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) and this team know that it’s not over until it’s over. When we have days that our cars aren’t where we want them to be, we try to maximize the day, even if that’s aiming for an 11th-place finish. We’re not in the playoffs, but we’re surely going to race like it.”
You saw a lot of non-playoff drivers run up front at Darlington, and one even won the race. Your thoughts on that?
“The cars and the competition are just closest than ever. Almost every team has an opportunity to win in the playoffs, whether you’re in or you’re out. Our plan is to continue to run like playoff contenders and win us a race. There are some great tracks to do that at, including this weekend at Kansas. We didn’t get the finish we wanted earlier this year, but we had some speed. I’m just as motivated out of the playoffs as I would be in them, and that is the mindset we’ll continue through Phoenix.”
What are your thoughts about racing at Kansas?
“I’ve always enjoyed Kansas. I know that I did have a really bad accident there, but in my mind I just view that as a bad accident. It just happened at a place. It just so happened to be at Kansas. It could have happened anywhere. I don’t really put that on Kansas and so, every time I’ve been back since then, it’s never really been a thought that’s crossed my mind. I actually enjoy going to Kansas. I have friends in Kansas City who I enjoy spending time with that makes it even more enjoyable to be there and, on top of that, I love the racetrack. The racetrack is a really fun racetrack to run at for me and I’ve had a lot of success there and had a lot of really good runs there.”
Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Christopher Bell is scheduled to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Playoff event at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota TRD Camry will achieve 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.
A native of Norman, Oklahoma, and a champion of the Camping World Truck Series in 2017, Bell made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2020. By then, he was coming off two full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series that was highlighted with 15 victories and two Championship Round appearances. Driving the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota Camry, Bell finished 21st in his Cup debut after being involved in a late multi-car wreck while running towards the front.
After finishing no higher than 21st during the first five scheduled events, Bell managed to finish 11th at Darlington Raceway in May before achieving his first top-10 career result in the Cup circuit by finishing ninth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Despite collecting his first top-five career result at Pocono Raceway in June along with three additional top-10 results throughout the regular season stretch, he struggled with maintaining on-track consistency as he did not make the 2020 Cup Playoffs. During the final 10 scheduled events, he managed to finish 10th at Kansas Speedway and collect a season-best third-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in October before settling in 20th place in the final standings.
When Leavine Family Racing ceased operations following the 2020 NASCAR season, Bell reunited with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he competed in two full-time Xfinity seasons, to pilot the No. 20 Toyota Camry, where he replaced Erik Jones. After finishing 16th in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500, Bell scored his first Cup career victory during the following weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course after passing Joey Logano prior to the final lap. The victory made Bell the 197th different competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series and the 11th to do so for Joe Gibbs Racing as he snapped a one-year winless drought for JGR’s No. 20 team. In the process, Bell became the first Oklahoma competitor to win in the Cup Series.
Following his breakthrough victory at Daytona, Bell notched three additional top-five results, including two runner-up results (Road America in June and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July), and nine top-10 results before making his first entrance in the Playoffs as one of 16 competitors vying for the 2021 title. Despite finishing 20th, third and 29th respectively in the Round of 16, he was one of 12 competitors to advance to the Round of 12. His title hopes, however, came to an end during the second round after finishing 24th, fifth and eighth respectively. Nonetheless, Bell finished in the top 10 three times during the final four scheduled events before settling in 12th place in the final standings. By then, he nearly quadrupled his top-five results achieved in a season from two to seven, doubled his top-10 results from seven to 16 and improved his average-finishing result from 20.3 to 15.8 in comparison to his rookie Cup season.
Remaining at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022, Bell rallied from finishing no higher than 10th through the first five scheduled events by notching nine top-10 results through the following 14 events. By then, he had achieved his first three career poles in the Cup circuit. He then became the 14th different winner of the 2022 Cup Series season after earning his second career victory at New Hampshire in July. The New Hampshire victory along with a total of seven top-five results, 14 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.5 throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch were enough for him to make his second consecutive appearance in the Cup Series Playoffs. Coming off a fifth-place run in the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500, Bell is ranked in fourth place in the Playoff standings and is 28 points above the top-12 cutline to transfer into the Round of 12 field, which will be determined at Bristol Motor Speedway in mid-September.
Through 99 previous Cup starts, Bell has achieved two victories, three poles, 17 top-five results, 38 top-10 results, 380 laps led and an average-finishing result of 17.0 while he pursues his first Cup Series title.
Bell is scheduled to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 11, with the event’s coverage scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Maurice Hull, Connor Zilisch Ready To Tackle Historic 11-Turn, 3.4-Mile Circuit
HIGH POINT, N.C. (Sept. 7, 2022) – The Silver Hare Racing duo of Maurice Hull and Connor Zilisch are hitting the home stretch of this year’s Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli campaign as they set up shop in New York’s scenic Finger Lakes Region for this weekend’s Watkins Glen SpeedTour festivities.
The historic 3.4-mile, 11-turn circuit at Watkins Glen International plays host to the 10th round on the 12-race calendar for Trans Am competitors, and the Silver Hare Racing camp is focused on delivering its best showing of 2022 during Saturday’s 30-lap, 75-minute TA2-class race. After this weekend, only the Oct. 8 race at the High Point, North Carolina-based team’s home track of Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, and the Nov. 6 race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, remain on the schedule.
Hull, who co-owns the team with his wife Laura, returns to Watkins Glen in the No. 57 Waukegan Farms/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro he drove to finishes of 17th and 18th, respectively, during a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader weekend at the track last September. The three-time TA2 Masters champion will be making his fifth start of the year. He was this season’s top Masters finisher twice in his previous four events – March 26 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, and July 3 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In last year’s Watkins Glen doubleheader, Hull was part of a three-car Silver Hare Racing effort that was highlighted by Tyler Kicera’s runner-up finish in the Sunday race.
Zilisch, the 16-year-old from Mooresville, North Carolina, will be paying his second visit of the season to the iconic Watkins Glen circuit this weekend. A fulltime competitor in the prestigious Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Series, which had a doubleheader weekend of its own at The Glen June 24-25, Zilisch showed his penchant for getting up to speed quickly by qualifying on the pole for the first race. An unfortunate turn of events brought an early end to his victory bid in that race, but it set the stage for a stellar rally from the back of the 28-car field in the second race that netted a sixth-place finish.
Zilisch has been busy since that outing. The same weekend he drove to a sixth-place finish in his Silver Hare Racing Camaro July 3 at Road America, Zilisch drove to victory in both the Saturday and Sunday MX-5 Cup rounds at the track. And his MX-5 Cup hot streak continued Aug. 27-28 at VIR when he finished second in the Saturday race and won for the third time in four races on Sunday.
It’s the kind of speed Zilisch has exhibited in Trans Am since his series debut last October at VIR, where he became the youngest pole winner in series history with a lap of 1:48.905. In this year’s Round 2 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval in just his third-ever Trans Am outing, Zilisch laid down the fastest practice and qualifying laps, as well as the fastest lap of the race.
Silver Hare Racing leverages its Trans Am effort to promote its arrive-and-drive program, where aspiring racers and even tenured professionals hone their road-racing skills on some of the most revered tracks in North America. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Suárez, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Harrison Burton have all wheeled Silver Hare Racing-prepared cars to burnish their road-racing abilities in top-flight equipment.
The team offers six, professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing for both competition and private testing. Silver Hare Racing has a dedicated, fulltime crew and operates out of a state-of-the-art facility in High Point. At the track, two 53-foot Featherlite transporters serve as the team’s base, each outfitted with a lounge and smart TVs for data and video review, as well as for hospitality.
“With NASCAR having so many more road-course races, it’s our goal for Silver Hare Racing to be the preferred team for drivers to get that road-course experience,” said Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing co-owner and team manager. “We want to be that important step in the ladder for the young, up-and-coming drivers like Connor, which we’re doing in collaboration with Kevin Harvick Incorporated.
“It started when they brought him to us for testing at VIR a year ago, and now we’re delighted to have him under contract. That’s how we’re trying to position this. We want people to know we have an arrive-and-drive program, where people who want to run this track or another, we provide the opportunity for them to do that and be successful.”
Maurice Hull, owner/driver, No. 57 Waukegan Farms/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:
“We’ve been working really hard with our Silver Hare cars and we think they’re going to be fast. They’ve been fast, and we’re looking forward to hopefully some cool weather so we can take advantage of that this weekend. This track is a very fast road course. It doesn’t have a lot of low-speed corners. And there’s going to be another large field as we usually have some extremely talented drivers looking for a one-off race who tend to show up for this race, which always makes it interesting and adds to the excitement.
“We’ve run vintage cars up there several years, and we ran both (TA2) races last year, so I’m very familiar with that track as well as any of them. It’s always fun to run that track. I like it because it’s fast. It’s a rhythm track, so you really have to focus on getting into a groove. It’s definitely one of those tracks where you really have to keep your speed up, too – very much a momentum sort of thing. But while you’re focused on your rhythm and your momentum and keeping your speed up, when you consider you’re racing 40-something other cars out there, Watkins Glen becomes something of an enigma. There’s always the potential for more than the usual amount of carnage, so one of the keys this weekend will be to finding your way through it. If you’re able to do that, you’ll more than likely end up with a really good finish.
“Connor’s been really fast at tracks like this one, kind of like Road America, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll be able to do. He’s full of confidence and he’s been winning and doing really well in the other series he’s been racing in between our Trans Am races. He’s been working hard on the simulator and getting himself ready for this weekend, so I think he’s going to be really fast.”
Connor Zilisch, driver, No. 5 Silver Hare Racing/KHI Management Chevrolet Camaro:
“I just want a good finish. We’ve been getting better all year and I think this weekend we’re really going to have some big gains when we show up. We’re looking to get a good finish for the team to get us some confidence going into VIR and COTA and hopefully we can end up the season strong these last three races. It’s been a tough year, we’ve had some not-so-good luck that’s plagued us, but we’ve fought through it and have kept our heads high, and we’ll just try to do what we can to get us those good finishes. I really think it’s going to come together for us these last few races of the year and I’m looking forward to it.
“I saw Watkins Glen for the first time in the MX-5 Cup series earlier this year and got the pole for the first race, but it turned out to be not a fun Race 1 because I backed it into the wall. But Race 2, I started from the back and made my way up to finish sixth. I definitely liked the track and I think we’re going to be fast this weekend, and hopefully I can adapt to it in the TA2 car pretty quickly and get up to speed.
“Watkins Glen is a super-nice area, a beautiful part of the country. The track itself is high-grip, high-speed, big commitment. There’s the chicane, where you’ve got to be pretty aggressive, and you just have to push the corners to what they can take but not go over that because there are some walls there that will bite you. It’s really about finding that limit and kind of staying on that threshold – that will be the key to success this weekend. Staying at 99 percent and having a good car that can do that comfortably is what will make us successful. It is a physical track, for sure. Everywhere you go, there’s another corner. No straightaways, no really low-speed stuff. It’s definitely going to be a physical race and I think just getting used to the track and being able to adapt to it quickly will really help me.
“We’ve had some good races since Nashville. Three weeks ago I won in the MX-5 Cup at VIR. I was able to get myself a first and a second that weekend. We won a Late Model race at Hickory, as well, so we’ve been doing well and hopefully that will translate to TA2 this weekend because I feel like we really need it.”
About Silver Hare Racing:
Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the TA2 division of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. The multicar team has won the TA2 masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six, professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, please visit SilverHareRacing.com.
Tim Gajser (left), Rubén Fernández (right) and CRF450R
TOKYO, Sept 7, 2022 – (JCN Newswire) – Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) announced that it has renewed its contract with Tim Gajser (25 years old, Slovenia), who currently competes in the FIM(1) Motocross World Championship premier MXGP class (450cc class) for Team HRC, Honda’s factory team(2), and newly signed a contract with Rubén Fernández (23 years old, Spain). Both riders are signed on for multiple years starting in 2023.
After winning the Motocross World Championship title in the MX2 class (250cc) in 2015, Tim Gajser moved to the premier MXGP class the following year, and won the championship along with the Rookie of the Year title. Although he did not win the title for the following two years, Gajser won back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020, and by claiming his fourth MXGP title this year, has won a total of five titles in the Motocross world championship.
Rubén Fernández was third overall in the European Motocross Championship EMX250 class. Although he moved to MX2 in 2018, he moved back to EMX250 the following year. After moving full-time to MX2 in 2020, he finished ninth that year. In 2021, Fernández joined the MX2 team Honda 114 Motorsports, but from Round 17 moved to the premier MXGP class. This year, Fernández continued his full-time career in the MXGP class, ending up eighth in the championship, with two third-place finishes.
Tim Gajser “It was an easy decision to continue this amazing relationship with Team HRC. It is like a second-family to me and there is no other place where I feel it is such a nice environment. I always say “Happy Rider, Fast Rider” and working with everyone in Team HRC, from all the technicians in Japan, to my practice mechanic, to my physio, it is all so enjoyable and I always look forward to going racing. I have won five World Championships with Honda so I am extremely comfortable on-board the CRF450R and they always do such a great job with developing and improving the machine, so I know I’ll be riding a bike capable of winning title number six in 2023. A huge thank you to all my supporters around the world, and I look forward to meeting you at Team HRC next year.”
Rubén Fernández “It is a dream come true to be riding for Team HRC in the MXGP class. The team is the best in the paddock and having ridden the Honda for the past couple of years, I am very familiar with the bike, but now I’m very excited to get to ride the full factory machine next year. I am also excited to work alongside Tim, as I know I can learn a lot from a rider who is five-times champion of the world. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career, who got me to this point and I can’t wait to show everyone what I am capable of. I now have the winter to prepare myself, and make sure I’m ready for the first gate-drop in 2023.”
Koji Watanabe, Head of Corporate Communications Supervisory Unit, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and President of Honda Racing Corporation “We are all very happy to have Tim signing again with Honda. He is an important figure for our company, and the perfect ambassador on and off the track. His achievement of winning five world titles is incredible and we hope that he can achieve even more goals riding on Hondas in the future. It is also exciting to have a new young rider Rubén Fernández joining the team. He has done well the past couple of years and this is the perfect time for him to make the switch to Team HRC. He has already had success on Honda, and now we hope we can build upon that in the coming years. I wish both riders the best of luck.”
(1) FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (2) Factory team: Racing team operated by manufacturer. In Honda’s case, HRC-operated team.
TOKYO, Sept 7, 2022 – (JCN Newswire) – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) today announced that it has established a strategic partnership with Hanwa Co., Ltd. (Hanwa), a major Japan-based trading company, toward stable procurement of essential metals for batteries necessary for its electrified vehicles.
To realize carbon neutrality for all of its products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda is striving to make battery-electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCVs) represent 100% of its global vehicle sales by 2040. Toward this target, Honda is planning to launch 30 EV models globally by 2030 with production volume of more than 2 million units annually.
For steady execution of its electrification strategy, Honda established a strategic partnership with Hanwa, a major trading company that has strengths in the field of resource procurement. Through this partnership, Honda will ensure stable procurement in the medium to long term, of essential metals necessary for batteries such as nickel, cobalt and lithium, positioning the mined resources secured by Hanwa at the core.
Honda will continue working with a wide range of suppliers to ensure stable supply of necessary resources, that will enable Honda to steadily execute its electrification strategy leading to the realization of Honda’s carbon neutrality goal.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 6, 2022) – Hamsters USA, one of the largest motorcycle groups in the United States, most known for their fundraising efforts to charitable organizations, will partner with Zane Smith and the No. 38 Ford F-150 team this weekend. Smith and the No. 38 team head back to Kansas Speedway for the final race in the ‘Round of 10’ in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs. This partnership with the Hamsters helped raise over $500,000.00 dollars for the children’s hospitals of South Dakota and Life Scape.
Kansas is the site of Smith’s most recent win of 2022, leading the No. 38 Ford team to a dominate victory in May. Smith is confident the team is prepared to defend that win.
“Kansas is one of my favorite tracks that we go to,” Smith stated. “When I saw that we go back in the playoffs, I knew that it would be a good shot for us to capitalize on another win. We had a great truck there in May. I believe that we can recreate that dominance this weekend.”
Smith, who currently sits 46-points above the playoff cutline, looks ahead to focus on the tricky track that await in the ‘Round of Eight’
“It is great to have a buffer going into the next round of the playoffs,” said Smith. “Next round is going to be tough. With Bristol and Talladega back-to-back this year, we are really going work hard to keep these points and hopefully find victory lane.”
Smith and the No. 38 team will race at Kansas Speedway on Friday at 7:30 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.
On Saturday, September 3, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) made the second and final encounter with ‘The Lady in Black’ during the 2022 season. However, for the Brandonbilt Motorsports (BMS) driver, Kris Wright, it was a first at the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Wright piloted the No. 68 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Camaro in the 200-mile Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200.
The No. 68 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Camaro earned a 36th-place finish, along with a famed ‘Darlington Stripe’, after an on-track incident. The collision resulted in a broken upper control arm, leaving the car unable to continue.
KRIS WRIGHT. NO. 68 FIRST NATIONAL BANK CHEVROLET CAMARO.
Results of the morning’s qualifying session found Wright starting in the 34th-place. The Pittsburgh, Pa., driver raced a clean first stage, finishing the 45-lap run in the 33rd-place. During the stage break, the F.N.B. Corporation team came to pit road for four new tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment.
Stage 2 began with Wright and the F.N.B. Corporation team in the 23rd-place. Turn Two of Lap 57 welcomed trouble, as Wright was involved in an incident. The Brandonbilt Motorsports No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro sustained irreparable damage to the upper control arm, bringing Wright’s day to a premature end.
WRIGHT ON WATKINS GLEN: “The team and I were all pleased with how the race was playing-out, but unfortunately found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. “We knew the learning curve was going to be steep, but I did feel that we were getting better and better each stage. Our Stage 2 speed put us around the top 20, which was our goal for the weekend. I was bummed that we were not able to finish, but I am excited to give it another go in Kansas!”
