Home Blog Page 2039

Geoff May Partners With VETMotorsports to Provide Crew Experiences for the Military Community

By
Official Release
-

Columbus, OH, April 3, 2022 — Geoff May will collaborate with VETMotorsports to help empower veterans by having them as part of Team Vision Wheel/ Discount Tire/ KWS/ Amsoil/ Honda at all the Moto America Sbk rounds. Veterans will have the opportunity to use their skills and knowledge in the fast paced environment of the professional race team paddock.

VETMotorsports is an award-winning, non-clinical outreach program that honors and empowers active military, veterans with service-connected injuries, and their caregivers, as well as Gold Star parents through active participation in motorsports. The program recruits participants give them hands-on access to a variety of motorsports experiences and cover all expenses for them to take part in the experience.

With the support of Geoff May, competing in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 class with the newly formed Team of Vision Wheel/Discount Tire/Amsoil /KWS Motorsports/Honda, there will be opportunities for qualified participants to be embedded into the team with veteran crew chief Mike Godin of KWSMotorsports.

“It’s was a privilege to be part of The National Guard/Michael Jordan Motor Sports in the past, and I wanted to continue to show how much we appreciate what our warriors in all branches of the military do for our country,” said Geoff May, team principal, and rider. “We are more than honored to be able to give back in any way possible.”

“We continue to loose 22 veterans a day to suicide,” said VETMotorsports Founder and Executive Director Peter Cline, “and that’s something we’re working very hard to stop. It’s why we founded VETMotorsports and why we’re so proud to collaborate with Geoff May to not only honor our brave service members but give them something to learn, be excited about, and engage with.”

Veterans wishing to take part in the program can contact VETMotorsports at 614-407-3894 or vetmotorsports@gmail.com to learn more.

JR Motorsports — NXS Martinsville Preview

By
Official Release
-

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Martinsville Speedway
RACE: Call 811 Before You Dig 250 (250 laps / 131.5 miles)
DATE: Friday, April 8, 2022

Broadcast Information – TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 7 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Sam Mayer
No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet
• By virtue of last weeks Dash 4 Cash win at Richmond Raceway, Sam Mayer will compete for his second $100,000 Dash 4 Cash prize this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
• Mayer has made one start at Martinsville in the NXS. The 18-year-old made a triumphant comeback after being four laps down to finish fourth.
• Mayer’s third-place finish at Richmond is the Franklin, Wis. native’s career best finish in the NXS and now gives him two top-five finishes in 2022.

Josh Berry
No. 8 Harrison’s USA Chevrolet
• Josh Berry returns to Martinsville, the site of his first career NXS win in 2021. Berry started 29th that day and drove to the front as he led a career-high 95 laps.
• In this race last season, Berry led all drivers in driver rating (137.3), laps led (95), fastest drivers late in a run (89.196 mph) and the percentage of fastest laps run (17.5), according to NASCAR’s loop data statistics.
• In 2019, Berry won his first Grandfather Clock by leading all 200 laps in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the most prestigious race for Late Model Stock Cars.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson enters this weekend’s race at Martinsville as the most recent winner there. The Las Vegas native rallied to win the 2021 fall race and punched his ticket to the Championship 4.
• In three starts at Martinsville in the NXS, Gragson has earned finishes of third, second and first (2.0 average), and has led 188 laps.
• In seven career starts at Martinsville (in the NXS and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), Gragson has won two races and finished in the top five in six of his seven starts.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• In three previous NXS starts at Martinsville, Justin Allgaier has scored two top fives and three top 10s, with a best finish of second coming in the fall of 2020.
• Additionally, Allgaier’s average finish of 5.3 ranks first among all tracks he has competed on in the NXS.
• Allgaier has earned four wins, 24 top fives and 40 top 10s in 66 career starts on short tracks in the NXS.
• According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Allgaier ranks second in laps run inside the top 15 at Martinsville (685).

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his first NXS start at Martinsville this weekend, driving the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet for JRM.
• Earnhardt Jr. made 35 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville, winning there in 2014 and adding 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes along the way.
• The unique Hellmann’s paint scheme Earnhardt Jr. will run was chosen by a fan vote and features a white base with long-time partner Hellmann’s blue and yellow colors.
• Earnhardt Jr. has run a single race in the NXS for the past four seasons, with a best finish of fourth at Richmond.

Driver Quotes

“This team won here last year with Josh Berry in the seat and we came back in the fall and finished fourth after being four laps down early in the race, so this Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions team knows how to build a car for Martinsville. We also get another chance to race for $100k so the morale and confidence is high as we head in to this weekend.” – Sam Mayer

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Martinsville on Friday night. It’s going to be a fun night where anything can happen, especially with the bossman coming back and racing with us. I can’t wait to get there and see what we can do with the BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet.” – Justin Allgaier

“I always enjoy coming to Martinsville, it’s such a special place to me. With theLate Model win in ’19, then coming here last season and winning my first Xfinity race, it just means a lot to me. I know Bummy (Mike Bumgarner, crew chief) and this entire Harrison’s USA team will have a strong car ready for this weekend, so hopefully we can go back there and get it done again.” – Josh Berry

“Last season we had to win to make it into the Championship 4 and that is exactly what this Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team did. We had some problems last weekend at Richmond but I think we got those figured out and we should have another great day for this No. 9 team. Martinsville is a fun track and it’s also been really good to me in the past.” – Noah Gragson

“Every year, I have a lot of fun driving one of these JRM Chevrolets, and this year I get to do it at Martinsville with Hellmann’s. Last year at Richmond, I had a great time battling the Xfinity Series regulars, and this place will be more of the same.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr

JRM Team Updates:

• JR Motorsports at Martinsville: JR Motorsports has competed at Martinsville Speedway a combined 13 times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts at the .526-mile facility, the organization has tallied two wins, eight top fives and 11 top 10s. JRM’s most recent win came with Noah Gragson during the penultimate race of the 2021 season. The company has won two straight races at Martinsville, as Josh Berry won the spring event in 2021.
• Dash 4 Cash Dominance: With his NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash triumph last week at Richmond, Sam Mayer earned the 18th such bonus for JR Motorsports with his career-best third-place finish. He is also the eighth JRM driver to have won one of the bonuses, joining Brad Keselowski, Elliott Sadler, Regan Smith, Justin Allgaier, William Byron, Noah Gragson and Josh Berry. The 18-year-old Wisconsin driver will compete in the D4C again this weekend for the bonus at Martinsville Speedway as the lone JRM representative. Gragson won the bonus there last year.
• Benefitting Food Insecurity: Earnhardt Jr. will compete this weekend at Martinsville with a special MPI steering wheel. The camouflage wheel, which features TrueTimber’s® Viper Urban Orange camouflage, will be auctioned off through The Dale Jr. Foundation with proceeds going toward the fight against food insecurity. Food insecurity affects approximately one in every eight Americans. Bidding for the wheel begins on Friday, April 8 and continues through Monday, April 11 until 3 p.m. ET. Click here to place your bid.

Naväge Nasal Care and McDowell Eye Rebound at Martinsville

By
Official Release
-

McDowell Ready to Apply Lessons Learned from Richmond

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 5, 2022) – This weekend, Michael McDowell and his Naväge Nasal Care Ford Mustang team head to the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for the first of two trips to the historic paper clip oval. After Richmond, there is a optimism heading into this weekend. The team can apply lessons learned to the car and race strategy this weekend.

McDowell comes into Martinsville Speedway with 22 previous starts at the track. His best start is fifth and best finish is 14th. McDowell is looking for that first top-10 result Saturday night.

“We are continuing to learn each week, and make adjustments from there,” says McDowell. “Richmond was just a bad race for us, but we know we can rebound at Martinsville. The opportunity is there and we just need to grab it.

“Martinsville is always fun to race, and with this new car, it’s sure to put on an exciting race for the fans. It seems each race is a toss up of who will be in the top-10 and even the top-five. That’s what is giving us this promise that we can get a top-10 and have a really good night. We just need to execute.”

Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Naväge Nasal Care Ford Mustang will race at Martinsville Speedway this Saturday, April 9th, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Speedway Children’s Charities Raises More Than $15,000 for Austin Area Children During NASCAR at COTA Race Weekend

By
Official Release
-
Experiencing Hot Laps around Circuit of The Americas (COTA) from the passenger seat of an official NASCAR at COTA Toyota pace car was one of the many ways race fans could help Austin area children through Speedway Children's Charities during the March 25-27 NASCAR weekend in Austin, Texas. Photo Credit: NASCAR at COTA/Speedway Children's Charities/Adam Glanzman
  • Proceeds from Hot Laps, Live Auction, Fan Assistance Golf Cart Rides and NFT sales during the March 25-27 NASCAR race weekend will benefit children in need in the Austin, Texas community through Speedway Children’s Charities.
  • Learn more about Speedway Children’s Charities at SpeedwayCharities.org.

AUSTIN, Texas (April 6, 2022) – The March 25-27 race weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) may have been NASCAR’s second visit to Austin, Texas, but it was a weekend full of firsts. On the track, NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) driver Ryan Blaney and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) driver Sheldon Creed earned their first career poles on a road course in their respective series; Zane Smith earned his first career NCWTS road course win and Ross Chastain captured the first career NCS win, not only for himself, but for his Trackhouse Racing team as well. Off the track, race fans had, for the first time, the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Austin-area children, raising more than $15,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the official charity of Speedway Motorsports.

Prior to the event weekend, Speedway Motorsports launched a limited number of track tokens on RaceDayNFT.com, Speedway Motorsports’ fan-focused digital collectible marketplace, that sold for a donation to SCC. During the three-day weekend, fans experienced a thrilling ride-of-a-lifetime around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn road course in an official NASCAR at COTA Toyota pace car during Hot Laps, bid on unique memorabilia and one-of-a-kind experiences during the Live Auction and made SCC donations on fan assistance golf carts.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of race fans who took part in our fundraising events during the NASCAR at COTA event weekend,” said Speedway Children’s Charities National Executive Director Lisa Starnes. “The more than $15,000 that was raised will return to the Austin area in the form of grants to deserving nonprofits helping children in need. This is an amazing accomplishment for the first time we’ve activated at COTA. We thank every fan who participated in an event to support SCC and look forward to doing more in 2023!”

Tickets:

Fans can purchase tickets to the 2023 NASCAR at COTA weekend, including the third running of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix NASCAR Cup Series race, by visiting NASCARatCOTA.com.

Follow Us:

Keep track of all things NASCAR at COTA by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NASCARatCOTA). Keep up with all the latest information on the NASCAR at COTA website and mobile app.

About Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC)

The mission of Speedway Children’s Charities is to care for children with educational, financial, social and medical needs to help them lead productive lives. Founded by Bruton Smith in 1982, Speedway Children’s Charities is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations that meet the direct needs of children. Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $61 million in grants. The goal is to ensure that every child in need be given the tools to build a better, brighter and healthier future.

Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Ready To Make More Martinsville Memories

By
Official Release
-

The half-mile Martinsville Speedway is little in comparison to some of NASCAR’s superspeedways, but it’s big in the hearts of many racers and fans.

That’s especially true for those from the southern part of Virginia, where the venerable track is located.

It’s the home track for the Wood Brothers, from nearby Stuart, Va., and it’s also the home track for the Burton family from South Boston, Va., which is about an hour’s drive east.

Harrison Burton, the driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang fielded by the Wood Brothers, grew up in the suburbs of Charlotte, but his mom and dad, plus numerous other relatives are from South Boston.

For the Woods and the Burtons Martinsville Speedway has produced many a memorable moment.

Glenn Wood, the late founder of the Wood Brothers Racing Team, made his Cup Series debut at Martinsville and scored four poles and three top-three finishes in just 14 starts. While a Cup win eluded him there, he scored a big win in a Modified race there in 1960.

His grandson Jon Wood, now a co-owner of the No. 21 team, won a truck series race there in 2003.

Harrison Burton’s dad Jeff made his NASCAR debut at Martinsville in the series now known as Xfinity in 1988 and scored his first series win there two years later. Jeff Burton also won a Cup Series race there in 1997. Ward Burton, Harrison’s uncle, won an Xfinity race there in 1993.

In 2020, Harrison Burton carried on the family’s Martinsville legacy with a win in the Xfinity Series.

In that race, he led a race-high 81 laps including the final 53 in a row to get his fourth win of the season.

“What stands out the most from that afternoon is just how fun it was to have my family there to see it,” he said.

So it’s no surprise that he’s looking forward to making his first Martinsville appearance in a Cup car this Saturday night in the Blue-Emu 400.

“I’m excited for Martinsville,” Burton said. “In the past it’s been a great track to me and my family.

“I feel confident going there, so I’m excited to get to work.”

Practice for the Blue-Emu 400 is set for Friday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time followed at 5:05 by qualifying.

The 400-lap race is set to start just after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 180.

#

About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change & maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator & electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension & steering, wheel alignment, belts & hoses, lamps & bulbs, wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 187,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.

*See seller for limited-warranty details.

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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Martinsville 1 Advance

By
Official Release
-

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: MARTINSVILLE

All three of NASCAR’s top touring series will be competing under the lights this week at Martinsville Speedway, beginning with Thursday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and continued the next two nights with the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series.

This Week’s Schedule:

Thursday, April 7 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
Friday, April 8 – NASCAR Xfinity Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, April 9 – NASCAR Cup Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT MARTINSVILLE

· Ford has 30 series wins at Martinsville Speedway.
· Ford has won four of the last 10 series events at Martinsville.
· Brad Keselowski has two of those wins while Joey Logano has one.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT MARTINSVILLE

· Ford has 1 series win at Martinsville Speedway.
· Kenny Wallace has that lone series win (1994).

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT MARTINSVILLE

· Ford has five all-time NCWTS wins at Martinsville Speedway.
· Todd Gilliland recorded his first series victory at Martinsville Speedway.

F-150 LIGHTNING SET TO PACE AT MARTINSVILLE

The all-electric 2022 F-150 Lightning will be the official pace vehicle for this weekend’s NASCAR event at Martinsville Speedway. This marks the first time an electric truck will pace a NASCAR race and follows the Mustang Mach-E, which handled pace car duties at Talladega Superspeedway last year. Lightning is scheduled to pace the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event Thursday and then the NASCAR Cup Series race two nights later. Lightning received nearly 200,000 reservations since being unveiled last May and is part of a growing EV portfolio for Ford that includes the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit. The vehicle is on track for customer deliveries this spring.

LOGANO LIKES MARTINSVILLE

No track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit has been better for Joey Logano when it comes to qualifying than Martinsville Speedway. Logano enters this weekend with an average starting position of 7.5, which is his best among all tracks in which he has more than five starts. He has five poles, including three in a row in 2015-16, and has an active streak of 18 straight top-10 starts (including races where qualifying was rained out). In 26 career races at the half-mile short track, Logano has an average finishing position of 12.0 and has been running at the finish of every event.

BLANEY ON QUALIFYING HOT STREAK

Ryan Blaney, who leads the current point standings, goes into this weekend at Martinsville having won the pole in each of the last three NASCAR Cup Series qualifying sessions. His streak started at Phoenix and continued at Circuit of the Americas and Richmond. Qualifying was rained out at Atlanta Motor Speedway three weeks ago, but Blaney still started on the front row as NASCAR’s formula placed him second. Blaney now has nine career poles.

Martinsville Highlights

BOWYER NETS FIRST FORD WIN

Clint Bowyer snapped a 190-race winless stretch by leading the final 114 laps to win the weather-delayed STP 500 in 2018. The win was Bowyer’s first with Ford and ninth of his career. He passed Ryan Blaney on lap 285 to gain the lead for the first time, and when Jamie McMurray brought out the caution 100 laps later after hitting the wall, Bowyer’s pit crew got him back out with the lead and that proved to be the difference. That capped a big day for Ford, which had five drivers finish in the Top 10 and saw Blaney win Stage 2.

KESELOWSKI WINS FIRST CLOCK

Brad Keselowski outdueled Kyle Busch down the stretch to win his first grandfather clock after capturing the STP 500 on Apr. 2, 2017. The two drivers waged a memorable battle that saw them swap the lead five times in the last 160 laps, but Keselowski ended up making the decisive pass on lap 458 and led the final 43 circuits to become the first repeat winner in 2017. Prior to winning at Martinsville, Keselowski took the checkered flag at Atlanta in the second race of the season.

A FIRST FOR FRED

The first time Ford won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway also marked the first career victory for 2015 NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen. The date was April 9, 1961 and Lorenzen battled Rex White, who led the first 118 laps after starting on the pole. Lorenzen, driving for Holman-Moody at the time, grabbed the lead on lap 119 and held it until rain came ending the race prematurely after 149 circuits. Little did anyone know that 54 years later both men would be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the same induction class. Martinsville was a place Lorenzen dominated, winning six times, including four straight from 1963-65. He was absolutely unbeatable in 1964 as he led 990 out of a possible 1,000 laps (487 in the first and 493 in the second) in winning both races.

CRAVEN WINS FIRST CUP RACE

Ricky Craven outlasted Dale Jarrett over the final laps to post the first victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career on Oct. 15, 2001 at Martinsville Speedway. Pit strategy played a key role in this race as Jarrett opted for four tires on his final stop while Craven just got two. That enabled Craven to build a lead following the ensuing restart with 17 to go, but Jarrett gained ground and found himself in position to win on the final lap. That’s when Jarrett went to the outside going into turn one and got side-by-side with Craven coming off turn two. Both Fords made contact door-to-door entering turn three, but Craven emerged off four with the advantage and took the checkered flag.

RUDD ROUGHS IT OUT

No driver displayed more toughness during his career than Ricky Rudd and that was evident again in 1998 when the Virginia native endured burns on his backside to win the NAPA Autocare 500 on Sept. 27. On a day that saw temperatures in the mid-nineties, Rudd found himself in a bad way just five laps into the race when his cooling unit failed. As the cockpit got hotter he asked to have a relief driver standing by, so Hut Stricklin was in the pit area ready to takeover. Ice packs helped momentarily, but his back was blistering so the team tried to cool him off with a hose. Unfortunately, the hose they used had been lying in the sun, so when they doused him the first time the water was hot. That method worked better on later stops, but in the end it was Rudd who toughed it out and led the final 96 laps to win and extend his streak to 16 consecutive seasons with at least one NASCAR Cup Series win.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT MARTINSVILLE

1961 – Fred Lorenzen (1)

1962 – Nelson Stacy (2)

1963 – Fred Lorenzen (2)

1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)

1965 – Fred Lorenzen and Junior Johnson

1966 – Fred Lorenzen (2)

1969 – Richard Petty (Sweep)

1986 – Ricky Rudd (1)

1990 – Geoffrey Bodine (Sweep)

1992 – Mark Martin and Geoffrey Bodine

1993 – Ernie Irvan (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)

1995 – Rusty Wallace (1)

1996 – Rusty Wallace (1)

1997 – Jeff Burton (1)

1998 – Ricky Rudd (2)

2000 – Mark Martin (1)

2001 – Dale Jarrett and Ricky Craven

2002 – Kurt Busch (2)

2017 – Brad Keselowski (1)

2018 – Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano

2019 – Brad Keselowski (1)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT MARTINSVILLE

1994 – Kenny Wallace

FORD NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT MARTINSVILLE

1995 – Joe Ruttman

2003 – Jon Wood

2004 – Rick Crawford

2005 – Ricky Craven (2)

2015 – Joey Logano (1)

2020 – Grant Enfinger

Rossi to make 100th IndyCar career start at Long Beach

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Competing in his seventh full-time season in the NTT IndyCar Series, Alexander Rossi is set to reach a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the Streets of Long Beach, California, the driver of the No. 27 Andretti Autosport Dallara-Honda will make his 100th career start in the IndyCar circuit.

A native of Auburn, California, Rossi made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar Series at the start of the 2016 season. By then, he was coming off a part-time stint for Manor Marussia F1 Team, where he competed in five Grand Prix events as a reserve F1 competitor. Despite remaining as a reserve competitor for Manor entering the 2016 season, Rossi opted to compete in the IndyCar Series on a full-time basis and in the No. 98 Dallara-Honda for Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian. 

Making his debut in the 2016 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March, Rossi finished 12th after starting 18th. Through the following four events, he recorded his first top-10 career result by finishing 10th in the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in May.

A week later, Rossi achieved a pinnacle moment in his racing career by winning the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and claiming his maiden IndyCar career victory. The win came after Rossi took the lead with four laps remaining while the front-runners pitted for fuel and barely had enough to coast across the finish line with the victory over teammate Carlos Muñoz, Josef Newgarden and Tony Kanaan. With the victory, Rossi became the 70th different winner of the Indy 500 and the first rookie IndyCar competitor to win the event since Hello Castroneves made the last accomplishment in 2001. He also achieved the fifth Indy 500 victory for Andretti Autosport.

Following his Indy 500 victory, Rossi went on to finish in the top 10 in four of the remaining 10 IndyCar events of the 2016 season. A day after finishing in fifth place in the season-finale GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway and capping off his first full-time IndyCar campaign in 11th place in the final standings, Rossi was named the 2016 IndyCar Rookie of the Year.

Remaining at Andretti Autosport on a new multi-year contract deal, Rossi recorded two top-five results and five top-10 results through the first 11 IndyCar scheduled events and was ranked in ninth place in the standings. He then picked up his first podium result of the season after finishing second in the Honda Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place in July before claiming another podium result in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway in August with a third-place effort. Two races later, Rossi claimed his second IndyCar triumph at Watkins Glen International after starting on pole position for the first time in his career and leading 32 of 60 laps. He went on to conclude the season in seventh place in the final standings.

For the 2018 IndyCar season, Rossi, who remained at Andretti Autosport for a third full-time stint, swapped numbers with teammate Marco Andretti, giving the Californian the No. 27 to sport to his Dallara-Honda. Three races into the new season, Rossi claimed his third IndyCar career win following a dominating performance from pole position in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in April. The early win to the season marked the first time where Rossi emerged as the points leader.

Rossi, however, lost the points lead during the following three events, but reassumed it after finishing in third place in the first of a Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature in The Raceway at Michigan’s Belle Isle. During the second Belle Isle event, however, Rossi, who dominated and was battling teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay for the win, locked up his car with seven laps remaining and plummeted to 12th place in the final running order. In addition, he dropped from first to third in the standings while being overtaken by Will Power and Scott Dixon.

Despite the misfortune, Rossi remained in contention for the title for the remaining nine events of the schedule, where he finished on the podium four times. During this stretch, he also claimed back-to-back victories in the season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and at Pocono between July and August.

Entering the finale at Sonoma, which marked Rossi’s 50th IndyCar career start, he trailed Dixon in the standings by 29 points. At the start of the finale, however, he made contact with teammate Andretti that damaged the front wing of his car and sent him to the rear of the field. He recovered to finish seventh despite running out of fuel on the final lap, but he concluded the season as the championship runner-up behind Dixon. Though he fell short in claiming his first IndyCar title, the 2018 season was a career season for Rossi, who achieved career-best results in wins (three), podiums (eight), poles (three), laps led (415), average-finishing result (5.7) and standing result (second).

Rossi commenced the 2019 season with a fifth place result at the Streets of St. Petersburg. Three races later, he claimed his first victory of the season at the Long Beach Street Circuit, which also marked his second consecutive win at the circuit in Southern California. In a similar fashion to the previous season, Rossi remained in contention for the title as he earned another victory of the season at Road America in June along with six podium results through the following 12 scheduled events. When the season concluded at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on September, however, Rossi, who finished sixth in the finale, settled in third place in the final standings and 33 points shy of his first IndyCar title.

Coming off two strong seasons, the 2020 season, which was reduced to 14 scheduled events amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, was a disappointing season for Rossi, who endured a winless season for the first time in his career. Despite recording five podium results throughout the season, including two season-best runner-up results at Mid-Ohio and Indy’s Road Course event between September and October, he was not a factor for the title as he settled in ninth place in the final standings.

Rossi endured another difficult season in 2021, where he only managed a single podium result with second place at Portland International Raceway in September along with four starts on the front row. When the season concluded, he ended up in 10th place in the final standings. 

Through 99 previous IndyCar starts, Rossi has achieved seven victories, six poles, 25 podiums, 814 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.8. He has finished 20th and 27th respectively during the first two IndyCar events and is ranked in 27th place in the championship standings while he continues his pursuit for his first IndyCar title.

Rossi is set to make his 100th NTT IndyCar Series career start in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at the Streets of Long Beach, California, on Sunday, April 10 on NBC. The event’s coverage is scheduled to commence at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

BLAINE PERKINS: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes – Martinsville Speedway

By
Official Release
-

BLAINE PERKINS
No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2022
Venue: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Location: Ridgeway, Virginia
Track Description: .526-mile(s)
Race: 200 laps / 105.2 miles

CR7 Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2018, the Statesville, N.C.,-based organization has logged 52 starts with three drivers, Grant Enfinger, Colby Howard, and Codie Rohrbaugh. CR7 Motorsports has collected three top-five finishes (Daytona, Talladega, Austin) and eight top-10 finishes, and has logged an average starting position of 23.8 and an average finishing position of 22.8.

CR7 MOTORSPORTS STATISTICS

CR7 Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at the Martinsville Speedway … This week will mark CR7 Motorsports’ fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the Martinsville, Va.,-facility. The organization posted a team best 10th-place finish at the track on October 26, 2019 with team owner Codie Rohrbaugh. The three previous starts at the Martinsville Speedway, the shortest track on the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) circuit, has earned CR7 Motorsports an average starting position of 27.3 and an average finish of 27.3.

Catch the Action … The Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 at the Martinsville Speedway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Thursday, April 7, starting with NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS Martinsville at 7:00 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 7:30 p.m. (ET). Practice and qualifying for the fifth event of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Blaine Perkins
No. 9 Grant County Mulch (GCM) Chevrolet Silverado

The Half Mile of Mayhem Facts … This week will mark Blaine Perkins’ track debut with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Martinsville Speedway, “The Half Mile of Mayhem” – a fitting nickname for the tight nature and difficult turning configuration. The 22-year-old California native has one NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) start (April 11, 2021) at the Martinsville Speedway.

Short Track Stats: This week marks Blaine Perkins’ short track (less than one mile in length) debut with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The Bakersfield, Calif., -native has one combined NASCAR Xfinity Series start on a short track.

BLAINE PERKINS STATISTICS

Fresh Scheme … Grant County Mulch, Inc. (GCM), is the largest mulch and soil provider in the country, and has been supplying the lawn and garden industry with quality landscaping products throughout the Mid-Atlantic region since 1989. Headquartered in Petersburg, W.Va., Grant County Mulch is the largest bagged and bulk sales company in the MidAtlantic/Northeast.

In the Rearview Mirror: Circuit of the Americas … Blaine Perkins, driver of the No. 9 Raceline Chevrolet Silverado for

CR7 Motorsports, finished in the 35th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 on Saturday, March 26, at the Circuit of the Americas, located in Austin, Texas. Perkins started in the 29th-place in the 36-truck field. He suffered a mechanical failure after the opening laps of the extended 46 lap event. Perkins was scored as high as the 24th-place at the Circuit of the Americas.

QUOTE WORTHY

Blaine Perkins, driver of the No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet Silverado for CR7 Motorsports
On the Martinsville Speedway:

“I am looking forward to getting to the Martinsville Speedway this week! Last year I ran the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, and really enjoyed the track. The short tracks are where I got my start in racing on the West Coast, so I am looking forward to getting to our first short track of the year. Our No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado has had speed this year, and I am confident in showcasing that speed at the Martinsville Speedway this Thursday.”

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

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

KRIS WRIGHT: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes – Martinsville Speedway

By
Official Release
-

KRIS WRIGHT
No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2022
Venue: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Location: Ridgeway, Virginia
Track Description: .526-mile(s)
Race: 200 laps / 105.2 miles

Niece Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2016, the Mooresville, N.C.,-based organization has logged 297 starts with 40 drivers, including NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) drivers Trevor Bayne, Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson. Niece Motorsports has collected three victories (Ross Chastain, 2019: Kansas, Gateway and Pocono), 19 top-five finishes and 56 top-10 finishes, and has logged an average starting position of 19.6 and an average finishing position of 19.0.

NIECE MOTORSPORTS STATISTICS

Niece Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at the Martinsville Speedway … This week will mark Niece Motorsports’ 18th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the Ridgeway, Va.,-facility. The organization posted a team best second-place finish at the track on October 26, 2019 with driver Ross Chastain, a recent NASCAR Cup Series winner. The 17 previous starts at the Martinsville Speedway, the only NASCAR track to host NASCAR Cup Series races continuously since its inception in 1949, have earned Niece Motorsports three top-10 finishes with an overall average starting position of 22.5 and an average finish of 19.5.

Catch the Action … The Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 at the Martinsville Speedway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Thursday, April 7, starting with NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS Martinsville at 7:00 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 7:30 p.m. (ET). Practice and qualifying for the fifth event of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Kris Wright
No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado

The Paperclip Review … This week marks Kris Wright’s second Martinsville Speedway appearance with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Wexford, Pa.,- native has one start at The Paperclip, collecting a career-best finish of 13th-place. Because of its small size, with tight corners and its unique shape, Martinsville Speedway is described most often as a paperclip. Wright made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series track debut at the Martinsville Speedway on October 30, 2021.

Short Track Stats: In three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on a short track (less than one mile in length), Kris Wright has an average starting spot of 24.0 and an average finish of 28.0 on these racetracks.

KRIS WRIGHT STATISTICS

In the Rearview Mirror: Circuit of the Americas … Kris Wright, driver of the No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports, finished in the 15th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 on Saturday, March 26, at the Circuit of the Americas, located in Austin, Texas. Wright started in the 17th-place in the 36-truck field. At the end of Stage 1 on Lap 12 he was in the 14th-place, and by the end of Stage 2 on Lap 26, Wright was scored in the 13th-place. Wright was scored as high as the 11th-place at the Circuit of the Americas. He posted his first top-15 finish of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

QUOTE WORTHY

Kris Wright, driver of the No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports
On the Martinsville Speedway:

“I am pumped to get back to short-track racing. With how the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Circuit of the
Americas ended, it will be interesting to see how competitors race each other at The Paperclip. Getting out of the Martinsville
Speedway with a semi-clean Chevrolet Silverado will be the key for keeping the momentum going into next week at Bristol
(Motor Speedway).”

Kris Wright on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit KrisWrightMotorsports.com or connect with Kris Wright on Facebook (/KrisWrightRacing), Twitter (@KrisOnNASCAR) or Instagram (@krisonnascar).

#

About F.N.B. Corporation
F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a diversified financial services company operating in seven states and the District of Columbia. FNB’s market coverage spans several major metropolitan areas including: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point) in North Carolina. The Company has total assets of approximately $42 billion and nearly 340 banking offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.

FNB provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking and wealth management solutions through its subsidiary network which is led by its largest affiliate, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, founded in 1864. Commercial banking solutions include corporate banking, small business banking, investment real estate financing, government banking, business credit, capital markets and lease financing. The consumer banking segment provides a full line of consumer banking products and services, including deposit products, mortgage lending, consumer lending and a complete suite of mobile and online banking services. FNB’s wealth management services include asset management, private banking and insurance.

The common stock of F.N.B. Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FNB” and is included in Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) Regional Banks SubIndustry Index. Customers, shareholders and investors can learn more about this regional financial institution by visiting the F.N.B. Corporation website at www.fnbcorporation.com.

Chandler Smith – No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Martinsville Preview

By
Official Release
-

Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 Safelite® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200, Race 5 of 23, 200 Laps –50/50/100; 105.2 Miles
Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (0.526-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: April 7, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith’s Thursday Trip to the Paperclip:
Chandler Smith and the No. 18 Safelite team will make a Thursday night trip to ‘The Paperclip’ for the fifth race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Smith has had a strong start to 2022, finishing inside the top five in three of the four events and picking up a victory earlier in the year at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. The 19-year-old driver has held the series points lead since the second race of the season and enters this week’s race with a 15-point cushion on reigning champion Ben Rhodes. In addition to leading the point standings, he leads Truck Series regulars in average starting position (4.8), average running position (7.199), average finish (7.8) and fastest laps (22), while his 54 laps led rank him third overall to KBM teammates John Hunter Nemechek (85) and Kyle Busch (62).

Despite already having 42 career Truck Series starts, Thursday’s trip to Martinsville will be just the second time the talented teenager has tackled the 0.526-mile oval. In last year’s cutoff race to advance to the Championship 4, Smith battled inside the top five for the final 50 laps and ended the day with a respectable fourth-place finish but did not advance to contend for a title at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

Over the weekend, Smith and his wife, Kenzie, revealed on Chandler’s Instagram account that they will be having a baby boy in August and that the couple’s first child will take its father’s name and be Chandler Smith Jr.

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

Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will once again call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2022. Stockman’s drivers have produced six victories at KBM across his first two seasons, including two with Smith behind the wheel in 2021. The veteran crew chief captured a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and also won an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s drivers have collected two top-five and three top-10 finishes across five starts at Martinsville, with a best result of third coming with Dillon in 2011.

The Tundra TRD Pro that Smith will get behind the wheel of on Thursday night, KBM-25, has already won twice at Martinsville. Noah Gragson picked up his first career Truck Series victory with the Tundra in the fall of 2017 and Todd Gilliland picked up his first career Truck Series victory in the fall of 2019.

Safelite, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services will serve as the primary sponsor on Smith’s Toyota this week and for 16 races throughout the 2022 season. Charge Me will be as an associate sponsor on the bedtop of Smith’s No. 18 Tundra TRD Pro for 16 races this season, including this weekend at COTA. Charge Me was founded on the principle that the electric vehicle (EV) revolution will require robust infrastructure support at all levels.

All three KBM Tundra TRD Pros will carry a special decal on the B post this week promoting Autism Awareness that includes the twitter handle of NASCAR Sammy (@NASCARSammy), an avid NASCAR fan and autism advocate. Fans can visit his website, nascarsammy.com to purchase a decal and help support his mission.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your first start at Martinsville?
“The biggest challenge with Martinsville is getting track position. It’s a short track and it drove like a short track and a lot of grassroots short tracks are position dependent, but it just seemed like at the NASCAR level track position is even more crucial.”

Do you feel that drivers will be less aggressive than last fall because this isn’t a playoff race?
“I don’t feel like this race will be less aggressive than last year’s race even though it is not a playoff race. Just with how everyone has been racing at the start of this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if this will be a really aggressive race.”

If you came home with the grandfather clock on Saturday, where would you put it?
“We have absolutely no room for a grandfather clock, so I have no clue where we would put it.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

  • Across 42 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded three wins, 360 laps led, 17 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.2.
  • Led 55 laps and finished eighth in his Camping World Truck Series debut at Iowa Speedway in July of 2019. Drove a limited schedule for KBM in 2019 (four races) and 2020 (12 races), before going full-time in 2021.
  • Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1783 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.4 across 34 career ARCA Menards Series starts. Set an ARCA Racing Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career and earned his first victory after leading a race-high 102 laps at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start.
  • Has numerous Super Late Model victories across his career, including two marquee wins: the Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. (2021) and SpeedFest at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia (2018). Will compete in several Super Late Model events around his Truck Series schedule in 2022.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:
KBM-25: The No. 18 Safelite team will unload KBM-25 for Thursday’s race at Martinsville. It is the same Tundra that Smith piloted to a fourth-place finish in last year’s Martinsville race. This Toyota has three career wins, including wins at Martinsville with Todd Gilliland (2019) and Noah Gragson (2017). The other win came with Christopher Bell at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in 2016.

KBM-25 Performance Profile

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected eight wins, five poles, 987 laps led, 24 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.4 across 6o starts at Martinsville. Todd Gilliland picked up the organization’s most recent victory at the 0.526-mile oval in October of 2019. Kyle Busch (2016 & 2019), Darrell Wallace Jr. (2013 & 2014), and Denny Hamlin (2011 & 2012) have all collected two victories at the Virginia track while Noah Gragson (2017) has one win.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (92) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 24 career victories.
1...2,0382,0392,040...6,659Page 2,039 of 6,659