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Parker Retzlaff Hopes Dover Experience Pays Off in Xfinity Series Rumble

By
Official Release
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DOVER, Del.: Set to make his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season this weekend at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway, thriving rookie Parker Retzlaff is hopeful that his prior experience at the “Monster Mile” will reward his RSS Racing team with his second top-10 finish of the season.

Retzlaff returns to the seat of the No. 38 Ponsse Ford Mustang after a brief three-week hiatus but on the heels of a solid 12th place finish in his Martinsville (Va.) Speedway debut on April 8th.

After qualifying 20th for the Call 811 Before You Dig 250 at the famed 0.526-mile paperclip, Retzlaff exercised extreme patience throughout the race and continued to showcase his short track skills and put himself in position for his second straight top-10 finish of the year.

However, an array of late-race cautions jumbled the field and despite his best efforts, Retzlaff settled for 12th after a grueling night of beating and banging under the beaming Virginia lights.

“I’m still a little disappointed that we finished 12th at Martinsville so that just gets me fired up thinking about Dover Motor Speedway this weekend,” said Retzlaff. “I cannot thank everyone for RSS Racing enough for giving me a fast No. 38 Ponsse Ford Mustang.

“Historically, Martinsville has always been a tough place to pass and the Xfinity race was no different. I thought we were in a good place, but there was just so much chaos at the end of the race and we finished 12th. Not what we wanted, but it wasn’t terrible either.”

Eyeing to keep his name in the spotlight, the Rhinelander, Wisc. native returns to the famed Dover race track hoping his prior two ARCA Menards Series East starts at the 1.0-mile facility will pay dividends in Saturday afternoon’s A-Game 200.

In his two previous starts in 2020 and 2021 respectively, he earned a respectable seventh-place finish in his track debut and finished 12th last spring.

“I love everything about Dover,” added Retzlaff. “It is a very demanding race track and it’s a track where hitting your marks every lap is crucial to execution. Passing can be tough, but it’s doable and from time to time, you can see a stretch of long green flag runs. I’m not sure what to expect on Saturday afternoon, but our RSS Racing should be ready for any challenges that come our way.

“I know track position is going to be super important but I’m hopeful that my two prior races in ARCA East will be beneficial from a driver’s perspective. I didn’t have any prior experience at Richmond or Martinsville, so it took some time to get up to speed with those tracks, but at Dover, we should be able to go hard in practice and get a good baseline for qualifying and then the race.”

Retzlaff’s goals for his fourth of 10 Xfinity Series races with the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team is to better his 10th place finish from Richmond and inch closer to a top-five performance.

“Finishing strong is what is going to keep our momentum rolling,” continued Retzlaff. “Following Dover, I won’t be back in an Xfinity car until Nashville in June – almost two months so it’s important to have a good finish – hopefully better than Richmond so we can keep some momentum on our side and inch closer to a top-five if not this weekend than maybe at Nashville.”

Ponsse, which manufactures and markets a range of forestry vehicles and machineries such as forwarders and harvesters will return as the primary partner of Retzlaff’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for the 200-mile race.

In addition to Ponsse, Eco-Tracks, Grille Adz, Iron Horse Loggers, Northern Chill Spring Water and Pewag will serve as associate marketing partners for the 10th Xfinity Series race of the season.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to have the support of Ponsse, Eco-Tracks, Northern Chill Spring Water and our other partners not only for Dover this weekend but for the 2022 season overall,” explained Retzlaff.

“Without them, I would not be competing in the Xfinity Series this year. My goal is to go out there and just stick to the same goals we’ve had all season. We want to be better than we unloaded and go forward during the race.

“Hopefully, on Saturday afternoon, we can do a little better than 10th at the checkered flag.”

Retzlaff, 18, graduated to the Xfinity Series in 2022 after spending the last two years competing in the ARCA Menards Series East tour where in 12 starts, the Rhinelander, Wisc. native delivered one top-five and nine top-10 finishes, including a career-best fourth-place finish in June at Southern National Motorsports Park (SNMP).

In addition to Dover, Retzlaff will drive an RSS Racing entry at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Kansas Speedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and the season finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on Sat., Nov. 5, 2022.

Retzlaff added, “I feel like I’ve raced the others on the track with respect and race them how I liked to be raced. Dover has some tight quarters, but I would like to continue building on that respect with my peers and teammates and hope it will be mutual with them. I’m just looking forward to getting to Dover and getting to work.”

Outside of the cockpit, Retzlaff is an accomplished iRacer with 1,615 poles, 1,653 wins, 3,291 top-five and more than 68,800 laps led.

He is also the rookie driver of the No. 6 KOHLER Generators Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.

For more on Parker Retzlaff, please visit parkerretzlaff.com, like him on Facebook (Parker Retzlaff Racing), Instagram (@parkerRetzlaff) and follow him on Twitter (@Parker79p).

The A-Game 200 (200 laps | 200 miles) is the 10th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, April 29 from 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Qualifying follows shortly after at 3:30 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag on Saturday afternoon, April 30 shortly after 1:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

About RSS Racing:

RSS Racing field three Ford Mustangs in full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. Brothers Ryan and Kyle Sieg pilot the No. 39 and No. 28 Ford Mustangs respectively, while the third entry, the No. 38 Ford Mustang funnels a rotating list of drivers including Parker Retzlaff and Charles Joseph (C.J.) McLaughlin.

RSS Racing has competed in NASCAR events since 2009 from its headquarters in Sugar Hill, Ga.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Michael McDowell Dover Media Availability

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Dover Advance | Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang, is coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series after posting a ninth-place run on the Bristol dirt and an eighth-place effort on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. McDowell spoke with members of the media about this weekend’s trip to Dover Motor Speedway and his season to date.

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang – WHAT’S IT LIKE TO HAVE SOME MOMENTUM GOING RIGHT NOW? “It’s been nice this last couple weeks to have some solid finishes. This season has been pretty up and down for us, so far. We kicked off the year at Daytona with a decent run and had a fast car at California and Vegas, but kind of struggled the last few weeks at the short tracks with Richmond and Phoenix and Martinsville, so it’s nice to get some momentum and get things rolling in the right direction. Dover is a really fun racetrack, really intimidating. I think we’re all a bit nervous with this Next Gen car, not nervous with what’s gonna happen with it, but more of just how they’re gonna drive because it’s such a fast racetrack, a lot of loading, so it’s gonna be a challenge the first couple of laps when you unload there to see what you have.”

WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED ON MONDAY WITH DENNY HAMLIN’S TWEET. HOW DO YOU VIEW A SITUATION LIKE THAT? “I don’t know where to go with all of it. That’s kind of why I stay off of social media, to be honest with you. Everything is taken so seriously and out of context, and I think that’s a problem with social media is you don’t know a person’s intention, you don’t know what they’re trying to communicate and it’s a dangerous spot for your partners and your team and all the people around you. I don’t really have a lot of input. Honestly, I didn’t know about it until my cousin sent me a text and asked me, ‘Hey, did you see what happened?’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean? What happened?’ And I had to go look. Obviously, we’re in a predominant sport and the athletes and drivers are held to a high standard and I think that’s OK. I think that’s good, but, at the same time, you’ve got to be super careful about everything you say and do.”

WOULD YOU CONSIDER 2022 THE BEST START YOU’VE HAD IN A SEASON, NOT COUNTING LAST YEAR? “I think it is other than 2021, like you said, as far as having three top 10s in 10 races. That’s definitely the best start that we’ve had minus last year, and I think there’s a lot of potential with this Next Gen car for us to have more good results and be in contention. We were optimistic about that going into this season that this could be a year for us to really have an opportunity to shine and get better results, and so I think there’s still a lot to come this year and I’m looking forward to some of the tracks that we have circled and seeing where we can stack up against the competition. There’s a tremendous amount of development going on right now and there seems to be teams that are sorting it out pretty quickly, so we have to make sure that we keep up with the rapid pace of development of a brand new car.”

WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH A NINTH-PLACE FINISH AT BRISTOL? “I was happy. I wouldn’t say surprised. I think I finished 12th there last year, so I had a decent run and was learning a lot throughout the weekend, but my crew chief, Blake Harris, he’s got a tremendous amount of dirt experience from a driving standpoint and from a crew chief standpoint, so I felt like I had a little bit of an upper hand in that regard of somebody that really understood how the track was changing, what we need to do change-wise and setup-wise, so that felt really good having somebody in your corner with a lot of experience on the dirt and I think that played a big part of our result and getting another top 10.”

IT’S THE FIRST CONCRETE RACE OF 2022. HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE TIRE WEAR WILL BE WITH THE WIDER TIRE? “We don’t know yet. That’s one of the big question marks. This tire in general being wider and obviously with the wheels seems to cool a lot better than our previous car, so a lot of the wear issues and things have been different. I wouldn’t say there has been less wear, it’s just been different – definitely less heat, but, like you said, Dover is concrete and pretty abrasive. Typically there on a green track, a track that doesn’t have any rubber, you’re only about 10 or 15 laps into it before you start seeing cords, and so in that 20-minute practice that we have I’m not sure if we’ll have a good indication of where things are at. I’m definitely thankful that we’re in that second group of practice because I feel like that first group will lay down some rubber and give us a better indication of where the tire wear is gonna be, but I feel like Goodyear has done a really good job with not a lot of information and experience with this car. The tires so far have been really good as far as fall off and durability, so I feel like they’ve hit it pretty well so far this year and hopefully Dover will be the same.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE SPEEDS WILL BE LIKE THIS WEEKEND WITH THE NEW CAR? “I think lap time will probably be pretty similar to what we’ve seen in the past there. The bigger tire will have a bit more grip, a little bit different aero package obviously with downforce levels and horsepower, but I think it will actually be pretty close at Dover as far as lap times, within three or four tenths of where we were last year. I don’t think it’ll be a huge difference there.”

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU AND EVERYBODY AT FRONT ROW ARE PRETTY HIGH ON THIS CAR. IS IT DOING WHAT YOU EXPECTED AS FAR AS COMPETITION AND ADAPTING TO IT? “I think it’s done what we anticipated in some regards. I think that the hardest thing for us has probably been the challenge of just the limited amount of practice that you have and with the newness of this car you want to try a lot of things because it’s so new, so you want to try different packages, different geometries, springs, stiff, soft, bars, no bars, there are a lot of things that you want to work through that you can’t work through in those 20 minutes that you have leading into the race, so I feel like it’s kind of ebbed and flowed a little bit as far as the small teams being able to perform because there’s been tracks where it seems like we’re closer to the competition than we were last year, and then there have been tracks where we feel like we’re pretty similar, but I think in the next few weeks and definitely in the next few months we’ll have a better handle of what we need to do to get us closer to the competition, so I hope it plays out how we anticipated it. On the business side, I’m not really sure as far as the expense and whether it’s saving the teams money and all the things that go along with what made this move really important, but from a competition standpoint I feel like we’ve closed the gap at some places and at others we’re similar, but I feel like there’s a potential that we will still be able to close the gap even more so, so I feel good about what the car has done.”

IS THERE ANY ADDED PRESSURE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR AFTER MAKING IT A YEAR AGO? “I definitely feel like you’re always thinking about winning a race, which puts you in the playoffs. I think what it did for me last year and what it did for our team really emphasized to us the importance of making the playoffs, the importance of winning a race. It did so much for our organization and our partners and it’s just a big part of our sport to be able to do that, and so more emphasis is on trying to win than the playoffs, but the playoffs come with it. Added pressure? I don’t feel like it’s any added pressure because it’s already there. You’re always trying to perform at a high level and you’re always trying to get that win. We’re not thinking about pointing our way into it. I mean, it is possible. We’re still early in this season, but we look at it as we have to win to have a spot in that, so we’re just focusing on giving ourselves the best chance at that.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL THE NEXT GEN CAR HAS WORKED IN TERMS OF YOUR TEAM AND GETTING TO THE FRONT LIKE PETTY GMS AND TRACKHOUSE HAVE THIS SEASON? “I think the car has done a good job as far as leveling those things out, but those organizations you mentioned also had a big influx of cash and capital come into those programs and as you guys know in motorsports that’s a big part in development and having the right resources and funds to get the right people and do all those things, so I’m not surprised that those teams are more competitive than they were last year. I don’t think that is a great indication of where all the small teams will be because those weren’t small organizations. Those were big organizations that got bigger with new ownership and with new opportunities, so I think those circumstances are a little bit different, but I do feel like there is more of an opportunity with this Next Gen car than with the previous generation.”

WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR TEAM IS RIGHT NOW? “Even though we’ve had some good runs the last couple weeks I don’t feel like we’re where we need to be, but I feel like there’s the potential to get to where we need to be, so I’m not discouraged by where we’re at, but it’s not gone as well as we’d hoped, but, at the same time, we’re learning this new car and learning these new packages and there have been places we just haven’t hit it yet, so as long as we can start stringing together like we have the last few weeks, some good results, and keep building the momentum, but what’s important is having a shot at winning a race, so we are continuing to work towards that to where we can be closer to the front to give yourself that opportunity. We’re not there yet, but I feel like we have all the things that we need to get there. We just haven’t gotten there yet.”

WHAT’S IT BEEN LIKE WORKING WITH BLAKE SO FAR THIS SEASON? “Blake has done a good job. It’s been a big transition for him, not just with his role changing but taking over our program with a brand new car and a lot of changes at Front Row. I think if this would have happened last year with the old car, it would be a much smoother transition because everybody is learning so much so quickly, but he’s done a good job and I enjoy working with him. I think he’s got all the stuff that it takes to be really successful in this sport and he’s a good leader and he’s got a good personality to lead our group, so we’re just building and working on it.”

Armani Williams Returns to Reaume Brothers Racing in 2022

By
Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Armani Williams, the first NASCAR driver openly diagnosed on the autism spectrum will return to competition in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Reaume Brothers Racing beginning at Texas Motor Speedway next month.

Williams, a native of Detroit, Michigan impressed in his series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway last August finishing a respectable 21st and earning his speedway license in NASCAR competition.

“I’m incredibly grateful for this next chapter in my NASCAR career by making my Truck Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway next month,” said Williams. “We have been diligently working hard on sponsorship to run as many Truck Series races as we can this season and I’m thrilled to have a few races locked down with some terrific partners.”

To kick off his limited NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule in 2022 in the Lone Star state, Williams will be joined by co-partners IceCOLD Technology and The Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism Inc.

IceCOLD Technology LLC. is the manufacturer of the IceCOLD® synthetic catalyst, an environmentally friendly green energy efficiency product for all types of HVAC and refrigeration in residential, commercial and industrial applications.

For more than 20 years the IceCOLD product has increased efficiency and reduced the energy consumption of cooling equipment, lowered carbon emissions, reduced equipment maintenance, extended equipment life, and saved money.

“IceCOLD Technology is excited and proud to support and sponsor Armani Williams as a NASCAR driver,” offered IceCOLD Technology president Don Bryan. “Armani’s strong values, positive attitude, and confident determination are what make him an inspiration and a true champion.

“Nothing can stop Armani from being successful in life or on the track and we are honored to partner with him and watch him prove it.”

Alongside IceCOLD Technology will be The Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism Inc.

Former NFL Quarterback, Doug Flutie, and his wife Laurie started The Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism Inc. in 1998 after their son, Dougie, was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. Their personal experience of raising a son on the autism spectrum inspired them to help others on an equally long and challenging journey.

Over its 24-year history, the Flutie Foundation has distributed over $15 million to schools and organizations who provide clinical therapies, respite services, recreational programs, social skills training, job supports and more for people affected by autism.

The Flutie Foundation also provides education technology tools, adaptive camp scholarships, safety equipment, and direct family support through its partnerships and special initiatives.

“We are pleased to partner with Armani Williams to support his career goals and passions through the Flutie Fellow ambassadorship program as he competes professionally in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Doug Flutie, Co-Founder of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.

“It’s our goal at the Flutie Foundation to create a world where people with autism are included, respected, and engaged in their communities. Armani is living proof of what people with autism can accomplish.

“We are ecstatic to support Armani’s budding career dreams while partnering with him as he advocates for inclusive opportunities for his peers with autism.”

From Texas Motor Speedway, Williams will trek to the Pocono Mountains and tackle the 2.5-mile triangle of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in the CRC Brakleen 150 on July 23.

MDXclusive will make its foray into the NASCAR world as the primary partner for Williams in the 60-lap event.

MDXclusive is a Los Angeles-based wellness company founded by experienced medical professionals with over forty years of healthcare experience within intensive care, pediatrics, nursing, internal medicine, and cardiology.

Our leadership team and associated partners include diverse business professionals and alternative health advocates for the special needs community, medical research, and rigorous product testing. Our collaborative effort creates superior cannabidiol products that adhere to pharmaceutical-grade standards of production, quality, and efficacy.

Our mission includes educating and engaging medical practitioners and the CBD community to ensure that they are recommending and receiving the purest, safest, highest quality CBD product for natural support. We ensure our CBD transdermal patches, relief patches, sleep patches and oils/creams are ethically sourced.

“We are thrilled to be able to support Armani,” said Denise Chesne, Founder and CEO of MDXclusive.

“His message of defying expectations and fostering inclusivity and acceptance echoes the values of everyone at MDXclusive.”

Visit mdxclusive.com for additional information.

Williams will close out the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on November 4 with local support from Visit Mesa (Arizona) in the Lucas Oil 150.

Visit Mesa, the leading destination marketing organization for Mesa, Arizona, helped establish the Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity & Inclusion to enhance and implement equity, diversity and inclusion for youth and adults within the Mesa community.

To learn more about Mesa, Arizona’s designation as an Autism Certified City and Visit Mesa’s mission to promote the value and vitality of Mesa’s visitor economy to create a better community, go online to VisitMesa.com.

Ahead of his Truck Series debut at Phoenix, Williams will also be working heavily with Visit Mesa on several initiatives building up to NASCAR championship weekend at the Avondale, Ariz. race track, including in-market visits, video messages and various foundation programs projects.

“We are in awe of Armani’s passion to drive action and hope for those with autism,” said Alison Brooks, Director of Destination Experience & Advocacy, Visit Mesa. “He is the ideal partner to help Mesa become known as a destination for people of all abilities and honoring our creed of “City Limitless.”

The continued partnership with Reaume and the placement of the new partners were orchestrated by fgrACCEL, a full-service sports marketing and management agency. Additional races for Williams with Reaume Brothers Racing are expected this season.

“There are a lot of people that have worked tirelessly in order for me to continue my dream and I’m so thankful,” sounded Williams. “Right now, I have three opportunities with instrumental marketing partners who want to see me succeed on the race track while assisting them in building their respective brands.

“I am spending every waking moment making sure I am prepared to do my part behind the wheel. Whether that is iRacing, studying pictures, reviewing film or just talking to others in the industry. It’s my job to go out there and give my team and partners a finish they would be proud of and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”

Josh Reaume, team principal at Reaume Brothers Racing offered, “Armani is a dedicated young driver and being a part of opportunities such as this is what gets us excited at Reaume Brothers Racing!”

Williams, 22, graduated to the Truck Series after stints in the premier ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West and the Canadian-based NASCAR Pinty’s Series.

For more on Armani Williams, please visit teamarmaniracing.com, like him on Facebook (Team Armani Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@TeamArmaniRacin).

Visit Reaume Bros Racing on Facebook (Reaume Bros Racing), follow them on Twitter (@rbr_teams) and Instagram (@rbr_teams).

About Reaume Brothers Racing:

Reaume Brothers Racing is entering their fifth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fielding the No. 33 and No. 43 entries in 2022.

Reaume Brothers Racing is dedicated to providing unparalleled excellence and quality to our drivers, team members and partners.

We are committed to building value by bringing and creating a culture of competitiveness, performance and teamwork.

Ericsson to make 50th IndyCar career start at Barber

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Owens (Penske Entertainment).

Competing in his fourth full-time season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Marcus Ericsson is primed for a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park, the driver of the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda will reach 50 career starts in the IndyCar Series.

A native of Kumla, Sweden, Ericsson, a former champion of Formula BMW UK and Japanese Formula Three who also competed in five full-time seasons in Formula One, made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar Series at the start of the 2019 season. By then, Ericsson, who lost his full-time F1 seat at Alfa Romeo Sauber to Antonio Giovinazzi following the 2018 season, transitioned to full-time IndyCar competition with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for the upcoming season.

Making his debut in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March, Ericsson started 18th and finished 20th due to water pressure issues. His best on-track result through the first seven events of the season was seventh in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park in April. Soon after, he achieved his maiden IndyCar podium result in the second of a Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature at The Raceway at Belle Isle, Michigan, by finishing second behind Scott Dixon. Despite being absent for the Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway in September due to being on standby for Kimi Räikkönen for the Belgian Grand Prix in September, Ericsson earned another top-10 result (seventh at Texas Motor Speedway) during the final nine scheduled events before capping off his first IndyCar season in 17th place in the final standings.

In 2020, Ericsson joined Chip Ganassi Racing to pilot the No. 8 Dallara-Honda on a full-time basis. Commencing his sophomore IndyCar season with a 19th-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in June, he notched three top-five results throughout the 14-race schedule, including a season-best fourth-place result in the second of a Road America doubleheader feature in July. When the season concluded at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, in October, Ericsson ended up in 12th place in the final standings.

Remaining at Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2021 season and on a new multi-year contract deal, Ericsson finished in the top 10 in three of the first six races of the season. After finishing 11th in the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500, he achieved his maiden IndyCar career win in the first of a Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature in June after leading the final five laps and benefitting from a late mechanical issue that eliminated initial leader Will Power from contention. 

The momentum for Ericsson continued throughout the summer as he earned a strong runner-up result at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July and his second IndyCar career triumph in the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at the Streets of Nashville, Tennessee. The win came after Ericsson rallied from a bizarre early accident, where he ran into the rear of Sebastien Bourdais and went airborne, to lead 37 of 80 laps and fend off late challenges from Colton Herta and teammate Scott Dixon. Following his victory at Nashville, Ericsson was ranked in fifth place in the standings and trailing points leader and teammate Alex Palou by 79 points. Despite finishing in the top 10 in four of the final five IndyCar events to the schedule, the Swedish competitor ended up with a strong sixth-place result in the final standings and in a season where his average-finishing result was 9.1.

Through 49 previous IndyCar starts, Ericsson has achieved two victories, five podiums, 65 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.9. He is currently ranked in eighth place in the 2022 IndyCar Series standings on the strength of a third-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in March

Ericsson is scheduled to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR Series career start at Barber Motorsports Park for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, which will occur on Sunday, May 1, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

Toyota Racing Weekly Preview – 04.27.22

By
Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: April 25-May 1, 2022

· NCS/NXS/ARCA: Dover Motor Speedway – April 29 – May 1
· NHRA: zMax Dragway (Concord, North Carolina) – May 1

PLANO, Texas (April 27, 2022) – NASCAR and ARCA make their lone stop to the ‘Monster Mile’ – Dover Motor Speedway – this year, while NHRA competes in its final four-wide event of the season at zMax Dragway.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS

Busch consistently delivers in Dover… Kyle Busch scored Toyota’s first Cup Series victory at Dover in June 2008 and has seen consistent success at the track since. Busch has three Cup Series wins, five Xfinity Series victories and four Truck Series triumphs at the ‘Monster Mile.’

Truex returns to site of first win… Martin Truex Jr. earned his first career Cup Series victory at Dover Motor Speedway in 2007. The 2017 Cup Series champion has returned to victory lane at Dover multiple times in recent seasons, scoring victories behind the wheel of a Camry in October 2016 and May 2019.

Bell back at another strong track… Talladega pole sitter Christopher Bell carries momentum into Dover. Bell won back-to-back Xfinity races in Dover in October 2018 and May 2019.

Gibbs looks for Dover victory… Ty Gibbs made his Dover Xfinity Series debut last season and scored a top-five finish. The North Carolina-native also ran the ARCA East race last season and dominated, leading all 125 laps enroute to victory lane.

Nemechek makes another start with Gibbs… John Hunter Nemechek returns to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) for his second start in the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra this season. Nemechek has two top-fives in three Xfinity Series starts this season – a fifth-place finish with Sam Hunt Racing at Phoenix and a runner-up finish with JGR at Richmond.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA East

Smith looks to stretch lead… Reigning ARCA East champion Sammy Smith looks to stretch his points lead as he looks for back-to-back titles. Smith has won the first two races on the 2022 schedule and leads the point standings by 12 points heading into Friday’s race at Dover.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Torrence dominant at the Charlotte Four-Wide… Steve Torrence has been unbeatable at the Charlotte Four-Wide event recently. Torrence has won the last four runnings of the event (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021).

Langdon returns to special track… Shawn Langdon is back in Charlotte in a Top Fuel Dragster and Charlotte will always be a special spot for him. The 2013 Top Fuel champion won his first Funny Car race in the four-wide event in Charlotte in 2019.

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Flying Lizard Sets out on New Lamborghini Super Trofeo Effort at Laguna Seca

By
Official Release
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SALINAS, Cali., (April 27, 2022) – Starting their 19th year of operation, sports car racing team Flying Lizard begins a new chapter this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with the start of the 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America championship.

The ten-time sports car racing champions started in IMSA 2004, racing Porsche machinery, eventually becoming a Porsche factory-backed effort. In the years to follow, the team has managed multiple racing efforts in a variety of series and machinery, continuing to win championships in every series in which they have participated. As previously announced, the Lizards will return to the IMSA paddock and make their Super Trofeo North America debut this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, entering three cars in the 2022 season, beginning with this weekend’s two-race event.

“This is an exciting time for Flying Lizard Motorsports,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “Having raced and won in so many different sports car championships, Lamborghini Super Trofeo is one we have not competed in yet but one that we have considered for a long time. We have been working with Chris Ward and Lamborghini for a while now, they are an amazing group to work with and the success of this series is proof of that. We are also very excited to be back in the IMSA paddock where we have so much history and success.”

The team recently took part in a private two-day test at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with two of the three entries, giving drivers Slade Stewart and Tom Tait the opportunity to test their new Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2 cars in varying weather conditions at the 2.2238-mile road course. The No. 11 Giddy Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo2 that will be driven by Brett Jacobson and Joel Miller arrived after the test, making Friday’s opening practice the first time the pair turns laps in the new car. Fortunately, the Lizard engineers acquired plenty of data from the private test and will have ample amounts of data to offer the drivers for the first race weekend of the season.

“We have a great a great group of drivers that we feel will be fighting for the championships all season long,” said Law. “It will be a unique challenge to have three full-season cars entered in three different championships: Pro/Am, Am, and LB Cup. Although Laguna Seca isn’t our home track, it is just a couple of hours south of our race shops in Sonoma, so it feels like a home race for us. Laguna Seca is such a beautiful venue, a great place to race, and has a great fan base. One of our main supporters, Lamborghini Newport Beach, will have a large group of people coming out and we hope to give them something to cheer for. We are really looking forward to starting the 2022 championship season this coming weekend.”

Thirty-four entries will take part in the season opener, split into three classes: Pro, ProAm, Am, and LB Cup. The weekend will consist of two practice and two qualifying sessions before concluding the event with a pair of races. Each race will run for 50 minutes, with one required pit stop. Race one will take place at 1:50 PM PT on Saturday, followed by race two on Sunday, May 1 at 9:40 AM. Both races will air live on www.imsa.com/tv, with coverage from IMSA Radio.

Brett Jacobson (ProAm)
No. 11 Giddy Lamborghini Super Trofeo
This will be my first time at Laguna Seca as well as driving the Super Trofeo car but very much looking forward to it! The dynamic of the race with two drivers is something I have been looking forward to learning as well. We got our car late so no testing was possible but have confidence in the Flying Lizards team that we can progress each session and by the time the races arrive have a good podium opportunity!

Joel Miller (ProAm)
No. 11 Giddy Lamborghini Super Trofeo
I am looking forward to starting the Super Trofeo season at Laguna Seca with Brett. We just received the car so not able to test like we wanted but the team has good data from there and can rely on their expertise. It will be our first time running in Super Trofeo together so looking forward to the new car and the challenge of the championship.

Slade Stewart (LB Cup)
No. 14 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
Like everyone, I’m looking forward to getting this season started. We had a successful test previously at Laguna Seca, and we were able to learn a lot and get some valuable seat time. We’ll take all that information into this race weekend and no doubt have some fun in a very competitive field. There’s a lot of competition this year, and I’m proud to be with a team as strong as the Lizards. They have a strong and successful history, and I know we’ll have a great season.

Tom Tait (Am)
No. 64 Emerald Center Lamborghini Super Trofeo
Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the most iconic racetracks in the world, and my favorite track to race. It is a very special place for me, having raced here with the Jim Russell School, Pro Mazda, Super Vee, and Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy. I have been fortunate to spend time on the podium after most of those races! The beautiful countryside, elevation changes, varying camber, and enthusiastic fans all contribute to the electric atmosphere and great racing at Laguna Seca. I am really looking forward to an epic weekend of racing with Flying Lizard Motorsports and visiting with our friends and sponsors at Lamborghini Newport Beach and Emerald Center. I could not have chosen a better place to kick off our Lamborghini Super Trofeo 2022 championship Season.

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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 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
Giddy Brand Anthem

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.

DEX Imaging Team Ready To Take On Dover

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Official Release
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#21: Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing, Dex Imaging Ford Mustang

Dover Motor Speedway bills itself as the Monster Mile, but Brian Wilson, crew chief of the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang, said he’s not intimidated over the prospects of racing on the fast, one-mile concrete oval.

In fact, he enjoys the challenges of racing there.

“Personally I think Dover is the most underrated track that we go to,” Wilson said. “I love the speed that we’re able to carry on entry [into the turns], the unloading on entry followed by the big landing moment in the center of the corner.

“I love that you can run a diamond in the center of the corner and also have to pay attention to how the track takes rubber with how that affects the line you run.

“It’s a very challenging race track for cars historically with the amount of load that suspension parts see, but it’s also challenging for crew chiefs in that you have to keep up with the track.

“All of that makes it incredibly rewarding when you run well there.”

Wilson said he, driver Harrison Burton and the rest of the DEX Imaging crew are anxious to get back to the race track and put a disappointing Talladega finish behind them.

“I know that everyone on our team is looking forward to the race on Sunday with plans to continue our team’s progress forward,” he said.

Practice for the DuraMAX Drydene 400 is set for Saturday morning at 10:30 Eastern Time followed by qualifying at 11:15.

Sunday’s 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

Stage breaks are set for Laps 120 and 250.

About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

RedTide Canopy Named Official Canopy of ADRL

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Official Release
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DALLAS – The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) announced today that RedTide Canopies, based out of Salt Lake City, has been named as the Official Canopy Supplier for the 2022 Extreme Racing Oil & Fuel ADRL Tour presented by RJS Racing Equipment. The season kicks off May 13-14 at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas.

RedTide Canopies is a product made by racers, for racers, said owner Josh Minson. A drag racer himself, Minson said the ADRL provides ideal venues in which to market their product.

“I would have to say it was a no-brainer,” Minson said of the decision to partner with ADRL. “We have been racers in the series as well as provided canopies to the organization. In an effort to continue serving our fellow racers, we felt it would be a good relationship.

“We have worked with (ADRL Promoter) Mel Roth and the Premier Street Car Association for several years, so we thought, why not have some fun and promote an awesome drag racing series that brings fans and racers to the track? It’s perfect for our product to be in front of a captive audience of diehard racing enthusiasts.”

Roth said RedTide Canopies found success at his PSCA and Street Car Super Nationals events and sees no reason why the experience with ADRL will be any different.

“You don’t think about stuff like custom canopies and the promotional items Red Tide offers until you need them,” Roth said. “Instead of going somewhere like Walmart, where the product isn’t quality, or somewhere where you’re going to spend a ton, you can come over to their booth at the track or contact them online, get what you need and know you are working with the best of the best!”

For more information on RedTide Canopies, visit them online at RedTideCanopies.com or on social media at Facebook.com/RedTideCanopies and on Twitter @WhatIsRedTide.

Marketing partners and racers interested in being involved with the 2022 Extreme Racing Oil & Fuel ADRL Tour presented by RJS Racing can email info@adrltour.com or by calling/texting Roth directly at 661-917-3078.

2022 ADRL Tour Schedule:

Dragstock May 13-14: Texas Motorplex
Gateway Drags Aug 5-6: World Wide Technology Raceway
U.S. Drags Sept 16-17: Texas Motorplex
Stampede of Speed Oct 11: Texas Motorplex (Pro Extreme Only)

Get the Gear! Need your merch for the 2022 ADRL Tour? Get everything you need by clicking HERE or by heading to the at-track Adrenaline Zone at every ADRL event!

For more information on the American Drag Racing League and to stay up-to-date on breaking news, follow them on their official page on Facebook at Facebook.com/ADRLTour and on Instagram and Twitter at @ADRLTour. Fans can also visit the official ADRL website at ADRLTour.com.

JR Motorsports — NXS Dover Preview

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Official Release
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JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Dover Motor Speedway
RACE: A-Game 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, April 30, 2022

Broadcast Information – TV: 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 1 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer is set to make his first start at the “Monster Mile” in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend in the Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet.
• Mayer has made two combined starts at the 1-mile concrete oval between the Truck Series and ARCA Series. He won the 2020 ARCA event there.
• The 18-year-old Franklin, Wis. native has shown speed on concrete ovals in the NXS, as he led 49 laps and finished ninth at Bristol Motor Speedway last season.
• The No. 1 team holds on to the top spot in NASCAR’s loop data statistics for being the fastest on restarts and currently sits third on overall green flag speed to date this season.

Josh Berry
No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet
• Josh Berry has made one start at Dover in the NXS with a finish of second coming during this event last season. By virtue of his second-place finish, Berry won the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash payday.
• In 19 starts on tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length in the
NXS, Berry has earned one win, six top fives and nine top
10s, while pacing the field for 97 laps.
• Following the finish at Talladega Superspeedway last
weekend, Berry moved to fourth in the championship
standings, only 100 points behind the series leader.
• Berry’s 48 laps led at Dover are the second most at any
track in the NXS for the 31-year-old.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• For the second straight season, Noah Gragson comes to Dover with a chance at the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus, thanks to his victory last week at Talladega. Gragson has won four of the bonuses in his career.
• Gragson enters the race as the most recent winner in the NXS after a thrilling triumph at Talladega in his No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber® Camo/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet. With a total of seven career victories, he is now ranked second on JRM’s all-time win list in NXS competition.
• The 23-year-old Nevada native has a top-five and four top10 finishes in six starts at Dover’s Monster Mile, the best being a fourth-place finish in 2020.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Door Bumper Clear Chevrolet
• In 21 previous starts in the NXS at Dover Motor Speedway, Justin Allgaier has scored two wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s and 447 laps led.
• Additionally, the Illinois native has placed no worse than seventh at the 1-mile concrete oval dating back to the fall of 2017.
• In this event last season, Allgaier led for 94 laps and won Stage One before taking the checkered flag in the third position.
• Allgaier ranks first in laps led (447), quality passes (306), laps run inside the top 15 (3,555) and fastest laps run (280) at Dover, according to NASCAR’s loop data statistics.

Driver Quotes

“Dover is one of just a couple of tracks that I haven’t been to yet in the Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions No. 1 car, but we have been putting in a lot of sim time to make sure I am ready for this weekend. I ran the Truck and ARCA car here back in 2020 and won the ARCA race so that gives me a little extra confidence heading into a pretty difficult track. I know restarts are going to be tricky, so if we can stay clean we may be contending for the win at the end of the day.” – Sam Mayer

“I can’t wait to get to Dover this weekend with our No. 7 team. We’ve been really strong there the last couple of years and I feel extremely confident that we are going to pick up right where we left off when we hit the track for practice on Friday. Hopefully we can have a solid, smooth weekend and be right where we need to be come race time to fight for the win. I’m ready to go.” – Justin Allgaier

“We had a really strong run last year in Dover and almost came away with the win but fell just short. We did win the $100k and helped JRM sweep the Dash 4 Cash so that was exciting. The last month or so we haven’t had any luck go our way, so we need to turn that around and it starts this weekend for our Tire Pros team. We’ve been fast but the results don’t show it.” – Josh Berry

“Dover is one of those tracks where we have always had good speed but we just couldn’t capitalize. We’ve been near the front every time we have been here but things just never went our way. This Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team is coming off a strong run that put us in Victory Lane last weekend so our confidence is high and we are going to ride that momentum into Dover this weekend.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:

• JR Motorsports at Dover: JR Motorsports has competed at Dover Motor Speedway a combined 79 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the 1-mile facility, the organization has tallied four wins, 26 top fives and 52 top 10s. JRM’s most recent win came with Justin Allgaier during the 2020 season. Allgaier led 120 of 200 laps en route to the victory. Dover holds the second-best average finish for JRM at 10.3 and is third on the list for organizational laps led at 804.
• Tire Pros Store Appearance: JRM driver Josh Berry will be signing autographs at the In and Out Tire Pros store located at 24572 Betts Pond Road, Millsboro, DE 19966 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 28.
• Souvenir Rig Appearance: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Hendrick Motorsports souvenir trailer at Dover Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 30 from 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. local time.
• Fight Hunger. Spark Change: For 2022, Walmart and Sam’s Club are once again coming together in support of the Feeding America® network through the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign. Now in its ninth year, the campaign has been a way for Walmart and Sam’s Club to partner with suppliers, customers and members – including our partner, Unilever, to help provide food to people in need. For more information on the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign and for ways to donate, please visit www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub.

No. 10 Smithfield/Weis Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Dover Advance

By
Official Release
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ARIC ALMIROLA
Dover Advance
No. 10 Smithfield/Weis Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: DuraMax Drydene 400 (Round 11 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 1
● Location: Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1-mile, concrete oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 120 laps / Stage 2: 130 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● This weekend marks Almirola’s final fulltime NASCAR Cup Series start at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway. In his previous 18 Cup Series starts there, he has two top-five finishes, four top-10s, and he’s led 86 laps. In the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Dover, Almirola visited victory lane after leading seven laps. It was his first Truck Series win. Almirola has four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Dover with a best finish of ninth.

● Although the statistics might not suggest it, Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang team have come oh so close to hoisting the trophy at Dover in the Cup Series. In the fall 2018 race there, he started 11th and gradually made his way into the lead by the final stage. He led a total of 64 laps before a late caution, but contact with the wall while racing aggressively in the closing laps ruined his victory bid and left him with a 13th-place finish. It was the first time the Tampa, Florida, native led laps on the concrete mile oval.

● Points: Almirola arrives at Dover 10th in the driver standings with 265 points, 103 out of first.

● Almirola’s career: In 398 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has earned three wins, 27 top-five finishes, 88 top-10s, three poles, and has led 899 laps.

● Through their relationship with Smithfield, Mid-Atlantic food retailer Weis Markets rejoins the No. 10 Ford at Dover for the third consecutive season with co-primary branding on the upper rear quarter panels, decklid and television panel of the uniquely colored red, white and black paint scheme this weekend.

● Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc., is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.SmithfieldFoods.com, and connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

● Almirola was the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to finish in the top-10 in this year’s opening three races. He finished fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, sixth at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Almirola’s top-10 streak ended with a 12th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway despite running inside the top-10 throughout the race.

● One More Time: On Jan. 10, Almirola released a video on his YouTube channel announcing his retirement from fulltime NASCAR Cup Series racing after the 2022 season to spend more time with his family. This year marks Almirola’s 11th fulltime Cup Series season. The official press release can be viewed here.

● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series:In 2022, Almirola is once again sharing his life beyond the No. 10 Smithfield Ford with season three of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and it gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield/Weis Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

This is your last fulltime NASCAR Cup Series start at Dover. What are your feelings going into the weekend?

“I get asked what my favorite track is all the time during media days and meet-and-greets. My answer is always Dover and it shocks people. They would think Talladega or Daytona because I have had success there, but Dover is just a place I always love to race at. I got my first Truck Series win there and I always feel confident when we race there. It’s going to be bittersweet, but what will make it even sweeter is getting to victory lane again.”

What do you like about Dover?

“I love going to Dover because it’s one of those places you go 170 mph but you feel like you’re going 300 mph. The sensation of speed you get is unbelievable. We had a shot to win that race in 2018 and we led a lot of laps. Every time I go back there, I think about how we have the capabilities to run up front and win, which is the mindset we want every weekend.”

No. 10 Smithfield/Weis Ford Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Davin Restivo
Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Robbie Fairweather
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Rusty Davidson
Hometown: Mount Juliet, Tennessee

Transporter Co-Driver: Steven Casper
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

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