JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW: TRACK: Atlanta Motor Speedway RACE: Alsco Uniforms 250 (163 laps / 251 miles) DATE: Saturday, July 9, 2022
Broadcast Information – TV: 5 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 4:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet • Sam Mayer earned his first career top-10 finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series during his first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July of 2021. • In 15 starts at tracks measuring between 1-2 miles in length in the NXS, Mayer has five top fives and seven top 10s, with a best finish of third at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season. • Mayer raced as high as third during the first event at the newly paved and configured Atlanta before finishing 21st after a cut tire took him out of contention. • With 10 races before the NXS Playoffs begin, Mayer currently sits 97 points above the playoff cutline.
Josh Berry No. 8 HarrisonsUSA.com Chevrolet • In Atlanta earlier this season, Josh Berry started second and led three laps before being involved in a multi-car incident on lap 153. • Berry started from the back last week at Road America and drove to a third-place finish to earn his seventh top-five finish of the 2022 NXS season. • In 24 starts on tracks measuring between 1-2 miles in length, Berry has recorded three wins (Charlotte, Dover, Las Vegas), eight top fives and 12 top 10s while leading the field for 288 laps. • Berry currently sits fifth in the championship standings only 74 markers from first place.
Noah Gragson No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet • In the first Atlanta race this season, Noah Gragson started from the pole and led 38 laps prior to a pair of incidents that relegated him to a 26th-place finish. It was the first time in five AMS starts that Gragson had not finished in the top 10. • The 23-year-old Las Vegas native has been stellar at Atlanta, earning finishes of second, third, fourth and ninth and leading 58 laps in his five starts. • On 1.5-mile tracks in his career, Gragson has 16 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in 35 starts and has led 470 laps. • Gragson and the No. 9 team are currently second on the playoff grid and fourth in driver points after 16 races this season.
Justin Allgaier No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet • Justin Allgaier will make his 14th career NXS start at Atlanta this weekend. • In 13 previous races at the 1.54-mile quad-oval, Allgaier has earned one win, three top fives and eight top 10s. • Allgaier’s lone victory came in March of 2021, after the JRM driver led 47 of the final 50 laps. • The Illinois native has finished seventh or better in five of the last six races at Atlanta dating back to 2018. • In his NXS career, Allgaier has scored 10 wins, 65 top fives and 128 top 10s in 207 starts on tracks between 1 and 2 miles in length, with his most recent victory coming two weeks ago at Nashville Superspeedway
Driver Quotes
“We had a really good run going earlier this year in Atlanta but a cut tire really cost us a good finish. We were able to get back on the lead lap but it was just too late at that point. This Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions team never gave up. I know we will have another fast Camaro this weekend, we just need a little luck to go our way.” – Sam Mayer
“It’s going to be interesting heading back to Atlanta this weekend. It’s our second race on this new configuration and I feel like we learned a lot here back in March. This place definitely races more like a superspeedway now, so I know that we are going to have a ton of speed out of our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. Hopefully we can find ourselves in the right position on Saturday afternoon and avoid any trouble out there to be in contention for the win when it counts.” – Justin Allgaier
“Atlanta is a track that hasn’t been good for me in the past. I don’t think I’ve had an uneventful race there yet but I know this HarrisonsUSA.com team is going to unload with a fast No. 8 Chevrolet on Friday. Hopefully I can stay out of anything that happens and be contending for the win at the end. With the new configuration really anything can happen and we saw that earlier this year.” – Josh Berry
“We were fast at Atlanta in the spring, and I have no doubt we’ll be fast again this weekend. Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and our team have given me great Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolets, and we were in strong position in the first race at Atlanta. We’re 10 races from the playoffs starting, and now is the time to build momentum.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at Atlanta: JR Motorsports has competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway a combined 51 times in the NXS. Over the course of these 51 starts at the 1.54-mile facility, JRM has tallied four wins (two with Kevin Harvick, and one each with Justin Allgaier and Jamie McMurray), 16 top fives and 32 top 10s. JRM’s most recent win came with Allgaier during the 2021 season. The average finish for JRM at Atlanta is 10.7 which ranks as the fourth best single-track average for the organization. • Harrison’s USA: When Josh Berry finishes inside of the top eight, head on over to harrisonsusa.com and use code “Josh8” to receive eight percent off your online order. • Atlanta Fan Stage: JRM driver Sam Mayer will be at the Atlanta Fan Stage in the Fan Zone on Saturday, July 9 from 2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. • Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Hendrick Motorsports souvenir rig on Saturday, July 9 starting at 1 p.m.
· NCS/NXS: Atlanta Motor Speedway – July 9-10 · NCWTS/ARCA: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – July 8-9
PLANO, Texas (July 6, 2022) – The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series head to their second stop of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series makes its first ever stop at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – supported by the ARCA Menards Series.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCWTS
Kurt Busch solid in the ATL… Kurt Busch led Toyota in the spring race on the newly-paved Atlanta Motor Speedway as the Las Vegas-native led four laps and finished third. Busch also was strong in the last race at the track before the repave – leading 144 of 260 laps on his way to the victory in July 2021.
Bell looking for redemption… Christopher Bell is looking for redemption at Atlanta after a post-race penalty earlier this season in Atlanta negated a podium finish. Bell has consistently run well at the track, including earning the first NASCAR victory for the Supra in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019.
Gibbs continues to impress… Ty Gibbs scored an impressive win on Saturday at Road America, getting past reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson on the final lap. It was Gibbs’ series-leading fourth victory of the season, which helped him close within nine points of the championship lead. Gibbs is looking for his second straight win at Atlanta after he won earlier this season at the track with a bold last lap pass.
Back home for Jones… Brandon Jones is headed back to his home track – Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Georgia-native is coming off his third top-five finish of the season at Road America and had a strong run earlier this spring in Atlanta, crossing the finish line in seventh.
Truex, Earnhardt return… Ryan Truex and Jeffrey Earnhardt are back in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event this weekend – competing in Toyota GR Supras. Truex will make his fifth start in the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his last start, Truex finished a season-best sixth at Texas. Earnhardt is back in the No. 26 for Sam Hunt Racing (SHR). Similarly, Earnhardt had a strong run in his last start – finishing seventh in Nashville. He competed at Atlanta earlier this season for SHR, finishing 13th.
Majeski, Eckes look to clinch… Ty Majeski and Christian Eckes plan to clinch their NASCAR Truck Series Playoff berths this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with another strong run. With two races remaining in the regular season, Majeski holds a 127-point advantage over 11th in the point standings as he is on a streak of three consecutive top-five finishes. Eckes is seventh in points, 97 points ahead of 11th. He has five top-six finishes in his last seven starts.
Heim battles for Rookie of Year title…Toyota development driver Corey Heim looks to become the second consecutive driver from the Kyle Busch Motorsports stable to earn the Rookie of the Year title, joining last season’s winner, Chandler Smith. Heim, who turned 20 on Tuesday, already owns two wins in his seven starts this season. Despite only starting seven of the 14 events this season, Heim sits just eight points out of the Rookie of the Year lead.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA
Double for Nemechek… As the Truck Series makes its first laps at Mid-Ohio, John Hunter Nemechek is getting some extra laps in Friday’s ARCA event aboard the No. 55 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports (VMS). VMS will field four Camrys for the event as Nemechek will have road course ace Parker Chase, 17-year-old Jesse Love and full-time competitor Toni Breidinger as teammates.
Smith looks for three straight… One week after making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, Sammy Smith heads to Mid-Ohio on a hot streak in ARCA Menards Series action. Smith is coming in on a two-race winning streak after a dominating performance at Minnesota’s Elko Speedway – leading 233 of 250 laps.
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With the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular season stretch reaching its conclusion, Kyle Busch Motorsports is set to surpass a milestone start in the team’s 13th season in Truck competition. When KBM drivers Corey Heim, John Hunter Nemechek and Chandler Smith compete in this weekend’s inaugural event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, KBM will surpass a combined 750 career starts in the Truck Series.
Kyle Busch Motorsports debuted in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2010 with trucks purchased from Roush Fenway Racing and assets acquired from Xpress Motorsports as the team headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina. By then, Busch had campaigned in seven part-time seasons in the series while accumulating 16 victories, all occurring with Billy Ballew Motorsports.
For the 2010 season, Kyle Busch Motorsports planned on fielding three trucks: one that would be split between Busch and Brian Ickler, another that would be driven on a full-time basis by Taylor Malsam and a third that would be piloted by former champion Johnny Benson Jr. pending additional sponsorships. Prior to the start of the season, however, Miccosukee Resorts, one of Busch’s key Truck sponsors that initially followed him to KBM from Billy Ballew Motorsports, terminated its partnership with NASCAR and left Busch without a full-time sponsor throughout his part-time campaign. In addition, Benson’s role was limited to a part-time status as he shared the No. 18 Toyota Tundra entry with Busch, Ickler and Kasey Kahne while the second KBM entry, the No. 56 Toyota Tundra that was piloted by Malsam, was terminated following the first seven events. Despite the rocky start, it only took the first four events of the season for Kyle Busch to record the first victory for KBM at Nashville Superspeedway in April 2010. Busch went on to achieve victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Bristol Motor Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway in August, New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September, Talladega Superspeedway in October and at Texas Motor Speedway in November, all occurring in the No. 18 entry. After winning the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November following a four-lap shootout, Busch captured the 2010 Truck Series owners’ championship on the strength of eight victories in 16 starts throughout the 25-race schedule. In total, KBM achieved eight victories, six poles, 16 top-five results and 21 top-10 results in its first season in NASCAR competition.
For the team’s second season in 2011, Busch fielded the No. 18 Toyota Tundra as the primary, “all-star” entry that was split between himself, Kasey Kahne, Brian Ickler, Josh Richards and Denny Hamlin. Busch also fielded the Nos. 15 and 51 entries that both campaigned in limited events and was shared between Kimi Räikkönen, German Quiroga and Richards. Throughout the 2011 Truck season, Busch notched six victories in 16 starts, Kahne won at Darlington Raceway in March and Hamlin notched his first Truck victory at Martinsville Speedway in October, all occurring in KBM’s No. 18 entry. Despite accumulating a total of eight victories, two poles, 16 top-five results and 18 top-10 results throughout the 25-race schedule, the No. 18 entry settled in second place in the final owners’ standings behind the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc. entry.
Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR.
The 2012 Truck season was a difficult season for Kyle Busch Motorsports despite the team fielding the No. 18 Toyota Tundra on a full-time basis for a third consecutive season while the No. 51 Toyota Tundra competed the final five scheduled events with Quiroga and Hamlin behind the wheel. At the start of the season, veteran Jason Leffler piloted the No. 18 Toyota as the team’s primary competitor, but was released in August after only recording six top-10 results through the first 10 events. For the remainder of the season, the No. 18 entry was split between Busch, Hamlin, Brian Scott, Kurt Busch, Drew Herring and David Mayhew. After going winless for the majority of the season, Hamlin recorded the first victory of 2012 for KBM when he piloted the No. 51 Toyota to a win at Martinsville in October. Two races later, Scott overtook rookie Kyle Larson during a two-lap shootout to wheel the No. 18 Toyota to a late victory at Phoenix Raceway in November. In the end, KBM capped off the season with Busch being edged by Cale Gale in a photo finish at Homestead as Busch concluded a Truck season winless for the first time since 2004.
In 2013, Kyle Busch Motorsports fielded three full-time entries for the first time in the team’s history with the No. 51 Toyota Tundra entry becoming the team’s “all-star” entry that was piloted between Busch, Erik Jones, Chad Hackenbracht, Scott Bloomquist and Hamlin throughout the 22-race schedule. For the new season, the No. 18 Toyota Tundra entry was taken sole possession by full-time competitor Joey Coulter while KBM’s No. 54 Toyota Tundra entry debuted for newcomer Bubba Wallace. Through the first 20 events, the No. 51 entry visited Victory Lane four times, all with Busch. At Phoenix in November, Jones became the youngest winner in the series at age 17 years, five months and nine days after recording his first career victory in KBM’s No. 51 truck. During the following weekend at Homestead, Busch survived three late-race restarts to capture his fifth win of the 2013 season and clinch the owners’ title for his No. 51 entry in a tie-breaker against ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 entry piloted by the 2013 drivers’ champion Matt Crafton. Meanwhile, the No. 18 entry that was piloted by Coulter achieved a total of five top-10 results and a 15th-place result in the final drivers’ standings while the No. 54 entry managed to earn a trip to Victory Lane at Martinsville in October as Wallace became the first African-American competitor to win in the Truck Series. To go along with his first Truck career victory, Wallace capped off his first full-time campaign in the series with a pole, five top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an eighth-place result in the drivers’ standings.
Photo by Kala Perkins for SpeedwayMedia.com.Photo by Gary Buchanan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
The 2014 season was a breakout year for Kyle Busch Motorsports, which featured Busch and Erik Jones splitting driving responsibilities of the No. 51 Toyota Tundra while Bubba Wallace returned as the driver of the No. 54 Toyota Tundra. In total, KBM won 14 of the 22 races to the schedule as Busch and Jones, both of whom earned a combined 10 victories, guided the No. 51 entry to the team’s third owners’ championship. Wallace piloted the No. 54 truck to four victories, two poles, nine top-five results and 14 top-10 results as he finished in third place in the final drivers’ standings.
A month following the conclusion of the 2014 season, Kyle Busch Motorsports unveiled its driver lineup for the 2015 season with Erik Jones headlining the lineup as he was promoted to a full-time Truck Series campaign in the No. 4 Toyota Tundra while newcomer Justin Boston replaced Bubba Wallace, who graduated to the Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing, in the No. 54 Toyota Tundra. Meanwhile, KBM’s No. 51 Toyota Tundra team remained as an “all-star” entry that was split between Busch, Daniel Suarez, Matt Tifft and Christopher Bell. Early in the season, Suarez and Tifft served as the primary competitors of the No. 51 entry with Busch recovering from injuries sustained in a late multi-car wreck during the Xfinity season-opening event at Daytona in February. Boston, however, was released by KBM nine races into the new season due to a breech of contract involving the driver and his sponsor Zloop. With Boston out, the No. 54 entry was split between Tifft, Cody Coughlin, Gray Gaulding, Bell and Busch, who returned to full-time competition in May. Despite the early season drama for KBM, Bell captured his first career victory at Eldora Speedway in July following a two-lap shootout while Busch piloted the No. 51 truck to two victories at Pocono Raceway and at Michigan International Speedway between July and August. Meanwhile, Jones earned victories at Iowa Speedway in June, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in August and at Texas Motor Speedway in November. To go along with five poles, 11 top-five results and 20 top-10 results, Jones claimed the 2015 Truck Series championship following a sixth-place result at Homestead and by 15 points over Tyler Reddick and 22 over Matt Crafton. With Jones’ accomplishment, Kyle Busch Motorsports achieved its first drivers’ championship along with its fourth owners’ title in NASCAR.
Photo by Don Dunn for SpeedwayMedia.com.
The 2016 Truck Series season featured another new driver lineup for Kyle Busch Motorsports as Bell, coming off his first career victory at Eldora, replaced Erik Jones, who moved up to the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, as the driver of the No. 4 Toyota Tundra while William Byron, the reigning ARCA Menards Series East champion who made his Truck debut with KBM at Phoenix in November during the previous season, piloted the No. 9 Toyota Tundra. The No. 51 Toyota Tundra entry was split between Daniel Suarez, Cody Coughlin, Jones and Gary Klutt throughout the season while the No. 18 KBM entry made a total of five starts between Busch, Coughlin and Harrison Burton. Throughout the season, Busch wheeled the No. 18 truck to victories at Martinsville in April and at Chicagoland Speedway in September while Suarez drove the No. 51 Toyota to his first Truck career victory at Phoenix in November. The No. 9 Toyota team piloted by Byron achieved great success throughout the season with the Charlotte native earning his first career victory at Kansas Speedway in May after dodging a final lap incident involving Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes. He went on to win at Texas and Iowa Speedway in June followed by Kentucky Speedway in July as KBM became the winningest team in the Truck Series with 51 victories. After Byron won at Pocono in July, he established a new record for achieving the most victories by a rookie Truck competitor with five. After qualifying for the inaugural 2016 Truck Playoffs, he won the first postseason event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September and utilized consistency to transfer all the way to the Playoff’s Round of 6. Byron’s title hopes, however, came to an end at Phoenix in November after his No. 9 entry suffered an engine failure with 10 laps remaining while he was leading, which prevented him from earning a ticket to the Championship Round at Homestead. Nonetheless, he went on to win the season-finale event at Homestead for his unprecedented seventh victory of the season as he wrapped up both the 2016 Rookie-of-the-Year title and the fifth career owners’ title for KBM. In comparison to Byron and the No. 9 team, Bell and the No. 4 team rallied from a rocky start to generate a consistent regular season run, including a victory at Gateway in June, to qualify for the Playoffs. Bell remained consistent throughout the Playoffs to make it all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead and contend for the drivers’ title. During the finale, however, Bell finished in eighth place on the track and in third place in the final drivers’ standings.
Photo by Simon Scoggins for SpeedwayMedia.com.
For the 2017 season, Kyle Busch Motorsports retained Bell as driver of the No. 4 Toyota Tundra while welcoming Noah Gragson as a full-time competitor of KBM’s No. 18 Toyota Tundra. Busch remained as a part-time competitor of his No. 51 Toyota Tundra as he split the ride with rookies Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland and Myatt Snider while also debuting the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for a total of four events, with himself and Gilliland earning two events apiece. Busch earned a total of three victories throughout the 2017 Truck season: two in the No. 51 entry at Kansas and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and one in the No. 46 entry at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. In addition, the No. 51 team earned a total of nine top-10 results and settled in fourth place in the final owners’ standings. For the No. 18 entry, Gragson earned his first career victory at Martinsville in October following a late duel with former champions Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter. To go along with three poles, four top-five results and 13 top-10 results, Gragson finished in 10th place in the final drivers’ standings and in his first full-time Truck campaign. For Bell, who entered the season as a potential title favorite, he achieved five victories along with five poles, 15 top-five results and 21 top-10 results as he made his second consecutive appearance both in the Playoffs and in the Championship Round at Homestead. During the finale, Bell finished in the runner-up spot on the track and captured the 2017 Truck Series drivers’ championship over Sauter, Austin Cindric and Crafton. With his first championship in NASCAR, Bell recorded the second drivers’ championship and the sixth owners’ title overall for KBM.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.
During the following season, Busch retained Gragson in the No. 18 KBM Toyota Tundra while Todd Gilliland contended for the 2018 Truck Rookie-of-the-Year title in the No. 4 Toyota Tundra, thus replacing Bell as Bell became a full-time Xfinity competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing. Gilliland, however, missed four of the first six events due to age restrictions and spent the early portions of the season splitting the No. 4 Toyota with his father David, Busch and newcomer Spencer Davis while Davis, Busch, David Gilliland, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst, Logan Seavey and Christopher Bell took turns piloting the No. 51 Toyota Tundra. The No. 46 KBM Toyota Tundra also returned for a total of six events that was split between Brandon Jones, Herbst and newcomer Christian Eckes. Throughout the season, the No. 46 entry’s best on-track result was third at Charlotte in May made by Jones while the No. 4 entry achieved a season-best result of second place at Gateway in June with Todd Gilliland, who finished in 10th place in the final drivers’ standings. The No. 51 entry went to Victory Lane twice during the season with Busch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and at Pocono in July while Gragson wheeled the No. 18 entry to a dominant win at Kansas in May. Despite being absent at Pocono due to illness, where he was replaced by Erik Jones, Gragson utilized consistency to qualify for the 2018 Truck Playoffs and transfer all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead, where he settled in the runner-up spot in the final drivers’ standings.
The 2019 season featured Harrison Burton replacing Noah Gragson, who graduated to the Xfinity Series, as the driver of Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota Tundra while Todd Gilliland remained as a full-time driver of the No. 4 Toyota Tundra. Meanwhile, the No. 51 Toyota Tundra entry returned as the “all-star” entry that was split between Busch, Eckes, Brandon Jones, Greg Biffle, Chandler Smith, Alex Tagliani and Riley Herbst. The No. 46 Toyota Tundra entry returned for a total of seven events that was split between Herbst, Smith and Raphaël Lessard. In comparison to recent seasons, KBM endured a difficult 2019 season as both Burton and Gilliland did not make the Playoffs. While Burton finished in 12th place in the final drivers’ standings with no victories and 11 top-10 results, Gilliland managed to record his first Truck career victory at Martinsville in October along with 14 top-10 results before settling in 11th place in the final standings. With the No. 46 entry finishing no higher than fourth at Gateway in June made by Chandler Smith, the No. 51 entry won six of the 23-scheduled events: five with Busch and one with Biffle. To go along with a total of 15 top-five results and 17 top-10 results throughout the 23-race schedule, the No. 51 entry managed to capture the 2019 Truck owners’ title as KBM achieved its seventh owners’ championship in NASCAR.
Photo by Brad Keppel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
For the following season, Kyle Busch Motorsports introduced new drivers to the Nos. 4 and 18 entries as Harrison Burton moved up to the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing while Todd Gilliland moved over to Front Row Motorsports. The No. 18 Toyota was taken over by Christian Eckes while Raphaël Lessard took over the No. 4 Toyota. The No. 51 Toyota also returned as Busch, Brandon Jones, Chandler Smith, Riley Herbst and Alex Tagliani took turns to drive the truck throughout the season. In his first full-time campaign in the series, Eckes qualified for the 2020 Truck Playoffs, but was eliminated from title contention following the Round of 10 as he ended up in eighth place in the final drivers’ standings with no victories and 11 top-10 results. Lessard, on the other hand, did not make the Playoffs, but he managed to capture his first career victory at Talladega in October along with a total of seven top-10 results before finishing in 12th place in the final standings. Meanwhile, the No. 51 entry went to Victory Lane four times: three with Busch and once with Brandon Jones, who captured his first elusive series win at Pocono in June. To go along with a total of 10 results in the top five, the No. 51 entry settled in sixth place in the final owners’ standings.
This past season, Kyle Busch Motorsports welcomed John Hunter Nemechek as the driver of the No. 4 Toyota Tundra, where he replaced Lessard, while Chandler Smith replaced Christian Eckes as a full-time competitor of the No. 18 Toyota Tundra. The No. 51 Toyota Tundra remained as the “all-star” entry for a ninth consecutive season as the truck was piloted between Busch, Drew Dollar, Parker Chase, Martin Truex Jr., Corey Heim, Brian Brown, Derek Griffith and Dylan Lupton throughout the 22-race schedule. Three races into the new season, Nemechek recorded his first win with KBM at Las Vegas in March before the No. 51 entry visited Victory Lane during the following two events: the first with Busch at Atlanta and the second at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course with Truex, who claimed his first Truck career victory. Not long after, Nemechek fended off Busch to win at Richmond Raceway before Busch capitalized on a late restart to win at Kansas. Those five victories followed by three additional victories by Nemechek capped off a strong regular season stretch as Nemechek, who claimed the regular season championship, and Chandler Smith qualified for the 2021 Truck Playoffs. During the Playoffs, Smith claimed his first Truck career victory at Bristol in September to advance from the Round of 10 to 8 along with Nemechek. During the Round of 8, Smith’s title hopes evaporated while Nemechek was able to earn enough points through consistency to secure a spot in the Championship 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway. An early tire issued, however, derailed Nemechek’s title hopes as he ended up in third place in the final drivers’ standings while Smith won the finale and captured the 2021 Truck Rookie-of-the-Year title. Meanwhile, the No. 51 entry settled in 10th place in the owners’ standings.
This season, Kyle Busch Motorsports retained John Hunter Nemechek and Chandler Smith as drivers of the Nos. 4 and 18 entries, respectively. In addition, Corey Heim returned with an expanded part-time Truck schedule as he split the No. 51 entry with Kyle Busch and Buddy Kofoid. Through the first 14 scheduled events, all three KBM entries have visited Victory Lane at least once, with Smith winning at Las Vegas in March, Nemechek winning at Darlington in May, Busch winning at Sonoma Raceway in June and Heim recording his first two career victories in the series at Atlanta in March followed by Gateway in June. Heim is scheduled to take over the No. 51 entry for the remainder of the season as he contends for the 2022 Truck Rookie-of-the-Year title while Nemechek and Smith, both of whom are pursuing their first championship in NASCAR, are guaranteed spots for the 2022 Truck Playoffs.
Photo by Simon Scoggins for SpeedwayMedia.com.Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Through a combined 749 Truck starts, Kyle Busch Motorsports has achieved two drivers’ championships, a record seven owners’ championships, 95 victories, 63 poles, 276 top-five results, 439 top-10 results and 13,196 laps led with 51 different competitors making at least one start for the organization.
Kyle Busch Motorsports is primed to surpass 750 career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, July 9, with coverage to occur at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
A significant milestone achievement is in the making for Jason Ratcliff, crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota Supra team piloted by multiple competitors in this year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series. By participating in this weekend’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Ratcliff will call his 500th Xfinity event as a crew chief.
A native of Sumter, South Carolina, Ratcliff, who began his racing career working on mini Sprint Cars in Texas before working for the Sadler Brothers Racing Team in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1995, made his debut as a NASCAR crew chief in 2000 for Casey Atwood and the No. 27 Brewco Motorsports Chevrolet team. In his first season as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series, Ratcliff led Atwood and the No. 27 team to two poles and eight top-10 results throughout the 32-race schedule before Atwood settled in eighth place in the final standings.
During the following two Xfinity seasons, Ratcliff remained at Brewco Motorsports while being paired with rookie driver Jamie McMurray, who replaced Atwood. Together, the duo achieved a total of six top-five results and 17 top-10 results through the two seasons with a best points result of sixth place in 2002. In addition, Ratcliff achieved his first two career wins as a NASCAR crew chief in back-to-back weekends as he guided McMurray to his first two career victories in the Xfinity circuit at Atlanta Motor Speedway and at Rockingham’s North Carolina Speedway between October and November.
In 2003, Ratcliff was paired with the 1996 Xfinity champion David Green, who was driving the No. 37 Pontiac for Brewco Motorsports. After calling his 100th Xfinity event as a crew chief during the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, Ratcliff guided Green to three victories: Nashville Superspeedway in April, New Hampshire International Speedway in July and at Kansas Speedway in October. To go along with two poles, 11 top-five results, 21 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 11.1, they settled in second place in the final standings and fell 14 points shy of the title to driver Brian Vickers and crew chief Lance McGrew from Hendrick Motorsports.
After leading Green to a seventh-place result in the final standings in 2004 despite going winless, Ratcliff joined forces with Joe Gibbs Racing to serve as a crew chief for JJ Yeley and the No. 18 Chevrolet team for the 2005 Xfinity season. Throughout the season, Ratcliff and Yeley achieved a season-best runner-up result at Memphis Motorsports Park in October along with a pole, six top-five results and 16 top-10 results throughout the 35-race schedule before Yeley finished in seventh place in the final standings. By then, Ratcliff surpassed 200 career events as an Xfinity crew chief.
Despite enduring a winless season in 2006 while guiding Yeley and the No. 18 JGR team to four poles, nine top-five results, 22 top-10 results and a fifth-place result in the final standings, Ratcliff retained his role as a crew chief for the No. 18 team in 2007. On this occasion, the No. 18 entry was piloted between Aric Almirola, Brad Coleman, Kevin Conway and Tony Stewart throughout the 35-race schedule. The team’s best result throughout the season was a runner-up performance by Coleman at Kentucky Speedway in June coupled with two poles, five top-five results and eight top-10 results throughout the 35-race schedule.
Ratcliff remained at JGR and as crew chief for the team’s No. 18 entry for the 2008 season that competed on a part-time basis and was shared between Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart in the early stages of the season. By then, the organization swapped manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota. After leading Busch and the No. 18 team to a runner-up result at Daytona in February and a 31st-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, Ratcliff and Busch achieved their first victory of the season and with JGR when Busch claimed a dominant win at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Ratcliff went on to achieve three additional victories with Busch and another with Hamlin during the next nine events that the No. 18 entry competed in the Xfinity circuit. In August, however, Ratcliff was among a number of JGR employees, including crew chief Dave Rogers, who were suspended from NASCAR indefinitely after NASCAR penalized JGR’s Nos. 18 and 20 Xfinity Series teams due to rule violations discovered by NASCAR inspectors prior to post-race testing on the chassis dynamometer at Michigan. Despite the hefty points penalties and suspensions, JGR’s No. 18 Toyota team went on to win five more events for the remainder of the season as Wally Brown, Doug Hewitt and Joel Weidman were atop the pit box of JGR’s Xfinity Series operations.
Following his indefinite suspension, Ratcliff returned as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series for JGR’s No. 18 Toyota Camry team piloted by Kyle Busch, who elected to run a full Xfinity schedule along with a full Cup Series schedule in 2009. Despite being absent for the season-opening event at Daytona, Ratcliff earned a one-way trip to Victory Lane in his return atop the pit box at Auto Club Speedway in February when Busch won after leading all but seven of the 150-scheduled laps. The 2009 season proved to be a memorable one for the South Carolina native, who led Busch to eight additional victories, three poles, 24 top-five results and 29 top-10 results throughout the season. When the final checkered flag flew at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, Busch, who fended off title rival Carl Edwards to win the finale, claimed his first Xfinity Series championship by 210 points over Edwards. The 2009 Xfinity title was also a first for Joe Gibbs Racing, a first for Toyota in the series and for Ratcliff, who surpassed 300 career events as an Xfinity crew chief and recorded nine victories, three poles, 24 top-five results and 29 top-10 results with the No. 18 team.
In 2010, Ratcliff remained as a crew chief for JGR’s No. 18 Toyota team while Kyle Busch, who decided to not defend his series title, participated in 29 of the 35-race schedule. Brad Coleman drove the No. 18 car in the remaining six vacant events. Despite not being in contention for the drivers’ championship, JGR’s No. 18 entry achieved the 2010 Xfinity owners’ championship on the strength of 13 victories, all achieved by Busch, as Busch established an all-time record of most victories produced by a driver in an Xfinity season. The No. 18 team also achieved a total of three poles, 22 top-five results and 28 top-10 results throughout the 35-race schedule.
Ratcliff remained as a crew chief for JGR’s No. 18 Toyota Camry team for a seventh consecutive season in 2011 that was piloted between Kelly Bires, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Logano, Michael McDowell and Ryan Truex. Throughout the season, Ratcliff achieved eight victories, all with Busch. In addition, the No. 18 entry achieved three poles, 21 top-five results, 27 top-10 results and a runner-up result in the final Xfinity owners’ standings behind Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 Ford Mustang team.
Following 12 seasons in the Xfinity circuit, Ratcliff graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2012, where he assumed the role of crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota Camry team. From 2012 through 2017, he notched 15 victories in NASCAR’s premier series while working with Logano and Matt Kenseth. Then in 2018, Ratcliff returned to the Xfinity Series to serve as a crew chief for JGR’s No. 20 Toyota Camry piloted by Christopher Bell, who was coming off a Camping World Truck Series championship with Kyle Busch Motorsports. Eight races into the new season, Ratcliff and Bell achieved their first victory of the season at Richmond in April. The duo went on to achieve three consecutive victories in July at Kentucky, New Hampshire and Iowa before entering the 2018 Xfinity Playoffs as a title favorite. After collecting victories at Richmond and Dover between September and Dover to transfer from the Playoff’s Round of 12 to 8, Ratcliff and Bell rallied from sustaining back-to-back DNFs at Kansas and Texas during the Round of 8 to win for the seventh time of the season at Phoenix in November and clinch a Championship 4 spot at Homestead. During the finale, however, Bell cut a tire in the closing stages and finished 11th on the track while also settling in fourth place in the final drivers’ standings. Despite falling short of winning his second championship, Ratcliff, who surpassed 400 Xfinity events as a crew chief, achieved great success in his return to the series as he led Bell and the No. 20 to seven victories, five poles, 18 top-five results, 20 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 10.3.
Remaining as Bell’s crew chief for the 2019 Xfinity Series season, Ratcliff achieved another successful season that started with a victory during the second event of the season at Atlanta. The duo went on to achieve seven additional victories, qualify for the Xfinity Playoffs and transfer all the way to the Championship 4 finale at Homestead with another opportunity to contend for the drivers’ championship. The duo, however, settled in fifth place during the finale and in third place in the final standings in a season where they recorded an additional victory, pole and top-10 result along with two additional top-five results and a higher average-finishing result (9.1) in comparison to 2018.
Following two strong consecutive seasons in the Xfinity circuit highlighted with 15 victories and two championship finale appearances, Ratcliff and Bell moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series and joined forces with Leavine Family Racing for the 2020 season. Once Leavine Family Racing ceased operations at the conclusion of the 2020 season and Bell re-joined Joe Gibbs Racing to pilot the No. 20 Toyota in the Cup Series, Ratcliff returned to the Xfinity Series for the 2021 season as a crew chief for the No. 20 Toyota Supra team piloted by Harrison Burton, the reigning Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year who won four races during his rookie campaign. Despite being absent at Darlington Raceway in September due to COVID-19 protocols and enduring a winless season, the new duo achieved a consistent season highlighted with nine top-five results, 21 top-10 results and a spot in the Xfinity Playoffs before finishing in eighth place in the final standings.
For this season, Ratcliff was assigned to lead JGR’s No. 18 Toyota Supra entry that has been piloted by Trevor Bayne, Drew Dollar, Connor Mosack, John Hunter Nemechek, Sammy Smith, Ryan Truex and Bubba Wallace. Through the first 16 events of 2022, Ratcliff has led the No. 18 team to a pole, four top-five results and seven top-10 results as they are situated in 10th place in the Xfinity owners’ standings. The No. 18 entry, which is coming off a 24th-place run at Road America with newcomer Sammy Smith, is set to be piloted by Ryan Truex for this upcoming weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Through 499 previous appearances, Ratcliff has achieved one championship, 55 victories, 33 poles, 167 top-five results and 266 top-10 results while working with 22 different competitors.
Ratcliff is scheduled to call his 200th Xfinity Series event as a crew chief at Atlanta on Saturday, July 9, with the event’s coverage to occur at 5 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Wyatt Coffey (Beginner Bandits), Kaeden Ballos (Bandolero Outlaw), Joel Smith (Young Lions), also victorious in Round 5 of Cook Out Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Boston Reid & Company Pro and Masters division Round 5 features were postponed to next week due to lightning in the area.
Round 5’s fireworks show was canceled due to inclement-weather and rescheduled for Champions Night on Aug. 2. Spectators should save tickets from tonight for a discounted $5 admission on Aug. 2.
CONCORD, NC (July 5, 2022): While Mother Nature took the fireworks out of the sky, the drivers put a show on the track for Round 5 of the Cook Out Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway presented by Cabarrus Brewing. Connor Zilisch (VP Racing Semi-Pro division) and Darren Krantz Jr. (Bandolero Bandits) were among the drivers claiming stars and stripes victories one day after the Fourth of July.
Zilisch Outruns the Rain in the VP Racing Semi-Pro Competition
The VP Racing Semi-Pro feature showcased Trevor Wester’s speed as he led the competition for the first six laps until a restart gave Connor Zilisch room to take control. The second caution of the night gave the lead back to Wester who maintained it for five more trips around the frontstretch quarter-mile. On a third restart, Zilisch took the inside corner of turn two at lap 12 to pass Wester for good in a race to outrun the weather. Lightning in the area caused the race to be called at lap 19, giving Zilisch the win.
Krantz Jr Battles Bandolero Bandits for Second Win
In the Bandolero Bandits division, Hudson Canipe started at the front with an intense battle behind him among Ben Morabito, Darren Krantz Jr. and Beckham Malone. Canipe maintained his lead until lap 16 when Owen Zacharias blew a tire to bring out a yellow flag. Canipe and Morabito battled side by side after the restart before contact sent Canipe spinning sideways and out of contention. On the subsequent restart, Krantz Jr. passed Morabito for the lead off turn 4 on lap 18, then cruised to victory for his second Cook Out Summer Shootout win.
Krantz Jr. is now five for five in podium finishes at Charlotte Motor Speedway this summer including a first place win in Round 2.
Cook Out Summer Shootout fun continues with Round 6 on Tuesday, July 12. “Night of Games” at America’s Home for Racing will feature a full slate of fun and games with thrilling Legend Car and Bandolero action. Next week’s schedule will also include weather-postponed Boston Reid & Company Pro and Masters division features from tonight’s schedule.
TICKETS:
Cook Out Summer Shootout entry is $10 for adults and kids 12 and under are FREE. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, by calling 800-455-FANS or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling Cook Out Summer Shootout action using the hashtag #WeCreateLegends. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Top 10 in each division of Tuesday’s races (unofficial results):
KEVIN HARVICK Atlanta Advance No. 4 Hunt Brothers® Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
Event Overview
● Event: Atlanta 400 (Round 19 of 36) ● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 10 ● Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia ● Layout: 1.54-mile oval ● Laps/Miles: 260 laps/400 miles ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps ● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), comes into Atlanta Motor Speedway on a three-race streak of top-10 finishes. It began with a fourth-place drive June 12 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and continued with back-to-back 10th-place finishes June 26 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and last Sunday at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Harvick is currently 11th in the championship standings, but when it comes to playoff eligibility, he is 17th, one spot shy of the 16-driver playoff field. Eight races are left before the NASCAR Playoffs are set, and at the remaining venues before the 10-race playoffs begin, Harvick has totaled 19 wins, including three at Atlanta.
● Atlanta, however, is a new animal. The 1.54-mile oval was reconfigured over the winter. The banking was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees and the track was narrowed from 55-feet wide to 40-feet wide, and it was all covered in fresh asphalt. The goal of the reconstruction was to recreate the kind of pack-style racing seen at the behemoth, 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the even bigger 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. NASCAR Cup Series drivers competed on the new layout for the first time back in March, where Harvick finished 21st.
● Sunday’s Atlanta 400 will mark Harvick’s 34th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Atlanta – the most of any active driver – but only his second on the new configuration. In his 32 starts on the old layout, Harvick led the way with a series-high nine top-fives, 16 top-10s (tied with Kurt Busch), 1,348 laps led and 10,127 laps completed. Who is the all-time leader at Atlanta? That’s none other than Richard Petty. They call him “The King” for a reason: 65 career Cup Series starts at Atlanta with six wins, 22 top-fives, 33 top-10s and 1,827 laps led with 17,513 laps completed.
● Harvick’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at Atlanta was the first of his career, and it came a little over 20 years ago on March 11, 2001. The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 was just Harvick’s third race in a Cup Series car. He started fifth in the 325-lap contest and led twice for 18 laps, including the final six. But Harvick had to earn the win on the final lap and hold off a then three-time champion in Jeff Gordon. Harvick succeeded, outdueling the eventual 2001 series champion to take the win by a scant .006 margin of victory – the seventh-closest finish in NASCAR history.
● Of course, the backstory to that first win is significant. Harvick wasn’t just driving any racecar when he won at Atlanta. He was driving the racecar that less than a month earlier had been piloted by the sport’s titan, Dale Earnhardt. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion died on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Team owner Richard Childress tabbed Harvick, who was racing for him in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, to pull double-duty and take over Earnhardt’s Cup ride. The No. 3, made iconic by Earnhardt, was changed to the No. 29 and Harvick made his Cup Series debut Feb. 25 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. Harvick started 36th that Sunday at Rockingham, but rain washed over the 1.017-mile oval just 51 laps into the 393-lap race. The race resumed at 11 a.m. ET on Monday, whereupon Harvick drove to a solid 14th-place finish. He then traveled to Las Vegas on Tuesday, married his wife, DeLana, on Wednesday, and was back in a racecar on Friday, competing in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series events at Las Vegas. After finishing eighth on Sunday to score his first career top-10 in the Cup Series, Harvick headed to Atlanta where the first of his 58 career Cup Series wins was secured.
● Harvick’s two other NASCAR Cup Series wins at Atlanta came with SHR. In February 2018, Harvick won the Folds of Honor 500. He led eight times for a race-high 181 laps on his way to defeating runner-up Brad Keselowski by an impressive 2.690 seconds. Harvick’s most recent Atlanta victory came in February 2020 in the Folds of Honor 500. Harvick again led the most laps, pacing the field four times for 151 laps en route to an even greater margin of victory – 3.527 seconds over Kyle Busch.
● Harvick is also incredibly good at Atlanta outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. He has five Xfinity Series wins at the track, including four in his last six starts at the 1.54-mile oval, the most recent of which ended in victory – February 2018 when he walloped the field in his Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang, leading four times for a race-high 141 laps and cruising to the win with a 4.183 margin over second-place Joey Logano. In 17 career Xfinity Series start at Atlanta, Harvick has 11 top-fives and 13 top-10s with 973 laps led. And in his two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Atlanta, Harvick has a win and a second-place finish. He finished second in his Truck Series debut at Atlanta in March 2009, where he led four times for a race-high 68 laps before coming up .122 of a second short of beating Kyle Busch for the win. But in Harvick’s Truck Series return to Atlanta in March 2010, he dominated by leading twice for a race-high 100 laps and this time besting runner-up Kyle Busch by 1.308 seconds.
● The 2022 season marks the 13th year of partnership between Harvick and Hunt Brothers Pizza. The nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry has sponsored Harvick for years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Hunt Brothers Pizza joined Harvick fulltime in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 and has been a mainstay in NASCAR’s premier division ever since. With more than 8,000 locations in 30 states, Hunt Brothers Pizza offers original and thin-crust pizzas available as a grab-and-go Hunk A Pizza®, perfect for today’s on-the-go lifestyle, or as a customizable whole pizza that is an exceptional value with All Toppings No Extra Charge®. Hunt Brothers Pizza is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and is family owned and operated. For additional information, visit www.HuntBrothersPizza.com or download the app.
● Said Harvick about his more than decade-long partnership with Hunt Brothers Pizza: “Our fans are pretty loyal to the brands that are on our cars. Many of my pictures come from the standees in the store. People take selfies next to them. There are a number of reasons you have sponsorships – you want that brand recognition, the brand integration. Hunt Brothers Pizza is a very family-oriented company and we’re a very family-oriented group. Those relationships you build through the years with brands that recognize and reflect what you believe in are few and far between. We’ve grown with the Hunt Brothers Pizza brand. They’ve grown with us and have been very loyal to us, and I think our fans are very loyal to Hunt Brothers Pizza. It’s fun to see that brand recognition and that understanding of loyalty and partnership. You realize how many Hunt Brothers Pizza stores there are as you drive to racetracks.”
Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang
There were a lot of unknowns when the NASACAR Cup Series raced at Atlanta earlier this year. After 500 miles on the reconfigured layout back in March, what are your thoughts for your return visit this weekend?
“It’s just a superspeedway race on a mile-and-a-half racetrack. Things just happen a lot faster, so the decisions have to happen faster, the cars move around a lot more, the corners come up a lot quicker. A lot more just seat-of-your-pants, just, ‘Go here, go there, do this, do that.’ And I think that the way the lines formed and moved and everything happened, you just had to get used to a different style of race than we’ve had before.”
Did the new Atlanta perform like Daytona and Talladega, or was the Atlanta race its own animal?
“It’s got some characteristics of superspeedway racing in the way that you wind up in a pack and you’re holding it wide open. But the way that the bumps and things are there, and the way you have to go into the corner, and the way the race developed, there wasn’t near as much pushing and shoving as there is at Daytona and Talladega.”
How was the grip level at Atlanta, and with a full race weekend under its belt, do you expect it to be better this weekend?
“It’s definitely going to be hotter. Turns three and four were a little bit edgy, but you’re probably going to want just a touch of downforce in your car just to try to make up for some of the heat and lack of grip that’s going to come with just the time of year and the temperature.”
You prepared for Atlanta by spending a decent amount of time on the simulator. How accurate was the sim to what you ended up experiencing when you started turning laps on the real thing?
“It’s a little bit different. You can kind of work on your car and kind of drive around, but the draft is so much faster than driving by yourself. You have to go a lot off of your eyes and just what you see, and the racecar itself is definitely more of a feel thing than anything. So in the end, you have to validate the sim by what you feel in the car and try to make those things as close as possible.”
No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Kevin Harvick Hometown: Bakersfield, California
Crew Chief: Rodney Childers Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin
Engineer: Dax Gerringer Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina
Engineer: Stephen Doran Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania
Spotter: Tim Fedewa Hometown: Holt, Michigan
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: Jeremy Howard Hometown: Delhart, Texas
Jack Man: Brandon Banks Hometown: High Point, North Carolina
A significant milestone achievement is in the making for Drew Blickensderfer, crew chief for Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team in the NASCAR Cup Series. By participating in this weekend’s Cup event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Blickensderfer will call his 400th race as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series.
A native of Mount Zion, Illinois, Blickensderfer, who grew up interested in racing and had a brief career as a modified racer before relocating to North Carolina and working as a crew member for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Bill Davis Racing and Roush Racing, became a crew chief for the first time during the 2006 Xfinity Series season when he worked atop the pit box of the No. 50 Roush Racing Ford team driven by Danny O’Quinn Jr. He then remained as an Xfinity crew chief for the newly named Roush Fenway Racing in 2007, where he led the No. 17 Ford team to his first two career victories as a crew chief with Matt Kenseth piloting the ride. After commencing the 2008 season as a crew chief for the No. 17 entry, where he went to Victory Lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Kenseth in March, he made a mid-season swap to Roush’s No. 60 Ford team that was being piloted by Carl Edwards. With Edwards behind the wheel, Blickensderfer led the No. 60 team to seven victories and a runner-up result in the 2008 Xfinity drivers’ standings.
In 2009, Blickensderfer graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to work as a crew chief for the 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion team. In his first appearance as a Cup crew chief, Blickensderfer achieved his first career win in the rain-shortened 51st running of the Daytona 500, which marked the first 500 victory for both Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing. The duo then went two-for-two early in the 2009 season after Kenseth held off Jeff Gordon to win at Auto Club Speedway during the following weekend. Their flawless start to the season, however, came to an end during the following weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when Kenseth retired in 43rd place, dead last, due to an early engine failure. Then for the remaining 23 regular season events, the No. 17 team led by Blickensderfer only achieved seven additional top-10 results as they slipped out of the top-12 postseason cutline during the regular season finale at Richmond Raceway in September and resulted with Kenseth failing to make the Cup Series Playoffs for the first time in his career. Kenseth and Blickensderfer went on to record three top-three results during the final 10 events before finishing in 14th place in the final standings.
Early in the 2010 Cup Series season, Blickensderfer was replaced by veteran Todd Parrott despite guiding Kenseth to an eighth-place result during the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 in February. Seven months later, he returned as a crew chief for David Ragan and the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion team, beginning at Kansas Speedway. Blickensderfer served as Ragan’s crew chief for six of the final eight scheduled events as they achieved a season-best result of eighth place at Texas Motor Speedway in November before Ragan finished in 24th place in the final standings.
Blickensderfer remained as Ragan’s crew chief for the 2011 Cup Series season. During the 53rd running of the Daytona 500, Ragan was in position to win until he was penalized for a late restart violation, where he swapped lanes from the top to the bottom prior to reaching the start/finish line to restart the event. The penalty sent him to the rear of the field as he ended up in 14th place in the final running order. Blickensderfer and Ragan then recorded four top-10 results, including a runner-up result in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, during the following 15 scheduled events. They also managed to earn a victory in the non-points All-Star Open at Charlotte in May that allowed Ragan to compete in his first All-Star Race, where he finished eighth. Then when NASCAR returned to Daytona in July, Ragan redeemed himself by claiming the Coke Zero 400 and notching his first career victory in NASCAR’s premier series. The victory also snapped Blickensderfer’s 57-race winless drought dating back to February 2009. For the remainder of the season, however, the duo earned only three additional results in the top 10 and did not make the Playoffs as Ragan fell back to 23rd place in the final standings.
For the 2012 Cup season, Blickensderfer transitioned from Roush Fenway Racing to Richard Childress Racing, where he served as a crew chief for veteran Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Chevrolet Impala team. The duo earned a fifth-place result during the 54th running of the Daytona 500 before finishing sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway three races later. Despite achieving a runner-up result at Daytona in July, Burton and Blickensderfer struggled with consistency as they did not make the Playoffs. Then with three races remaining to the season, Blickensderfer moved to Richard Petty Motorsports to serve as crew chief for Australia’s Marcos Ambrose and the No. 9 Ford Fusion team. During the three-race stint, the new duo managed a season-best result of 13th place during the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November before Ambrose finished in 18th place in the final standings, one spot ahead of Jeff Burton. By then, Blickensderfer surpassed 100 career events as a Cup Series crew chief.
Blickensderfer remained as Ambrose’s crew chief for the following two seasons. During the two seasons, the duo earned a pole, three top-five results and 13 top-10 results with Ambrose’s best points result being 22nd in 2013. Their best on-track moment during the two-year stretch was at Watkins Glen International in August 2014, where Ambrose settled in second place following a late battle with eventual winner AJ Allmendinger.
Ten races into the 2015 Cup Series season, Blickensderfer was a crew chief for Sam Hornish Jr., who replaced Ambrose in the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Fusion but finished no higher than sixth place at Talladega Superspeedway in early May. After being replaced by veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion in May, Blickensderfer did not return as a Cup Series crew chief until late into the 2016 season, where he worked atop the No. 43 RPM Ford Fusion pit box piloted by Aric Almirola. Appearing in seven of the final eight scheduled events, Almirola and Blickensderfer finished no higher than eighth place, which occurred at Talladega in October, before Almirola finished in 26th place in the final standings for a second consecutive season. By then, Blickensderfer surpassed 200 Cup career events as a crew chief.
Remaining as Almirola’s crew chief, Blickensderfer commenced the 2017 Cup season with a fourth-place result in the 59th running of the Daytona 500. Nine races later at Talladega in May, however, Blickensderfer was hit with a three-race suspension and a $65,000 fine due to Almirola’s fourth-place car failing post-race inspection. By the time Blickensderfer returned atop the No. 43 paddock, Almirola was absent and recovering from injuries sustained from a harrowing wreck at Kansas Speedway in May. At Pocono Raceway in June, Blickensderfer worked with Bubba Wallace, who finished 26th in his Cup debut. After spending the following four scheduled events working with Wallace and road-ringer Billy Johnson, Blickensderfer reunited with Almirola at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. The duo, however, could not generate on-track consistency for the remainder of the regular season stretch as they missed the Playoffs. They went on to finish in the top 10 three times during the final 10 events before Almirola settled in 29th place in the final standings.
For the 2018 Cup Series season, Blickensderfer was paired with Bubba Wallace, who took over the No. 43 RPM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and contended for the Rookie-of-the-Year title. During the 60th running of the Daytona 500, Wallace rubbed fenders with Denny Hamlin to earn a strong runner-up result by a nose. Blickensderfer and Wallace would proceed to finish in the top 10 on two additional occasions for the remainder of the season as Wallace settled in 28th place in the final standings and a runner-up to the Rookie-of-the-Year title behind William Byron.
In 2019, Blickensderfer departed Richard Petty Motorsports and joined Front Row Motorsports to serve as a crew chief for Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Ford Mustang team. The new duo earned a strong fifth-place result during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 before earning one additional top-five result at Talladega in October and finishing in 27th place in the final standings. By then, Blickensderfer surpassed 300 Cup career events as a crew chief.
Despite finishing in 16th place during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 in 2020, Blickensderfer and McDowell doubled their top-10 results from the previous season to four and boosted their final standings result by four places to 23rd.
Then in 2021, Blickensderfer etched his name as a two-time Daytona 500 winning crew chief and returned to Victory Lane after McDowell dodged a multi-car melee on the final lap to take the lead at the moment of caution and claim his first victory in his 358th career start in NASCAR’s premier series. The Daytona 500 victory along with four additional results in the top 10 during the 26-race regular season stretch were enough for McDowell to claim a spot for the 2021 Cup Playoffs, which marked Blickensderfer’s first postseason appearance as a Cup Series crew chief. The duo’s run for the title, however, came to an early end during the Round of 16 after McDowell finished 37th, 28th and 24th respectively. Finishing no higher than 16th place twice during the final seven events, McDowell settled in a career-best 16th place in the final standings.
Following a three-year stint at Front Row Motorsports, Blickensderfer announced his departure from the team in December 2021. A month later, he was announced as a crew chief for Almirola, who was set to retire as a full-time competitor following the 2022 season, and the No. 10 Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing. The move marked a reunion for both the crew chief and the driver since 2017. Through the first half of the 2022 Cup season, Blickensderfer and Almirola have achieved two top-five results and five top-10 results. Despite being ranked in 12th place in the regular season standings, they trail the cutline to qualify for the 2022 Cup Playoffs by 47 points with eight regular season events remaining to the schedule.
Through 399 previous appearances, Blickensderfer has achieved four victories, four poles, 26 top-five results and 68 top-10 results while working with nine different competitors.
Blickensderfer is scheduled to call his 400th Cup Series career event at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 10, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
It has been quite a journey for Hedda Hosås in Extreme E so far. We caught up with the young Norwegian ahead of her debut for Jenson Button’s JBXE.
Extreme E: How do you feel to be competing this week in Sardinia? Hedda Hosås: I am really excited to be back and taking part in the double-header this week. I’m looking forward to getting in the car and seeing what we can achieve as a team and hopefully pick up some good results.
XE: How did the chance to drive for JBXE happen? Hosås: It was through my role at Veloce Racing, as the team’s reserve driver. They have allowed me to take part in Sardinia and it’s a great feeling. It is a great opportunity for me to get back out there and it is a chance to learn even more on track in Extreme E. I got a taste for it in NEOM at the first round and now I can’t wait to get back out there. JBXE have also shown a lot of faith in me and I am looking forward to racing this week.
XE: How have you settled into your new team? Hosås: Everyone has been great and really welcoming. I think Kevin [Hansen] and I make a really good combination so I am excited to see how we do out on the track.
XE: You started out in the series by being nominated for the rookie test, before becoming a Championship driver, then a reserve driver for Veloce Racing prior to competing for them earlier this season. You are now at JBXE – it has been quite a journey for you in Extreme E! How does that feel? Hosås: It was a special feeling to take part in my first Extreme E race in NEOM. It was challenging as I hadn’t had as much time in the car as the others, but it was nice to get behind the wheel. It has definitely been an interesting journey with Extreme E so far, but I’ll keep doing my best and see what happens.
XE: What were your main thoughts on getting behind the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21? Hosås: As I was stepping in for Christine [GZ] in NEOM it was perhaps not the best opportunity to show my true speed in the car. There was also quite a lot of pressure, too, as I was having to learn very quickly. I can’t wait to get out there in Sardinia and really push the car.
XE: What do you feel are the main challenges in Sardinia for the double-header and what are your overall expectations? Hosås: The course is quite rough so it will be a difficult terrain. That makes it challenging for us, but I am really looking forward to it and will do my best. The plan for us over the course of the week is to get faster and faster, and hopefully that will lead to a positive performance and good results.
There have been a lot of controversies lately around payday loans and whether or not they exploit poor people. Some people say that payday loans are a necessary evil, while others claim that they are nothing more than a scam designed to take advantage of the most vulnerable members of our society. In this blog post, we will take a look at some research on the subject and try to get to the bottom of what is really going on.
The payday loan industry is a $40 billion dollar business in the United States.
Payday loans are marketed as a quick fix for an unexpected financial emergency, like a medical bill or car repair. What payday loan customers typically don’t know is that these loans come with very high-interest rates and fees.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reports that the average annual percentage rate (APR) for a typical two-week payday loan is almost 400%. This means that for every $100 borrowed, the borrower has to pay back $140 in just two weeks.
If they can’t make the payment, they have to take out another loan to cover the first one, and so on. This cycle of debt can be difficult to break free from.
So do payday loans exploit poor people?
The answer is complicated.
There are some who say that payday loans are a form of exploitation because they target low-income individuals who may not have the means to repay the loan. Others argue that payday loans provide a valuable service to those who need cash in a pinch and that most borrowers are able to repay their loans without getting trapped in a cycle of debt.
The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
While there are certainly some predatory lenders out there, there are also many people who use payday loans responsibly and pay them back without any problems.
If you’re considering taking out a payday loan, make sure you do your research and only borrow from a reputable lender.
And be sure to read the fine print so you understand all the terms and conditions before you agree to anything.
What are some of the dangers of taking out a payday loan?
The biggest danger of taking out a payday loan is that you could get trapped in a cycle of debt. If you can’t repay the loan when it’s due, you’ll have to take out another loan to cover the first one. And if you can’t repay that loan, you’ll have to take out yet another loan, and so on. This cycle of debt can be difficult to break free from.
A Pew Charitable Trusts study found that most borrowers use payday loans to cover recurring expenses, not unexpected emergencies.
And while it’s true that many payday loan customers are struggling financially, research shows that most borrowers are actually employed and have steady incomes. In fact, the majority of payday loan customers say they’re satisfied with their experience.
So what’s the truth about payday loans? Are they a predatory form of lending that exploits the poor? Or are they a helpful financial tool for people who need them? The answer may surprise you. While it’s true that payday loans can be expensive, the truth is that they’re not always a bad deal. In fact, for many people, they’re a helpful financial tool.
Here’s what you need to know about payday loans:
-They’re not just for people with bad credit. Anyone can get a payday loan, regardless of their credit score.
-They’re expensive. The average APR on a payday loan is around 400%. That means if you borrow $100, you’ll need to pay back $140 in two weeks.
-You might be able to get a better deal if you have good credit. If you have good credit, you may be able to find a payday loan with a lower APR.
-They’re not always the best option. Payday loans should only be used as a last resort, because they can trap you in a cycle of debt.
If you’re considering taking out a payday loan, make sure you understand all the risks before you sign on the dotted line. And remember: payday loans are not a solution to long-term financial problems.
In the meantime, it’s important for consumers to be aware of the risks involved with payday loans and to take steps to protect themselves from falling into debt traps.
GreendayOnline’s financial expert Tarquin Nemec, list down a few key things to keep in mind if you’re considering a payday loan:
– Payday loans should only be used as a last resort. If you find yourself regularly relying on payday loans tomake ends meet, it’s time to seek out other financial options.
– Payday loans come with high fees and interest rates. Make sure you can afford to repay the loan before taking one out.
– Payday loans are typically for small amounts of money. If you need a larger loan, consider alternatives such as personal loans or lines of credit.
– Payday loans have short repayment terms, typically two weeks or less. This means you’ll need to be able to repay the loan quickly.
– Payday loans are typically unsecured with a post-dated check or electronic access to your bank account. This means you could end up overdrawing your account if you’re not able to repay the loan on time.
If you do decide to take out a payday loan, make sure you understand all the terms and conditions before signing any paperwork. And remember, always borrow responsibly!
Payday loans have been getting a lot of bad press lately. Critics say that they exploit poor people by trapping them in a cycle of debt. But what does the research say? Let’s take a look at the evidence.
A recent study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that four out of five payday loan borrowers roll over their loans or take out new loans within two weeks. This suggests that many people are struggling to repay their loans on time.
The study also found that the average payday loan borrower spends $520 per year on fees and interest. This is a significant amount of money, especially for low-income households. So it’s clear that payday loans can be expensive and can trap borrowers in a cycle of debt. But what about the argument that they provide a valuable service to people who need access to cash?
There is some evidence that payday loans can help people in financial emergencies. A study by the Federal Reserve found that one-third of borrowers use their loans to pay for unexpected expenses like car repairs or medical bills.
However, the study also found that most people who take out payday loans are not in financial distress. In fact, the majority of borrowers have higher incomes and education levels than the general population.
So it’s not clear that payday loans are necessarily exploiting poor people. While they can be expensive and may trap some borrowers in a cycle of debt, they also provide a valuable service to people who need access to cash.
Two main qualities entrepreneurs chase in business are handling simplicity and high profitability. They imply that a project is self-sufficient and requires minimum influence after an initial configuration to bring stable money.
The iGaming industry has a perfect scenario for such an operation. Besides, it is extremely cheap to establish due to professional assistance from service suppliers. White Label casino integration is an innovative method of business elaboration, suitable for experienced and novice entrepreneurs.
Specialists at 2WinPower want to introduce to you the profitability potential of the concept and explain how to obtain it beneficially.
What is a White Label Scheme and How to Set It Up?
Like in other spheres, this type of business configuration is based on being in a close partnership with a parent company. Upon concluding an agreement, an operator receives major elements for setting up a functional gaming platform.
What a parent company supplies on a White Label basis:
Official working permit. The iGambling industry heavily depends on the legality of its activities. In some countries, it is allowed to offer gaming services while in others — it is not. A parent company introduces a sublicence to an entrepreneur for an official operation on the dedicated territory.
Entertainment software. The process of game integration is the most expensive during web casino creation. Under a White Label cooperation, a venturer gets a package of entertainment from a provider to satisfy the needs of the audience.
Tech and legal support. In the majority of cases, the solution is ordered by novice participants of the sphere. They have limited experience and require regular consultancy from a parent company. By upkeeping a round-the-clock connection with a provider, the understanding of the sphere and its peculiarities results in profitable platform management.
These aspects are all delivered on an expert basis. However, an operator still has to dedicate substantial effort and time to configure certain elements on his side.
What an entrepreneur has to prepare on a White Label basis:
A suitable website. An operator designs a portal to have the delivered software properly integrated.
Casino branding. This rent-based type of collaboration implies offering gambling services as a new company on behalf of a service provider.
Platform advertising. All promotional activities should be organised by an operator according to marketing relevance and legality in the target region.
The joint efforts of an entrepreneur and a provider result in a functional gambling environment.
How Profitable a White Label Casino Can Be?
Before trying to understand potential earnings, it is necessary to clarify the price of the service. Upon resorting to a provider, the cost of a rent-based solution equals $15,000–25,000. This is a one-time price for the possibility to develop a White Label brand.
Apart from an initial payment, an entrepreneur will have to make monthly deductions in the form of around 60% of the revenue. This is the price for using gaming programs. All other earnings go to the venturer, and it is in his liability to decide how to use them.
The profitability of a White Label iGambling platform depends on:
The scale of an advertising campaign. The more promotional methods are used, the bigger the audience will be involved in the participation process. As a result, the number of deposits will be increased.
The relevance of entertainment and design. The best casino brands have different versions of portals with unique games. This is made to satisfy individual audiences. A new operator has to refine available resources for a particular region.
Frequency of updates. The majority of gamblers do not like engaging in the same activity all the time. Changes and improvements are necessary to retain solvent clients. This preserves the income rate and shows the progress.
The profitability of a White Label project depends fully on the operator’s efforts. The more resources and time are dedicated, the better the result will be. The earnings can not be compared to an individual operation. However, with enough attention, a rent-based portal can bring its owner substantial money in around a year to become a separate brand without depending on anyone.
Where to Find a Lucrative White Label Casino Supplier?
The earning capacity of such a gambling operation also depends heavily on the parent firm. If it is a renowned casino brand with years of experience on the market, an administrator is most likely going to succeed with such a guide. Consequently, poor industry participation and suspicious activities will only bring failures and waste of resources.
One of the renowned market representatives with astounding popularity is 2WinPower. The gambling aggregator has been operating on the market for over 20 years offering White Label possibilities for entrepreneurs. Its other services have also been heavily ordered and used by operators internationally.
More information on cooperation with the firm can be obtained via:
