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CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: How to Watch and Listen

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Official Release
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No. 64 C8.R on-board stream, MotorTrend coverage highlight 2022 Le Mans return

LE MANS, France (June 8, 2022) – Corvette Racing and the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R are back at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in search of the program’s ninth class victory at the historic French enduro. The race also will be made available to viewers and listeners in the United States and around the world on multiple platforms.

MotorTrend Network will provide full coverage of Le Mans on Saturday and Sunday with full, live coverage for viewers in the U.S. On the MotorTrend+ app and online service, content will be available from each of the free practice and qualifying sessions, which start Wednesday, plus Thursday’s Hyperpole session.

As an added bonus for Chevrolet and Corvette fans, MotorTrend+ will stream multiple on-boards during the event – including the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R of Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims.

Live coverage isn’t limited to video. Radio Le Mans will broadcast every on-track session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans with many of the voices that Corvette Racing fans will recognize from previous Le Mans events.

Fans can view live timing and scoring and other content on the 24 Hours of Le Mans app and the race’s official web site.

MotorTrend+ Le Mans U.S. Video Coverage Schedule (all times ET)

Wednesday

· Free Practice 1: 7:45 a.m.

· Qualifying: 12:45 p.m.

· Free Practice 2: 3:45 p.m.

Thursday

· Free Practice 3: 8:45 a.m.

· Hyperpole: 1:45 p.m.

· Free Practice 4: 3:45 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday

· Warmup: 4:10 a.m.

· Pre-Race and race: 9:00 a.m. (Eurosport feed); 9:30 a.m. (World feed)

· No. 64 Corvette on-board: 9:45 a.m.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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

Some things you should know about Hyundai Motors

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SM
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Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Hyundai sedans, compacts, SUVs, luxury, etc., you have probably seen them. Hyundai cars and sports utility machines continue to provide the customers with the much-needed performance and a high level of satisfaction at affordable prices. Every Hyundai car model emergence demonstrates an auto manufacturer whose products speak of quality, technology, styling, and refinement when it comes to automobiles. 

Today Hyundai accounts for more than 2% of the US auto market, boasting of a full line of cars from the award-winning Santa Fe sport utility car to the subcompact Accent and the luxurious genesis sedan. Here is more about Hyundai motors.

The Hyundai motor company

Founded in 1947 by Chung Ju-Yung as a Hyundai engineering and construction company, Hyundai Motor Co is an auto sales dealer in the south Korean market and exports cars to more than a hundred countries globally. The company runs the biggest integrated automobile manufacturing plant in Ulsan, South Korea. Its progressive determination has helped Hyundai become one of the biggest car manufacturers globally, potentially producing more than a million cars per year.

The Hyundai logo 

Looking at the Hyundai logo, many people quickly assume that the H symbolizes the company name, but there is more to it. The logo also represents two people shaking hands; one is the company representative, and the other is a satisfied customer. The oval around them symbolizes Hyundai’s presence around the world. Hyundai is a Korean word that means modern, and it fits within the brand’s progressive spirit when it comes to auto manufacture.

Hyundai design 

Besides the high-quality Hyundai parts, many people choose the car due to its unique design. The company has established an impressive reputation for craftsmanship, reliability, and quality and receives praise in Europe for its five-year unlimited mileage warranty. According to research, the design is the number one reason many European customers love Hyundai cars. The design center Europe is responsible for making 90% of the vehicles sold in Europe over the years.

Hyundai hydrogen cars

Hyundai company was the first to mass manufacture a hydrogen-powered car, the ix35 fuel cell. A fuel cell stack that generates energy using oxygen from the air plus compressed hydrogen powers the vehicle, and it is driven by an electric motor. So far, hundreds of Hyundai hydrogen cars have hit the road, a massive milestone for the auto company.

Hyundai and zombies

It is okay to say that Hyundai has a car for every situation, including the dawn zombie apocalypse. Hyundai vehicles are also notable in Netflix movies in collaboration with the popular comic series and tv show, ‘the walking dead. In the show daredevil’, the kingpin drives a Hyundai genesis as the first season ends.

Hyundai’s popularity in 

Europe

About 90% of the Hyundai cars sold to European customers are designed and engineered for Europe at the manufacturing plants in Germany, the Czech Republic, and turkey. The company has been investing more to expand these plants, and the comprehensive architecture has created more job opportunities.

Summing up 

Hyundai’s popularity continues to grow as the company develops cutting-edge design concepts for the automotive industry.

The Best Nascar Experience

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SM
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Photo Credit: David Scearce

“The best Nascar experience is at a live race.”- Jeff Gordon

Does Nascar need an intro? For anyone who hasn’t seen or heard of Nascar, it is a sport where cars go really fast around a track. And while that might not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, trust me, it is. There is something about seeing those cars zip by at hundreds of miles per hour that just gets the adrenaline going.

But Nascar is more than just fast cars. It is also about the people. The drivers, the teams, the fans. Everyone who is involved in Nascar brings their own unique energy and passion to the sport. And that is what makes it so special.

If you are looking for the best Nascar experience, then you need to go to a live race. There is nothing like being there in person, feeling the excitement of the crowd and the speed of the cars. The sound, the smell, and the sheer power of it all is an experience you will never forget.

Top reasons to attend a Nascar race:

1. Experience the excitement and energy of the crowd

2. Feel the speed and power of the cars up close

3. Hear the engines roaring and smell the tires burning

4. Meet the drivers and teams

5. Get involved in the action by cheering on your favorite driver or team

6. Enjoy the festive atmosphere, with food, drink, and music

7. Take in the stunning scenery at some of America’s most beautiful racetracks

To make things easier for you, you should book your transportation in advance. And to get the most out of your time, leave driving, parking, heavy traffic, or getting lost&Co to a professional driver from a Nashville car service. Rides to Nashville Speedway can be found easily online. Just make sure to book early, as the closer you get to race day, the more expensive it will be.

If you need more reasons why you should opt for a professional limo service, there you go:

– You can socialize with friends or family and have a few drinks before the race without worrying about driving.

– You’ll be dropped off right at the entrance, so you don’t have to walk far or deal with parking.

– You won’t have to wait for a ride after the race is over or risk being late for the after-party. Your driver will be waiting for you so you can head to your next destination right away.

– You can relax and enjoy the ride without worrying about directions or traffic.

– You can avoid congestion and road closures by using an alternate route that your driver will know.

– After the race, you can relax and enjoy the ride home or anywhere else without any pressure.

Nascar is one of the most popular sports in America, and for good reason. It is an exciting, fast-paced, and fun sport to watch. And if you have never been to a live race, then you are missing out on one of the best experiences in sports. So get out there and experience the excitement of Nascar for yourself!

Artificial Intelligence’s Critical Applications

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SM
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Artificial intelligence is a great tool for analyzing the same type of data. It is actively used in finance, security, and recruiting. Algorithms with AI are already implemented on the bank’s or online live casino’s websites, gaming platforms, and online stores.

AI can be successfully applied in finance, as a special case – in the banking sector to detect fraud cases, control operations, etc. This is an algorithm that learns and detects complex cases and is able to respond to threats both in tandem with a person and on one’s own.

In addition, in the financial sector, AI can be used to analyze trends and make predictions based on statistics. In particular, such analytics is useful for the formation of various kinds of forecasts. It is worth noting, however, that like the “human” forecast, AI may make mistakes.

The next area, which is also related to finance, is an automated trading, for example, in stocks on the stock exchange. Here, as they say – forecasting and speculation are shown in its purest form. True, but there is one “but”: in case of an error, there is no one to ask for a solution.

AI is also used in recruiting. Moreover, this is not just scanning CVs, but searching for candidates with the specified parameters. Ideally, you can use it to analyze open information about the candidate on social networks and the selection of a precisely specified professional. The best online live casinos also use this technology to analyze the new player data.

But AI isn’t just used in finance and recruiting. It is also common in medicine. It can be used for things such as diagnostics and creating treatment plans. Unlike the financial or personnel sphere, where losses are measured in money, in medicine, everything is much more serious – losses, if anything, are measured in people’s health.

The security industry, in particular fraud detection, also boasts the use of AI. For example, there are algorithms that identify potential intruders based on certain behavior patterns. This is done according to the order and speed of operations, the time spent on a particular page, the method of filling out questionnaires and personal data. The system also performed well on online livecasino sites and crypto exchanges.

Another area where AI is used quite intensively is the automotive industry. Unmanned vehicles are the brightest representative of this segment, or various assistants and improvers. For example, parking assistants, early warning systems for possible dangerous situations, and others that cannot be based on some algorithms, and here AI comes into play. Manufacturers are more likely to claim that their systems are built “with elements” of AI. Perhaps this is true, and in these systems, there are both hard algorithms and AI. The price of a mistake here is the highest, because it can affect human lives.

AI can also be useful for regulating traffic. Information from both cameras and navigators is used as input data. Because of it, AI can choose the optimal mode of traffic light’s operation and the opening of reverse lanes. In the most advanced cases, even to control the movement through the inclusion and temporary signs of deactivation.

Chris Buescher – Sonoma Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 218.9 miles, 110 laps, Stages: 25-30-55
NASCAR Cup Race at Sonoma – Sunday, June 14 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· This weekend’s schedule in Sonoma features a practice session Saturday afternoon, followed by qualifying. Two-round qualifying, with the top-five fastest cars in each group, will advance to the final round to set the lineup for Sunday’s 218-mile race.

Buescher at Sonoma

· Buescher makes his sixth Cup start at Sonoma this weekend. He finished 12th in 2018, his best finish there to date, and ran 16th last season.

· On road courses overall, Buescher has a 17.1 average finish in the Cup Series with two career top-five runs.

Scott Graves at Sonoma

· Graves will call his sixth Cup race this weekend at Sonoma, where he has a best finish of seventh with Ryan Newman in 2019. He ran 15th the year prior at Daniel Suarez.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Sonoma:
“As some have said in the past, I’m obviously very comfortable at road course racing, as it’s something I enjoy both learning and maneuvering. Sonoma is a fun track with the many different elements it offers, and we’ve been pretty good at road racing lately despite the many different tracks we visit. We’re looking forward to a productive weekend with our friends at Fifth Third back on board, and look to get them a solid finish after what was a disappointing Coke 600 end.”

Last Time Out
Zane Smith filled in for Buescher last weekend at Gateway, as Buescher was sidelined with COVID-19. Smith completed every lap and finished 17th in his Cup debut.

On the Car

Fifth Third makes its third appearance as the primary on the No. 17 this weekend. Fresh off celebrating its 10th season as a partner with RFK in 2021, Fifth Third returns this season for five races in total, while serving as an associate in all events for the No. 17 team.

The bank will also feature Noble Aerospace this weekend on the decklid of the No. 17 machine as part of the Fueled by Fifth Third pass-through program.

For over 70 years, our mission has been to provide the most innovative aerospace metal finishing services in the industry with a focus on employee safety, environmental responsibility, world-class quality, and on-time delivery performance.
Noble Aerospace is a conglomerate of market-leading companies dedicated to providing the highest quality metal finishing services to the aerospace industry. With over 70 years’ experience, we are a trusted, longstanding partner to the largest commercial and military contractors around the world. The hallmarks of our facilities are quality, service, single-source solutions, safety and environmental responsibility.
We believe it ultimately comes down to trust. When there are lives at stake and millions of dollars on the line, you need complete confidence in your supplier. That trust is built on decades of quality and innovation. It is built on hitting deadlines and building relationships. It is built on surpassing expectations every step of the way. We look forward to starting the journey with you.

About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2020, Fifth Third had $203 billion in assets and operated 1,122 full-service banking centers and 2,456 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2020, had $405 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $49 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

Brad Keselowski – Sonoma Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 6 Kohler Power Reserve Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski
Race Format: 218.9 miles, 110 laps, Stages: 25-30-55
NASCAR Cup Race at Sonoma – Sunday, June 14 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· This weekend’s schedule in Sonoma features a practice session Saturday afternoon, followed by qualifying. Two-round qualifying, with the top-five fastest cars in each group, will advance to the final round to set the lineup for Sunday’s 218-mile race.

Keselowski at Sonoma

· Keselowski makes his 12th Cup start at Sonoma this weekend, where in 11 starts he has two top-10 finishes and an average of 16.6.

· His best-career finish out West came in 2017 when he ran third. He also finished 10th in his second-ever Cup race back in 2011.

· Most recently, Keselowski ran 15th last season after starting ninth in NASCAR’s return to the track following a two-year hiatus due to COVID.

Matt McCall at Sonoma

· McCall will be atop the box for his seventh Cup race from Sonoma. He has two top-10s all-time with a best finish of sixth, which came last year with Kurt Busch.

· He and Jamie McMurray finished 10th together in 2017, contributing to his 15.7 average finish at the road course.

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Sonoma:
“Sonoma is a fun road course and just a great market and experience for many folks who will experience their first race. I know we have a large contingent of our West Coast friends coming out for the weekend, as the area provides bucket-list experiences. I’ve been in the mix and close at Sonoma before, so figuring out the left and right handers this weekend is key in getting our Kohler Power Reserve Ford primed and ready to go for Sunday.”

Last Time Out

Keselowski ran 20th in the Cup Series’ inaugural race at Gateway last weekend.

On the Car

Kohler returns for its sixth primary race this season, and this weekend will feature Power Reserve across Keselowski’s Ford Mustang. Kohler is the anchor partner for the No. 6 team throughout the 2022 campaign, and will be the primary in 14 races after initially joining the RFK partner family in 2021 with eight events on the No. 6 team.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 40,000 associates. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

A global force in power solutions since 1920, Kohler manufactures engines and complete power systems, including generators (portable, marine, residential, commercial and industrial), automatic transfer switches, switchgear, monitoring controls, and accessories for emergency, prime power and energy-management applications all around the world. The business is committed to reliable, leading edge power-generation products, clean energy solutions, as well as comprehensive after-sale support. Visit KohlerGenerators.com, facebook.com/KOHLERPower, and on Twitter at @KOHLERPower.

Kyle Busch – No. 51 Yahoo! Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Sonoma Preview

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Official Release
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Kyle Busch: Driver, No. 51 Safelite® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: DoorDash 250, Race 12 of 23, 75 Laps – 20/25/30; 149.25 Miles
Location: Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (1.99-mile, 12-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: June 11, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Report on ‘Rowdy’:

Owner-driver Kyle Busch gets behind the wheel of the No. 51 Yahoo Tundra TRD Pro Saturday at Sonoma Raceway for his fifth and final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in 2022. Yahoo’s sponsorship of Busch is part of a multi-year agreement with Toyota Racing Development (TRD) which will see the global media and tech company with primary sponsorship of teams at KBM, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), Venturini Motorsports and Keith Kunz Motorsports. In addition to this weekend’s primary race with Busch, Yahoo will adorn the hood of John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro July 23 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond Pa., and July 29 at Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park.

Busch, the winningest driver in series history, enters Sonoma having won 37.4% (61/164) of the Truck Series races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.4% (92/164). In addition to his Truck Series leading 61 wins, ‘Rowdy’ also ranks first all-time among Truck Series drivers in driver rating (123.6), average finish (6.6) and is second in laps led (7,591).

Saturday’s race at Sonoma marks only the second time that Busch has competed in the Truck Series on a road course. He made his first-ever Truck Series start earlier this season at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Tex. where he led a race-high 31 laps and was in control of the race until two late-race cautions. On the second overtime restart the Las Vegas native was leading heading to Turn 11 when Alex Bowman and Stewart Friesen both overdrove the corner sending Busch off course. He was able to battle his way back to a disappointing third-place finish.

Over his last 25 Truck Series starts, Busch has an average finish of 3.2 while recording 13 wins and seven runner-up finishes. This year in the Truck Series, he has an average finish of 3.8 with 63 laps led across his four starts. His runner-up finish at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway being his best result to date.

While he as never raced at Sonoma in the Truck Series, the 37-year-old driver has accumulated two wins (2008 and 2015), six top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.6 across 16 starts at the California road course in Cup Series action. He has finished seventh or better in his last six starts there, including four straight top-five finishes.

Mardy Lindley returns to KBM for his second season atop the pit box of the No. 51 team. Lindley has led his team to five wins since coming to KBM at the start of the 2021 season, including two with Corey Heim this year. In 2021, his drivers produced three victories, two with Busch and one with Martin Truex Jr. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley has crew chiefed four races on road courses at KBM with Busch’s seventh-place result earlier this year being the best finish. He has been atop the pit box for two races at Sonoma in the K&N Pro Series West with a best result of 11th coming with Daniel Suarez in 2017.

Kyle Busch, Driver Q&A:
What are your thoughts on possibly being the first active cup series driver to win both the Truck Series and Cup Series races in the same weekend at Sonoma Raceway?
“I think everyone knows how much I like to win an inaugural race in any series, so would certainly hope we can go out to Sonoma and have a shot to win the first Camping World Truck Series there since 1998. We’ve got a new sponsor to KBM onboard this weekend, so getting Yahoo to victory lane in their first race on one of our Tundra TRD Pros would be pretty cool. I’ve always enjoyed racing at Sonoma. We’ve had top-five finishes five out of the last six Cup races there but haven’t been able to get back to victory lane there since 2015. It would be great to have a shot to get to win on Saturday in the Truck Series and the follow it up by getting back to victory lane there in the Cup race on Sunday.”

Do you believe your experience and two cup series wins at this track will help you beat the competition since the truck series hasn’t run on this track since 1998?
“Sonoma has been a really fun place to race over the years. I used to look at road course racing as a weekend off. You only had two races that you turned left and right, and you would go out there and try to have fun and you either had a really good day or a bad day you moved on. Now that we have six road courses on the schedule, there’s definitely more focus on road course racing and time spent on it than it was in the past. So, to get that experience on the same track with the Truck Series and to see how the tire reacts will be a good thing for us at Sonoma and hopefully it will help us out on Sunday as well.”

Kyle Busch Camping World Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • Busch has a total of 164 Camping World Trucks starts and is ranked first all-time in wins (61), driver rating (123.6) and average finish (6.6).
  • The 37-year-old driver has won 37.2% (61/164) of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.1% (92/164).
  • Busch stands alone as the leader in all-time career wins in NASCAR’s national touring series with 223 total victories. He has earned 60 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 102 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and 61 NCWTS wins.
  • In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NCWTS, NXS and NCS races at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top three series at one track on the same weekend. He then repeated the feat in August of 2017.

Kyle Busch’s No. 51 Safelite Tundra:

KBM-71: The No. 51 Yahoo! team will race KBM-71 for Saturday’s race at Sonoma. This is the same Tundra that Busch led a race-high 31 laps with earlier this year at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Tex., but was relegated to a third-place finish after getting run over the course on the first lap of the second NASCAR overtime. John Hunter Nemechek finished second with KBM-71 in its maiden start last year at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • Across 35 starts on road courses, KBM drivers have earned one win, 13 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 9.4 and an average finish of 12.3.
  • Erik Jones picked up KBM’s lone road course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (94) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • With 39 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Racing: Kyle Busch Sonoma Advance

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Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH
Racing Vacation

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (June 7, 2022) – As the NASCAR Cup Series is heading into its 16th consecutive weekend of racing, competitors are headed west to Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350k. For good reason, many drivers and team personnel are looking forward to the one and only off weekend that follows the race at Sonoma. And what better way to springboard into the lone off weekend of the Cup Series’ grueling 36-race schedule than with a win at Sonoma.

Before the series break commences, NASCAR’s top series gets its second road-course test of the season as it heads to Northern California’s Wine Country.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), is on the record as someone who really enjoys making right and left turns on the road courses. To him, road courses feels like somewhat of a vacation as they are a vast departure from the ovals that make up the majority of the schedule, even with many more road courses on the schedule than there were early in his career.

The 1.99-mile Sonoma circuit is one of numerous road courses where Busch has won as he has evolved into a constant threat to win on them each year. His Sonoma wins came in 2008 and 2015. Today, road-course racing has taken on even more importance on the Cup Series calendar the past couple of seasons with the addition of Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway grand prix circuit joining the traditional stops at Sonoma, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. With the recently added road-course races, it’s more important than ever to have a strong driver and team that can turn left and right.

While his road-course success is well documented, Busch’s most memorable road-course win was the 2015 Sonoma event. After sitting out the first 11 NASCAR Cup Series races that season because of injury, Busch and the M&M’S team had 15 races to meet two requirements in order to make the 2015 playoffs. He needed to have at least one victory, and he needed to make finish the regular season among the top-30 in driver points.

Busch’s Sonoma race that year was a turning point in his season as he snuck past seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson on a late-race restart to bring home the win, thought to be an unlikely one as he had to deal with all the shifting and footwork that is required on the tight, twisty road course while still recovering from his injuries. It started a remarkable streak of four wins in five weeks, including three in a row at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, and the prestigious Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, and the season culminated with his first Cup Series championship.

Just 15 races into the 2022 season, Busch is already starting to put together another championship-worthy effort. In addition to his win on the dirt surface at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway back in April, Busch and the M&M’S Crunchy Cookie team have been incredibly consistent of late, racking up six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s, which also includes a finish no worse than third over the past three races and narrowly missing out on another win last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis.

M&M’S Crunchy Cookie will once again be adorning Busch’s No. 18 Toyota at Sonoma on Sunday. M&M’S Crunchy Cookie combines two favorite treats – M&M’S and chocolate chip cookies – and is now available nationwide. It’s bound to give race fans a fun, nostalgic snack to enjoy during this weekend’s race.

So, as the Cup Series heads to its annual stop in Wine Country, Busch looks to continue his strong recent form during this weekend’s “racing vacation” on the Sonoma road course, hoping it leads to more success throughout the summer.

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

What do you think about changes to Sonoma this season?

“This car is faster on the road courses because it has more grip. It is a more central-built racecar, meaning that it’s not just built to go left. I think the race should be competitive. All of the cars are the same, right? So, it should be more competitive. It’s just a matter of who runs over who that will determine whether we look like the local go-kart track or we look like professionals. That will determine the race length. Certainly we’ve had some good runs lately and we hope to keep that going and get us another win this weekend with our M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Camry TRD.”

Is road-course racing something that comes naturally to you, or is it something you had to work on?

“It’s definitely something you have to work on. With changes to the car, and tire changes, it’s something you work on every year. There’s always change that you have to work on to be competitive. When I was a kid back in Las Vegas in Legends cars, that’s where I was able to learn about shifting and turning left and turning right. I had the natural instincts for it and won a couple of championships in the winter series we had out there. We actually went to Sonoma back then and ran the national championship races two years in a row and finished third both times, so I had a little bit of experience on road courses as I came up through the ranks.”

How special was your 2015 Sonoma win, and what do you remember about it?

“That weekend was certainly a good start to our championship run. To go out there and win the race after where we were after Michigan the previous week, it gave us the confidence that we still had a shot to win the championship. We thought getting the win would be the hardest part, but it was really not expected at Sonoma. My feet and legs were still recovering and there was a lot of shifting and it was hard on them. With 30 laps to go, it was hurting pretty bad but, when you realize you have a chance to win, it doesn’t hurt as bad. We’ve had times at Sonoma where we’ve been up front and haven’t been able to hold onto it, and other times when we had the right strategy and we were in the right place at the right time. We’ve had some bad luck at times there, as well, so we’re hoping we can get a good run with our M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Camry at Sonoma.”

Describe what it’s like to race at Sonoma and what challenges you face there?

“Sonoma is a neat place. It’s a cool area to go to up into Wine Country. I’ve always enjoyed road-course racing. Even when I was in Legends cars, I would enjoy going up there during the days that I raced there. Now that I’m on the Cup tour, it’s cool to go there every June. It’s a fun racetrack. The cars get grouped a lot closer together there than at Watkins Glen, where it’s more wide open, so braking there is a lot tougher getting into turn four, turn seven, and especially turn 10. There are some opportunities in those corners to pass people. Forward bite seems to have become an issue as you get going there during the run with our previous cars. And you need to make sure you keep the rear tires underneath you because it’s really easy to burn them babies off when you try and pass somebody. You go to pass somebody and hit the gas and all your rear tires want to do is spin and you can’t get alongside that guy. So, from that respect, Sonoma can be frustrating at times, as well. Sort of a whole new ballgame this year with this car and it’s possible we might be battling some different things. We just want to get in a position to win and then see how the strategy plays out.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Toyota/Save Mart 350k (Round 16 of 36)
● Time/Date: 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 12
● Location: Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway
● Layout: 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course
● Laps/Miles: 110 laps/218.9 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 25 laps / Stage 2: 30 laps / Final Stage: 55 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy
Hometown: Blockville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Jackman: Kellen Mills
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

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

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

Road Crew Members:

Engine Tuner: Dan Bajek
Hometown: Camden, New York

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Eloy Trevino
Hometown: Adrian, Michigan

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

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Mechanic: Tony Hamm
Hometown: Walla, Walla, Washington

Notes of Interest:

● All in the Stats:Busch has two wins, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s and has led a total of 115 laps in 16 career Cup Series starts at Sonoma. Busch’s average Sonoma finish is 14.6.

● Road-Course Ringer: Busch scored his fourth career Cup Series road-course win in June 2015 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, and he heads to Sonoma with 15 top-five finishes and 24-top-10s in 41 combined starts at Sonoma, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road course, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval.

● 223 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 223 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Sonoma. In addition to his 60 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 61 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

Zane Smith Going for Second Road Course Win at Sonoma

By
Official Release
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Michael Roberts Construction Joins Team at Home Race

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 7, 2022) – Coming off his ninth top-10 of the 2022 season and a 17th-place finish in his NASCAR Cup Series debut subbing for Chris Buescher in the No.17 RFK Racing Ford Mustang, Zane Smith heads into the Sonoma Raceway this weekend looking for his second road course win of the year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team is looking for its fourth win overall with Michael Roberts Construction (MRC) supporting Smith in their home state.

It will be a special race weekend for Smith who will have the full support of MRC family and friends at the track. MRC has been a loyal supporter of Smith in his young career, and he wants to get them into victory lane at the track.

“Mike (Avila) has done so much to help me get to where I am at,” stated Smith. “I want to get him back into victory lane, but especially in California where we both grew up. That is important to me this weekend.”

Also important for Smith and the Front Row Motorsports team will be figuring out their first time at the track racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. But with a win earlier this year at the Circuit of the Americas, they know they can win on a road course.

“I enjoy racing on these road courses,” Smith said. “I feel really comfortable with the way Chris (Lawson) likes to approach these races. The guys work really hard on preparing the trucks each week and I know I will have a chance to race up front this Saturday.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race will be live from Sonoma Raceway on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Fred Warner To Drive Camry Pace Car At Toyota/Save Mart 350 In Sonoma

By
Official Release
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SONOMA, Calif. (June 7, 2022) – Fred Warner, the San Fransisco 49ers’ All-Pro 49er linebacker is used to taking on opposing ballcarriers. But this Sunday, he will tackle the 10-turn Sonoma Raceway road course as the honorary pace car driver for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Warner will pilot the Official Toyota Camry pace car, which will be leading the 40-car field to the green flag at 1 p.m.

“I can’t wait to do this,” Warner said. “I’ve always enjoyed NASCAR and to get the opportunity to lead the field around an awesome raceway like Sonoma is going to be one of the highlights of my life.”

Warner, a California native who grew up in San Marcos, began working on his dream of playing football when he was seven years old. The sense of community he found in the sport not only made him love football but it taught him to learn the value of hard work throughout his early years in football.

Taking what he learned so early into his career landed him a spot at Brigham Young University (BYU). At BYU, Warner was a three-year starter and registered 264 total tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, seven interceptions (returning two for touchdowns), five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and 13 pass breakups. His seven career interceptions rank second in school history among linebackers.

His hard work wasn’t over just yet, in January 2018 he participated in the NFL Scouting Combine and did all the tests for the selection. Warner displayed his skills and techniques in the pre-draft visits. He had private workouts with teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills but in April 2018 he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers and was picked 70th overall in the third round by the 49ers where he signed a four-year contract for $3.97 million with a signing bonus of $1.01 million.

Warner’s NFL debut showcased why he would be a force to be reckoned with when he had a recorded 12 combined tackles (11 solo tackles), one pass defended, and one forced fumble just in his first year with the team, the years that followed weren’t much of a surprise when he kept breaking records and showing why his ranking of 17th on NFL’s top 25 players 25 and under was deserving.

Warner will be recognized during the pre-race show, prior to hitting the track. For tickets or more information on the Toyota/Save Mart 350, visit www.sonomaraceway.com/events/toyota-save-mart-350/tickets/ or call 800-870-RACE. Weekend and single-day tickets are available; race-day tickets for kids 12 and under are just $10 and free on Friday and Saturday with the advance purchase of an adult ticket.

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