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Bubba Wallace inks multiyear contract to remain at 23XI Racing in Cup competition

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Bubba Wallace ceased all uncertainties of his future plans by inking a new multiyear contract extension to continue to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE entry for 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series division, an announcement that was posted by 23XI Racing via social media.

The news comes as the 30-year-old Wallace from Mobile, Alabama, is currently campaigning in his seventh consecutive full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series and fourth in recent seasons with 23XI Racing.

Despite missing the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, Wallace, who is ranked in 19th place in the drivers’ standings, has recorded five top-five results and 10 top-10 results through 28-scheduled starts. Amid a two-year winless drought, the Alabama native’s current season stats of top fives and top 10s are tied with the most he has accumulated in a season with the 2022 and 2023 seasons, thus giving him additional opportunities to both add and set new career-high stats to both categories with eight races remaining to the 2024 season.

“From day one Bubba has been an integral part of 23XI,” 23XI Racing said in a release statement through social media. “We’re excited to announce that he has signed a multi-year renewal and will continue to play a key role in helping 23XI grow and succeed. #ForwardTogether“

Wallace, who made his Cup Series debut as an interim competitor for Richard Petty Motorsports in select events in 2017 before spending the next three seasons as a full-time competitor for the Petty organization, first joined 23XI Racing, an organization founded and co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and fellow Cup competitor Denny Hamlin, as the team’s first competitor in 2021. During the season, Wallace made history by becoming the second African-American competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series at Talladega Superspeedway in the fall, where he notched the first Cup victory for himself, veteran crew chief Bootie Barker and 23XI Racing. The following season, he notched his second Cup career victory at Kansas Speedway, which currently stands as his latest victory in the series.

This past season, Wallace made the Cup Series Playoffs for the first time in his career. Despite falling short of transferring past the Round of 12, he would settle in a career-best 10th place in the final championship standings. By then, he recorded a personal-best average-finishing result of 15.9 and led a career-high 285 laps in a season.

Through 247 current starts in the Cup Series, Wallace has accumulated two victories, three poles, 21 top-five results, 42 top-10 results, 658 laps led and an average-finishing result of 20.0. He has also made a total of 88 starts in the Xfinity Series and won a total of six races apiece in both the Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series East, the latter two divisions in which he became the African-American competitor to win in both.

With his future set, Bubba Wallace’s 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues with the upcoming Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The event is scheduled to occur this Saturday, September 21, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Nick Sanchez named full-time Xfinity competitor for Big Machine Racing in 2025

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Nick Sanchez will be graduating to the NASCAR Xfinity Series division on a full-time basis in 2025, where he will be piloting the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro entry for Big Machine Racing.

The news comes as the 23-year-old Sanchez from Miami, Florida, is campaigning in his second full-time season in the Craftsman Truck Series with Rev Racing. It also comes a week after Parker Kligerman, who currently drives for Big Machine Racing in the Xfinity circuit, announced that he will not be returning to the organization nor pursue any full-time NASCAR driving activities next season.

The move for Sanchez to Big Machine Racing marks a reunion for both parties after the Miami native drove for the organization in six of the final eight races of the 2022 Xfinity season. During the six-race stint, Sanchez’s best on-track result was seventh at Martinsville Speedway. Amid his part-time Xfinity campaign, he was competing full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Rev Racing, where he would proceed to win the championship.

For the 2025 season, Sanchez’s No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet entry will continue to receive primary sponsorship support from Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers. In addition, Gainbridge, which sponsors Sanchez in the Truck Series, will continue to support the Miami native in his first full-time Xfinity stint by serving as his associate sponsor.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Big Machine Racing with Chevrolet next year in the Xfinity Series,” Sanchez said in a released statement. “I’m grateful to get the opportunity to work with [CEO] Scott Borchetta, [crew chief] Patrick Donahue, and the whole Big Machine team next year. This amazing opportunity would not be possible without Big Machine Records, Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers, Chevrolet, Gainbridge, the NASCAR Diversity program, Rev Racing, Bono, and everyone at Spire, who made this dream a reality. As a driver, I feel that I’m ready to move to the next level and I look forward to competing for wins and ultimately a championship next year driving the #48 for Big Machine Racing!”

Sanchez, who grew up competing in go-karts before transcending his way to compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for Rev Racing and as a Drive for Diversity member, is a recipient of the 2019 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award. After inking a full-time ARCA Menards Series East deal with Rev in 2020, he notched his first ARCA Menards Series career victory during the 2021 season-finale event at Kansas Speedway.

During the 2022 season, Sanchez notched the first ARCA Menards Series drivers’ championship for himself and Rev Racing in a season where he recorded three victories. He also made his first eight career starts on the Xfinity circuit, six with Big Machine Racing and two with BJ McLeod Motorsports. The following season, Sanchez became a full-time competitor for Rev Racing in the Truck Series. Despite missing the cutoff to the Championship 4 in a tie-breaker during his first Playoff run, the Miami native notched the series’ Rookie-of-the-Year title. He commenced this season by winning for the first time ever at Daytona in February before winning the series’ 700th Truck race overall at Charlotte in May. To go along with a total of seven top-five results and 10 top-10 results throughout the 16-race regular-season stretch, Sanchez made the Playoffs for a second consecutive season.

With a 10th-place result during the Truck Series’ Playoff opener at the Milwaukee Mile, Sanchez is ranked in fourth place in the Playoff standings as he continues his pursuit to win his first Truck title while also continuing to impress Big Machine Racing’s CEO Scott Borchetta.

“In 2022 we put Nick in our car for a handful of races and he was fast right out of the gate,” Borchetta said. “At Martinsville in particular, I watched him go full-on, elbows out, putting the car right where it needed to be, with no fear against the best-of-the-best in the series. Since then, he’s done a fantastic job in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and I know that he and Crew Chief Patrick Donahue and the entire Big Machine Racing Team are going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.”

Amid the excitement of Sanchez joining Big Machine Racing in 2025, Borchetta also took a moment to recognize the team’s current driver Parker Kligerman’s contributions since both first joined forces at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2022 before campaigning on a full-time basis in 2023.

Through 58 races, Kligerman piloted Big Machine Racing’s No. 48 entry to a total of 12 top-five results, 30 top-10 results, 58 laps led and average-finishing results within the top-13 mark. Kligerman also made the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs, where he settled in 10th place in the final standings, and is in a prime position to make the Playoffs for a second consecutive season in 2024.

“I am so grateful to Parker Kligerman for coming to Big Machine Racing for the 2023 and 2024 seasons,” Borchetta added. “He was the perfect driver at just the right time to help us go to the next level in the Xfinity Series. His smarts as a race driver have been on display since his first race with us. He’s simply a very fast driver that makes very few mistakes and unforced errors.

“His ability to bring home race cars with all four corners intact while battling door to door is absolutely top percentile in the series, which is fully on display with him on the eve of clinching our second consecutive playoff appearance. He and the team are determined to go as far as we possibly can in the playoffs and, who knows, maybe we’ll cap this off at the finale in Phoenix! I have nothing but great things to say about Parker and I hope that our relationship continues at the highest level as he navigates his next career moves. He will always be a Big Machine Driver.”

With Sanchez securing next year’s plans for himself and Big Machine Racing, any future plans involving Rev Racing within NASCAR’s top three national touring series remains to be determined.

Prior to the 2025 season, Nick Sanchez’s 2024 Truck Series Playoff run with Rev Racing continues with the upcoming UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway this Thursday, September 19, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. Big Machine Racing’s Xfinity Series season with Parker Kligerman also continues at Bristol for the Food City 300 and the series’ regular-season finale that will air this Friday, September 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

Bed Bath & Beyond Racing: Josh Berry Bristol Advance

By
Official Release
-

JOSH BERRY
Bristol Advance
No. 4 Bed Bath & Beyond Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 21
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The opening round of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs wraps up Saturday night at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, and while Josh Berry missed this year’s playoffs, the 33-year-old rookie remains very much in contention for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year crown. “The Last Great Colosseum” is expected to be a competitive track for the driver of the No. 4 Bed Bath & Beyond Ford Mustang Dark Horse. A native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Berry narrowly missed qualifying on the pole in his Cup Series debut on his home-state track’s concrete surface last March. From his second starting spot, he persevered through challenging tire-wear issues that affected the racing throughout the field that day, finishing 10th in the opening stage on his way to taking the checkered flag 12th.

● Berry has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts and one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start on Bristol’s concrete surface. Best of his Xfinity Series outings was a seventh-place finish in September 2022, driving for JR Motorsports. His lone Truck Series start there resulted in an 11th-place finish in September 2021, driving for the Rackley W.A.R. team.

● Berry started racing go karts in and around his hometown of Hendersonville at age eight before making the move to Legends cars in 2006, scoring race wins and track championships over the next three years at his hometown Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway.

● Berry first made a name for himself on short tracks, climbing the ranks to earn his seat in the Cup Series by dominating at the grassroots level. During his days driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as part of the JR Motorsports Late Model program, Berry amassed an impressive 95 victories in his 262 starts with the team, with 189 top-fives and 219 top-10s. He was also the NASCAR Weekly Series champion in 2020, finishing every race but one inside the top-10 that season.

● Crew chief Rodney Childers knows what it takes to compete at short tracks. Growing up in the Late Model world before he climbed out of the driver’s seat and began his career as a shot-caller. As a Cup Series crew chief, Childers has tallied two Bristol wins – August 2016 and September 2020, both with Kevin Harvick at the wheel. The 48-year-old also has collaborated on 10 top-five finishes, 16 top-10s, and has seen his drivers complete all but four of 35 Cup Series starts at Bristol.

● Bed Bath & Beyond adorns Berry’s No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Bristol. The partnership celebrates Bed Bath & Beyond as the ultimate online destination for home essentials, featuring an unmatched assortment for every room of the house. Whether it’s your kitchen, bedroom, outdoor space or bathroom, Bed Bath & Beyond has what you need to create a space that feels uniquely yours. From cookware and bedding to bath accessories and beyond, Bed Bath & Beyond is your go-to source for functional and stylish home essentials.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Bed Bath & Beyond Ford Mustang Dark Horse

This weekend, the same tire compound will be used from the spring Bristol race. What do you expect this weekend, and what did you learn in the spring race that you think might help you?

“I think our group is really adaptable and can react well, and we saw that in the spring. When our team saw how the tires wore out faster and knew we were basically having to rework our strategy, Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and all the guys did a really good job of getting to work quickly and putting together a new plan that was really effective and gave me a car that drove through the field. As a group, we are just staying open-minded to the fact that the race may play out the same as the spring, or maybe totally different – it’s just too early to make that call.”

How important is qualifying this weekend, knowing the tire situation is in a way unknown?

“Having track position to start the race is important and, as a result, getting a good pit stall helps, too. Being able to keep the car clean at a chaotic place and making everyone’s life easier on pit road just takes a couple of variables out of the equations and that’s what it takes to run well at Bristol. Being able to limit the chance for mistakes and maximizing the weekend starts with getting a good starting position for Sunday.”

Is there a benefit to saving tires early, or is track position paramount at Bristol?

“It kind of depends on where you start the run. Like, if you are up front, you are going to have to find a balance of speed, but also saving some tires to get the most out of the run. If you are further back, you can save harder and try to make a run later in that stint. It is really hard to say, too, with how the race in the spring unfolded. I think it will be situational and depends a lot on our strategy, but we had a really good car in the spring and I am confident that our team will build another fast No. 4 Bed Bath & Beyond Ford Mustang Dark Horse and we can go try to maximize our day and contend for a win. We are more than capable; we just need to put together a complete day.”

No. 4 Bed Bath & Beyond Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Mason Flynt

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

STAGE SET TO CROWN CHAMPIONS AT 59TH ANNUAL IN-N-OUT BURGER NHRA FINALS IN POMONA

By
Official Release
-

POMONA, Calif. (Sept. 18, 2024) – With one race complete in the 2024 NHRA Countdown to the Champions playoffs, drivers are one step closer to the incredible championship setting at the 59th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at famed In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip on Nov. 14-17.

The In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals marks the final event of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and will see champions crowned on drag racing’s biggest stage.

Will a new driver claim the title for the first time, or will a seasoned veteran take home another NHRA championship? One thing is for certain: It all comes down to Pomona.

Intensity will be at a fever pitch with a can’t-miss atmosphere leading up to the joys of championship glory at one of the most historic venues on the NHRA tour. Action at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip will include a pair of qualifying runs on both Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations, where history will be made and champions will be crowned. Fans will get unparalleled access to the action as it all goes down to close out an incredible 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Chad Green (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won last year’s event, while Kalitta (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all clinched world titles in Pomona. The race will again be broadcast on FS1 to close the season in style, including eliminations at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 17.

The Top Fuel ranks is the tightest category amongst the professional divisions with only six points separating the top three. Justin Ashley leads the way, after collecting wins at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals as well as Charlotte and Brainerd. But just a point behind is three-time champion and Reading winner Antron Brown, who also earned wins in Chicago, Norwalk and Sonoma. Shawn Langdon, who is a mere six points back, earned early wins this year at the season opener in Gainesville and Phoenix and will be looking for his second Top Fuel world championship. Last year’s In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals saw a spectacular, winner-take-all final round between Kalitta and Leah Pruett, with Kalitta earning the win and his first world championship. The veteran is currently fourth in the standings after collecting wins in Las Vegas, Epping and Richmond.

Funny Car has seen six different winners this season but has been dominated by class newcomer Austin Prock. He has earned six wins this season, including the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals and the first race of the playoffs in Reading. Bob Tasca III sits second and has three wins to his credit this year from Las Vegas, Norwalk and Sonoma. Third place is held by Jack Beckman, who has stepped in for sixteen-time champion John Force, while other championship hopefuls in the loaded category include former champion J.R. Todd, who won the season opener in Gainesville, defending world champ Hagan and three-time world champ Ron Capps.

Competition in Pro Stock continues to be a battle of the powerhouse teams of Elite Motorsports and KB Titan Racing. Leading the points is standout Stanfield, who is on the hunt for his first professional championship for Elite Motorsports. He has five wins this season, including Reading to kick off the playoffs. Just nine points back is Dallas Glenn from the KB Titan camp. Glenn has three wins this year and has been in the top three all season. Reigning and six-time champion Enders is third, while five-time champion and the flagship driver for KB Titan, Greg Anderson, is fourth thanks to his wins at Phoenix and Charlotte.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle field has continued to be dominated by reigning champion Herrera. Herrera has seven wins on the season, including most recently in Indy. Only three other drivers have claimed wins this season: 2023 Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant, who won in Seattle, six-time champion Matt Smith, who picked up a win in Sonoma, and Hector Arana Jr., who has the most recent winner on tour in Reading. Herrera current leads Smith by 17 points, with Gadson and Arana Jr. close behind.

This year’s In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals also features a can’t-miss experience for racing and car enthusiasts alike. The Top Eliminator Club offers the best seats in the house, a premium experience and a number of exclusive benefits at one of the biggest races of the season.

In Pomona, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 1 and 3:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 15, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, Nov. 17. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday and then eliminations on FS1 at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the 59th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. Included in the premium experience by purchasing Top Eliminator Club tickets is a members-only hospitality center, complimentary food and beverages, members-only souvenir store, exclusive drivers appearances, a gift bag, a premium view of the staging lanes and much more.

For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: Six-Hour Brickyard Battle

By
Official Release
-

First of back-to-back endurance rounds to close Corvette Z06 GT3.R’s first IMSA season

DETROIT (September 18, 2024) – Of all the things that the Corvette Racing program has accomplished in more than a quarter-century of IMSA competition, one significant achievement is missing: a kiss on the bricks.

Three of the first-year Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are set to contest Sunday’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks from historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After returning last year to the Brickyard road course in a sprint race the first time since 2014, both Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA are part of a huge 56-car grid in what is now a fifth race for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup – this one six hours – on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar.

In GTD PRO, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will seek its second victory of the season with a pair of Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs – the No. 3 for Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims (class winners at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) and the No. 4 for Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg.

The Pratt Miller Corvettes showed strong performance at each of the three previous endurance rounds this season – Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen. Chevrolet leads the Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship with just Indianapolis and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans left in the season. Points at Indianapolis will be awarded at the three- and six-hour marks.

In GTD, AWA will compete in a 23-car class – the largest entry in any of the race’s four categories – with its No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and the trio of Orey Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern. The team has positive momentum on its side with back-to-back, top-six finishes in class… one of only four entrants in GTD to accomplish that feat in the last two races. A year ago, AWA won at Indianapolis in the LMP3 class.

Fidani and Bell also scored maximum points for the Bob Akin Award in the last round at VIR to grow Fidani’s lead in that championship. If he can hold that position for the next two races, Fidani and AWA will earn an automatic invitation to the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.Rs IN 2025 WEATHERTECH CHAMPIONSHIP

Although there still are two races remaining in the 2024 season, fans of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program can expect to see familiar names and faces in the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Both Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA have confirmed their full-season entries into next year’s series with identical efforts to what will be on-hand at Indianapolis this weekend.

The two-car, Pratt Miller-run Corvette team will return with the same core lineup of Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 3 and No. 4 Z06 GT3.Rs in GTD PRO.

For GTD, AWA’s duo of Matt Bell and Orey Fidani will return in the No. 13 Corvette with Lars Kern joining for the 2025 long-distance races as part of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. ET on Sunday, September 22. The final three hours will air live on NBC starting at 3 p.m. ET with live streaming at 11:30 a.m. on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday afternoon’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Indianapolis being more of an endurance round is a nice change from the last couple of times I was there. I think that plays into the strength of our team with race strategy and execution being a big part of it. So I hope we are up there fighting at the front. The Corvette has been really strong throughout the summer. Even at VIR when we had our issue, the car was fast and we could be near the front. It’s been awhile since we had a long-distance race win. This would be a great time to fix that, so let’s see.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “You tend to get on top of things at Indianapolis quite quickly. It should be pretty straight-forward for us. But any six-hour race always throws up surprises. So the length of the race will add a decent amount of strategy into the mix, which should make things interesting from that point of view. I would hope that it’s a track where we’re fairly strong. Our Corvette is pretty decent in low speeds – to be honest it’s good in all corners! – but in low speed we generally seem strong as well, which is nice.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It will be three endurance races in a row for me with six hours at Indy this week, eight more in SRO and then ramping up for Petit Le Mans. It’s certainly helpful, as I’ve already seen this year, to use lessons learned from the SRO event to the IMSA event. We will be able to do the same between the Six Hours and the Eight Hours. Endurance racing is what this car has been designed for. It will be a good test of all of the work that these guys have done over the year to get the car as reliable as it can be and prove the reliability of the car of a nice, long stretch of endurance races.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The last time I was at Indianapolis, we won it. So I have some very good memories of the circuit. I do like the track. Drivers are like that! When they do well they like the track, and when they don’t do well they hate the track. We aren’t really objective! So I really enjoy Indy and I’m looking forward to this event. It’s a bit longer than our normal sprint races. I’m looking forward to going there. It’s a fantastic place and hopefully we can kiss the bricks at the end.”

AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really looking forward to this race. We are arriving off the back of a strong result in VIR, and a productive test at Indianapolis recently, so we are feeling confident. There are a few unknowns with this race being the first IMSA endurance event at Indy. Last year’s sprint race was already pretty chaotic and that was less than half the length! We feel confident that we have a good car, and now we just need to focus on adapting to whatever the race throws at us.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m excited to see what Indianapolis Motor Speedway has in store for us. We’re heading into the final stages of the season and it would be amazing for us to get another strong result. I think we’re all curious to see how an endurance event will shake out at this track, but we’re feeling good and we know we have the ability to be successful here. It will be great to have Lars returning with us as well.”

2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

GTD PRO Drivers Standings

  1. Laurin Heinrich – 2519
  2. Ross Gunn – 2502
  3. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 2408
  4. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2358
  5. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 2318
  6. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 2217

GTD PRO Teams Standings

  1. No. 77 AO Racing – 2519
  2. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2502
  3. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 2408
  4. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2358
  5. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2318
  6. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2217

GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings

  1. Porsche – 2579
  2. Aston Martin – 2540
  3. Lexus – 2427
  4. Chevrolet – 2426
  5. Ford – 2329

GTD Drivers Standings

  1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 2718
  2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 2434
  3. Mikael Grenier – 2178
  4. Parker Thompson – 2114
  5. Albert Costa Balboa/Manny Franco – 2060
  6. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 1826

GTD Teams Standings

  1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 2718
  2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 2434
  3. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 2178
  4. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 2060
  5. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan – 1921
  6. No. 13 AWA – 1826

GTD Manufacturers Standings

  1. Mercedes-AMG – 2882
  2. Lamborghini – 2300
  3. BMW – 2296
  4. Lexus – 2276
  5. Aston Martin – 2255
  6. Chevrolet – 2078

CORVETTE RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS: By the Numbers

  • 2: Previous starts at Indianapolis in IMSA competition for the Corvette Racing program – 2014 and 2023
  • 2: Races at the Indianapolis Road Course in the next three weeks for Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs – this weekend’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Indianapolis Eight Hours in GT World Challenge America.
  • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
  • 27: Manufacturer victories for Chevrolet in 47 races at Indianapolis races at IMS across its stock car, open-wheel and sports car programs. It includes wins this year in the Indianapolis 500 (Josef Newgarden) and Kyle Larson (Brickyard 400). In IMSA competition, Action Express Racing won the last time the series raced at Indy in a Corvette Daytona Prototype. A Chevrolet Camaro also won at IMS in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2012 and 2014.
  • 28: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Barber Motorsports Park, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
  • 51: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. DXDT Racing’s Bryson Morris joined the list at Road America in GT World Challenge America
  • 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
  • 138: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 116 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and 10 in GT World Challenge America
  • 305: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August at Road America in IMSA
  • 391,312.14: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

Corvette Racing at Indianapolis

2014

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM

2023

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTD PRO

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

Stewart-Haas Racing: Bristol NXS Advance (Cole Custer | Riley Herbst)

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Official Release
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COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST
Bristol NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

  • Event: Food City 300 (Round 26 of 33)
  • Date: Friday, Sept. 20
  • Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
  • Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
  • Time/TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. EDT on CW/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

  • Cole Custer is ready to head to a track that has suited him well in the past for Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. After a tough race last Saturday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International that yielded a disappointing 21st-place result for the road course ace, the driver of the No. 00 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse is welcoming the new scenery in the mountains of East Tennessee. While the past month has been a roller coaster of emotions after losing the regular-season points lead at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Custer arrives for the regular-season finale at Bristol second in the driver standings, 43 points behind leader Justin Allgaier. Custer is locked into the seven-race, 12-driver Xfinity Series Playoffs, which kick off next weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Custer is seventh in the playoff standings with eight playoff points.
  • Friday night’s Food City 300 will mark Custer’s eighth Xfinity Series start at Bristol. In his prior seven visits to the high-banked, .533-mile, concrete oval, Custer has scored five top-10 finishes and started from the pole three times – August 2018, April 2019, and last September. He led 25 laps in the April 2019 race en route to his best Bristol finish of third, which he followed up in last September’s night race with a fourth-place finish after leading 109 laps from the pole. He has an additional nine Bristol starts outside of the Xfinity Series – four in the NASCAR Cup Series, three in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Best of those was a sixth-place finish in the 2016 Truck Series race.
  • Returning to the No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend is HighPoint.com, the leading provider of technology infrastructure solutions that is headquartered in Sparta, New Jersey. HighPoint has been a partner of Stewart-Haas Racing since 2020, when the company supported Chase Briscoe’s NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, a collaboration that netted a series-best nine victories. HighPoint has climbed the NASCAR ladder with Briscoe and has helped Stewart-Haas maximize its IT investments. As an IT Solutions Integrator focused on all things that connect, HighPoint helps its customers with the selection and supply of network infrastructure, mobility, collaboration, data center, security solutions and the risk-mitigated implementation and management of its technology. The company, founded in 1996, is a minority-owned business that serves markets in its nearby Tri-State Region (New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware) and the Southeastern United States via its presence in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as globally with offices in Amsterdam and London. To learn more about HighPoint’s solutions, visit HighPoint.com.
  • Custer will sport a unique pair of gloves this weekend at Bristol as part of the Driven to Give Glove Program in collaboration with the Dale Jr. Foundation. At the conclusion of Friday night’s race, Custer will autograph a pair of Simpson gloves featuring a red skeleton with his Cole Custer logo, and they will be auctioned off to raise money for the foundation. From Friday night through Sept. 23, the gloves will be up for bid at www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

  • Riley Herbst hopes to keep his strong runs rolling Friday night under the lights in the Food City 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. While the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse earned a 13th-place finish last Saturday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, it wasn’t indicative of his strong run, during which he ran well inside the top-10 all day. He’s looking forward to racing Friday night on the .533-mile, concrete oval in East Tennessee. Herbst’s success on short tracks has been notable throughout his Xfinity Series career. Of his 23 Xfinity Series short-track starts, he has earned seven top-fives and 15 top-10s with 40 laps led. In the past four seasons since joining SHR in 2021, Herbst has finished in the top-10 at each of the short tracks on the schedule at least once, with a best of third at Bristol in September 2021. He hopes to add to those numbers and close the deal at Bristol with another victory and another five playoff points prior to the start of the Xfinity Series Playoffs Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
  • Friday night’s race will mark Herbst’s sixth Xfinity Series start at Bristol. Of his five prior starts, Herbst has four top-10 finishes highlighted by his third-place run in September 2021 behind the wheel of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. In last September’s race under the Bristol lights, he finished seventh. Since joining SHR in 2021, he’s never finished outside the top-10 at Bristol. He has an additional three starts there outside the Xfinity Series – two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Best of those outings was his 10th-place effort in the 2016 K&N East race.
  • The last time Bristol hosted the Xfinity Series regular-season finale in 2022, Herbst finished fifth, his second consecutive top-five at the track. He started 12th and proved his resiliency after a spin on lap 13 that put him outside the top-20. He worked his way up to 15th by the end of the first stage, then found himself back inside the top-10 during most of the second stage before ultimately finishing fifth. In the final stage, he struggled with the balance of his Ford Mustang, but a strategy call by his No. 98 team on lap 270 for four fresh tires and fuel proved to be just the call he needed. He was able to restart fifth with 20 laps to go and stayed there to secure his third career Bristol top-10. Herbst only added to those numbers with his top-10 finish last September. Currently, he’s on a four-race top-10 streak at Bristol.
  • Like his teammate Cole Custer, Herbst will once again be supporting the Dale Jr. Foundation this weekend. His custom pair of Monster Energy green skeleton gloves will join the Driven to Give Glove Program effort to benefit the Dale Jr. Foundation. The initiative supports Nationwide Children’s Hospital and its efforts to help courageous patients and their families in areas of pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and cancer prevention. After Friday night’s race, Herbst will autograph his gloves and put them up for auction at www.thedalejrfoundation.org from Friday night through Sept. 23.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Bristol is a strong track for you. Not only do you have three poles there, you also have five top-10 finishes in seven prior starts. What do you need to do this weekend to seal the deal and bring home your first win at the track?

“We just need to stay out of trouble and be the best of the best. Every driver in this field loves Bristol and many perform well at it. If we want to have a shot to win, then we need to be perfect all weekend. We have to unload fast and be able to hold off the field. Bristol is also a track that is so small that you can get caught up in some trouble really fast. Honestly, we just have to be prepared for anything. I know the No. 00 team will give me a fast Ford Mustang this weekend, now it’s just about capitalizing on it. HighPoint.com is back on the car this weekend and I’m hoping we can park them in victory lane for their final race of the season.”

The 2024 regular season is coming to a close at Bristol. Talk about your journey this season and your outlook on the playoffs.

“Man, it’s been a year. We’ve seen some highs and lows, but overall I wouldn’t trade any moment. It was frustrating going through so much of the season without a win, but it wasn’t like we weren’t performing well. We were able to grab ahold of the top spot in the points standings and hold onto it without a win for quite a while. We got our first win at Pocono, but then we’ve had some bad luck since then. It sucks because we lost the points lead and continue to find trouble. This final stretch of races saw three superspeedway-style races, an intermediate, and a road course. We haven’t been able to capitalize on those superspeedway races and it hurt us big time. Even if we’re not regular season champions, though, we’ve accomplished so much as a team. We’re not ones to count out for the playoffs, either. I didn’t win the regular-season championship last year, but I took home the big title at Phoenix. If we can make it through the first round, the second round is the bread and butter for Stewart-Haas Racing. We just have to be smart at the first three races to make it through to the Round of 8.”

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

You’ve repeatedly talked about Bristol being your favorite track on the Xfinity Series schedule. What is it about this short track that appeals to you?

“I think it’s just short-track racing in general that appeals to me. Most of the guys in the garage will say this, but these types of tracks take us back to our roots. Bristol is obviously unique with its layout, but I think it still has the same elements as other short tracks. That track is hectic. It’s so crazy. It’s so fast. It’s a little half-mile, and it’s high-banked. It’s so much fun to go and battle there and rub some fenders. I’m excited to head back to Bristol after our third place in 2021, a fifth-place run in 2022, and a seventh-place result last year. We’ve brought speed to short tracks this year and haven’t really gotten the finishes we deserved. I’m hoping we can get the job done and find victory lane again this weekend. We don’t have the pressure of making the playoffs on us now, so we can just focus on winning and getting more playoff points.”

This is the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season finale. While you’ve had a roller coaster of a year, you’ve had some pretty strong moments to make you look like a strong competitor for the 2024 championship. What do you need to do to bring home the title at Phoenix?

“We need to be solid and make the most of each and every race. This elimination-style playoffs make it so you have to be consistent, but you also have to make the most of each race. I’ve never made it out of the Round of 12 before, but if we can do that this year, then we’ll have a strong chance of making it to the Championship 4 at Phoenix. I scored the most points of any driver in the field in last year’s Round of 8 and I wasn’t even in the playoffs. Just imagine if we were. The Round of 12 is all about survival, but I have faith in this No. 98 Monster Energy team. We’ve had fast cars every weekend, but trouble seemed to find us a lot. If we can just be consistent and get strong finishes, we’ll have a shot to run for the championship.”

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s / Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse

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Official Release
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Bristol Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 18, 2024) – The Bristol Night Race is next on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar with Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team making their second return of the season to the Last Great Colosseum.

McDowell returns to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile coming off a recent Top-10 at Watkins Glen International, last weekend. His best career-finish at Bristol came last year when he finished sixth in the fall event, he also finished 11th in the spring race earlier this year.

PEAK Performance returns to the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse to promote their exclusive line of PEAK products available at the over 600 Love’s Travel Stops across the country. PEAK is a leader in automotive and heavy-duty products ranging from PEAK Global Antifreeze, Final Charge, PEAK Windshield Wash, and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. All products can be found at Love’s Travel Stops.

Track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series will start Friday, September 20th with practice and qualifying at 4:00 pm ET. Saturday’s night race will be September 21st at 7:30 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on the USA Network or listen via the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 34 Love’s / Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“There’s definitely no shortage of challenges at Bristol, and everything is amplified under the lights. It brings an entirely different atmosphere to the track. Our team has improved every weekend, and we are close to breaking through, and taking that next step up in performance with our Love’s/Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“The Bristol night race is one of my favorite events every year. We ran really well last fall in this race and hopefully this time it goes more like that than the spring race this year with the tires. We built some momentum with a strong run at Watkins Glen and hopefully we can stay in the Top-10 again all race and be there when it counts.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series 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 CRAFTSMAN 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.

Layne Riggs and the No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops / Peak Ford F-150

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Official Release
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Bristol Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 18, 2024) – Layne Riggs is back behind the wheel this weekend at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Coming off of his Milwaukee Mile win, Riggs and the team look to take another trip to Victory Lane and improve on their Spring Bristol result.

PEAK Performance joins the Love’s Travel Stops Ford F-150 to promote their exclusive line of PEAK products available at over 600 Love’s Travel Stops across the country. PEAK is a leader in automotive and heavy-duty products ranging from PEAK Global Antifreeze, Final Charge, PEAK Windshield Wash, and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. All products can be found at Love’s Travel Stops.

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be back in action this Thursday, September 19th with practice and qualifying kicking off track activity at 3:00 pm ET. The 200-lap race is scheduled for Thursday evening at 8:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on FS1 or listen in from the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops / Peak Ford F-150:

DRIVER LAYNE RIGGS:

“I think everyone is still celebrating our Milwaukee win. It’s a true testament to how hard Dylan (Cappello) and the No. 38 team works. There are still races left on the schedule that I think we have a shot at. Bristol is one of those races. We had a solid 10th-place finish in the spring, but I believe we can improve on that and even get the win.”

CREW CHIEF DYLAN CAPPELLO:

“We’re all super proud of Layne’s (Riggs) win. It was a special moment for him with it being his first career win, but it also meant a lot to me as it was my first win as a crew chief. We want to do it again and I can see Bristol being a place where that can happen. The short track style of racing is right up Layne’s alley. I think it’s going to be a good night for us.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series 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 CRAFTSMAN 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.

Kaulig Racing Weekly Preview | Bristol Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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Race Notes

Bristol Motor Speedway
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Saturday, September 21 at 7:30PM EDT
USA | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

  • Kaulig Racing has made six NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a best finish of seventh.
  • So far in the 2024 season, Kaulig Racing has earned one runner-up finish, eight top 10s, 19 top 20s and led 54 laps.

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Barger Precast Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger has made 24 NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has led 54 laps, earned two top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 24.1.
  • Allmendinger has made 12 NCS starts in the 2024 season and has earned three top-10 finishes and led 13 laps.

“Bristol is a track I love driving in the Cup car at. It’s a place we’ve run in the top 10 before and we can go there and have a strong night. Mentally, you have to make sure you’re up to the challenge of 500 laps around that track and I always love the test of that. The Cup race in the spring was insane. Probably one of the craziest races I have been a part of with the way the tires were. I felt like we learned there, and we’ve made a cars a little bit better since then, but I’m not sure how the tire strategy will play out and if it will be the same way.” – AJ Allmendinger on Bristol Motor Speedway  

Daniel Hemric No. 31 Mountain Dew Doritos Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Hemric has made three NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a best finish of 12th.
  • So far in the 2024 NCS season, Hemric has earned four top 10s, nine top-20 finishes and has led 14 laps.
  • Hemric has currently completed more laps than any other driver in the 2024 season with 7,287 of 7,327 laps completed (99.5%).

“I’m looking forward to getting back on track at Bristol in this awesome No. 31 Mtn Dew Doritos Camaro ZL1. The entire garage had a unique experience back in the spring, as everyone was trying to figure out how to make the best educated guess on where the weekend’s going to go from a tire-wear and track-migration standpoint. We’re doing the best we can to be prepared for all scenarios. It’s going to be fun to just enjoy another Cup show under the lights and try to put our best effort forward.” – Daniel Hemric on Bristol Motor Speedway  

Race Details

Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 300
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Friday, September 20 at 7:30PM EDT
The CW | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

Kaulig Racing has made 22 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NXS, earning one win, four top fives and 11 top-10 finishes.
In 2021, AJ Allmendinger gave Kaulig Racing its sole victory at the half-mile track in spectacular fashion while also clinching the NXS regular season title.
So far in the 2024 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned three wins, 11 top fives, 27 top-10 finishes and led 223 laps.
 
 Josh Williams, No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • Josh Williams has made 10 starts in the NXS at Bristol Motor Speedway. He recorded one top 10 there, which came in 2020.
  • Williams sits 17th in the NXS points standings with four top 10s and 14 laps led.

“Bristol is a wildly cool track. We’ve got a good amount of people coming from Alloy Employer Services, and hopefully, they’ll enjoy the show. I’m excited to get there on Friday, and I think we’ll have a fast Chevy Camaro that can drive to the front.” – Josh Williams on Bristol Motor Speedway  

AJ Allmendinger, No 16 Barger Precast Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger has made three NXS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has led one lap, earned one win and three top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 5.7.
  • Allmendinger’s NXS victory at Bristol Motor Speedway came in 2021 with Kaulig Racing. Allmendinger crossed the finish line sideways, winning the race and the Regular Season Championship.
  • So far in the 2024 NXS season, Allmendinger has earned five top fives, 13 top-10 finishes and led 116 laps. Allmendinger is currently scored fifth in driver standings.

“Bristol in the Xfinity car is a lot of fun. Cars run the bottom, they run the top and they slide around. We’ve had really good speed there in the past and I have the best memory of winning there, spinning across the line in 2021. It’s a track that we know we’ve had success at; Daniel [Hemric] was really close to winning last year in the Xfinity car. Our short track program is pretty strong; we can go there and run up front all night. Looking forward to getting back to Bristol and having a great night to give us momentum going into the playoffs and a strong run to go try to win the championship.” – AJ Allmendinger on Bristol Motor Speedway  

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen will make his first-career NXS start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend in the Food City 300.
  • Last weekend, Van Gisbergen secured his sixth top-five finish of his NXS career, four of which have come on road courses.
  • The New Zealand native will carry the white-and-red WeatherTech livery. For decades, WeatherTech has delivered on its promise of quality and craftsmanship through a commitment to American-made auto, home and pet products. More information can be found at weathertech.com.
  • Van Gisbergen and his No. 97 Kaulig Racing team currently sit 12th in the driver standings and third in the playoff standings.
  • Appearance alert: Come see Van Gisbergen at the Chevrolet activation in the fan zone on Friday at 4:30 p.m. local time.

“I’m excited to get to Bristol on Friday and race under the lights. I’ve never been to this track, so I’m going to be learning every lap, but that’s what’s fun about it. It’s the last regular season race of the year and it’s going to be epic! Hoping for another solid weekend with my No. 97 WeatherTech team and looking forward to carrying some big momentum into the playoffs.” – Shane van Gisbergen on Bristol Motor Speedway  
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Toyota Racing Weekly Preview 09.18.24

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Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: September 16 – 22, 2024

NCS/NXS/NCTS/ARCA: Bristol Motor Speedway – Sept. 19-21
NHRA: zMAX Dragway – Sept. 20-22

PLANO, Texas (Sept. 18, 2024) – NASCAR is back at Bristol Motor Speedway for a jam-packed weekend of racing with four races over the span of three days. The Cup Series and Xfinity Series each hold cutoff races this weekend, with the Cup Series completing its Round of 16 and the Xfinity Series completing its regular season. The Truck Series’ race is the penultimate of its Round of 10, while the ARCA Menards Series holds its third-to-last race of 2024, which is also the ARCA Menards Series East championship race.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series also returns to action this weekend with the second race of the Countdown to the Championship at zMAX Dragway outside of Charlotte.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Points update at Round of 16 cutoff … With Saturday night’s race marking the Round of 16 cutoff in the Cup Series, here’s where the Playoff Toyota Camry XSEs sit. Christopher Bell is second in the Playoff standings, currently 46 points to the good, joined above the cutline by Tyler Reddick (sixth) who is 30 points to the good and Ty Gibbs (12th) who is six points above. Denny Hamlin enters the weekend six below the cutline, and Martin Truex Jr. is currently 14 points under.

Hamlin seeks Bristol threepeat … With his championship hopes on the line this weekend, Hamlin returns to Bristol where he goes for his third consecutive win on the half-mile concrete oval. The 43-year-old won the night race a year ago, following it up with a victory in the hectic spring race earlier this year. Another Bristol triumph would secure Hamlin his 55th career win, his fifth at Bristol, and a spot in the Round of 12.

Full-time GR Supras locked in Playoffs as cutoff arrives … Ahead of Friday’s cutoff for the Xfinity Series Playoffs, both full-time Toyota GR Supra drivers, Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed, have locked themselves into the postseason. Smith is currently fourth in the Playoff standings behind his two wins so far this season and Creed is currently 10th with his 145-point cushion to the cutline.

Truex makes 100th Xfinity Series start … This weekend marks a milestone race as Ryan Truex will make his 100th career Xfinity Series start when he takes the green flag on Friday in the No. 20 GR Supra. It’s been a career year for Truex in the Xfinity Series with two wins (Dover and Daytona) and five top-10s. This will also be Truex’s fifth Xfinity start at Bristol.

Heim, Gray in good positions heading to Bristol … With just two races remaining in the Round of 10, Corey Heim and Taylor Gray sit in solid spots in the Truck Series Playoff standings. Heim is third in the standings, 41 points to the good, while Gray sits fifth, 13 points above the cutline going into Thursday night.

Heim looks to continue Bristol success … Bristol Motor Speedway has been a favorable spot for Heim so far in his Truck Series career. In three starts, the 22-year-old has finished inside the top-10 each time, including a victory last year. Another top-10 finish or better will be paramount as Heim seeks to lock himself into the next round of the Playoffs.

Sawalich doing double duty again … William Sawalich is back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Tundra TRD Pro this Thursday for TRICON Garage, while also competing in the ARCA Menards Series race earlier in the afternoon. This will be Sawalich’s third Trucks start at Bristol and the 12th overall Trucks start of his career.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series | ARCA Menards Series East

Sawalich vies for another championship … In Thursday’s race at Bristol, Sawalich aims for his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series East championship. The Minnesotan currently sits 16 points behind first heading into the weekend. He’s made one ARCA start in his career at Bristol in 2023, which resulted in a victory from pole. Repeating at the half-mile concrete oval may result in crowning Sawalich as champion again.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Ashley takes over points lead … With his No. 1 qualifying effort and semifinals appearance at Maple Grove, Justin Ashley now takes over the Top Fuel points lead after the first Countdown to the Championship race. He’s followed by Maple Grove race winner Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence as Toyota continues to hold the top-five in Top Fuel. Billy Torrence holds 10th going into Charlotte. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd remains fourth, with Ron Capps sixth and Alexis DeJoria rising to seventh after her semifinals run last weekend.

Kalitta seeks Charlotte repeat … During his magical run to the Top Fuel world championship a year ago, Kalitta captured victory in the Carolina Nationals in taking the first two races of the Countdown. The driver of the Mac Tools Toyota dragster aims to repeat at zMAX Dragway this weekend to get himself back towards the top of the point standings as the championship push intensifies.

Toyota streaks roll on to Charlotte … With Brown’s victory at Maple Grove last weekend, and the all-Toyota final of he and Langdon, Toyota kept two of its streaks in NHRA going. Toyota has now made 38 consecutive final rounds in either Top Fuel or Funny Car after this past weekend, and Brown’s win gives Toyota 14 victories in the last 16 races, dating back to Kalitta’s win in Pomona last November.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

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