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Sato Surges to Top of Opening Day at 228;
Ganassi Cars Dialed In

By
Official Release
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0K3A2990.JPG

Racing Legend Johnson Third in First Day of Practice for Indy 500 Debut

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 17, 2022) – Takuma Sato ripped off a lap of 228.939 mph in the final five minutes Tuesday to lead the opening day of practice for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Sato used the benefit of an aerodynamic tow on the 2.5-mile oval to lead the speed charts by more than 1 mph in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda. Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon was second at 227.768 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, leading four Chip Ganassi Racing drivers in the top six.

“We had a big tow,” Sato said. “In Happy Hour, if you have new tires, I think you can do that. I’m pretty happy today.

“To be honest, this morning wasn’t as smooth as we wished. We had to go back to the garage and check up on lots of things because there was something we were not very happy with. But in the end, in the afternoon we quickly turned on good speed. I’m very happy with the 51 car. Dale Coyne Racing did a good job.”

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson opened preparations for his first start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” by ending up third at 227.722 in the No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Johnson was an NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie last season but only competed on road and street courses. He made his INDYCAR oval debut March 20 at Texas Motor Speedway.

“We have a really good race car,” Johnson said. “It’s just trying to work through extremes for me. What is a low trim setting? What’s a high trim setting? What’s mechanically tight? What’s mechanically free? Just trying to work through some of those big-picture things.

“All in all, a really good day. I feel like where we ended in this session gives me a lot of confidence for working forward.”

Marcus Ericsson was fourth at 227.094 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing, with Rinus VeeKay rounding out the top five at 226.995 in the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team with BitNile Chevrolet.

Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou completed the Chip Ganassi Racing domination of the top of the speed chart, ending up sixth at 226.973 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Veteran practice was divided into two sessions, with two hours of running in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Dixon was fastest this morning at 227.119.

VeeKay was the fastest driver without an aerodynamic tow, with a top solo lap of 221.551 mph. Ed Carpenter was second on the no-tow list at 220.869 in the No. 33 Alzamend Neuro Chevrolet, with Johnson third at 220.724.

Thirty-three drivers combined to turn 3,229 incident-free laps under sunny skies during the two veteran practice sessions today. Veteran Stefan Wilson completed his refresher test during a midday session in the No. 25 DragonSpeed/Cusick Motorsports Chevrolet and then participated briefly in the afternoon open practice session.

Dalton Kellett turned 149 laps in the No. 4 K-LINE AJ FOYT RACING Chevrolet, more than any other driver.

Practice resumes from noon-6 p.m. (ET) Wednesday (live on Peacock Premium), with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying this Saturday and Sunday. The 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 29.

Day 1: Meyer Shank Racing Indianapolis 500 Practice Report

By
Official Release
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#06: Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Indianapolis, Ind. (17 May 2022) – Opening day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Indy 500 Practice was greeted with crystal clear blue skies and warm temperatures. Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) completed the two-session practice day with Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves finishing out the day 13th and 22nd fastest.

Helio Castroneves, No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda:

Top Speed: 224.928 mph

No Tow Speed: –

Total Laps: 131

It’s been nearly 365 days since Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) and Helio Castroneves clinched the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500. In record-tying fashion, Castroneves claimed his fourth Indianapolis 500 victory last year. Today, the hunt for his fifth win officially began with opening day of Indy 500 practice getting under way.

The focus of the first session of the day, set aside for Indy 500 veterans only, was to check all of the boxes early on after putting the No. 06 back on the 2.5-mile speedway after an unfortunate incident during testing last month. Castroneves completed 33 laps to set up the No. 06 Indy Car ahead of the afternoon session.

Immediately, group running began as Castroneves utilized pack running to test out the No. 06 Honda in traffic. Castroneves finished out the day with the most laps completed – 131 – as he heads into the second day of practice on Wednesday.

“Today was a good start to the week,” said Castroneves. “We focused on eliminating the issues that we had during the test. We had a little accident during the test, so we wanted to make sure that all of the new pieces were working just fine, which they were. And then we went on to our normal program – running in a pack and in traffic, we tried a bunch of things today. We just keep checking all of the boxes so that we can keep moving forward tomorrow.”

Simon Pagenaud, No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda:

Top Speed: 225.897 mph

No Tow Speed: 215.066 mph

Total Laps: 110

Coming off of a thrilling second place finish at the GMR Grand Prix just three days ago, Pagenaud was eager to turn the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda over to its speedway set up and begin testing for the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500. The 2019 Indy 500 winner headed into the month fully set on clinching his second 500 mile victory.

Similarly to Castroneves, Pagenaud focused on setting up a baseline during the two-hour morning session, completing just 15 laps ahead of the afternoon session. The final three hours saw Pagenaud run several long runs in traffic. With rain anticipated for Wednesday, Pagenaud was pleased with the early progress following his 110 laps on track on Tuesday.

“I think it was a super satisfying day today,” said Pagenaud. “I feel very comfortable in the car. We got some good ones in at the end, managed to get in full stints already on day one. I’m overall really happy with the car. We obviously still have some more tuning to do for race day, but it’s an extremely good first day, so I’m excited. We obviously have some weather coming this week, so this work today was very important going forward. I’m super excited and the team’s doing great. Magnificent vibe here, and we’ll see what we can do in the next few days.”

BLAINE PERKINS: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes: Texas Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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BLAINE PERKINS
No. 9 Raceline Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: SpeedyCash.com 220
Date: Friday, May 20, 2022
Venue: Texas Motor Speedway
Track Description: 1.5 mile(s)
Race: 147 laps / 220.5 miles

Don’t Mess with Texas … This week will mark Blaine Perkins’ track debut with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Speedway Stats: The Bakersfield, Calif., -native has four combined NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on speedways (tracks 1 to 2-miles in length).

BLAINE PERKINS STATISTICS

QUOTE WORTHY

Blaine Perkins, driver of the No. 9 Raceline Chevrolet Silverado for CR7 Motorsports

On the Texas Motor Speedway:
“I am excited to be making my first trip to the Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. The entire CR7 Motorsports team has been working hard these past few weeks – as we are in the busiest stretch of the season. We are all looking forward to having a good run this weekend at Texas (Motor Speedway), and to be able to carry that speed throughout the rest of the year”

CR7 Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2018, the Statesville, N.C.,-based organization has logged 55 starts with three drivers, Grant Enfinger, Colby Howard, and Codie Rohrbaugh. CR7 Motorsports has collected three top-five finishes (Daytona, Talladega, Austin) and eight top-10 finishes, and has logged an average starting position of 24.0 and an average finishing position of 23.1.

CR7 MOTORSPORTS STATISTICS

CR7 Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at the Texas Motor Speedway … This weekend will mark CR7 Motorsports’ fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile oval track located in Fort Worth, Texas, also known as No Limits, Texas. The organization posted a team best 17th-place finish at the track on November 2, 2018 with team owner Codie Rohrbaugh. The four previous starts at the Texas Motor Speedway have earned CR7 Motorsports an average starting position of 23.3 and an average
finish of 23.0.

Catch the Action … The SpeedyCash.com 220 at the Texas Motor Speedway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Friday, May 20, starting with NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS Texas at 7:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 8:30 p.m. (ET). Practice and qualifying for the ninth event of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Follow CR7 Motorsports’ on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit CR7 Motorsports’ Twitter page – @CR7_Motorsports, and on Instagram at @cr7motorsports. “Like” CR7 Motorsports on the official Facebook page at facebook.com/CR7-Motorsports.

For additional information, news and the latest updates, please visit www.BlainePerkins.com or connect with Blaine Perkins on Facebook (OfficialBlainePerkins), Twitter (@BlainePerkins21) or Instagram (@blaineperkins21).

Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Drivers and Team Retake IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship Lead at Mid-Ohio; Winward Racing Secures First Top-Five Finish of the Season

By
Official Release
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LEXINGTON, Ohio – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams persevered through a hot and hard-fought IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Race Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to secure a pair of positive results despite several challenges. The No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 and co-drivers Stevan McAleer and Mike Skeen reclaimed the IMSA WeatherTech GT Daytona (GTD) team and driver championship points leads while the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 team and drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis secured their first top-five finish of the 2022 season.

In a two-hour-and-40-minute race run in hot and humid conditions, both Korthoff and Winward showed solid pace and an even stronger ability to shake off some in-race setbacks.

The competitive performance showed from the drop of the green flag when McAleer jumped to the lead from his outside front row starting position. McAleer led the first 33 laps before pitting from second place one hour into the race to hand off to Skeen.

After a well-executed stop by the Korthoff team, Skeen returned to the race and continued to battle for the lead in the top five. He was less than 30 minutes into his race-closing stint when he returned to the pits from third place for a suspected cut left-front tire.

Another solid stop by the team quickly put Skeen back in the race but the No. 32 was now deep in the GTD top-10 after the unscheduled stop under green-flag conditions.

The Winward No. 57 also moved off to a good start before encountering some trouble of its own. Starting driver Ward worked his way up to fifth place but spun off course late in the first hour and lost several positions despite quickly rejoining the race.

Both teams entered the race’s final hour down in the GTD running order but determined to make up as many positions as possible. Winward’s closing driver Ellis passed Skeen for position just four laps from the finish and the two Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries took the checkered flag in sixth and seventh place respectively.

A few hours after the race finish, however, the competitor that took the checkered flag first failed post-race technical inspection and Winward and Korthoff joined the rest of the GTD field in officially being moved up one position.

The fifth-place result is Winward’s best finish in what has been a challenging season while Korthoff’s move up to sixth place gave the GTD title contenders even more championship points.

The No. 32 team and drivers left Mid-Ohio back on top of the GTD team and driver championship standing after out qualifying and finishing three race positions ahead of their nearest challenger.

Topping the championship standings following the year’s opening races at Daytona and Sebring, the Korthoff No. 32 team and drivers proved they are legitimate championship contenders by stepping up to lead the points race again for the second time this season.

McAleer and the No. 32 team hold a 12-point advantage over the second-place team and drivers heading into the next race at Detroit’s Belle Isle Park, June 3 – 4, as part of the Detroit Grand Prix.

Mike Skeen – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a great start with Stevan leading a bunch in the first hour. We had a really strong car, and the team gave us a great Mercedes-AMG GT3 with great pace for the weekend. We were really looking for a good finish, hopefully being on the podium again, but, unfortunately, we lost a tire and had to pit. That put us on the back foot a little bit, but we just kept fighting through it, getting a little creative with strategies and the guys kept executing in pit lane. In the end we were able to get through it with some decent points, retake the championship lead and salvage a good finish.”

Philip Ellis – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s been a very unlucky season so far. Quite a frustrating one because we have always had great pace, and the drivers, team, pit stops and strategy have all been on point too. So far, we have yet to really put it all together, and even in the Mid-Ohio race it didn’t work out perfectly like we hoped it would. In comparison to this year’s other races, however, Mid-Ohio was a lot cleaner and the result shows. It’s definitely something to build on. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 performed quite well. It seems to suit the track nicely. It’s a very flowing track, my first time there, but I really enjoyed it in the car. I had a good time on the race track. We were fast but couldn’t really do the fuel savings some of the cars around us did, but for sure it was a good performance from the car. I hope we carry that to Detroit and through the rest of the season.”

Rhodes to make 150th Truck career start at Texas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images.

A significant milestone start is in the making for Ben Rhodes, the reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. By competing in this weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway, Rhodes will make his 150th career start in the Truck circuit. 

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Rhodes made his inaugural presence in the Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway in March 2014. By then, he was contending for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title for Turner Scott Motorsports. Driving the No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado for TSM, Rhodes started 12th and finished eighth in his series debut. He returned for three additional events throughout the 2014 season (Dover International Speedway in May, Bristol Motor Speedway in August, and Phoenix Raceway in November). During this span, he earned a season-best fifth-place result at Phoenix.

After winning the 2014 K&N Pro Series title before campaigning on a part-time basis for JR Motorsports during the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Rhodes earned a full-time ride in the Truck Series with ThorSport Racing for the 2016 season, where he campaigned for the Rookie-of-the-Year title. Piloting the No. 41 Toyota Tundra for ThorSport, he commenced his rookie Truck season with a seventh-place result at Daytona International Speedway in February followed by a sixth-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After starting on pole position for the first time in his career at Martinsville Speedway in April, where he finished 16th after spinning late, Rhodes was placed in the prime position of winning his first Truck event at Kansas Speedway in May. Running in second place behind veteran Johnny Sauter on the final lap, he made a bold move beneath Sauter in Turn 3 and ended up turning Sauter’s truck as both competitors veered into the outside wall with the finish in sight. Instead of a possible trip to Victory Lane, Rhodes settled in 18th place, a lap down.

As the 2016 Truck Series progressed, Rhodes received two more opportunities of winning his first Truck event: Iowa Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway in June. At Iowa, he settled in fourth place following a two-lap dash to the finish. At the World Wide Technology Raceway, he settled in second place behind Christopher Bell following another two-lap dash. The strong results, however, were mingled with inconsistent results throughout the summer as Rhodes failed to make the 2016 Truck Playoffs. He managed to record four top-15 results during the seven-race Playoff stretch before concluding his first NASCAR Truck season in 14th place in the final standings.

Remaining at ThorSport Racing for the 2017 truck season while sporting the number 27 alongside his Toyota Tundra, Rhodes was battling for the victory on the final lap at Daytona in February until a bump from teammate Grant Enfinger entering the backstretch sent Rhodes sideways and triggered a multi-truck wreck that sent his other championship teammate Matt Crafton barrel-rolling in the air. Despite the accident, Rhodes limped home to a 12th-place result. He rallied during the second event of the season at Atlanta by finishing fourth, but fell back to 20th during the third event of the season at Martinsville. 

Then at Kansas in May, Rhodes led 25 laps and was running away with the lead over Kyle Busch when his engine blew up with eight laps remaining, which forced the Kentucky native to retire his truck in the garage. He rebounded during the following four events by finishing in the top 10 before finishing outside of the top 10 during the ensuing three. After finishing in the top 10 in three of the following four events, which includes a second-place result at Pocono Raceway in July, Rhodes was still in contention to earn a spot for the 2017 Playoffs. By finishing sixth at Chicagoland Speedway in September, which marked the conclusion of the 2017 regular season stretch, he secured the eighth and final transfer spot to the Playoffs in a tie-breaker over Ryan Truex, who finished fourth despite starting on pole.

Following a seventh-place result at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September to commence his Playoff run, Rhodes earned his first elusive Truck Series career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after storming to the lead with eight laps remaining and fending off Bell by 0.066 seconds. The victory earned Rhodes and his No. 27 ThorSport Racing Toyota team a spot in the Playoff’s Round of 6. After finishing ninth and 18th during the first two Round of 6 events, his title hopes evaporated at Phoenix Raceway in November after he was turned by Playoff rival Austin Cindric during a restart with 22 laps remaining and wrecked along with teammate Matt Crafton. Rhodes went on to conclude the 2017 season in 19th place at Homestead-Miami Speedway after running out of fuel in the closing laps and in fifth place in the final standings. By then, he doubled his overall top-10 results to 12 compared to five in 2016.

Rhodes returned to ThorSport Racing for a third full-time season in 2018 as he also reunited with the number 41 alongside his truck. By then, ThorSport swapped manufacturers from Toyota to Ford. Despite finishing fourth at Daytona in February, Rhodes’ crew chief, Eddie Troconis, was suspended for one event and fined $5,000 after Rhodes’ No. 41 Ford was found to be too low during the post-race inspection process, which also resulted with a 10-point dock in the driver’s and owner’s standings.

Through the first 11 events of the 2018 Truck season, Rhodes had collected a total of four top-five results and was coming off a runner-up result at Chicagoland Speedway. Then at Kentucky Speedway in July, he claimed his second career victory after leading the final 24 laps and beating Stewart Friesen by nearly a second. The victory guaranteed Rhodes a spot in the 2018 Truck Playoffs, who capped off the regular season stretch with back-to-back top-10 results. During the Round of 8, however, he finished 14th, fourth and 16th respectively, which were enough to eliminate him from title contention early. Managing two additional top-five results during the final four scheduled events, Rhodes settled in eighth place in the final standings as he led a career-best 232 laps throughout the season and earned an average-finishing result of 9.9.

Remaining at ThorSport Racing for a fourth full-time season in 2019 with his number changed to 99, Rhodes was battling for the win at Daytona when he got clipped by Gus Dean with two laps remaining and was collected in a multi-truck wreck, which left him with a 14th-place result in the final running order. He rebounded during the following 10 events by posting three runner-up results, five top-five results and eight top-10 results. Rhodes, however, earned only one top-10 result during the final five regular-season events and failed to return to the Playoffs. He managed to record four top-10 results during the postseason by settling in ninth place in the final standings.

In a similar fashion to 2019, Rhodes’ 2020 season started with being involved in a late multi-truck wreck while contending for victory. At Atlanta Motor Speedway in June, he made his 100th Truck Series career start, where he went on to finish ninth. Three months later at Darlington Raceway, Rhodes persevered over an overtime battle with rookie Derek Kraus to snap a one-year winless drought and score his fourth Truck Series career victory. Returning to the Playoffs, he transferred from the Round of 10 to 8 despite posting a single top-five result at Talladega Superspeedway in October. Rhodes’ 2020 title hopes, however, came to an end after finishing 20th, 20th and second respectively in the Round of 8. He went on to cap the season in seventh place in the final standings with a career-high nine top-five results, 14 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 10.0.

Prior to the 2021 season, ThorSport Racing returned to fielding Toyotas following a three-year partnership with Ford while Rhodes remained as the driver of the No. 99 truck. In his return to piloting a Toyota, Rhodes overtook Corey Roper on the final lap and edged Jordan Anderson by 0.036 seconds to win at Daytona. He then backed it up by winning at the Daytona Road Course event over Sheldon Creed. From there, Rhodes utilized consistency that included three additional top-five results and nine additional top-10 results before making his fourth appearance in the Truck Series Playoffs. 

Respective finishes of third, 34th and ninth allowed the Kentucky native to transfer from the Round of 10 to 8. After finishing second, 13th and seventh respectively in the Round of 8, Rhodes emerged as one of four competitors to transfer to the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway in November and battle for the title. During the finale, Rhodes overtook title rival Zane Smith with nine laps remaining and was able to finish in third place, but claim the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship over Smith, John Hunter Nemechek and teammate Matt Crafton. With the accomplishment, Rhodes became the 19th different competitor to win the Truck title as he delivered the fourth drivers’ championship and first owners’ title to ThorSport Racing. His championship season was one to remember as he recorded two victories, eight top-five results, a career-high 16 top-10 results and a career-best average-finishing result of 9.3.

Through 149 previous starts, Rhodes has achieved one championship, six victories, five poles, 46 top-five results, 82 top-10 results, 1,005 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.4. He currently leads the 2022 Truck Series regular-season standings on the strength of winning the Bristol Dirt Course in April along with achieving six top-10 results through the first eight scheduled events.

Rhodes is set to make his 150th career start in the Camping World Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, May 20, at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: All-Star Race

By
Official Release
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Texas Motor Speedway
Sunday, May 22, 2022
1.5-Mile Oval
8:00 PM ET
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR All-Star Race (non-points)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 9th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR: Kyle Larson, who has 11 points-paying wins since the beginning of 2021, has an automatic berth into Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway. Last June at the 1.5-mile Texas facility, Larson battled Brad Keselowski and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott late before maneuvering into first and leading the final eight laps to capture the $1 million payday. It marked the second win for the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the annual exhibition race where no championship points are awarded.

GRAND OPENING: In 2019 when the event was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Larson won the NASCAR All-Star Open to gain entry into the All-Star Race, then led the final 13 laps to capture the victory in the annual exhibition. The Elk Grove, California, native has won the last two all-star events he has started.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Along with his victory in the all-star event in June, Larson led 256 laps – including the final 218 – to capture the 334-lap points-paying race at Texas in October. The victory earned him a spot in the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway, which Larson ultimately won to secure his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

ANIMAL STYLE: In five starts in the exhibition race, Larson owns an average finish of 5.4 – the best average of any driver that has more than two starts in the annual event. Larson is currently tied with Kevin Harvick as the only active drivers with multiple victories in the All-Star Race, each with two.

SECOND THAT: Larson ranks second this season in top-five finishes with six, trailing only Ross Chastain who has seven. Larson has a victory at Auto Club Speedway, runner-up finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, fourth-place finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt) and Talladega Superspeedway and a fifth-place result at Richmond Raceway.

IT’S A HOME GAME: Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will wear their “home” white uniforms at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. Home races occur in markets where there are Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships nearby, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to two of them. Be sure to follow Hendrick Automotive Group’s social media channels and visit HendrickCars.com to view the complete home and away schedule.

PATRIOTIC PAINT SCHEME: On Tuesday, HendrickCars.com unveiled a patriotic livery that will appear on the No. 5 entry at Charlotte Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend. To view the paint scheme and to learn more about Hendrick Automotive Group’s priority to hire veterans, please visit HendrickCars.com.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 1st

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

THE STARS ALIGNED: In 2020, Chase Elliott earned his first career NASCAR All-Star Race victory, claiming the checkered flag after dominating at Bristol Motor Speedway. Elliott won stages two and three before crossing the finish line first in the final stage to earn the $1 million prize. The event was the only All-Star Race held on a short track and on a Wednesday. The driver of the No. 9 was the third-youngest all-star winner at 24 years, 7 months, 17 days.

ALL-STAR STATS: Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will make his seventh consecutive appearance in the All-Star Race this weekend. Elliott’s 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship and All-Star Race win locked him into the event for the remainder of his full-time career under current rules. In his six previous All-Star Race starts, he has a 6.0 average finish – second-best of active drivers with at least two starts. The 26-year-old driver has finished in the top 10 in five of his six All-Star Race appearances and led in each of the last three races for a total of 74 laps.

BACK IN THE LONE STAR STATE: The All-Star Race is returning to Texas Motor Speedway for the second consecutive year. In this event in 2021, Elliott ultimately drove to a third-place result in the final round after winning the race’s fifth round. In addition, the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS pit crew had a lightning-fast green-flag pit stop during the fifth round, earning the team the pit crew challenge victory and its $100,000 payout. Through 13 races this season, the No. 9 pit crew has the best average time at 11.708 seconds for four-tire pit stops in the Cup Series.

FATHER-SON DUO: With Elliott’s 2020 victory, he and his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, joined Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the only father-son combinations to win the All-Star Race. The Elliotts have won two of the three all-star events not held at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Bill Elliott won it driving his No. 9 car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1986 when he led all but one of 83 laps.

TEXAS STATS: Elliott has made 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway in points-paying events. Elliott garnered two top-five finishes, six top-10s and led a total of 44 laps in those starts. He collected his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the 1.5-mile track in April 2014. In five Xfinity Series starts there, the 2014 Xfinity Series champion has accumulated three top-five finishes and five top-10s.

NO. 9 IS TOPS: Halfway through the regular season, Elliott continues to hold the Cup Series points lead, now by 52 markers over Ryan Blaney. Including a tie earlier in the season, this marks the ninth consecutive week the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has been atop the standings. Through 13 races, Elliott and the No. 9 team have nine top-10 finishes – tied for most in the series – and lead the field with an average finish of 10.8.

1.5-MILE PERFORMANCE: This season on 1.5-mile tracks, Elliott has two top-10 efforts in three starts, finishing ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and sixth at Atlanta. He was on his way to a third top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway last weekend when a flat left-rear tire caused him to spin, taking him out of contention. In 68 points-paying starts at mile-and-a-half facilities, Elliott has led 881 laps and earned two victories (Charlotte and Kansas), 22 top-five finishes – eight of which are runner-up results – and 37 top-10s.

A SHOC ENERGY DAYTONA RACE EXPERIENCE: A SHOC Energy is giving fans the opportunity to win a VIP trip to the Cup Series race at Daytona on Saturday, Aug. 27. One grand prize winner and guest will get flight and hotel accommodations, tickets to the regular-season finale and a $500 Visa gift card. The sweepstakes is open now through July 15, and fans can enter by texting “ASHOCTRIP” to 97579.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 4th

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available in the Texas Motor Speedway media center on Friday, May 20, at 4 p.m. local time.

HALFWAY THERE: Halfway through the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, William Byron is continuing to have a career-best year. In 13 races, Byron has scored two wins, four top-five finishes with 569 laps led across 10 of the 13 races, three stage wins and 13 playoff points accumulated. The wins, laps led, stage wins and playoff point totals are the most for the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through 13 races in his Cup Series career. He is currently fourth in the driver point standings and is locked into the Cup Series playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

1.5-MILE MOMENTUM: Byron is no stranger to success on mile-and-a-half tracks during his Cup Series career. In 2021, he picked up the win at the third race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway – his first on that configuration. He went on to collect seven top-10 finishes across nine races on 1.5-mile tracks throughout the season. This season, the Cup Series has raced at three 1.5-mile tracks: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Byron scored a win at Atlanta and a top-five finish at Las Vegas. In the most recent race of the season at Kansas, he led 25 laps before a flat tire left him with a 16th-place finish. In fact, since the start of 2021, Byron has nine top-10 finishes on tracks of that length.

LOCKED IT IN: Sunday will mark Byron’s fourth start in the NASCAR All-Star Race but for the second time in his Cup Series career, Byron heads into the event already locked in due to his wins at Atlanta and Martinsville Speedway earlier this season as well as his Homestead-Miami win in 2021. Needing to race his way into the all-star event in the past, Byron has gotten the job done in the Open qualifier races in 2019 and 2020. Across his three All-Star Race starts, Byron has two top-10 finishes. His best showing came last year when he led the most laps (30), had the lowest cumulative finishing position across the first four rounds and scored his best finish of seventh after being shuffled from the front row for the final 10-lap dash.

TWO-FOUR: The No. 24 has scored a win in the All-Star Race three times – tied for the second-most wins by a car number in the exhibition event, all coming with Jeff Gordon. If Byron were to end up in victory lane this Sunday night, the No. 24 would be tied for the most wins in all-star history with the No. 48 at four victories.

TRUCKIN’ IT IN TEXAS: Byron’s success at Texas Motor Speedway started almost six years ago in his first start at the 1.5-mile oval with crew chief Rudy Fugle on the pit box. Starting from the sixth position, the then-NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie led six laps before capturing the checkered flag becoming the youngest to ever win a Truck Series race at Texas.

TEXAS TOUGH: Texas is a track that Byron has always ran well at throughout his entire NASCAR career, even if the statistics don’t always reflect that. In seven Cup Series starts at the Lone Star State track, Byron has three top-10 results, including a track-best finish of second last fall. Byron also has four other starts at the 1.5-mile oval, with an average finish of 3.5 in two Truck Series starts and 8.0 in two NASCAR Xfinity Series races.

FUGLE HAS ‘NO LIMITS’: While Sunday will mark crew chief Fugle’s second Cup Series all-star event, the Livonia, New York, native is no stranger to success at Texas. In last year’s race, Fugle led Byron and the No. 24 team to a seventh-place result after leading the most laps. Fugle also has one other Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile track, where the No. 24 team battled for the win in the final stage before crossing the finish line in the runner-up position last fall. The veteran crew chief has 18 other starts at Texas, with all but three of those coming in the Truck Series. He has visited victory lane at the “No Limits” track five times in the Truck Series – the most for him at any track on the circuit – most recently in 2019 where he swept both races. Of those five wins, one includes a victory with Byron in June 2016. In his 15 Truck Series starts, Fugle’s drivers have also racked up seven top-five finishes, 11 top-10s with 493 laps led.

TEXAS TWO-STEP: Byron is pulling double duty at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. In addition to Sunday’s race, he’ll drive the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon. The 24-year-old driver earned his Xfinity Series championship with JR Motorsports in 2017 and garnered four wins with the team. Byron’s primary partner in the Cup Series, Axalta, will also serve as an associate partner on his Xfinity Series car.

LIBERTY U IS BACK: For Sunday’s All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway, Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Featuring a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty University is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Greg Ives

Standings: 8th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

KANSAS RECAP: Alex Bowman notched his eighth top-10 finish of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway last Sunday. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 finished the first stage in 10th and the second stage in 15th before tallying a ninth-place result at the 1.5-mile track. In his other starts this season on that track length, Bowman won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and placed 10th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

THROUGH 13: Bowman continues to show his consistency in one of his best years in his Cup Series career. Through the first 13 points-paying races in 2022, Bowman has one win (Las Vegas), three top-five finishes, eight top-10s, and has the second-best average finish in the series at 11.8. After his front-running finish at Kansas, Bowman is currently scored eighth in the regular season points standings, 89 markers behind teammate and leader Chase Elliott.

ALL-STAR SPECIAL: As a result of Bowman’s four wins in 2021 (Richmond Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Martinsville Speedway) and his one thus far in 2022 (Las Vegas), the 29-year-old driver is locked into the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday. In his last three appearances in the unique event, Bowman has placed inside the top-10 in all races, with his best all-star finish coming last year where he crossed the finish line in sixth.

BOWMAN IN THE LONE STAR STATE: In his 12 points-paying starts at the Texas circuit, Bowman has garnered two top-five finishes. The most recent of which came in October 2020 with a fifth-place run in the No. 88 Chevrolet. In his two appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Texas, Bowman started on the pole for both races.

IVES AT TEXAS: Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, has 13 starts atop the Cup Series pit box in the Lone Star State with five top-five finishes and six top-10s at the 1.5-mile venue. His best finish as the crew chief came in April 2016 with Dale Earnhardt Jr., where the duo notched a runner-up result in the No. 88 Chevrolet.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: Bowman returned to his racing roots once again, racing his No. 55 Ally sprint car for Alex Bowman Racing at Bridgeport Motorsports Park in Swedesboro, New Jersey, with the World of Outlaws. He will also make an appearance at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio, on Friday with the World of Outlaws. Fans can watch Bowman race live at Attica on DirtVision.com this Friday.

BEST FRIENDS: Halfway through the 2022 Cup Series regular season, Bowman and primary sponsor Ally, have donated a combined $67,600 to Best Friends Animal Society and a network partner in each race market they have visited this year. Each week of the race season, Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and a local network partner. This weekend, Bowman and Ally will make a charitable donation to Operation Kindness, a no-kill shelter in Carrollton, Texas.

TAKE ME TO THE LEADER: In last year’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports led 68 of the 100 laps run – the most its ever led in a single all-star event. All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers won a stage prior to Kyle Larson winning the race.

TERRIFIC 10: Hendrick Motorsports has won the All-Star Race 10 times, which leads all organizations. That total is more than second and third place in all-star wins combined.

HIGH FIVE: Five drivers have accounted for Hendrick Motorsports’ all-star victories. Jimmie Johnson leads the way with four wins (2003, 2006, 2012, 2013), which is also the most among all drivers in all-star history. Jeff Gordon is next with three wins (1995, 1997, 2001). Terry Labonte (1999), Chase Elliott (2020) and Larson (2021) each have won the event once. The Johnson, Gordon and Labonte victories all came at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while Elliott won at Bristol Motor Speedway and Larson won at Texas.

BACK-TO-BACK TRIUMPHS: Elliott and Larson’s wins in 2020 and 2021 stand as one of two times that Hendrick Motorsports has won the all-star event two straight times and one of four times that an organization has won back-to-back in this event. Johnson accomplished it in 2012 and 2013 and is one of two drivers to win the event in consecutive years with Davey Allison being the other in 1991 and 1992. To date, no driver or organization has won three all-star events in a row.

FROM ALL-STAR TO TITLE TOWN: The All-Star Race winner has gone on to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship 12 times in the sport’s history. Hendrick Motorsports has accomplished that seven times, including in the years of its last three all-star victories. Gordon’s wins in 1995, 1997 and 2001 came in title seasons. Johnson’s wins in 2006 and 2013 were during championship years. More recently, Elliott and Larson won this event ahead of their championship coronations.

PIT CREWS TAKE CENTER STAGE: This weekend will showcase the pit road athletes of Hendrick Motorsports. During the elimination, head-to-head bracket portion of qualifying on Saturday night, teams will perform a four-tire pit stop adjacent to their competitor and race off pit road and around to the start/finish line with the winner to the line advancing to the next round. This format will be used to go from eight drivers to four drivers with the final pairing determining the pole position. Following stage two of the All-Star Race, teams will be required to perform a four-tire stop and the driver/team with the shortest time on pit road (pit in to pit out) without any penalties will win the pit crew competition. The winning team will restart fourth for the final stage as long as that team finishes 15th or better in stage three.

MIDWAY MARK: At the midway point of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Hendrick Motorsports has five wins in 2022 – the most in the series. The organization is the fastest to have its entire four-car lineup win in one season as it achieved that in the first 11 races of the season.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the all-star format: “The format sounds exciting. It’s always interesting because it seems like the format is different each year. I’m sure (crew chief) Cliff (Daniels) and the team will study to see what strategy may work the best – but I’m sure that strategy is trying our best to win the first segment so we can start on the pole for the final one. Hopefully we can get another all-star win.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on last year’s winning strategy: “We studied on what we needed to do (to win), but our car was not what it needed to be for most of the race. At the end of every stage, we were doing huge changes to try to free it up because we were so tight in traffic. We started on the pole – I believe by random draw – and we were okay out front in the first stage but we couldn’t pass at all in the second stage. I got worried. Kyle got worried. But it all worked out okay because we were in good position (for the restart) going into the final stage – which is all you can ask for. No matter all the studying we did and could do, it didn’t change the fact we didn’t have a good car in traffic and needed to adjust on it and make it better.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on competing in the All-Star Race: “I’m glad that NASCAR has started rotating this event some. I think that’s what this event was initially designed to do. To give fans in the different regions a special event and I think that’s really cool. It’s more like what other forms of sports do. I’m hoping that next year they switch it up and head somewhere else after being back in Texas for the second year. It’s not exactly one of my best tracks, but we did put in a pretty good effort last year and the pit crew was able to get the job done. Hopefully with this year’s format, it will be entertaining for the fans and we can put on a good show for them.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on building a notebook for the playoff visit to Texas: “Last year was good, we were able to win the pit crew competition. I was really happy for all the guys and the effort they put into the pit stops. I feel like they don’t often get the recognition they deserve for how good they are. The race was good for us last year. I felt like we had a shot to win. For us this week, going back to Texas is just about this new car. Being able to try some things and it’s a race that doesn’t pay any points, so we can be a bit more aggressive in trying some different setup configurations and trying to learn some stuff.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on how the NASCAR Xfinity Series race should help him for Sunday’s All-Star Race: “Texas (Motor Speedway) is a track I found success at early on in my career in both trucks and Xfinity but I feel like I’ve struggled just a little bit to get the same results on the Cup side of things. That’s part of why I’m excited to get back in an Xfinity car this weekend and see how it races compared to when I was in one last a few years ago. I feel like those cars relate similarly to the Next Gen car and hopefully that will give us some extra notes that we can use not only for the All-Star Race on Sunday but also for when we go back to Texas in the fall.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on what challenges teams will face at Texas Motor Speedway: “I’m interested to see how the Next Gen car will race this weekend at Texas (Motor Speedway). In the past, we have ran high downforce packages for the All-Star Race but this year we will not only run lower downforce but the Next Gen car as well. Add in the fact that both ends of the track are so different from each other, it’s going to make it a challenge on your approach to setting the car up and changes you make throughout the weekend. With us using the same tire this weekend as we did last weekend in Kansas and at Las Vegas, I think that gives us a good starting place at least when it comes to what changes we can make with air pressure and the fine line on how the car reacts. That’s where practice is going to be the most help since the All-Star Race is broken up into mini races essentially and you don’t have a ton of chances to make big swings and recover by the end.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how his season has gone so far: “Greg and I have spent a lot of time working together to get more consistent and we have accomplished that. We are happy with the fact that we have eight top-10s but we both feel like we should have a few more wins. Our team has worked very hard to continue to get better and we feel like we are learning more about the Next Gen car, but we are always looking for more. Greg and I are ready to go to Texas this weekend and continue to get better and try to take home the $1 million check.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his approach to the race at Texas: “Texas Motor Speedway is a tough track to get the car dialed in with both ends of the track different from each other in banking and shape. I think it’s a great place to have the All-Star Race in that respect, but it makes for a long day if you can’t get the car set up for the track. Alex (Bowman) has found success at the track, having a couple of top-fives and top-10s, so it should be a fun weekend. We are going to go out there and learn a lot at the unique track and continue to build on our success this year.”

Chandler Smith – No. 18 iBUYPOWER Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Texas Preview

By
Official Release
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Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 iBUYPOWER Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: SpeedyCash.com 220, Race 9 of 23, 147 Laps –35/35/77; 220.5 Miles
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile quad-oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 20, 2022, at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Heads to Texas:

Chandler Smith and the No. 18 team head to Texas Motor Speedway for Friday’s SpeedyCash.com 220 fresh off a hard-earned fourth-place finish at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City on Saturday. The team encountered a fuel pickup issue after finishing fourth in the opening stage and was forced to coast to pit road. The team would get his Tundra TRD Pro re-fired but lost a lap in the process. After getting the “Lucky Dog” at the end of Stage Two, Smith would charge back through the field in the Final Stage to bring home a fourth-place finish.

iBUYPOWER will serve as the primary sponsor on Smith’s No. 18 Tundra TRD Pro at Texas Friday and again at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October. Since 1999, iBUYPOWER has been delivering on its promise to build the best gaming systems for the most discerning gamers. Friday’s race will be the fifth event for iBUYPOWER sponsoring Smith’s KBM entry since 2019. Smith has finished inside the top five in all four of those races, including a runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2019.

Smith has two prior Truck Series starts at Texas with a best result of fifth coming last June. The Toyota Racing Development driver has been stellar on three mile-and-a-half track starts in 2022, winning at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and finishing fourth at both Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway.

After seven races Smith sits fourth in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular season point standings, 29 tallies behind reigning series champion Ben Rhodes. Through the first eight events of the season Smith ranks second among Truck Series regulars in average starting position (7.8) and average finish (10.1), fourth in average running position (8.704) and driver rating (100.9) and fifth in laps led (56). He has produced one win, four top-five and five top-10 finishes in his sophomore campaign.

The Georgia driver earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory.

In addition to his Truck Series schedule in 2022, Smith is competing in a three-race schedule with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR). Smith finished 38th in his series debut at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway after a mid-race wreck and finished 21st at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway. His final race with SHR will come Oct. 22 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will once again call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2022. Stockman’s drivers have produced six victories at KBM across his first two seasons, including two with Smith behind the wheel in 2021. The veteran crew chief captured a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and also won an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s drivers have produced one win, four top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.9 across seven Truck Series starts at Texas. He was victorious with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch in July of 2020. Additionally, his Xfinity Series drivers produced five top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 11 starts.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:

We are halfway through the regular season. Assess your season so far.
“For the most part it has been really, really, good. It’s definitely been a lot better than the first half of the last season we had, which is really big for us. Going into the season we said we had a lot of momentum, we just won Phoenix and we need to start on a high note and keep that trend going all the way to the playoffs. That was our mentality and that is what we’ve been doing for sure. We had a couple of pretty rough races before Kansas, but other than that we’ve been really good every time we’ve showed up at the race track in our Tundra and you can’t ask for more than that, honestly.”

With the success you’ve had already this season on mile-and-a-half tracks are you looking forward to going to Texas?
“Yeah, for sure. I feel like our mile-and-a-half package as a whole and also myself getting the experience that I have at mile-and-a-halves is starting to pay off and starting to show a little bit more as well. Really happy to have iBUYPOWER on the truck this weekend and really looking forward to having our truck just as fast as their gaming PC’s.”

How does Texas compare to the other mile-and-a-half tracks on the Truck Series schedule?
“They all have their similarities for sure. I would say Texas is unique in its own way considering Turns 1 and 2 are completely different than Turns 3 and 4, but you can argue that Kansas and Vegas are the same way. At the end of the day, it’s another mile-and-a-half, there is a lot of on throttle time and that’s the biggest thing about these mile-and-a-halves is there is so much on throttle time and a lot of aerodynamics that go into it. That’s our strong suit and where I feel like I’m starting to excel a little more, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

  • Across 46 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded three wins, 362 laps led, 18 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.1.
  • Earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory.
  • Has posted an average finish of 29.5 across two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2022, with a best result of 22nd coming at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
  • Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1783 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.4 across 34 career ARCA Menards Series starts.
  • Has numerous Super Late Model victories across his career, including two marquee wins: the Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. (2021) and SpeedFest at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia (2018). Will compete in several Super Late Model events around his Truck Series schedule in 2022.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 iBUYPOWER Tundra: TRD Pro:
KBM-68: The No. 18 iBUYPOWER team will unload KBM-68 for Friday night’s race at Texas. In its most recent outing, John Hunter Nemechek produced a chassis-best third-place finish with it at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway last August.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected nine wins, three poles, 1050 laps led, 20 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.0 across 56 starts in the Lone Star State.
  • Owner-driver Kyle Busch’s has four Texas wins for his organization (2010, 2014, 2019 & 2020). John Hunter Nemechek (2021), Greg Biffle (2019), Christopher Bell (2017), William Byron (2016) and Erik Jones (2015) all have one Texas triumph.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (93) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta 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).
  • The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 24 career victories.

Flying Lizard Travels to the Big Easy with Aston Martin and Lamborghinis

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Official Release
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SONOMA, Calif., (May 17, 2022) – This weekend, Flying Lizard Motorsports will have a total of four races in two days at NOLA Motorsport Park as the team prepares to race rounds three and four of both the Pirelli GT4 America and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series. The ten-time sports car racing champions will journey to New Orleans, LA with an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 car, to be driven by Elias Sabo and Andy Lee, and a pair of Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo2 cars, to be run by Slade Stewart and Tom Tait.

Located in Avondale, Louisiana, NOLA Motorsports Park sits just over eight miles southwest from the heart of New Orleans. The park’s designers also produced Utah Motorsports Campus and Barber Motorsports Park, two courses that used to be regulars on the Pirelli World Challenge, the predecessor to the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. This weekend, the series will run the full track layout, with a total length of 2.75 miles and 16 turns. This will be the first time any SRO America or Lamborghini Super Trofeo series have raced at the circuit, though many teams have already conducted private testing in preparation for the event.

Tickets for the event start at only $10.00, and weekend passes can be purchased for $50.00, making it an affordable and action-packed event for sports car racing fans. The weekend’s activities will offer two races for each of the four series competing, providing race fans with a total of eight races in the span of two days.

Pirelli GT4 America Powered by AWS
After starting the 2022 season in April at the team’s home track of Sonoma Raceway the Lizard’s GT4 America effort will resume this year’s championship at NOLA Motorsport Park. Drivers Elias Sabo and Andy Lee had a strong start to the season at Sonoma in the No. 8 5.11 Aston Martin Vantage GT4, earning a third-place finish in race one.

“Looking back on Sonoma, on the positive side to come away from our first race with Elias and Andy in a podium position was great,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “We didn’t have the finish we wanted in the second race, but the car was fast, and we feel confident in our program heading to NOLA. Having raced with Aston Martin previously will be beneficial because having a car you already know and understand takes one factor out of the equation when going to a new track.”

The driver pairing will contest a total of 16 races this season, split up into eight double-header weekends. This weekend will host a pair of 60-minute races in which Elias Sabo and Andy Lee will share the duties on the Aston Martin, each starting one race and finishing the other. Race one will take place on Saturday, May 21st at 3:10 PM, followed by race two on Sunday, May 22 at 11:00 AM. Both races will live on YouTube.com/GTWorld.

DRIVER QUOTES

Elias Sabo
No. 8 Aston Martin Vantage GT4
We are looking forward to carrying over our momentum from Sonoma. NOLA is a new track for Andy and me, but we are confident we will have a great car to compete.

Andy Lee
No. 8 Aston Martin Vantage GT4
This will be my first visit to NOLA. I’m excited to learn a new track and get the 5.11 Aston Martin back up front!
Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America
The Lizard’s freshman season of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series kicked off at the beginning of May at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Slade Stewart and the pink unicorn No. 14 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo2 closed out the weekend with an LB Cup class victory from pole position, earning the team’s first win of the new championship season. Steward will enter the New Orleans weekend as the points leader, with a two-point gap over Jon Hirshberg. After a solid debut at Laguna Seca, Tom Tait and this No. 64 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo2 will return to participate in the AM class in the doubleheader weekend. Brett Jacobson, driver of the No. 11 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo2, will not race this weekend due to another racing commitment.

“Our debut weekend at Laguna Seca went really well,” said Law. “All of our cars showed good speed, we were on the step of the podium, and we gathered a lot of information that will help the engineering group and the team going forward. We are carrying good momentum into rounds three and four and can’t wait to get back to racing.”

The team will build on their success from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park for rounds three and four of the single-make championship. The double-header event will showcase 34 cars in two fifty-minute races on Saturday, May 21 at 4:30 PM U.S. Central, and Sunday, May 22 at 9:45 AM CT.

DRIVER QUOTES

Slade Stewart (LB Cup)
No. 14 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
We are looking forward to the upcoming race at NOLA. We have good momentum coming out of our first race at Laguna Seca and believe the competition will be even stronger now that all of the other teams have gotten their cars sorted out. So, we enjoyed our success, but believe we have a lot of work to do in the coming races to stay on a competitive edge.

Tom Tait (Am)
No. 64 Emerald Center Lamborghini Super Trofeo
We learned at Laguna Seca that the 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo series includes many very fast and experienced drivers and teams. We were able to successfully complete both races and bank some points toward the season championship. We also learned a lot about the car race setup, tire degradation, and race pace. The NOLA race weekend with SRO will obviously present some challenges as far as ambient temperatures and the effects on drivers, brakes, and tires, however, I believe that we have done the proper training to be in a position to do well in that environment. Flying Lizard Motorsports has provided us with a fantastic team for the 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship, already winning the LB Cup class race at Laguna Seca with new driver, Slade Stewart. Our knowledge base has grown from that first race weekend, and we are working hard to put Flying Lizard and Lamborghini of Newport Beach on the podium again at NOLA.

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About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated ten driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times.

The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2020 season proved the team’s most successful to date, earning four titles in the GT4 America championship. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car. For more information, visit lizardms.com.

About 5.11
With offices around the globe, 5.11 ABR Corp. and its subsidiaries, including 5.11, Inc., work with end users to create purpose-built apparel, footwear and gear designed specifically to enhance the safety, accuracy, speed, and performance of tactical professionals and technical enthusiasts worldwide. 5.11 products exceed rigorous standards, which have allowed the brand to establish a reputation for innovation and authenticity, and become the premier choice for those who always have to be ready. 5.11 products can be purchased online, through authorized dealers and retailers, as well as at 5.11 company-owned retail stores.

Learn more about 5.11’s best-selling gear and accessories at www.511tactical.com. Find a full list of 5.11 company-owned retail stores at https://www.511tactical.com/locations/. Connect with 5.11 on Facebook, Twitter @511Tactical and on Instagram @511Tactical and #511tactical

5.11 ABR Corp. is a subsidiary of Compass Diversified (NYSE: CODI).

5.11, 5.11 Tactical and Always Be Ready are registered trademarks of 5.11, Inc. All rights reserved.

About Lamborghini Newport Beach
Lamborghini Newport Beach is the authorized sales & service franchise for Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. serving Orange County, California.

Representing Lamborghini since 2010, Lamborghini Newport Beach is continuously one of the top US retailers year after year. With many years of combined experience, their team of professionals has all the knowledge and expertise necessary to assist you with purchasing the Lamborghini of your dreams, or properly maintaining the one in your garage. All Lamborghini Newport Beach technicians are fully factory certified, and all sales staff holds master certifications. Their newly opened state of the art facilities are now located at 44 Auto Center Drive, inside the Irvine Auto Center.

About Giddy

Sexual health resources were severely lacking. Everyone will experience a condition, disease, disorder, or stage of life related to their sexual health at some point. But, due to a lack of reliable, expert-verified, judgment-free information, people are misinformed, suffer in silence, or turn to outdated, ineffective products.

Giddy is disrupting Sexual Health Information, helping people with diseases, conditions, and at different stages of life feel more confident and fulfilled. Expert-reviewed medical articles are coupled with first-hand perspective articles as a means of de-stigmatizing topics, and creating a safe, honest, open dialogue. Giddy (GetMeGiddy.com) is a first of it’s kind Sexual Health platform which offers users access to topics that impact their lives but are not often discussed.

About Emerald Center
Emerald center is a premier lifestyle and home furnishings retail mixed use center featuring IKEA and over 2 million square feet of mixed use development serving the Southeast Phoenix market. Emerald center is located at the Northeast corner of I-10 and Warner Rd., Tempe, AZ.

About Chandler Pavilions
Chandler Pavilions is the most successful retail power center in Chandler, Az. With Marquis tenants including Home Depot, Lowes, Sam’s Club, REI, Flemings Steak House, and over twenty restaurants l, totaling 2 million square feet of retail tenants. Chandler Pavilions is located at the northeast and southwest corners of I-10 and Ray Rd, Chandler Az.

BORST HOPES RECENT SOUTH BOSTON SPEEDWAY WIN WILL SPARK A STRONG RUN THROUGH THE REST OF THE SEASON

By
Official Release
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Jacob Borst is all smiles as he poses with the winner’s trophy in Victory Lane following his win in the second race of a twin-race NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division event on April 30 at South Boston Speedway. Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler / South Boston Speedway

By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (May 17, 2022) — Jacob Borst scored his first career win in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division at South Boston Speedway last season in his first season of competing in the division.

The young Elon, North Carolina resident was optimistic another win would come his way, but he had no idea how long it would take. That second win came in the second race of a twin-race event on April 30 at South Boston Speedway, making him the division’s most recent winner and only the third race winner in the division thus far this season.

“It’s been too long, but to back it (his first win) up 364 days later is pretty amazing,” Borst remarked after the victory that marked his second victory in as many seasons in Late Model Stock Car Division competition at South Boston Speedway. “I’m very priviledged to be in this ride, and my dad gives me a good piece every week.”

Borst enters the twin 75-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division races that will headline Saturday night’s Southern Virginia Higher Education Center/God’s Pit Crew First Responders Night event in second place in the division point standings. He sits 18 points behind points leader Layne Riggs of Bahama, North Carolina who has won five of the season’s first seven races.

Through the season’s first seven races Borst has a win, four Top-Five finishes and has finished in the Top-10 in each of his starts. He is also one of six drivers to lead laps in the division thus far this season.

Those are not bad statistics, but they are not quite as good as Borst and his team had hoped they would be. Borst is hoping his win will spark a strong run through the rest of the season.

“We’re going up against good teams every week,” Borst pointed out. “This car is a new car to us this season. We just got it at the beginning of the season. We were “off” the first couple of races. We’ve been dialing ourselves in, just trying to get better as the season has gone on.

“Dad and I talked at the beginning of the season, and we were saying it was going to take a little bit for us to get the car better,” added Borst. “The car was really good in the last race. We took advantage of some misfortune on the part of others. I drove the wheels off of it and did my best.”

The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center/God’s Pit Crew First Responders Night event will be a big one as twin races will be held in three of South Boston Speedway’s four NASCAR racing divisions.

In addition to the twin 75-lap races for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division, fans will see twin 30-lap races for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division and twin 15-lap races for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division. A 20-lap race for the Hornets Division will round out the night’s seven-race card.

South Boston Speedway is honoring the region’s first responders by offering free admission to the event for first responders with ID.

The event schedule for the Saturday, May 21 Southern Virginia Higher Education Center/God’s Pit Crew First Responders Night event has registration and pit gates opening at 2 p.m. Practice starts at 3:30 p.m., grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying begins at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets for the event are priced at $10 each plus a $1.50 processing fee and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, through Friday night, May 20. Advance tickets may also be purchased by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Tickets at the gate on race night will be $15 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $10 each at the gate on race night.

The latest updates and news for both fans and competitors can be found on the speedway’s website, southbostonspeedway.com, and the track’s social media channels. Information may also be obtained by phoning the speedway at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Wright Motorsports Headed for GT World Challenge Championship Weekend in New Orleans

By
Official Release
-

BATAVIA, Ohio, (May 17, 2022) – One month has passed since the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS 2022 season began at Sonoma Raceway. The Wright Motorsports Porsche customer racing effort is all too eager to resume the season this weekend in New Orleans at NOLA Motorsport Park. After sweeping the season-opening doubleheader, drivers Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen are looking to continue their winning streak in Louisiana for rounds three and four of the sports car racing championship.

“We’re looking forward to racing this weekend at NOLA,” said Team Owner John Wright. “This circuit was a recent replacement for Ozarks International Raceway, and we’re eager to see what it has in store. This track is new for most of the competitors, so this levels the playing field in some ways. Our team is ready to race and extend our championship lead.”

The father and son-in-law duo of Luck and Heylen started the season off at Sonoma Raceway last month with back-to-back wins in the GT World Challenge America Pro/Am class. The No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R leads the championship standings in both the team and driver categories, bringing strong momentum to the team’s first time competing at NOLA Motorsports Park.

This event marks SRO America’s debut at the New Orleans circuit since the track opened in 2011, and 20 GT racing entries are set to compete on the 2.75-mile, 16-turn flat road course.

Based on current predictions, the weather will play an important role as temperatures are expected to reach the low 90s Fahrenheit leading up to the back-to-back race days on Saturday and Sunday. The final two days of the weekend will still be warm in the 80s, with a 40 to 50 percent chance of rain.

The No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R will take the green flag for race one at 1:15 PM CT on both Saturday, May 21, and Sunday, May 22. The races will air live for free on YouTube.com/GTWorld.

DRIVER QUOTES

Charlie Luck // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R
I’m really excited about going to a new track and it looks like it’s mighty flat and will require a good handling race car. I’m certainly mighty proud of our performance at Sonoma and we’ll be ready to give a one-hundred-percent effort in Louisiana.

Jan Heylen // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R
We’re coming into the weekend leading the championship. It’s a new track, so this will be a big learning curve for all of us, both drivers and teams. We’re not sure what the surface is like, whether it has high or low grip. There is lots to learn for all of us, which is exciting, and I think it puts Charlie in a good spot because he’s a fast learner. Hopefully, that’s something that will show when we get there, and we can carry that into the weekend. For us, it’s all about collecting points. We’re going to try to win as many races as we can. We always want to do that, but our big picture is the championship. We’re going to try to keep our nose clean and come away with a bunch of points.

SCHEDULE // ALL TIMES U.S. Eastern
Thursday, May 19
9:51 AM – 10:15 AM Test 1
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Test 2

Friday, May 20
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM Bronze Test
10:40 AM – 11:40 AM Practice 1
3:35 PM – 4:35 PM Practice 2

Saturday, May 21
8:35 AM – 8:50 AM Qualify Driver 1
8:55 AM – 9:10 AM Qualify Driver 2
1:15 PM – 2:45 PM GTWCA Race 1

Sunday, May 22
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Autograph Session at Event Center
1:15 PM – 2:45 PM GTWCA Race 2

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

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