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Berry prevails in battle with teammate Allgaier for Xfinity win at Charlotte

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

In a dominant run by JR Motorsports on home turf, Josh Berry prevailed after a late battle with teammate Justin Allgaier before cruising to win the Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 28.

The 31-year-old Berry from Hendersonville, Tennessee, led five times for a race-high 89 of 200 laps, including the final 23 after intimidating and battling Allgaier for the top spot two laps earlier. Following those two intense laps of battling with his JR Motorsports teammate, Berry gained a huge advantage.

It enabled him to snatch the lead for good and drive away for the win when Allgaier got into the wall and eventually pitted under green due to a flat tire. Having an advantage of three-quarters of a mile over Ty Gibbs for the final 23 laps of the event, Berry proceeded to capture his second NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season.

On-track qualifying to determine the starting lineup occurred on Friday and rookie Sam Mayer notched his first Xfinity career pole after recording a pole-winning lap at 179.892 mph in 30.018 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate Justin Allgaier, who posted a fast qualifying lap at 178.571 mph in 30.240 seconds.

Prior to the event, names like Ryan Vargas, Trevor Bayne, Brandon Jones, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Ty Gibbs and Joe Graf Jr. dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective cars. In addition, Riley Herbst dropped to the rear of the field as he started the event in a backup car.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Mayer took off with an early advantage while Ryan Preece battled and overtook Allgaier for the runner-up spot as the field made their way through the backstretch and back to the frontstretch.

Following the first lap, which was led by Mayer, Preece battled and overtook Mayer through the frontstretch during the following lap to assume the lead while JR Motorsports’ Noah Gragson, Allgaier and Mayer fanned out while battling for the runner-up spot. 

Two laps later, Gragson battled against teammates Allgaier and Mayer for the runner-up spot and muscled his No. 9 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro to the front as Preece and Allgaier fought for the runner-up spot. Behind, Mayer was overtaken by teammate Josh Berry for fourth place.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Gragson was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Preece followed by Berry, Allgaier and Mayer while AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Landon Cassill, Austin Dillon and Jeb Burton were in the top 10. Brett Moffitt was in 11th followed by rookie Sheldon Creed, Brandon Jones, Ty Gibbs, rookie Austin Hill, Stefan Parsons, Ryan Sieg, Trevor Bayne, JJ Yeley and Jeremy Clements while Riley Herbst was in 22nd. By then, Brandon Brown had made an unscheduled pit stop under green to address a flat right-front tire.

Five laps later, the first caution of the event flew when Brandon Jones slipped sideways and spun below the banking in Turn 1 as he came back across the track while being dodged by the field. 

Another four laps later, the race resumed under green. At the start, Gragson rocketed to the lead followed by teammates Berry, Mayer and Allgaier while Preece slipped back to fifth through Turns 2 and 3. Not long after, however, the caution returned when Timmy Hill slipped sideways and spun against the outside wall in Turn 3.

When the race proceeded under green on Lap 25, Gragson retained the lead while Mayer, who slid up the track through Turn 1, was left battling teammate Berry for the runner-up spot in front of teammate Allgaier. Behind, Allmendinger made his move on Preece for fifth place before Preece regained his momentum and challenged Allgaier for fourth place. 

By Lap 30, Gragson was leading by nearly six-tenths of a second over teammate Berry while teammate Allgaier trailed by more than a second in third place. Preece was in fourth ahead of Allmendinger and Mayer while Hemric, Moffitt, Ty Gibbs and Trevor Bayne were in the top 10. By then, Jeb Burton made an unscheduled pit stop to address a flat right-front tire.

Just then, the third caution of the event flew when Brandon Brown got loose and spun below the apron in Turn 3.

When the race restarted under green on Lap 35, Josh Berry used the outside lane to his advantage as he assumed the lead while Gragson was left battling teammate Allgaier and Allmendinger for the runner-up spot. Behind, Daniel Hemric muscled his way into the top five ahead of Mayer, Preece and Moffitt while Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs and Bayne were in the top 10.

Through the first 40 scheduled laps, Berry extended his advantage to more than a second over teammate Allgaier while teammate Gragson trailed by two seconds in third place. Kaulig Racing’s Allmendinger and Hemric were in the top five followed by Mayer, Moffitt, Preece, Gibbs and Brandon Jones while Bayne, Creed, Ryan Sieg, Hill and Riley Herbst were in the top 15.

Shortly after, the caution flew due to a multi-car wreck on the frontstretch that involved Myatt Snider, Kyle Weatherman and Jeffrey Earnhardt. The caution was enough for the first stage, scheduled for Lap 45, to conclude under the yellow flag as Berry captured his fourth stage victory of the season. Teammates Allgaier and Gragson settled in second and third followed by Allmendinger, Hemric, Mayer, Preece, Ty Gibbs, Brandon Jones and Moffitt. During the caution period, Landon Cassill, who was in 16th, lost power on the backstretch and needed assistance back to his pit stall while his crew went to work to diagnose a fuel pump issue to his No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro.

Under the stage break, the leaders led by Berry pitted and Allgaier exited with the lead followed by Berry, Brandon Jones, Mayer, Hemric and Allmendinger. During the pit stops, Gragson’s pit crew popped the hood up on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro to address a potential mechanical issue.

The second stage started on Lap 49 as teammates Allgaier and Berry occupied the front row. At the start, Allgaier retained the lead after receiving a push from teammate Mayer while teammates Berry and Mayer battled behind for the runner-up spot in front of Allmendinger and Brandon Jones.

Through the following lap, Berry challenged Allgaier for the lead on the inside lane through Turns 3 and 4, but Allgaier managed to use the outside lane to fight back through the frontstretch. Then, as Berry tried to clear Allgaier in Turn 1, he slipped up the track and Allgaier used the crossover move on the inside lane to reassume the lead as teammate Mayer joined the battle. 

By Lap 60, Allgaier continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second over teammate Berry while Mayer trailed by more than a second in third place. Allmendinger and Brandon Jones were in the top five ahead of Hemric, Gibbs, Bayne, Preece and Creed while Herbst, Sieg, Moffitt, Hill, Austin Dillon, Snider, Clements, Anthony Alfredo, Jeb Burton and Bayley Currey were in the top 20.

Nearly 15 laps later, the caution flew when Jeb Burton got loose and spun from the top to the bottom lane in Turn 1. By then, Allgaier led by nearly a second over teammate Berry while Mayer, Allmendinger and Brandon Jones remained in the top five. 

When the race restarted under green on Lap 78, the front-runners fanned out as Allgaier just managed to stay ahead of Mayer and Allmendinger while Berry slipped back to fifth. 

During the following lap, Brandon Jones slipped sideways again through Turns 3 and 4 while running in the top five, but he managed to keep his No. 19 Menards Toyota Supra straight and running despite losing a bevy of spots as the race proceeded under green.

Back at the front, Allgaier was ahead by nearly nine-tenths of a second over Mayer while Berry worked his way back to third place ahead of Allmendinger and Bayne.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 90 amid the on-track actions and battles ensuing around the track, Allgaier captured his third stage victory of the season. Berry worked his way back into the runner-up spot followed by Mayer, Bayne, Preece, Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Creed, Hemric and Moffitt.

Under the stage break, the leaders led by Allgaier returned to pit road for adjustments and Berry reassumed the lead after exiting with the top spot followed by Bayne, Mayer, Allgaier, Creed and Preece. During the pit stops, Allgaier lost three spots due to an issue with changing the left-front tire on his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Following the pit stops, Creed was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation while Josh Williams was penalized for speeding on pit road. In addition, Nicholas Sanchez was penalized for removing the jack out of his pit box while Joe Graf Jr. was penalized for a safety violation.

With 101 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Berry and Bayne dueled for the lead for a full lap as Berry emerged ahead to lead the halfway mark on Lap 100.

During the following lap, Berry cleared the field to retain the lead while Preece muscled his way into the runner-up spot. Behind, Allgaier and Bayne battled for third place while Mayer was in fifth ahead of Allmendinger.

Then with 97 laps remaining, the caution flew when Riley Herbst blew a right-front tire and scrapped his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang against the outside wall in Turn 3.

With 91 laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Berry and Preece occupied the front row. At the start, Berry and Preece battled for the lead until Preece managed to pull his No. 5 Hunt Brother’s Pizza Ford Mustang ahead in Turn 3. Behind, however, the caution returned again due to another multi-car wreck that involved Austin Dillon, Ryan Sieg, Anthony Alfredo, Stefan Parsons and Joe Graf Jr. 

Following an extensive caution period, the race restarted under green with 81 laps remaining, At the start, Berry battled and fended off Preece to lead while Allgaier moved into the runner-up spot ahead of Preece. Behind, Mayer was in fourth ahead of Bayne, Hill, Allmendinger, Gibbs, Hemric and Brandon Jones.

With 70 laps remaining, Berry was leading by nearly seven-tenths of a second over teammate Allgaier while third-place Preece trailed by nearly three seconds. Mayer was in fourth ahead of Bayne while Hill, Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Gragson and Hemric occupied the top 10. In the midst of the on-track action, Allmendinger pitted under green to address a flat tire and lost two laps in the process.

Ten laps later, Berry continued to lead by more than a second over Allgaier while Mayer was in third place, trailing by more than seven seconds. Behind, Bayne passed Preece to move into fourth while Gibbs was in sixth. Gragson, meanwhile, was up to eighth in between Brandon Jones and Hill while Hemric was in 10th ahead of Creed.

Another 10 laps later, Berry led the field by three-tenths of a second over Allgaier who was methodically closing in on him. Behind, Mayer and Bayne remained in third and fourth while Ty Gibbs overtook Preece to move into the top five. Soon after, Brandon Jones rallied his way into sixth place while Preece fell back to seventh. By then, 17 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap.

A few laps later, Creed pitted his No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro. He was soon followed by Clements, Josh Williams, Bailey Currey, Preece, Hemric and Bayne as a cycle of green-flag pit stops ensued. During the pit stops, Bayne and Austin Hill were both penalized for speeding on pit road. 

Nearing the final 40 laps, teammates Berry and Allgaier pitted from the top-two spots as Gragson, who still had to make a pit stop, emerged out in front. Once Gragson pitted with 38 laps remaining, Allgaier cycled his way into the lead by a narrow margin over teammate Berry while third-place Preece trailed by nine seconds.

With 30 laps remaining, Allgaier retained the lead by nearly four-tenths of a second over teammate Berry while third-place Preece trailed the two leaders by more than 11 seconds. Meanwhile, Gibbs and Mayer were in the top five while Brandon Jones, Gragson, Hemric, Garrett Smithley and Creed were in the top 10.

Then with 25 laps remaining, teammates Allgaier and Berry duked it out for the lead through the frontstretch. As Berry made a move on the inside lane and slid up the track in Turn 1, Allgaier pulled a crossover move beneath Berry through the backstretch. They nearly made contact against one another through Turn 3 before Allgaier pulled ahead in Turn 4. Just then, Allgaier made contact with the outside wall in Turn 1. This allowed Berry, who had repeatedly pressured Allgaier for the lead, to surge ahead to the top spot, though Allgaier kept his teammate within his sights. 

Under the final 20 laps, Berry stabilized his advantage to more than two-tenths of a second over teammate Allgaier while Preece, who trailed by more than 16 seconds, was under pressure by Ty Gibbs for third place.

Nearing the final 15 laps, the battle for the lead ignited once again between teammates Berry and Allgaier amid lapped traffic as Allgaier tried to issue another challenge for the lead. Then shortly after, Allgaier made contact with the wall in Turn 1. He then made contact with the wall again in Turn 3 as he cut a tire and was forced to pit under green. 

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Berry was out in front by more than 16 seconds over Ty Gibbs while Mayer, Preece and Gragson occupied the top five. Hemric was the last competitor scored on the lead lap in sixth place while Creed was the first competitor a lap down in seventh place. Allgaier, meanwhile, was back in eighth place, a lap down, while Bayne and Myatt Snider were in the top 10.

With five laps remaining, Berry stabilized his advantage to more than 16 seconds over Gibbs.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Berry remained as the leader by nearly 17 seconds over Gibbs. Having a huge lead to his advantage, Berry easily cycled his way back to the frontstretch and went on to claim his second checkered flag of the season.

With the victory, Berry notched his first win at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his second Xfinity Series victory of the season and the fourth win of his career in his 42nd series start. The victory was also a first at Charlotte in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports as Berry became the third multi-winner of this year’s Xfinity season.

Photo by Ted Seminara for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“Man, it’s so amazing,” Berry, who led a race-high 89 of 200, said on FS1. “This car was so good. [Crew chief] Mike [Bumgarner] and this whole group have worked so hard. We’ve been getting better every week. I think the sky’s the limits as we continue to learn about each other and keep getting better. I’m so happy for Harrison’s USA. This is their home track…Just truly so amazing. Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. and Kelley [Earnhardt Miller], LW [Miller], thank you, all of you, for what you do. That was a battle with Justin [Allgaier]. It always is with us. We always just seem to run good at the same places and always have to race each other, but he slipped up in [Turn] 1. I got loose too. I was following off him and he got loose. I got loose, too. Man, it all worked out.”

Finishing in second place and 18 seconds behind Berry was Ty Gibbs, who won the spring Xfinity Charlotte event a year ago, while Mayer, Gragson and Preece finished in the top five.

Hemric came home in sixth place and as the final competitor on the lead lap while Allgaier, Creed, Bayne and Snider finished in the top 10 amid a lapped behind.

“[I’m] Just proud of our team,” Allgaier, who led 63 laps, said. “After the first contact into the wall, I kind of felt like maybe the right rear [tire] was going soft and ultimately, it ended up going down. I got the fence again and had to pit under green, so just disappointing, but congrats to Josh and this whole JR Motorsports team. It’s nice to have the momentum we’ve got right now. We’re gonna keep riding that high.”

There were 12 lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 44 laps.

With the first half of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season stretch complete, AJ Allmendinger leads the standings by 33 points over Noah Gragson, 40 over Ty Gibbs, 58 over Justin Allgaier and 60 over Josh Berry.

AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Ty Gibbs, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones and rookie Austin Hill are currently guaranteed spots for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch. Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, Daniel Hemric, Landon Cassill and Ryan Sieg occupy the remaining vacant spots in the Playoffs as winless competitors. Anthony Alfredo trails the cutline by 48 points, Jeb Burton trails by 50, rookie Sheldon Creed trails by 59, Brett Moffitt trails by 73, Brandon Browns trails by 76, Myatt Snider trails by 122 and Jeremy Clements trails by 129.

Results.

1. Josh Berry, 89 laps led, Stage 1 winner

2. Ty Gibbs

3. Sam Mayer, two laps led

4. Noah Gragson, 36 laps led

5. Ryan Preece, 10 laps led

6. Daniel Hemric

7. Justin Allgaier, one lap down, 63 laps led, Stage 2 winner

8. Sheldon Creed, one lap down

9. Trevor Bayne, one lap down

10. Myatt Snider, one lap down

11. Brett Moffitt, one lap down

12. Jeb Burton, one lap down

13. Ryan Ellis, one lap down

14. Austin Hill, one lap down

15. Bayley Currey, two laps down

16. Brandon Jones, two laps down

17. Brandon Brown, two laps down

18. JJ Yeley, two laps down

19. AJ Allmendinger, two laps down

20. Matt Mills, two laps down 

21.  Garrett Smithley, three laps down

22. Jeremy Clements, three laps down

23. CJ McLaughlin, four laps down

24. Shane Lee, four laps down

25. Riley Herbst, four laps down

26. Ryan Vargas, 13 laps down

27. Josh Williams – OUT, Suspension

28. Nicholas Sanchez – OUT, Ignition

29. Landon Cassill, 69 laps down

30. Stefan Parsons, – OUT, Accident

31. Austin Dillon – OUT, Accident

32. Ryan Sieg – OUT, Accident

33. Anthony Alfredo – OUT, Accident

34. Joe Graf Jr. – OUT, Accident

35. Brennan Poole – OUT, Brakes

36. Kyle Weatherman – OUT, Accident

37. Jeffrey Earnhardt – OUT, Accident

38. Timmy Hill – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is the series’ inaugural visit to Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 4, at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Toyota Racing – NXS Charlotte Post-Race Report – 05.28.22

By
Official Release
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GIBBS DRIVES THROUGH THE FIELD TO FINISH SECOND IN CHARLOTTE
Ty Gibbs earns his fifth top-five finish of the season

CHARLOTTE (May 28, 2022) – After starting 36th due to an incident in practice, Ty Gibbs (second) drove through the field to lead Toyota with a runner-up finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race 13 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Josh Berry*
2nd, TY GIBBS
3rd, Sam Mayer*
4th, Noah Gragson*
5th, Ryan Preece*
9th, TREVOR BAYNE
16th, BRANDON JONES
37th, JEFFREY EARNHARDT
38th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

How close were you to having a perfect day after having to start in the back of the field?

“We were just a little slower than those guys and I was too tight center. Our guys worked really hard overnight to get this thing ready so I’m very thankful to my guys. Just need to be able to rotate the center of the corner, that’s where we were lacking the most and that’s where we got beat. But we held onto a second-place finish. We’ll take that – solid day.”

Is this a satisfying day with this finish?

“No, never satisfied unless you win and you can make mistakes and win too, but you have to fix those. If not, then you shouldn’t be here.”

How was passing on the race track and how did the resin come in on the top groove?

“I still think the resin, I just don’t really like it at race tracks like this to put on a good show. I really don’t think we need any, but we have to make it happen and we did. The resin was nice, better than the PJ1. It was cool to run the top, but three and four is just so rough with all the sealer that they put down. Just making sure your car is setup to get through there. If you lose the nose through the bumps then you’ll hit the wall and you don’t want to do that. Need to make sure your car is free enough to get through there.”

#

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.

WWE Superstar Lacey Evans Named Grand Marshal
For Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, Rounding Out a Star-Studded, Patriotic Slate of Weekend Dignitaries

By
Official Release
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WWE Superstar Lacey Evans joins a star-studded lineup of weekend dignitaries for the Coca-Cola 600, where she will serve as Grand Marshal.

CONCORD, N.C. (May 27, 2022) – The world’s most patriotic racing event will feature a star-studded list of dignitaries, as the 63rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway is just four days from thrilling race fans from across the globe. No stranger to delivering in the ring, WWE Superstar Lacey Evans has been named Grand Marshal, and will deliver the most famous words in motorsports when she gives the command to fire engines before the start of Sunday’s 600-mile showdown.

The weekend fun kicks off Friday with the ARCA Menards Series’ General Tire 150 and the Camping World Truck Series N.C. Education Lottery 200 as well as an energetic performance at Circle K Speed Street by Grammy-nominated rapper Flo Rida. On Saturday, Xfinity Series drivers will battle for supremacy in the Alsco Uniforms 300 and the NASCAR Cup Series will take the track for the first time to set the field for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. Steve Miller Band will rock the Circle K Speed Street stage. The party moves to the infield on Sunday as the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd is scheduled to perform a 60-minute pre-race concert before the patriotic salute to the U.S. Armed Services and the green flag for the Coca-Cola 600.

Dignitaries for Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300:

  • Honorary Starter: Chris Strickland, General Manager, Alsco Uniforms Durham
  • Grand Marshal: Mike Johnson, Sales Consultant, Alsco
  • Presentation of Colors: Charlotte Fire Department Honor Guard
  • Invocation: Will Strong, chaplain
  • National Anthem: Damien Fraser

Dignitaries for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 include:

  • Honorary Race Director: Eric Tarr , West Virginia Finance Chair
  • Honorary Pace Car Driver: DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers
  • Honorary Starter: Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears
  • Grand Marshal: Lacey Evans, WWE Superstar
  • God Bless The USA: Lee Greenwood
  • Presentation of Colors: Joint Color Guard
  • Invocation: Capt. Melvin Underwood, United States Navy
  • Amazing Grace: Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band
  • Taps: Benjamin Aird, “The Commandant’s Own” U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps
  • 21 Gun Salute: U.S. Navy
  • National Anthem: SPC Will McCarthy

TICKETS:
Tickets to the Coca-Cola 600 start at just $49 for adults. Kids 12 and under get in for just $10 with a paying adult. For tickets to all of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s events, including the 63rd running of the Coca-Cola 600, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.

KEEP TRACK:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

‘Watermelon Man’ Chastain Breaks Through, Wins NC Education Lottery 200

By
Official Release
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Ross Chastain celebrates after winning Friday's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Chris Owens photo)

CONCORD, N.C. (May 27, 2022) – Ross Chastain delivered Niece Motorsports its fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in dramatic fashion in Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Chastain inherited a golden opportunity to win after Carson Hocevar, his Niece teammate, was involved in a crash with Ryan Preece to set up the final caution. Chastain restarted second on the green-white-checkered restart with two laps to go, and used pushes from John Hunter Nemechek and Grant Enfinger to take the lead and hold it in the closing moments.

The win also marked the fourth Truck Series triumph for Chastain, who used Friday’s race as a tune-up for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 in his bid for his third NASCAR Cup Series win of the year.

Hocevar’s hopes of a breakthrough Truck Series victory appeared all but set in the closing laps, when a three-second lead over Preece seemed to be more than enough. A caution with four laps to go, however, forced Hocevar to get aggressive in keeping Preece behind him on the restart – and both drivers paid a high price.

Hocevar slid into Preece and both went into the wall, necessitating another restart and knocking each contender out of the running.

Chastain inherited a front-row spot on the final restart and sped to the point thanks to help from Nemechek, who finished third, and Enfinger, the runner-up.

Christian Eckes and Zane Smith completed the top five. Tanner Gray was sixth with Kyle Busch seventh, Chandler Smith eighth and Stewart Friesen ninth. Defending series champion Ben Rhodes rounded out the top 10.

ROSS CHASTAIN, No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet (Race Winner): “My thoughts are, Carson Hocevar won this race. He did such an amazing job. He’s a great kid and he’s going to take somebody’s job in this sport, maybe mine, and he’s going to win a lot of races. There were times when I felt like one of our teammates could win, but I’m happy to pick up the smashed watermelon pieces and win this race.

The Cup cars drive very differently than the trucks, but it’s always good to add to the muscle memory – especially at the same track as Sunday’s race (the Coca-Cola 600). I’ll race a wheelbarrow to get more laps.”

GRANT ENFINGER, No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet (Runner-Up): “The track seemed like it changed a lot from practice. I honestly feel like we were a top-five or top-six truck most of the race. We were able to have a good pit stop there. Our guys have honestly carried us there this year. Very, very proud of the hard work from all the guys at GMS Racing.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota (Third-Place Finisher): “We weren’t very good all night. Just thankful for all my guys on this No. 4 truck. We never stropped working on it, we put ourselves in the ballpark and we were able to have a shot there at the end. We struggled from the time we unloaded, so we have a little bit of work to do, but I’m proud of all the guys, proud of all the hard work they’ve put in and we’re just racking up top-fives.”

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KEEP TRACK:
Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Toyota Racing – NCWTS Charlotte Post-Race Report – 05.27.22

By
Official Release
-

NEMECHEK, ECKES SCORE TOP-FIVE FINISHES IN CHARLOTTE
Points leader continues top-10 streak with a third-place finish

CHARLOTTE (May 27, 2022) – John Hunter Nemechek (third) and Christian Eckes (fourth) led Toyota with top-five finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday evening. ThorSport driver, Ty Majeski, started from the pole and spent much of the race within the top-five before a late-race pit stop forced him to a 13th place result.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race 10 of 23 – 134 Laps, 201 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Ross Chastain*
2nd, Grant Enfinger*
3rd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
4th, CHRISTIAN ECKES
5th, Zane Smith*
7th, KYLE BUSCH
8th, CHANDLER SMITH
9th, STEWART FRIESEN
10th, BEN RHODES
13th, TY MAJESKI
15th, CHASE PURDY
18th, MATT CRAFTON
20th, TYLER ANKRUM
21st, TIMMY HILL
29th, TATE FOGLEMAN
35th, BRENNAN POOLE
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 3rd

Can you take us through those last couple of laps and what else did you need?

“We weren’t very good all night. I’m just thankful for all of my guys on this No. 4 Pye-Barker, Fire Alarm Services Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. We never stopped working on it. We put ourselves in the ballpark and we were able to have a shot there at the end. We struggled all day, from the time that we unloaded. We have a little bit of work to do. I feel like we struggled the last couple of weeks, but proud of all of my guys. Proud of the effort they put in and excited to see where it goes. Just racking up top-fives.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, No. 98 Curb Records Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Can you take us through the final lap on the green-white-checkered restart?

“I felt pretty good about our chances, especially getting through three and four still being side-by-side. It sucks, but it is what it is. That’s two races in a row that we’ve been in position to win a race at the end and just came up a little short. Really proud of everybody at ThorSport. Special thanks to everyone at Curb Records, Toyota Racing and everybody involved. Just need to be a little better.”

Did you think you had Ross Chastain clear on the final lap?

“I felt like we had a better truck for sure than the 41 (Ross Chastain). Just same deal, truck racing is hard. On a green-white-checkered, it’s all about going and everybody has runs from behind. We got put three-wide middle, so it is what it is. Just hard racing. Proud of the speed that we’re bringing and just proud of everybody.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 66 American Racing Wheels Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 13th

After starting from the pole, how was your race overall?

“Really strong truck and one definitely capable of winning and just didn’t put it all together. Really struggled on pit road. These races are such track position games and just need to get better on that front. Made one bad decision on the choose and that set us back with track position. Fought back from it and then had a loose left-rear tire on that whole last run. Had to pit on the last green-white-checkered and managed to salvage a 13th place finish. But a really fast Tundra TRD Pro and if we keep bringing trucks like this, it won’t be long.”

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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.

Tips for entering online competitions

By
SM
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Photo by Headway on Unsplash

Online competitions can be a serious business for some people, in fact, there’s a whole community out there of professional ‘compers’ who focus on entering many competitions in order to increase their chances of winning.

Maybe you enter an odd competition every now and then, or maybe you’re hoping to increase your chances and are simply looking for tips, well, you’re in the right place!

Let’s explore some ways you can enter competitions and how you could increase your chances of winning. 

Check in regularly 

There are some websites that collate different competitions across the web, and allow you to browse and enter them all from one place. A great tip is to bookmark your favorite sites so you can easily and quickly check back to enter. Maybe you’ve got a specific prize in mind, or there’s something you’ve seen you would really like to win, a key part of entering competitions is to check back regularly and enter as often as you can. Competition providers will often renew their competitions daily, weekly, or monthly. Best of the Best is a prime example, offering a car giveaway every week! They’ve been around for years and started their journey by offering car prizes in UK airports. 

Make the extra effort

Some prizes require a bit of extra effort in order to be won, for example, require a short story to be written or a video entry. Obviously, it depends if the prize is worth it to you, but, if it is, this is where you should put your thinking cap on. A great tip is to check out previous winners and to take some inspiration from their entries, this can give you an idea as to the level of quality you will need to achieve in order to be in for a chance of winning.

Competitions that require entrants to put in that bit more effort generally receive fewer entries, so your chance of winning is already higher. If you then put in as much effort as you can to make your entry stand out, you’re more likely to catch the attention of those picking a winner. 

Check social media

You might be surprised to see how many competitions live on social media. Instagram is a great example, and influencers and small businesses often run small giveaways which are pretty easy to enter. It usually requires you ‘like’ a post and follow the account/s involved. A great tactic here is to create social media accounts solely for the use of entering competitions, this way you are able to keep some separation from your personal socials and any irrelevant content you might encounter following competition entries. Facebook and Twitter are also home to competitions waiting to be won. Simply search ‘competition’ to then be served an array of potential prizes. 

Check site legitimacy 

This one might sound a bit obvious, but it’s really important to check that the competition provider you’re engaging with is legitimate. Competitions should never ask you to pay a fee to enter nor should they request your bank details. Equally, there are some data farmers out there that operate under the guise of a competition provider but their main goal is to get your data to then sell on to third parties. A great way to avoid scams like this is to check previous user reviews and make sure the competition has terms and conditions available. 

Stay one step ahead

As most competitions, these days are found online, and quick way of speeding up your entries is to ensure your auto-fill on Google forms is up to date. This will allow you to quickly fill out entry forms with ease, and get more entries done in one go. It’s pretty standard for competition providers to request your details such as an email address or a phone number, so having these ready to go will save you typing them out, especially if you’re entering multiple competitions. Make sure you enter these correctly and your details are up to date, as if you win it will be through one of these methods that you would be contacted. A simple but effective tip!

Don’t forget radio!

Radio competitions can often get overlooked, especially if you don’t usually listen to the radio. But they shouldn’t be shunned, listening to a radio station in the morning or on your way home from work can make your world of comping a whole lot broader, with radio stations often giving away everything from televisions to holidays. If you’re not keen on listening to them, you can also check out radio stations’ websites – they will most likely have a ‘competition’ section where you can enter online.

Entering competitions can really pay off if you stick with it and cast a wide net across the web. We hope that these tips will make entering competitions that little bit easier, and remember, it’s more often than not down to the luck of the draw. We wish you luck, and happy comping!

Chastain survives double overtime for a Truck Series victory at Charlotte

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Ross Chastain capitalized through two overtime attempts and a late incident involving teammate Carson Hocevar and Ryan Preece to fend off the field and win the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 27.

The 29-year-old Chastain from Alva, Florida, led twice for four out of 143 over-scheduled laps as he overtook Christian Eckes on the final lap during the second of two overtime attempts before fending off Grant Enfinger to win in his fourth scheduled NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start of the season with Niece Motorsports as he also claimed his first triumph at Charlotte.

With on-track qualifying to determine the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Ty Majeski earned his second career pole after posting a pole-winning lap at 178.312 mph in 30.284 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Zane Smith, who posted a fast qualifying lap at 178.277 mph in 30.290 seconds.

Prior to the event, Hailie Deegan and Austin Wayne Self started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective trucks.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Majeski received a huge push from Kyle Busch to assume command ahead of Zane Smith before being locked in a side-by-side battle against Busch for a full lap. When the field returned to the start/finish line, Majeski edged Kyle Busch to lead the first lap before Busch pulled ahead entering the backstretch. Not long after, Kyle Busch came under pressure from Zane Smith through Turns 3 and 4 as he challenged Busch for the lead, which he prevailed as the field behind jostled for positions.

By the fifth lap, Zane Smith was leading by four-tenths of a second over Majeski and Kyle Busch while teammates Carson Hocevar and Ross Chastain battled in the top five. 

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, the top-five competitors were separated by a second as Zane Smith continued to lead ahead of Majeski, Kyle Busch, Hocevar and Chastain. Ryan Preece was in sixth place, trailing by nearly two seconds, followed by Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton, Matt DiBenedetto, and Tanner Gray while Chandler Smith, Grant Enfinger, Stewart Friesen, John Hunter Nemechek, and Ben Rhodes were in the top 15.

Ten laps later, Zane Smith continued to lead by nearly a second over Majeski while Kyle Busch, Hocevar, and Chastain remained in the top five.

Five laps later and as the leaders approached lapped traffic, Majeski narrowed his deficit to Zane Smith to three-tenths of a second. Smith, however, was able to navigate his way through the traffic that included Hailie Deegan to maintain the lead. Behind, Ryan Preece, Hocevar, and Chastain overtook Kyle Busch for positions as Busch was back in sixth in front of Christian Eckes.

Despite being pressured by Majeski in the closing laps of the first stage, Zane Smith was able to fend off Majeski to claim his fifth stage victory on Lap 30. Majeski settled in second followed by Preece, Hocevar, Chastain, Kyle Busch, DiBenedetto, Eckes, Matt Crafton, and Enfinger.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted for adjustments and Zane Smith managed to retain the lead after exiting pit road first ahead of Majeski, Preece, Hocevar, Eckes, and DiBenedetto. During the pit stops, Stewart Friesen and Brennan Poole were penalized for speeding on pit road along with Dean Thompson and Kyle Busch, both of whom were penalized for having a crew member jump over the wall too soon.

When the second stage started on Lap 36, Zane Smith managed to retain the lead while Preece made his move into the runner-up spot as the field jostled for positions. Behind, Chastain got loose while battling DiBenedetto entering Turns 3 and 4, but he managed to straighten his truck as he remained in seventh ahead of Chandler Smith.

By Lap 40, Zane Smith was ahead by more than three-tenths of a second over Majeski, who moved back into the runner-up spot a lap prior, followed by Preece, Eckes, and Hocevar while DiBenedetto, Chastain, Nemechek, Tanner Gray, and Chandler Smith were scored in the top 10.

Ten laps later, Zane Smith continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Majeski, who continued to pressure the former for the top spot. Preece, Hocevar, and Eckes were in the top five followed by Nemechek, Chastain, DiBenedetto, Gray, and Enfinger while Chandler Smith, Colby Howard, Derek Kraus, Crafton, Kyle Busch, Tyler Ankrum, rookie Jack Wood, Chase Purdy, Kris Wright, and Ben Rhodes were in the top 20.

Another two laps later, the caution flew when Tate Fogleman made contact with the outside wall in Turn 4 before sliding his truck down towards the pit road entrance. During the caution period, nearly the entire field led by Zane Smith pitted while Derek Kraus, Rhodes, and Timmy Hill remained on the track.

With three laps remaining in the second stage, the race restarted under green. At the start, Rhodes took off with the lead on the inside lane followed by Preece and Eckes while Kraus spun the tires on the outside lane. As the field stacked up and fanned out entering Turn 1, the caution returned when Jack Wood and Matt Mills collided against the outside wall in Turn 1. 

The incident involving Wood and Mills concluded the second stage scheduled for Lap 60 under caution and at the moment of caution, Rhodes was scored the leader and he managed to claim his sixth stage victory of the season. Teammate Eckes settled in second followed by Preece, Hocevar, Nemechek, Zane Smith, DiBenedetto, Chastain, Majeski, and Kraus.

Under the stage break, some like Rhodes, Kraus, Timmy Hill, and Spencer Boyd pitted while the rest led by Eckes remained on the track.

With 69 laps remaining, the final stage commenced under green. At the start, Eckes retained the lead through the backstretch until Preece received a push from John Hunter Nemechek to muscle his Ford F-150 on the outside lane to take the lead through Turns 3 and 4. 

Then with 62 laps remaining, Hocevar, who spent the previous five laps overtaking Eckes and Nemechek, overtook Preece, who got loose, to assume the lead while Nemechek was in third.

With 55 laps remaining, Hocevar was out in front by more than a second over Preece followed by Nemechek, Eckes, DiBenedetto, Chastain, Majeski, Kyle Busch, Zane Smith, and Chandler Smith while Enfinger, Friesen, Gray, Kraus, Purdy, Crafton, Rhodes, Colby Howard, Ankrum, and Kris Wright occupied the top 20.

Fifteen laps later, Hocevar extended his advantage to more than four seconds over Preece while Nemechek, Eckes, and Majeski were in the top five. 

Not long after, green flag pit stops commenced as Chandler Smith, who dealt with power issues throughout the event, pitted. Soon after, names like Chastain, Rhodes, Preece, Nemechek, DiBenedetto, Eckes, Friesen, and the race leader Hocevar also went in to pit. 

As the cycles of green-flag pit stops ensued, names like Majeski, Kyle Busch, and Kraus pitted while Crafton, who had yet to pit, assumed the lead.

When the green flag pit stops concluded, Hocevar, who despite enduring a slow pit stop under green, cycled his way back to the lead with 27 laps remaining. Trailing Hocevar by more than three seconds was Preece along with Chastain, Nemechek, and Eckes.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Hocevar extended his advantage to more than four seconds over Preece while Chastain, Nemechek, and Eckes remained in the top five. Chandler Smith was up in sixth followed by Enfinger, DiBenedetto, Zane Smith, and Majeski while Rhodes, Kraus, Kyle Busch, Friesen, and Tanner Gray were in the top 15.

Soon after, DiBenedetto surrendered eighth place to pit due to a flat tire as the race remained under green. 

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Hocevar continued to lead by nearly six seconds over Preece followed by Chastain, Nemechek, and Eckes. By then, Majeski carved his way back to sixth ahead of Chandler Smith, Enfinger, Zane Smith, and Kraus while Kyle Busch was mired in 11th.

With five laps remaining, Hocevar remained as the leader by more than six seconds over Preece while third-place Nemechek trailed by nearly 11 seconds.

Then a lap later, the caution flew when Jesse Little and Ankrum collided entering Turn 3, sending Little against the outside wall while Ankrum was slipping sideways towards the wall. The caution and the incident all but evaporated Hocevar’s advantage over Preece and the field.

Under caution, some like Rhodes, Friesen, Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, and Colby Howard pitted while the rest led by Hocevar remained on the track.

With the event sent into overtime, Hocevar and Preece led the field to the start of the first overtime attempt. At the start, Hocevar and Preece engaged in a heated side-by-side battle for the lead through the backstretch while Chastain, Eckes, and Nemechek battled for third place. Entering the backstretch, Hocevar and Preece made contact with one another as Hocevar squeezed Preece into the outside wall. Despite the contact, both competitors continued to duel for the lead. Then in Turn 3, Hocevar’s truck slipped up the track against Preece’s and the contact sent Hocevar’s truck around as he backed his truck against the outside wall and damaged the rear deck lid while Preece scraped the wall after getting hit by Hocevar. The incident spoiled Hocevar’s opportunity of winning his first NASCAR race as the field was sent into a second overtime attempt. During the caution period, Preece, who was briefly out in front, pitted to have the damage to his truck repaired as Chastain assumed the lead.

At the start of the second overtime attempt, Chastain and Eckes dueled for the lead entering Turn 1 through the backstretch before the former received a push from Nemechek to briefly move ahead of the field. Eckes, however, fought back on the inside lane through Turns 3 and 4. 

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Eckes was out in front by a narrow margin over Chastain while Nemechek made a bold three-wide move on both to try and take the lead through Turn 1. Nemechek briefly gained an advantage entering the backstretch until Chastain gained a draft from Enfinger to pull ahead entering Turn 3. Having the clean air and the advantage to his favor through the final two turns, Chastain was able to fend off Enfinger by a tenth of a second to grab the victory amid the late turn of events.

With the victory, Chastain recorded his fourth career victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and his first in the series since winning at Pocono Raceway in July 2019, which also marked the last scheduled victory for Niece Motorsports. The victory was also a first for crew chief Cody Efaw.

During his post-race interview on the frontstretch, Chastain took the time to acknowledge teammate Hocevar’s dominant run and sympathize with Hocevar’s late incident that cost him the victory. 

“You know, Carson Hocevar and that No. 42 team, they dominated tonight,” Chastain said on FS1. “[Team owner] Al Niece has given us trucks to come out here and fight for wins. I hate it so much for Carson. If I had chosen the bottom [lane] right there [during the first overtime attempt] like he did, I would’ve done the same thing. It’s just you’re in a bad spot. I didn’t give him the push he needed to win. Man, I’m so proud of Carson Hocevar. I just want to say that over and over. That guy’s a future star. He’s such a goofy kid and I love him. He learns so quick and he’s in the program all of us Chevy guys are in. We learn together and we lose together.” 

Enfinger came home in second place followed by Nemechek and Eckes while Zane Smith finished in the top five. Tanner Gray, Kyle Busch, Chandler Smith, Friesen, and Rhodes completed the top 10 on the track. 

Meanwhile, Preece settled in 11th while Hocevar, who led a race-high 57 laps compared to Chastain’s four, concluded his night in a disappointing 16th place. While Hocevar was left heartbroken and in tears of frustration, Preece was left fuming at Hocevar over the contact and the incident

“A dumbass move by myself,” Hocevar said. “That’s it. It sucks. I tried really hard and tried too hard. I didn’t get a good restart and just tried too hard. I tried to wash [Preece] up and I just crashed myself. I feel like a sis crying, but it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“All you kids watching right now, wanting to get to this level, don’t do that,” Preece said. “Race with respect, don’t wreck the guy on the outside of you trying to win your first race. It doesn’t get you anywhere…I’m pissed right now. We got two more races to try and go have some good runs, but that’s just stupid. Just really stupid. Don’t be like that.”

There were 15 lead changes for nine different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 25 laps.

With six races remaining in the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular season, John Hunter Nemechek leads the standings by seven points over Ben Rhodes, 25 over Zane Smith, 29 over Chandler Smith, 33 over Stewart Friesen 38 over Ty Majeski, and 40 over Christian Eckes. 

Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek. Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, and Stewart Friesen are currently guaranteed spots for the 2022 Truck Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the season while Ty Majeski, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, and Matt Crafton are above the top-10 cutline based on points. Tanner Gray trails the top-10 cutline by 25 points, Derek Kraus trails by 52, Matt DiBenedetto trails by 60, and Tyler Ankrum trails by 72.

Results.

1. Ross Chastain, four laps led

2. Grant Enfinger

3. John Hunter Nemechek

4. Christian Eckes, five laps led

5. Zane Smith, 52 laps led, Stage 1 winner

6. Tanner Gray

7. Kyle Busch

8. Chandler Smith

9. Stewart Friesen

10. Ben Rhodes, five laps led, Stage 2 winner

11. Ryan Preece, nine laps led

12. Derek Kraus, two laps led

13. Ty Majeski, four laps led

14. Colby Howard

15. Chase Purdy

16. Carson Hocevar, 57 laps led

17. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap down

18. Matt Crafton, one lap down, five laps led

19. Kris Wright, one lap down

20. Tyler Ankrum, one lap down

21. Timmy Hill, two laps down

22. Lawless Alan, two laps down

23. Jack Wood, two laps down

24. Spencer Boyd, two laps down

25. Austin Wayne Self, two laps down

26. Max Gutierrez, three laps down

27. Hailie Deegan, three laps down

28. Dean Thompson, four laps down

29. Tate Fogleman, four laps down

30. Blaine Perkins, four łaps down

31. Josh Reaume, five laps down

32. Jesse Little – OUT, Accident

33. Keith McGee – OUT, Suspension

34. Matt Mills – OUT, Accident

35. Brennan Poole – OUT, Driveshaft

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule is the series’ annual event at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, which will mark the series’ first of three Triple Truck Challenge events. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 4, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Jones Turns Up The Heat, Claims General Tire 150 Victory

By
Official Release
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Brandon Jones celebrates after winning Friday's General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)


CONCORD, N.C. (May 27, 2022) – There was no stopping Brandon Jones on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver turned his second ARCA Menards Series start at America’s Home for Racing into his second win on the 1.5-mile superspeedway, dominating the second half of the General Tire 150 en route to a victory by an astounding 8.68 seconds over Corey Heim.

A championship contender in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Jones’ first foray into ARCA action this year saw the driver of the No. 81 Tide/Menards/Bounty Toyota lap all but the top five cars in the field over 100 circuits around Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval.

Rajah Caruth followed Jones and Heim with a third-place finish. Connor Mosack and Greg Van Alst completed the top five with Daniel Dye sixth, Amber Balcaen seventh and Nick Sanchez eighth.

Tony Cosentino and Sean Corr rounded out the top 10.

Jones’ victory was his sixth in 26 career ARCA starts. He’ll start fifth in Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 Xfinity Series race, which goes green at 1 p.m. ET.

BRANDON JONES, No. 81 Tide/Menards/Bounty Toyota (Race Winner): “Tonight, I certainly learned everything I needed to learn going into (Saturday). That was our main focus. I wanted to get a really good read on the PJ1 they sprayed down.

The crew did a phenomenal job of making adjustments. I also think the sun going down played into our favor. I think the track just gained a little more grip. It was really a successful day, thanks to Menards and Tide for letting me come down and play. We learned for (Saturday) and that was main goal.”

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O’Ward inks new contract extension with Arrow McLaren SP

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Cote (Penske Entertainment).

Pato O’Ward has signed a new contract extension with Arrow McLaren SP to remain with the organization in the NTT IndyCar Series through the 2025 season.

The 23-year-old O’Ward from Monterrey, Mexico, is currently in his third full-time IndyCar season driving the No. 5 Dallara-Chevrolet with AMSP, where he is ranked in seventh place in the championship standings. He notched his first victory of the season at Barber Motorsports Park during the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama in early May.

The news of O’Ward’s extension with AMSP comes after the Mexican competitor initially commenced this season testing himself on the free agency list. Following his victory at Barber Motorsports Park, O’Ward expressed high confidence of his intentions to remain with the organization as he continues his pursuit for his first IndyCar title.

“I am incredibly happy to have locked in my future with Arrow McLaren SP,” O’Ward said. “This team has truly felt like home for me over the past three years, and I can’t wait to build on our success as we compete for wins and championships. I want to thank the whole team for this opportunity. This is exactly where I want to be.”

O’Ward, who won the 2018 Indy Lights championship while driving for Andretti Autosport, made his IndyCar debut at Sonoma Raceway in September 2018, where he drove the No. 8 Harding Racing Dallara-Chevrolet to an impressive ninth-place finish. He then campaigned on a part-time basis for Carlin in 2019 before joining Arrow McLaren SP as a full-time competitor in 2020. After notching his first four podiums and finishing in fourth place in the 2020 standings, it only took the first four scheduled events of the 2021 season for O’Ward to claim his first IndyCar victory in the first of a Texas Motor Speedway doubleheader feature in May. Another four races later, he won for the second time in his career at The Raceway on Belle Isle during the second of a Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature in June. Throughout the 2021 season, he contended for the championship against Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden before late misfortunes dropped and settled O’Ward in a career-best third place in the final standings.

Through May 2022, O’Ward has achieved three victories, four poles, 10 podiums and 354 laps led all with Arrow McLaren SP. He has also achieved an average-finishing result of 9.2 in 43 IndyCar career starts.

“The entire team is excited that Pato is onboard for the long haul,” Taylor Kiel, President of Arrow McLaren SP, said. “He is an important part of our plan here at Arrow McLaren SP; his energy and work ethic is infectious. Having watched him develop since he joined the team, I look forward to building on these foundations to increase our performance and achieve our common goals in the years to come.”

“Pato is an important part of McLaren’s future in INDYCAR, and we are happy that he will be a key part of Arrow McLaren SP for years to come,” Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, added. “He is an incredibly talented driver who has already shown what he is capable of in INDYCAR, and I look forward to watching him take the next step in his promising career.”

The remainder of Arrow McLaren SP’s driver lineup for the 2023 season, which will see the team expand to three cars, will be announced at a later date.

With his future set, O’Ward’s next scheduled event is the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he will start in seventh place as he pursues his first Indy 500 title. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, May 29, at 11 a.m. ET on NBC.

Petty GMS Event Preview: Charlotte Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Dillon at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Ty Dillon has competed in six NASCAR Cup Series events, including four Coca-Cola 600 races, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, posting four top-25 results. Running a limited schedule in 2021, the North Carolina native has not raced in a Cup Series vehicle on the 1.5-mile oval since May 2020. However, Dillon did participate in one NASCAR Xfinity Series event at his homestate track last season, earning a seventh-place finish. Dillon has driven in 10 Xfinity Series races at the intermediate, earning one top-five and six top-10 results. In two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events, Dillon collected one pole, one top-five, and two top-10 finishes.
  • Coffee Tyme: Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) will serve as primary partner on Dillon’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s 600-mile race. Founded by veterans and operated by principaled men and women who honor those who protect, defend, and support our country, BRCC stands for more than high-quality coffee.
  • Honor and Remember: On this Memorial Day weekend, Dillon will carry the name of a fallen soldier on the front windshield of his No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet. While serving in the United States Army, Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms died from injuries sustained during a military training accident in North Carolina.

Nelms was twice awarded the Silver Star, the military’s third-highest award for valor, during a 28-year Army career that began as an infantryman before moving to the Army National Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group. Nelms returned to active duty in 2008 and was selected for Delta, with whom he deployed six times to Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

This selection was made by Black Rifle Coffee Company Founder and CEO Evan Hafer. Prior to founding BRCC, Hafer served in the United States Army for 20 years, including 15 in special forces, where he was a Green Beret with the 19th Special Forces Group.

  • 10,000 Veterans: A large part of Black Rifle Coffee Company’s success is due to the outstanding work ethic and discipline of their veteran employees. The company is committed to hiring 10,000 veterans to provide opportunities to the military community. BRCC strives to help other service-members successfully transition from the military into entrepreneurship, providing assistance to veterans who seek to launch a business of their own. - About Black Rifle Coffee Company: Black Rifle Coffee Company is a Veteran-founded coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. Founded in 2014 by Green Beret Evan Hafer, Black Rifle develops their explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus they learned while serving in the military. BRCC is committed to supporting Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and the American way of life. With every purchase made, they give back.

To learn more about BRCC, visit www.blackriflecoffee.com, follow BRCC on social media, or subscribe to Coffee or Die Magazine’s daily newsletter at https://coffeeordie.com/presscheck-signup.

  • From the Drivers Seat: What are your thoughts heading into Charlotte Motor Speedway and this next stretch of upcoming races?

“I’m excited for this weekend at Charlotte. We’ve been building momentum the last couple of weeks and having solid runs, so I’m happy with the direction we are moving with our No. 42 team. This next stretch of races are ones that I’m looking forward to – Charlotte, Gateway, and Sonoma. One is our longest race of the season (Charlotte), one I’ve never been too before (Gateway) and the other I haven’t been to in a couple of years (Sonoma). I’m looking forward to those challenges and going into the summer months strong.”

Overall as a team, you are running better compared to others. How does that make you feel as a competitor?

“Our focus as a competitor is to always get better. Our teammate, Erik Jones, has had some really strong runs this year, so our focus is to get our performance to where they are which is extremely good. I’m always pushing to that point, but from a full perspective, we have had a solid start to our year and accomplished a lot of the expectations that we’ve had week in and week out in general. With that said, our nose is very much down to the grindstone of digging to get better.”

What does it mean to race on Memorial Day weekend and to carry the Black Rifle Coffee Company colors?

“It’s always an honor and privilege to represent Black Rifle Coffee Company and all of the veterans they have within their company, but this weekend, to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country is something that I don’t take lightly. Because of the men and women in our armed forces, we are able to race every week and live in a free country. To have Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms riding with me this weekend is so cool. He lived a life of service from serving in our military for 28 years to also serving in his local community as a firefighter. Honoring his ultimate sacrifice is the least we can do to say thank you and to allow his family to know that he isn’t forgotten.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Jones at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Erik Jones will make his eighth-career NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for the Coca-Cola 600. In his previous seven Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, Jones has a career-best finish of seventh in his first Coca-Cola 600 appearance in 2017.

In addition to his Cup Series starts, Jones has five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a best finish of second in the Fall of 2015. In his lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, Jones started the race from the second position and led 88 of 139 laps before narrowly missing the win late in the race, a finish that is still in the record books as one of the closest finishes in Truck Series history.

  • Honoring America’s Heroes: This weekend Jones and the No. 43 FOCUSfactor team will honor Lt Col Kenneth Stonebraker who was a member of the United States Air Force. Lt Col Stonebraker was a member of the 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and was killed in active duty on October 28, 1968. As of today, Lt Col Stonebraker’s remains have not been recovered and he is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific.
  • Melanoma Awareness Month: With the month of May being Melanoma Awareness month, Jones and the Erik Jones Foundation have been busy spreading information and raising money for Melanoma research and various causes associated with Melanoma. Recently, the Erik Jones Foundation hosted a fundraising event at Birch Run Speedway in Michigan, the Foundation’s first fundraising event, to raise funds and awareness about Melanoma. This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Erik Jones Foundation and its partners will hand out more than 20,000 sunscreen samples and materials on Melanoma to race fans in the campgrounds and around the racetrack.
  • Hometown Help: One week ago, on May 20, Crew Chief Dave Elenz’s hometown of Gaylord, Michigan, was hit by a destructive tornado. Gaylord is known for its sense of community, especially when faced with hardships. Together the town is coming together to support their neighbors and businesses.

A fund has been established to focus on immediate relief, short term recovery, and long term rebuilding. Donations can be made here to help ensure the basics are met, gaps are filled, and resources are available to pick up the pieces and rebuild brick by brick.

  • Focused on Winning: FOCUSfactor will serve as the primary partner on Jones’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s All-Star race at Texas Motor Speedway.
  • About FOCUSfactor: FOCUSfactor is sold at America’s leading retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com. FOCUSfactor, America’s leading brain health supplement, is a nutritional supplement that includes a proprietary blend of brain supporting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In December 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 8,329,227 covering FOCUSfactor’s proprietary formulation “for enhanced mental function”. The issuance of the patent marked one of the few times a patent has been issued for a nationally branded nutritional supplement. FOCUSfactor is clinically tested with results demonstrating improvements in focus, concentration and memory in healthy adults
  • From the Driver’s Seat: Talk about racing at Charlotte.

“Charlotte has been a pretty good track for me in the past. With this weekend being one of our longest races of the year, it’s important to prepare for not only the race, but the endurance of the day. Dave and the team have been working hard all season and bringing great cars to the track and I know this weekend will be no different. This is a special weekend as we honor Lt Col Kenneth Stonebraker on our FOCUSfactor Chevy and recognize all the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We’ve also got the Erik Jones Foundation and some of our partners canvasing the track property handing out sunscreen samples and helping educate race fans on the importance of sun protection. With May being Melanoma Awareness month, this was important for me and to be a part of helping spread the message for fans to protect themselves and get checked. There’s a lot going on this weekend with many great causes. Should be a good weekend all around.”

Do you have any concerns on the new car and equipment with the 600 being considered one of NASCAR’s endurance races?

“I’m not too worried about the endurance. As for the parts and pieces wise, these cars have been pretty good. The issues we’ve had have been somewhat self-inflicted by the teams. You know, when the parts and pieces are left alone for the most part, they are happy and haven’t seen issues. I don’t think we will have any issues for the race.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

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