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SPIRE MOTORSPORTS, COREY LAJOIE PARTNER WITH CIRCLE B DIECAST TO RUN NEOSHO WILDCATS PAINT SCHEME IN HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400

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Official Release
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CONCORD, N.C. (September 6, 2022) – When the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Kansas Speedway this weekend for the second race in the division’s 10-race playoff, a host of drivers and teams are looking to grab the spotlight as the season winds down.

While Corey LaJoie and his Ryan-Sparks led No. 7 Spire Motorsports team missed the playoffs and won’t be racing for championship honors this season, the team will be turning heads on the track while making an impact, locally, for the Neosho (Mo.) School District.

Spire Motorsports has partnered with Circle B Diecast to showcase the Neosho Wildcat Nation aboard LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, honoring the school system Circle B president Brent Powell attended as a young student.

“When thinking of ideas for paint schemes this year, I wanted to run a tribute to the area I’ve always considered home,” said Powell. “I hope both past and present students from Neosho are extremely proud when they see Corey’s car on the track. I can’t think of a better driver or team to represent the Wildcat Nation than Corey LaJoie and Spire Motorsports.”

Neosho School District is made up of 11 campuses stretching from the Historic Downtown Square all the way to Goodman, Mo., educating approximately 4,700 children and young adults. The district’s mission is to prepare the youth of its community to be people who are intelligent, driven, and make lives better for those around them.

“Everyone is very excited to see our Wildcat speeding around the track,” said Jim Cummins, Superintendent of Neosho School District. “We never imagined a day when our school system would be represented in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Our entire district is very appreciative and will be cheering on the Circle B Diecast/Wildcat Nation car!”

In eleven previous Cup Series starts at the Kansas City (Kan.) oval, LaJoie has logged six top-25 finishes, including a 19th-place effort in the series most recent visit to the track. Dating back to 2011, the Concord, N.C., native also has one NASCAR Xfinity Series’ and one ARCA Menards Series’ start at Kansas Speedway.

“As one of my longtime supporters, I’m happy to represent Brent’s childhood school system,” said LaJoie. “I’m excited for that mean-looking Wildcat on the side of our Spire Motorsports/Circle B Diecast Chevy to give us some extra speed this weekend.”

Heading into Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, LaJoie has earned 11 top-20 finishes during the 2022 season, including a series/career best, fifth-place finish in March at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“Brent, his wife LaDonna, and Circle B Diecast have been a part of the Spire family for almost its entire existence,” explained Spire Motorsports president Bill Anthony. “It’s extremely gratifying to see how both organizations have grown and evolved over the years. We’ve partnered on so many fun projects in the past, it’s great to see Brent pass his partnership assets on to his alma mater and shine a spotlight on the Neosho Wildcat Nation.”

The Hollywood Casino 400 from Kansas Speedway will be televised live on USA Sunday, September 11 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 28th of 36 races on the 2022 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.


About Circle B Diecast …
Circle B Diecast was launched in September 2020 when Brent and Ladonna Powell split their wholesale and retail businesses into two different websites to better serve each customer. As markets changed and the industry footprint grew, Circle B Diecast entered the retail market to offer premium racing memorabilia to consumers who weren’t lucky enough to have a local racing store. What was once Plan B Sales, focused solely on wholesale distribution, has evolved into a full-service entity offering both direct-to-consumer and distributor sales, while managing both apparel and die-cast collectibles.

About Neosho School District …
Neosho School District, located in Neosho, Missouri may be better known as “Wildcat Nation.” The district is made up of 11 campuses stretching from the Historic Downtown Square all the way to Goodman, Missouri educating approximately 4,700 children and young adults. Its mission is to prepare the youth of their community to be people who are intelligent, driven, and make lives better for those around them.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 and is co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. Spire Motorsports earned an upset victory for the ages in its first full season when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019.

Corey Heim – No. 51 JBL Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Kansas 2 Preview

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Official Release
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Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 JBL Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Kansas Lottery 200, Race 19 of 23 (Race 3 in the Round of 10)
134 Laps – 30/30/74; 201 Miles
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1. 5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 9, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Story on Corey:
Corey Heim and the No. 51 JBL team head to Kansas Speedway for Friday’s Kansas Lottery 200, the final race in the Round of 10 of the owner’s playoffs. After Heim scored fifth-place finishes in each of the opening two races of the round, the No. 51 team sits sixth on the playoff grid, 31 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8. Heim had a really fast JBL Tundra TRD Pro when the Truck Series visited Kansas earlier this year. After starting second, he took the lead on lap 14 and went on to win the opening stage. After finishing second in Stage 2, he dealt with handling issues in the Final Stage which caused him to brush the wall and ultimately blow a tire, relegating him to a 33rd-place finish.

Kansas was the site of Heim’s first career ARCA Menards Series victory. He led 82 of 100 laps en route to his first series victory on Oct. 16, 2020. Across five ARCA Menards series starts at Kansas, he has produced one win, four top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 5.4.

The No. 51 team qualified for the owner’s portion of the playoffs via Heim’s two wins this season (Atlanta Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway). They are tied with the No. 18 and No. 38 teams with a series-leading three wins this season. In addition to Heim’s two wins, Kyle Busch was victorious at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June. The No. 51 team has captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s championship three times (2013-2014 & 2019) and as on organization KBM has collected a series-record seven owner’s titles.

Across 11 Truck Series starts this season, Heim has produced two wins, two poles, 64 laps led, five top-five and six top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.5. The Georgia driver picked up his first career Truck Series victory in just his fifth start earlier this season at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March and was also victorious in June at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

Heim leads the Truck Series rookie of the year standings by 87 points over Lawless Alan. Heim will look to join three other KBM drivers that have won the award, reigning winner Chandler Smith, William Byron (2016) and Erik Jones (2015).

While many Truck Series drivers have been inactive since the last race on Aug. 13, Heim has stayed busy. He led all 125 laps and picked up a Southern Super Series Super Late Model victory Aug. 24 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga. He also competed in the Late Model Stock CARS Tour event Aug. 31 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway where he qualified second but was relegated to a 25th-place finish after getting spun with 20 laps remaining in the 125-lap event. Most recently Heim piloted the No. 15 Camry to a ninth-place finish for Venturini Motorsports on the dirt track at DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds.

The DuQuoin event was part of a seven-race schedule for Heim with Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series. Heim led 74 of 90 laps en route to the victory at Daytona in February to pick up his eighth career ARCA Menards Series victory. Across 42 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has produced 713 laps led, 30 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.4. Heim finished second to Ty Gibbs in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship standings. He will make his seventh and final scheduled start of the season Saturday at Kansas.

Mardy Lindley returned to KBM for his second season atop the pit box of the No. 51 team. Lindley has led his team to six wins since coming to KBM at the start of the 2021 season, including two with Heim and one with Kyle Busch this year. In 2021, his drivers produced three victories, two with Busch and one with Martin Truex Jr. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley was victorious with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch in the 2021 race at Kansas and finished 33rd with Heim earlier this year.

JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, will adorn the No. 51 as part of their 11-race schedule with Heim Friday night. Crescent Tools, a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, will return for three more races this season beginning next Thursday night at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:
While the Truck Series has been off the last several weeks you’ve still been active racing other series. How important is it to have that seat time?
“I think the seat time is super important in racing and I believe that racing on a weekly basis in between all the Truck Series races will certainly pay off heading to Kansas on Friday with our No. 51 JBL team.”

You were really fast earlier this year and won the opening stage at Kansas before having some issues. Is this a race you’ve been looking forward to?
“Kansas is certainly a race I’ve been looking forward to. I feel the experience I have there in ARCA and now having a Truck Series race under my belt will really help me be up to speed and be able to go out and compete for the win on Friday.”

How will you approach this race with the No. 51 team being 31 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8?
“Our mindset is to not overthink where we are in the playoff standings. If we go out and have a solid race and don’t make any major mistakes, we will be just fine.”

Corey Heim Career Highlights:

  • Picked up first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway March 19, 2022 in just his fifth start. Across 14 career starts has two wins, two poles, 66 laps led, five top-five and six top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.9.
  • With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts, the 19-year-old driver became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.
  • Finished runner-up in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2021 after collecting six wins, three poles, 406 laps led, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 3.1 across 20 starts.
  • Across 42 career ARCA Menards Series starts has eight wins, 713 laps led, 30 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.4. Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.

Corey Heim’s No. 51 JBL Tundra TRD Pro:
KBM-54: The No. 51 JBL team will unload KBM-54 for Friday’s race at Kansas. This Tundra TRD Pro is the same truck that Heim led 18 laps with and won the opening stage with earlier this year at Kansas before being relegated to a 33rd-place finish after cutting a tire in the Final Stage. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch has two victories driving KBM-54, including at Kansas Speedway last May. The other victory came at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in 2018 in its first career start.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected five wins, five poles, 717 laps led, 16 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.0 across 40 starts at Kansas. Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected three wins at Kansas (2014, 2017 and 2021). Noah Gragson led a race-high 128 laps and swept all three stages in the 2018 event and William Byron earned his first career Camping World Trucks victory there in 2016.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (97) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this season, Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • With 40 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Kansas 2 Advance

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Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: KANSAS ADVANCE

All three of NASCAR’s major series will be racing this weekend at Kansas Speedway, beginning with Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first-round finale. Two drivers will be eliminated following the event as Ford’s Zane Smith goes for the season sweep after winning in the spring. The NASCAR Xfinity Series has two races remaining in its regular season while the NASCAR Cup Series conducts its second postseason event on Sunday.

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, September 9 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, September 10 – NASCAR Xfinity Series, 3 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, September 11 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. ET (USA)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT KANSAS

· Ford has nine all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins at Kansas.
· Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano all have multiple Cup wins at Kansas.
· Mark Martin registered Ford’s first Cup win at Kansas in 2005.

ROUND OF 16 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 12 Advance After Bristol)

1st – Joey Logano (+38 above cut line)

6th – Ryan Blaney (+20)

13th – Austin Cindric (-2 below cut line)

15th – Chase Briscoe (-10)

16th – Kevin Harvick (-13)

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT KANSAS

· Ford has four NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at Kansas.

· Jeff Green won the inaugural series race in 2001 while Jeff Burton won the following year.

· Chase Briscoe has Ford’s last series win at the track (2020).

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT KANSAS

· Ford has six series victories at Kansas.

· Jon Wood won Ford’s first series race at the track.

· Zane Smith is going for a season sweep after winning in the spring.

ROUND OF 10 NCWTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Kansas)

2nd – Zane Smith (+46 above cut line)

SMITH GOING FOR KANSAS SEASON SWEEP

Zane Smith will be looking to cap off the first round of this year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs with a season sweep at Kansas Speedway. Smith dominated in the spring as he led 108-of-134 laps, including the final 39 to post his third win of the 2022 campaign. He is currently second in the point standings and has a 46-point advantage over ninth-place Carson Hocevar.

LOGANO SEEKING FOURTH CAREER KANSAS VICTORY

Joey Logano will be looking for his fourth career win at Kansas Speedway this weekend, which would be a personal best. Logano currently has three career wins at Kansas, Michigan International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. He won for the first time at Kansas in 2014, and then did it again one year later in a well-documented battle with Matt Kenseth that resulted in contact as the two entered turn one with five laps to go. That controversial finish marked Logano’s second straight win in the Chase and led to a sweep of the Contender Round as he took the checkered flag the following week at Talladega. His last Kansas win came in 2020 when he led the final 45 laps to beat Kevin Harvick across the finish line and clinch a spot in the Championship 4.

FORD IN THE CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS

Ford has won 47 all-time races in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and one of the best tracks during this era has been Kansas Speedway, where the Blue Oval boasts seven post-season triumphs. That ranks in a tie for second place on the manufacturer win list with Homestead-Miami and only two behind Talladega Superspeedway’s nine.

FORD’S ALL-TIME PLAYOFF WIN LEADER IS?

Joey Logano tops all Ford drivers in career playoff victories with 10. The 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion has won all of those since joining Team Penkse and Ford in the 2013 season. Overall, 12 different Ford drivers have registered at least one win in the postseason with the first coming in the inaugural playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2004 when Kurt Busch took the checkered flag. Here’s the list of Ford’s all-time postseason winners: Joey Logano (10); Carl Edwards (8); Greg Biffle (7); Brad Keselowski (6); Kevin Harvick (5); Matt Kenseth (4); Ryan Blaney (2); Jamie McMurray (1); Kurt Busch (1); Dale Jarrett (1); Mark Martin (1); and Aric Almirola (1).

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS

2005 – Mark Martin

2007 – Greg Biffle

2010 – Greg Biffle

2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2014 – Joey Logano (2)

2015 – Joey Logano (2)

2018 – Kevin Harvick (1)

2019 – Brad Keselowski (1)

2020 – Joey Logano (2)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS

2001 – Jeff Green

2002 – Jeff Burton

2012 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

2020 – Chase Briscoe

FORD NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT KANSAS

2003 – Jon Wood

2004 – Carl Edwards

2006 – Terry Cook

2007 – Erik Darnell

2020 – Matt Crafton (2)

2022 – Zane Smith

Brad Keselowski – Kansas II Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt McCall

Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski

Race Format: 400 miles, 267 laps, Stages: 80-85-102

NASCAR Cup Race at Kansas – Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

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

Keselowski at Kansas

· Keselowski makes his 26th Cup start at Kansas on Sunday. It is one of 11 tracks where he holds multiple wins, with trips to victory lane in 2011 and 2019. He carries an average finish of 11.6 and is coming off a 14th-place run in the spring.

· He has three top fives in the last five races including a runner-up finish in the first race in 2020, followed by a P4 finish later that year, and a third-place run last season.

· He has an average starting position of 10.4 with two career poles (2015, 2021).

· He also made a combined 10 starts in the Xfinity and Truck Series with one win and five combined top-10s.

Matt McCall at Kansas

· McCall will be atop the box for his 16th Cup race from Kansas. He has five top-10s with a best finish of fourth (twice – 2019, 2021).

· McCall’s average qualifying position is 16.8 with five starts inside the top 10.

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Kansas:
“Kansas is one of those places that offers so much running room and carries a ton of speed all the way around. This stretch of returning to tracks for the second time will be important as we continue to build on our notebook daily. Proud to have our friends at Solomon Plumbing back on board, and have certainly enjoyed our partnership together this season.”

Last Time Out
Keselowski was on the right side of pit strategy Sunday night at Darlington, ultimately driving to a seventh-place finish in the Kohler Generators Ford for his fourth top-10 of 2022.

On the Car

Solomon Plumbing returns to the No. 6 machine for its fourth primary race. They originally joined the RFK fold as the primary for the Bristol Dirt race and Gateway, and were again the primary in the second Atlanta race.

About Solomon Plumbing
We specialize in plumbing and fire services for new development, construction and complete remodeling. We are the developer’s choice to provide turn-key plumbing and fire solutions from start to finish. This includes multi-unit housing, high rise buildings and complete residential developments. We are committed to fulfilling your plumbing and fire needs with honesty and integrity, exceeding your expectations for service, quality, and value.

Solomon Plumbing has been developing long term business relationships across the United States with a strong reputation for high quality craftsmanship and service commitment. Contact us today to discuss your next project.

Chris Buescher – Kansas II Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves

Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400 miles, 267 laps, Stages: 80-85-102

NASCAR Cup Race at Kansas – Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

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

Buescher at Kansas

· Buescher is set for his 14th Cup race from Kansas where he has three top-10s. He finished eighth in the spring race in 2021, with his best-career result coming back in the 2017 fall event (sixth).

· Most recently, he finished 27th this spring, and ran 12th in this race a season ago.

· His average qualifying effort sits at 21.2 with one career top-10 start (2018 – 10th).

· Buescher made three Xfinity starts at Kansas from 2013-15 with a best finish of sixth (2015).

Scott Graves at Kansas

· Graves will be on the box for his 13th Cup race at Kansas. He has a best finish of seventh (2017 – Daniel Suarez), and is coming off the 12th-place run with Buescher last fall.

· His average qualifying effort stands at 15.1 with four top-10 starts, including a P2 start in 2013.

· Graves called three Xfinity events at Kansas with a career-best third-place run in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Kansas:
“We’re ready to get back to Kansas and redeem ourselves from the spring race and rebound from this past week at Darlington. It is a place that doesn’t lack in speed, and really fans out with just how big the surface is. As we’ve said before, we still have chances down the stretch here to be a spoiler, and we’re working hard to do just that.”

Last Time Out
Buescher finished 26th a week ago at Darlington.

On the Car

Fastenal, in its 12th season with RFK in 2022, makes its 14th appearance with the No. 17 this weekend. In its early days with RFK, Fastenal originally was a partner with the No. 99 team before moving over to the No. 17 team since. They were also the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers Norseman Drill & Tool, Danfoss, Fluke Corp., GL Huyett and Streamlight on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

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

Howie DiSavino III Returns to Xfinity Series Competition at Kansas Focused as Ever

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Official Release
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KANSAS CITY, Kan: It has been nearly two months since Howie DiSavino III has been behind the wheel of an Alpha Prime Racing car, but the wait is nearly over as he returns to the team for his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season in Saturday afternoon’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.

DiSavino has been counting down the days to return to action since his most recent outing in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway where he roared through the field during the Crayon 200 and earned an eye-catching and competitive top-20 finish.

Clinging to the momentum from his best Xfinity Series finish in just his second career start, DiSavino has been preparing for his Kansas debut with the intention of backing up his New Hampshire effort with another top-20 finish or better this weekend.

“I’m excited to get to Kansas,” said DiSavino. “Obviously, it’s very tough not being able to race as much as I would like, but every race behind the wheel is an opportunity and I’d like to accelerate on that opportunity with a strong finish on Saturday afternoon.

“Kansas is a new track to me. I’ve never been there, but I’ve been incredibly diligent in taking advantage of the tools that have been provided to me to make the transition as seamless as possible.”

During any given week, DiSavino can be found nestled in Mooresville, N.C.- either working thoroughly through his fitness program, his race preparation guideline or on the telephone with current and potential partners trying to increase his presence in the Xfinity Series during the remainder of the 2022 season and looking ahead to 2023.

His discipline to be able to multitask has given the Chesterfield, Va. native the optimistic vibe that his hard work and relentless efforts will be rewarded not only this weekend but down the road.

“Even though it’s been a couple of months since I’ve been in the car, it certainly doesn’t feel like it,” added DiSavino. “I am a very focused person and even though I’m multitasking a lot throughout the day, my race preparation has never been more prominent.

“When you have such a strong run like our Alpha Prime Racing team did at New Hampshire, it makes you hungry as a driver and a person to be able to repeat or better that effort again. I know my Alpha Prime Racing team is doing their job during the week on building fast and competitive cars.

“I am doing everything in power to make sure when I climb behind that wheel on Friday and Saturday, we are picking up right where we left off.”

ClearCryptos will serve as the primary marketing partner of DiSavino III’s No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro for his third career Xfinity Series start.

ClearCryptos’ goal is to create clarity, accountability, and success in the Crypto marketplace with their unique relationships in technology, government and law enforcement.

When it comes to the race on Saturday, DiSavino III is thoughtful about taking the same cautiously-aggressive approach that paid dividends at New Hampshire even though Kansas is the complete opposite.

“I want to be around for the finish, I kept telling myself that at New Hampshire and it paid off,” sounded DiSavino. “I know I must take what your race car will give you and the Alpha Prime boys will adjust accordingly throughout the race that will put us in a good position for the final stretch.

“I want to do well not only for myself, but for the people that support me and my team, but I’m going to remember that I can’t push the envelope when it comes to the handling of the race car or battling my other competitors on the track.

“If our No. 44 ClearCryptos Chevrolet Camaro isn’t the best at the start of the race, I just have to be patient until we can make an adjustment. If I want to contend for a strong finish, I need to be around for the end of the race. If we can avoid any chaos and mind our matters,

“I think contending for a top-15 finish is achievable and would feel like a win and gives us great momentum for my next Xfinity race at Talladega in a couple of weeks.

Veteran Cup spotter Clayton Hughes will guide DiSavino from above this weekend as his spotter.

Following Kansas, the 21-year-old will return to Alpha Prime Racing at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 1, 2022, and the penultimate Xfinity Series race of the season at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Oct. 29, 2022.

For more on Howie DiSavino III, please visit howiedisavino.com, like him on Facebook (Howie DiSavino III Racing), follow him on Instagram (@howiedisavino), TikTok (@howiedisavino) and Twitter (@howiedisavino).

The Kansas Lottery 300 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the 25th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, September 9 from 4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Qualifying follows shortly after 4:30 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag on Saturday, September 10 shortly after 2:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. ET) with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

About ClearCryptos:

Headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with all personnel globally positioned; ClearCryptos is a distributed company with unique relationships in technology, government, and law enforcement. The company is ushering in a new wave of clarity, accountability, and success to the emerging Crypto marketplace through innovation and reinvestment to benefit local and regional economies.

About Alpha Prime Racing:

Alpha Prime Racing is a NASCAR Xfinity Series team owned by Craig and Tommy Joe Martins as well as Alpha Prime Sports Founder and CEO Caesar Bacarella. The team was originally founded in 2009 under the name Martins Racing.

The team announced in 2022 that they will run the No. 44 and No. 45 Camaro’s full-time, with multiple drivers splitting driving duties including Martins, Bacarella, Josh Bilicki, Rajah Caruth, Howie DiSavino III, Ryan Ellis, Kaz Grala, Sage Karam, Andy Lally, Julia Landauer and others.

M&M’S Racing: Kyle Busch Kansas Advance

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Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH
From Hate to Love at Kansas Speedway

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Sept. 6, 2022) – Kyle Busch’s relationship with Kansas Speedway in Kansas City has been well documented over the years. The 1.5-mile oval started as a miserable experience for the Las Vegas native, capped by three consecutive DNFs (did not finish) in 2012 and 2013. But his initial hatred for the track slowly turned into love, particularly over his last 15 races there, during which he’s netted 10 top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. He’ll look to add to that consistency when he returns for Sunday’s second race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

The Kansas oval was built in 2001 and originally featured a constant 15 degrees of banking in the turns. But it underwent a massive renovation project leading into its October 2012 event. The changes included repaving of the existing track surface, reconfiguration of the oval, and the addition of a new infield road course. The oval’s geometric shape also was changed to feature variable banking of 17 to 20 degrees in the turns.

To say that Busch didn’t take well to the new surface would be quite the understatement. From October 2012 to 2013, he had the aforementioned three consecutive DNFs there – with accidents in all three that rendered him with results 31st, 38th and 34th, respectively.

Feeling snakebit on the new Kansas surface, Busch and his M&M’S team took a different approach starting with the April 2014 race by starting from scratch with a brand new car. They attacked Kansas with the hopes that a fresh outlook would produce vastly different results. While a pit-road speeding penalty cost them precious track position and an even better finish in the race, the result and effort was much different than the three previous trips. Instead, they were competitive enough to turn the corner in terms of results.

In the October 2014 race, Busch brought home his first-ever Kansas Cup Series top-five. Again, the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion has never cared much for moral victories. However, the momentum kickstarted by his first Kansas top-five has remained to this day. Finally, with the surface starting to wear, Kansas has become a place much more agreeable to Busch’s driving style as he brought home his first victory there in NASCAR’s top series in May 2016, putting an exclamation point on the aforementioned strong runs there. Busch added another Kansas win in the spring of 2021, and in his last 15 races there has three finishes outside the top-10.

In last weekend’s opening race of the 2022 playoffs, Busch and his M&M’S team put in a performance befitting a two-time Cup Series champion. Busch won a stage and led a race-high 155 laps and was sitting in the lead with just over 20 laps to go when his engine expired, leaving him with a disappointing 30th-place finish. He heads to Kansas to tackle the second of three Round of 16 races, Busch sits 11th in the playoff standings, eight points above the 12th-place cutline to advance to the next round.

So as Busch heads back to the Heartland of America with plenty of love for the 1.5-mile oval, he would love nothing more than to bring home his is third career Cup Series win there that would automatically advance him and his M&M’S team into the Round of 12.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

Have you looked forward to racing at Kansas more after you won there?

“I have. Also, it was – even the last few times before we won there for the first time in 2016, we had some really strong runs there. We finished in the top-10 a lot there over the last 15 races or so. We seem to have gotten a setup or a hold of this place, I’d say, and hopefully we don’t screw that up this time around and we can continue our strong runs and our fast pace there and be able to have a shot to win. Looking forward to getting back in our M&M’S Camry and have a solid run like we did there in the spring and be able to improve on what we did there just a little bit and have a shot to win.”

What is the most challenging part about racing at Kanas Speedway?

“The wind always seems like it’s high in Kansas and it will also change directions. It can change directions day to day, so you can practice in one wind direction and you can race in another one. That completely throws off the balance of your racecar and what you are feeling, and which corner of the track you attack the most, so you’ve always got to be leery of that, and we certainly will be this weekend.”

You’ve had a love-hate relationship with this track. Do you think it will be more track or car you are fighting this week?

“I would say it’s been – you said love-hate, I would go more hate-love. It started out bad and has been good lately. We will hopefully keep that going in our favor. This place was trickier for me with the old asphalt, but since they repaved it, it seems to have come into more where I’m understanding it. I feel like we’ve got a good shot at continuing that – that good run tradition – and doing well this weekend.”

Talk about what it’s like to race in Kansas.

“Kansas has been a good place for our sport. You know, the crowd, the reception, the infrastructure, the community all have really built up around the racetrack there over the last 15 years or so. It’s been a lot of fun to see all that happen and I’m looking forward to the race. It’s been a great racetrack for us, lately. We’ve had some good runs there once the track aged. We’ve kind of seemed to maybe have figured out the place a little bit better. And, you know, we’re looking forward to the opportunity of being able to go out there and hopefully get ourselves a win with our M&M’S Camry.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 28 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/ 400.5 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps

● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Meet the No. 18 M&M’S / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy
Hometown: Blockville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Jackman: Kellen Mills
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey
Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham
Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Road Crew Members:

Engine Tuner: Dan Bajek
Hometown: Camden, New York

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Eloy Trevino

Hometown: Adrian, Michigan

Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Justin Peiffer
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Mechanic: Tony Hamm
Hometown: Walla, Walla, Washington

Notes of Interest:

● Playoff Points: Busch has accumulated 11 important playoff points he can take with him through each round. Busch sits 11th in the playoff standings, eight points ahead of the 12th-place cutoff to advance to the next round. He has one win, six top-five finishes and 13 top-10s this season.

● All in the Stats: Busch has two wins, 10 top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and has led a total of 422 laps in 29 career Cup Series starts at Kansas. Busch’s average Kansas finish is 15.2.

● 224 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 224 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Kansas. In addition to his 60 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 62 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

DGR NCWTS Advance: Kansas Speedway

By
Official Release
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Friday, September 9
Track: Kansas Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
Race: 19 of 23
Event: Kansas Lottery 200 (134 laps/201 miles)

Schedule
Friday, September 9
Practice: 3:00 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 3:30 p.m. ET
Race: 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Odyssey Battery Ford F-150 

  • Hailie Deegan enters Kansas Speedway for the 19th race of the 2022 season — her 42nd career start in the NCWTS.
  • Despite consistent top-10 speed throughout the weekend, Deegan had a bumpy weekend last time out at Richmond Raceway. The Temecula, CA native overcame two penalties en route to a 26th-place finish.
  • Kansas Speedway is one of the 21-year-old’s preeminent tracks, averaging a 15.3-place finish in three career starts. Deegan made her NCWTS debut at the 1.5-mile oval, making history as the highest finishing female in their first-career series appearance.
  • Veteran Crew Chief Jerry Baxter has a history of solid runs at the venue. In nine career Kansas Speedway appearances in the NCWTS, Baxter has notched a top-five, six top-tens, and earned an average finish of 9.3.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

  • Tanner Gray enters Kansas Speedway for his 19th start of the 2022 season and the 67th NCWTS start of his career.
  • In the series’ last outing at Richmond Raceway, Gray finished 16th after being trapped a lap down in the race’s final stage.
  • The 23-year-old will be making his sixth career start at the 1.5-mile oval. In 2020, Gray wheeled the No. 15 to his best finish at the venue, earning a fourth-place finish. In the first Kansas outing this season, Gray put in a ninth-place qualifying effort before handing issues rendered him to an 18th-place finish.
  • Crew Chief Mike Hillman Jr. has accumulated five top-fives, 10 top-tens, and one victory at Kansas Speedway. Gray and Hillman Jr. enter Kansas as their first contest together at a mile-and-a-half track layout, where the veteran shot-caller has a history of sustained success.

Ryan Preece, No. 17 Morton Buildings Ford F-150

  • Ryan Preece straps into the No. 17 for his 8th NCWTS appearance of the season.
  • The Berlin, CT native has been exceptional in nine career NCWTS starts, netting two victories at Nashville Superspeedway and averaging a fifth-place finish across his 2022 appearances.
  • In Preece’s last NCWTS outing, he followed up his Nashville victory by earning a runner-up finish at Pocono Raceway, leading six of the race’s 150 laps.
  • The 31-year-old will make his NCWTS debut at Kansas Speedway but is certainly not a newcomer to the half-mile oval. In eight career appearances between NASCAR’s top-two series, Preece’s best finish of seventh came in a 2018 Xfinity series start with Joe Gibbs Racing.

BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE WEEKEND BRINGS OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCC-BRISTOL TO RAISE MONEY FOR LOCAL CHILDREN IN NEED

By
Official Release
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Golf tournament, live auctions, laps for charity, cornhole tournament, Red Bucket Brigade and 50/50 Raffle highlight fundraising activities

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 6, 2022) – As NASCAR fans prepare to arrive at The Last Great Colosseum for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) is gearing up for another big race weekend to help raise money for local children.

SCC-Bristol will host numerous fundraising opportunities throughout the race week to benefit thousands of kids throughout the Appalachian Highlands region. Some of SCC’s opportunities include the Food City Fan Zone Stage Live Auctions, the Annual SCC Golf Tournament presented by Baker’s Construction Services, 50/50 Raffle presented by Ohio Logistics, Red Bucket Brigade presented by Drake’s, Legacy Shop, Laps for Charity presented by A.O. Smith and the Charity Cornhole Tournament presented by The Army.

“We always look forward to the Bass Pro Shops Night Race weekend with great anticipation because it is consistently one of our biggest fundraising opportunities,” said Claudia Byrd, executive director of Speedway Children’s Charities’ Bristol chapter. “We are so blessed to be able to host these special events that will help us raise money for local children in need. We couldn’t do it without the support of our race fans and we have to thank them so much for their generosity.”

The week of SCC charity events kicks off on Monday, Sept. 12 with the 25th annual SCC Golf Tournament presented by Baker’s Construction Services at the nearby Tri-Cities Golf Course in Blountville, Tenn. Player registration begins at 10 a.m. and lunch will be served at 11 a.m. followed by a shotgun tournament start at Noon. A team of four, including hole sponsorship, is $825. For more information on partnerships or to sign up for the tournament, please call SCC’s Betsy Holleman at 423-989-6975.

Fans can also test their skills in the 2022 Charity Cornhole Classic presented by The Army. Cost is only $20 per team. Qualifying tournaments will take place Friday, Sept. 16 beginning at 11 a.m. and Saturday, Sept. 17 beginning at 9:30 a.m. The top team from each qualifier automatically moves onto the Championship Tournament, which will be held Saturday, Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m. Pre-Register online or onsite in the BMS Fan Zone.

The 50/50 Raffle presented by Ohio Logistics also will be available each day of the event. For just $10 a ticket, race fans could win up to $100,000 in the 50/50 Raffle. Tickets will be sold on-property outside the gates, on the concourse level of the track as well as online or at the BMS Ticket Office. The winning ticket will be drawn during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, however the winner does not have to be present to win. Buy your ticket online by clicking here.

Fans can have an up-close and personal experience with the World’s Fastest Half-Mile during the popular Laps for Charity presented by A.O. Smith. The event will be held on the Speedway’s .533-mile all-concrete high-banked oval on Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 7-10 p.m. This fan-favorite event gives you the opportunity to drive your car, van or truck on the iconic track. The cost for an eight-lap session is $60 per vehicle. Fans also have the option to take a ride in the BMS Chevy Camaro pace car and enjoy eight laps in the front seat ($100 per person) or in the back seat ($85 per person). All participants, including driver and passengers, must register online and print and complete the waiver and release form by midnight on Sept. 13. Participants must present their waiver and release form during check-in, which will close 30 minutes prior to the start time. If you have not arrived and checked in by 6:30 p.m., you will not be able to take laps. Late arrivals will not be allowed to participate. Register online by clicking here.

Several events will happen each day of the race weekend, from Thursday, Sept. 15-Saturday, Sept. 17 including Live Memorabilia Auctions at the Food City Fan Zone Stage. Other memorabilia from your favorite drivers also will be available for purchase at the Legacy Shop. The Legacy Shop is located at Gate 14 and will be open to guests at 4 p.m. on both Friday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17.

During Thursday’s doubleheader with the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics and the Bush’s Beans 200, Friday’s Food City 300 and the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, race fans are encouraged to donate their loose change during the Red Bucket Brigade presented by Drake’s. During the early stages of the race, SCC volunteers will pass around the red buckets through the grandstands for collection. Fans can also donate digitally by texting “Kidswin” to 44321 or by donating to our Mini Red Bucket campaign on shuttle golf carts through the event weekend.

For more information, visit www.speedwaycharities.org/bristol.

NASCAR Returns to Nashville for Champion’s Week

By
Official Release
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Annual postseason celebration set to honor NASCAR Champions in the Music City during 2022 Awards

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 6, 2022) – As an eventful 2022 race season enters its final turn, NASCAR today announced the return of its Champion’s Week celebration to Nashville on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

The NASCAR Awards will be held on Dec. 1 at the Music City Center to formally crown this season’s NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions. Fellow drivers, industry personalities and celebrities will take over downtown Nashville for the third year to celebrate an unforgettable 2022 season.

“We are pleased to announce our return to Music City for the celebration to crown our series champions,” said Pete Jung, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at NASCAR. “We are delighted to bring the celebration to Nashville once again, as the city’s energy and passion for motorsports never ceases to amaze us. We are looking forward to being back following the conclusion of the 2022 season.”

The formal postseason Awards is a tradition that stretches back to 1981, when the event was held in New York City. It relocated to Las Vegas in 2009 and then called Nashville its home for the first time in 2019. Over the last two years NASCAR has seen a tremendous turnout from the Nashville fans not only at the racetrack, but for the celebration of Champion’s week. NASCAR looks to continue the tradition and conclude the season at one of the most iconic cities in the country.

About NASCAR

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

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