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Carson Hocevar – Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Race Advance – Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 (200 Laps/105 Miles) | Martinsville Speedway

Thursday, April 7 | Martinsville, Va. | 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), Sirius XM Ch. 90

Team: No. 42 MG Machinery/PlainsCapital Bank Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Carson Hocevar (Portage, Mich.) | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on making his first short track start of the 2022 season: “I feel pretty confident going into Martinsville this week. We were on the front row last fall before a penalty set us back, but we rallied to drive back up into the top-10. Our No. 42 team had good speed last year and I know we’re bringing an even better truck to the track this year – we made big gains during the offseason. Hopefully we can go from good to great, capitalize with some stage points, and finally put a win banner up in the shop at Niece Motorsports.”

Hocevar at Martinsville Speedway: Hocevar makes his third career start at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Thursday night. He owns an average finish of 12.5 at the Virginia short track with a 13th-place finish in 2020 and a 12th-place result during his rookie season in 2021.

In 2020, Hocevar started 33rd and made his way through the field to lead five laps en route to a top-15 showing. In last season’s event, he started eighth and led four laps before finishing 12th.

On the Truck: Hocevar and the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado will run the Premier Security Solutions paint scheme for Thursday’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200.

Last time out (XPEL 225 – Start: 6th / Finish: 8th): Hocevar held on to his top-10 starting position for a majority of the opening stage before pitting from sixth-place on lap nine for a scheduled four tire stop before the end of stage one. After rejoining the field in 19th, Hocevar came across the line 16th in the opening stage and opted to not pit at the stage break, allowing him to restart stage two in sixth-place.

Hocevar picked his way through traffic in the first two laps of stage two to make his way up to fourth-place before pitting under caution on lap 21 for four tires and fuel. He made up 11 positions from the time of the restart to the end of stage two to pick up three stage points with an eighth-place result.

With ten laps to go, Hocevar restarted third and quickly made his way into second-place with a pass on the inside in turn one. On the following restart on the outside of the front row, Hocevar was shoved up the race track and fell back to eighth-place before ultimately restarting 10th for the first overtime. Despite the race ending under caution in the second overtime, Hocevar was able to secure his second top-10 finish of the season with an eighth-place result.

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About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2022, Niece Motorsports enters its seventh season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com www.niecemotorsports.com

About Premier Security Solutions:

Founded in 2013 by a retired Flint Michigan Police Officer, Premier Security Solutions is committed to deflect and deter unlawful activity for their clients, create a safe campus, and provide a secure environment. A company fully committed to community involvement and protection. Premier partners with many community organizations like Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and his G.H.O.S.T. team combatting human trafficking. Premier provides an array of security services, including K-12 school campus, industrial logistics, corporate and event security in addition to a state-of-the-art monitoring center and all types of security training for both law enforcement and civilian trainees. For more information, please visit www.premiersecurity.solutions/

TOP racing themed slot machines in online casinos

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Official Release
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Racing is one of the most popular games in online slots. Almost all slot machine developers have racing games to their name. Even though there are racing games everywhere, you might not enjoy playing some of them. You have to consider certain things before deciding to play a racing game. They are the game set up, number of pay lines, and the reels; graphics also matter to some players. The best racing-themed online slots are listed below.

5 Reel Drive 

When it comes to slot machine games, only a few can do it like Microgaming. There are 5 reels in the 5 reel drive game, just as the name implies. It also comes with 9 pay lines. Even though there is no bonus offer in the game, you can use scatters to maximize your cashout and win big. 

Almost all punters love 5 reel drive, and it is also highly recommended for people who love intense action games. The RTP of the 5 reel drive is 96.96%, and you can find the game in almost all standard casinos. 

Racing for Pinks 

Like 5 reel drive, racing for pinks is also developed by Microgaming. As it comes with 243 pay lines, it also has 5 reels. This combination makes it one of the highest-paying racing-themed slots. Since you will be given 30 free spins, you have a chance to play without losing money. With the 5x winning multiplier feature, you can always win high without staking much. Racing for pinks is available at the best payout casino, so you don’t have to be worried about claiming your winnings.

Even though the RTP is 95.81%, it doesn’t make the game inferior, and the mouthwatering payout overshadows that. Since racing for pinks is a popular casino game, you can always interact with fellow players and get tips on how to win huge. 

Green Light 

This slot game comes with 5 reels and 20 pay lines. The screen light represents the scatter, while the driver icon denotes the wild symbol. Greenlight is a fast-paced game, and you will get enough gambling experience by playing it frequently. With the max payout amount set at $10,000, you should always expect competition while playing. 

Midnight Racer 

Even though Saucify isn’t regarded as one of the best software game developers, it is still popular among gamblers. You will always end up with memorable experiences after playing games developed by Saucify. This car racing slot has 5 reels and 30 pay lines. The beautiful graphics also make it an exciting game to play. Even though there is no bonus offer, you will still prefer Midnight racer to other racing slot games. It comes with excellent payouts and a great RTP. 

Dream run 

Real-time Gaming is widely known for creating popular slots. You can rely on the fascinating game to take your adrenaline to the next level. Since the RTP is as high as 97%, you can expect huge payouts. All you have to do is sign up and start playing. Dream run comes with two wild symbols known as opponent and racer. The other features include free spins and scatter. The aesthetic design makes you excited as you start spinning the reels. 

Drive: Multiplier Mayhem 

Drive is a racing game with 5 reels and 15 pay lines; the intensity and graphics of the game make it stand out among all other racing-themed slots. No matter how low your stake amount is, you can use the winning multiplier to boost your payout. 

Conclusion 

As stated earlier, there are many racing-themed slot games online. Even though the ones listed here are great, you should expect better ones soon. Since there are different variants, you can play as many as possible. You will always enjoy every moment you play racing games from Play N’ Go and other top game providers in the industry. What are you waiting for? Sign up on one of the best online casinos and see your betting experience skyrocket with these games.

Harrison Burton joins David Gilliland Racing for Truck return at Bristol Dirt Course

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Bruce Nuttleman for SpeedwayMedia.com.

David Gilliland Racing took to social media to announce that Harrison Burton will be driving for the team in the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ Pinty’s Truck Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course on April 16.

The 21-year-old Burton from Huntersville, North Carolina, will be piloting the No. 17 Ford F-150 with sponsorship support from Hunt Brother’s Pizza, where he will compete alongside David Gilliland Racing’s full-time competitors Hailie Deegan and Tanner Gray.

Burton is currently embarking in his first full-time season as a NASCAR Cup Series competitor, where he is piloting the iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing. Through the first seven Cup events, he has achieved an average-finishing result of 25.3 with a best on-track result of 16th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. He sits in 29th place in the regular season standings.

The Bristol Dirt event will mark Burton’s first start in the Truck Series since competing as a full-time competitor in the series in 2019 for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Making his Truck debut at Martinsville Speedway in October 2016 through his latest start at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2019, Burton has recorded one pole, 11 top-five results, 18 top-10 results, 88 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.3 in 38 Truck career starts, all with KBM.

The Bristol Dirt event will also mark Burton’s first Truck start with David Gilliland Racing, in a Ford and on a dirt course since competing at Eldora Speedway in August 2019.

Burton is scheduled to compete in the Pinty’s Truck Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course on April 16 with coverage to occur at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

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

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Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH
Saturday Night Lights

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (April 5, 2022) – When Martinsville (Va.) Speedway officials began installing lights in late 2016 to be used for the 2017 season and beyond, they had aspirations to one day run a NASCAR Cup Series event that started and ended under those lights. That vision became a reality in 2019, when it was announced that there would be a true night race on the half-mile, paperclip-shaped oval in May of 2020, which subsequently was delayed until the summer due to the pandemic.

Fast forward to this weekend and, with changes in the schedule that have occurred since that 2020 debut of night racing there, Martinsville finds itself hosting the first of just three Saturday-night races this season, the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), heads to the .526-mile short track for 400 laps of racing Saturday night after a strong runner-up finish there last fall.

In addition to his most recent run there, Busch has some impressive statistics at Martinsville. In his last 14 starts there, Busch has two wins to go with nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10s as the M&M’S Crunchy Cookie driver is a staple at the front of the field at the Virginia short track. Martinsville was a much bigger challenge for Busch earlier in his career, especially during his early years racing under the JGR banner. In fact, Busch finished outside the top-10 in three of his first four races there with JGR in 2008 and 2009, but has come into his own at Martinsville, starting with his first championship season in 2015.

Busch will no doubt shine bright under the lights with the scheme for the new M&M’S Crunchy Cookie product adorning his No. 18 Toyota for the second of seven races this season. M&M’S Crunchy Cookie combines two favorite treats – M&M’S and chocolate chip cookies – and is now available nationwide. It’s bound to give race fans a fun, nostalgic snack to enjoy during this weekend’s race. M&M’S is also partnering with a cool cookie creator, Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi, to create 100, one-time-only, limited-edition cookies that will be made available to race fans on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans can sign up at MMS.com to find out when they’ll drop.

So as Busch and the rest of his NASCAR Cup Series competitors head to Martinsville for first night race of the season, the two-time Cup Series champion is hoping to be in the spot that will shine brightest at Martinsville – victory lane.

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

What is the key to you getting a win at Martinsville?

“It’s a tough racetrack and, any time you come in the pits and make an adjustment on your car, you certainly hope it goes the right way, or you make enough of it, or you don’t make too much of an adjustment. The last run can be tricky, too, because you can be coming off a 50-lap run on right-side tires and take four and you’ve only got 30 (laps) to go, or you could have 80 to go and you know you have to manage that run all the way to the end. Hoping we can just be there at the end and have a shot to with our M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Camry.”

What’s unique about Martinsville that makes for good racing there?

“Typically, you are off the throttle more than you are on the throttle at Martinsville, so your time is lost or made when you are off the gas. That lends itself to guys dive-bombing and making moves and being light on the brake and running into the back of guys, or rooting them out of the bottom and getting them shuffled back. The more that track becomes a bottom feeder-type racetrack and you can go and get a guy shuffled out, there’s no worry to you because he can’t get back in line. If he goes back five spots, then you have that cushion again. There are all kinds of different ways Martinsville has always put on really good and exciting racing, and we’ll see how things look with the new car and trying to adapt as best we can.”

What do you feel is the biggest key to performing well in races like this week at Martinsville?

“I think just being able to get comfortable, get settled, and make sure that you’re good to go for those long hauls. Don’t worry about what lap it is, ever, during a race. That’s the worst thing that could happen to you. You just try to not ever worry about what lap you’re on or what’s going on around you. You just keep battling, keep driving, keep your focus forward on what you’re doing. That’s the best way to go about those races. This one is a bit shorter with 400 laps instead of the 500 laps we are used to there, but there are still going to be some long hauls, for sure.”

Where have you put the Martinsville Speedway grandfather clocks you’ve won?

“One’s at home in the foyer and I had to turn off the buzzer because it’s close to (son) Brexton’s room, so we don’t get to hear it. We heard it a couple of times while it went off, but then I turned it off. And then, the other ones, we have at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports).”

Event Overview:

● Event: Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 (Round 8 of 36)

● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 9

● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway

● Layout: .526-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/210.4 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 220 laps

● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy
Hometown: Blockville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Jackman: Kellen Mills
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

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

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

Road Crew Members:

Engine Tuner: Dan Bajek
Hometown: Camden, New York

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Mike Curtis
Hometown: Grandby, Connecticut

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

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Mechanic: Tony Hamm
Hometown: Walla, Walla, Washington

Notes of Interest:

● All in the Stats: Busch has two wins, 17 top-five finishes, 20 top-10s and has led a total of 1,429 laps in 33 career Cup Series starts at Martinsville. Busch’s average Martinsville finish is 11.8.

● Short-Track Ace:Busch has shown quite the propensity to win at NASCAR’s core short tracks. In addition to his six wins at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, where the series raced last weekend, Busch has eight wins in NASCAR’s top series at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and two at Martinsville for his 16 total wins on those three short tracks alone.

● 222 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 222 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Martinsville. In addition to his 59 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 61 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Martinsville Advance

By
Official Release
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COLE CUSTER
Martinsville Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 (Round 8 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 9
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/210.4 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 220 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The season’s first short-track swing continues under the lights for Cole Custer and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), who will join their NASCAR Cup Series competitors for Saturday night’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The swing commenced last Sunday on the .75-mile Richmond (Va.) Raceway oval and concludes Easter Sunday night with the second annual dirt race on the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway high-banked, half-mile oval.

● Saturday night’s 400-lap race around the .526-mile, paperclip-shaped Martinsville layout will be Custer’s 83rd Cup Series start and his fifth at Martinsville. The 24-year-old from Ladera Ranch, California, had a best Martinsville finish of 13th in October 2020, and was 23rd the last time the series visited the track last October.

● Custer, the 2020 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, had solid runs among his six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Martinsville from 2014 through 2016. He qualified on the pole and led a race-high 96 of 200 laps before finishing fourth in the October 2015 race, when he drove the No. 00 JR Motorsports entry. His next-best Martinsville Truck Series finish of seventh came in the October 2016 race, his most recent, when he drove the JR Motorsports truck to a seventh-place finish after qualifying third and leading 17 laps. He drove to another front-row qualifying spot alongside polesitter and race-winner Joey Logano in the March 2015 Truck Series race at Martinsville, leading two laps of the race before finishing 16th in the JR Motorsports truck.

● Last Sunday at Richmond, Custer started 12th and finished 22nd. He arrives at Martinsville 26th in the driver standings.

● Riding along with Custer and his SHR Mustang is team co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding, Haas Tooling, which was launched as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. HaasTooling.com products became available nationally in July 2020. Haas Automation, founded by Haas in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

What are your thoughts about the significance of doing well at Martinsville, being one of the iconic short tracks in NASCAR,?

“Martinsville is definitely one every single driver wants to win because I think the driver can make a pretty big difference there. You get the grandfather clock, all the history about the place, every single driver wants to go there and get that trophy. It’s just one of those tracks I would call one of the crown jewel races because it’s one you want to check off your list.”

What’s the biggest thing you’re looking forward to about racing there this weekend?

“For me, it’s always been just the challenge of it. I started my career at Martinsville in the Truck Series, but this weekend will be a whole new adventure with the NextGen car. It seems to be very suited to short-track racing, and it seems to stand up really well to the beating and banging, so I’m really looking forward to that. Martinsville is one of those tracks where, when you’re out there by yourself, you have to finesse your car around the track and it takes a lot of rhythm. And once you get out there with 39 other cars, it becomes a physical race. So it’s a matter of balancing those two things of finesse and beating and banging. It’s definitely one of the toughest tracks on the schedule.”

People say it takes a long time to master it. Do you feel like you’re mastering it?

“I would not say I’ve mastered Martinsville, yet. I don’t know if you ever master Martinsville. It’s a place that is always going to challenge you. Something different is going to always happen in the race, something is always going to get thrown at you, like somebody messing your race up or something like that. It’s just a constant battle of trying to get your car to handle right and then to try and navigate through 39 other cars.”

You talk about navigating – what does that mean at a place like Martinsville?

“They call it the paperclip for a reason. It’s one of those tracks where you have to try and go down this long straightaway and then come to a stop, pretty much, in the corner, and how you manage your brakes and how you manage the throttle – everything about it is just difficult. And you have to finesse the car around the corners. It’s one of those tracks that’s not easy for a driver to figure out and try and get a rhythm.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Cole Custer
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Hometown: Amherst, Ohio

Car Chief: Tony Cardamone
Hometown: Bristol, Virginia

Engineer: Lee Deese
Hometown: Rockingham, North Carolina

Engineer: Scott Bingham
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Spotter: Andy Houston
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Josh Leslie
Hometown: Mount Clemens, Michigan

Rear Tire Changer: Coleman Dollarhide
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Matthew Schlytter
Hometown: Ponte Vedra, Florida

Fuel Man: Dewayne Moore
Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Joe Zanolini
Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Shock Specialist: Aaron Kuehn
Hometown: Kensington, Connecticut

Tire Specialist: Austin Greco
Hometown: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues
Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer
Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Brad Keselowski – Martinsville I Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 6 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Josh Sell
Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski

Race Format: 210 miles, 400 laps, Stages: 100-100-200
Practice – Friday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Qualifying – Friday, April 8 at 5:05 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Race – Saturday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· Practice and qualifying are back in the weekend schedule for the NASCAR Cup Series, which this weekend features a pair of group practice sessions Friday afternoon, immediately followed by group qualifying.

· Qualifying will again be split into two groups with the top-five fastest cars in each group transferring to the final round. The final round of qualifying to determine the pole sitter will feature 10 cars, as all qualifying this weekend will include just one lap per car.

Keselowski at Martinsville Speedway

· Keselowski, a two-time winner at Martinsville, is set for his 25th Cup start at the .526-mile track. It ranks as his third-best track statistically with a 10.8 average finish (behind only Loudon and Pocono).

· He has finished top-10 in 17 of his 24 starts at ‘The Paperclip,’ good enough for 70 percent of his outings. Of those 17 top-10s, 12 finishes have been inside the top five. Keselowski earned his first Martinsville win back in 2017 in the spring race, and won that same race again two years later.

· Keselowski has finished fifth or better in 11 of his last 14 Martinsville races, and of those finished runner-up twice, as well as third three times.

· His average starting position at Martinsville is 11.4 with one career pole, the fall race in 2020, with 13 starts inside the top-10 all time.

· Keselowski also made four Truck Series starts from 2004-07.

Josh Sell at Martinsville Speedway

· Sell, filling in for Matt McCall as crew chief, will be on the box for his third race as crew chief.

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Martinsville:
“Martinsville has been a really good track to me over the years and a place that takes patience, but rewards you in the end. Our team has worked extremely hard the last few weeks to turn this thing around, and I think we are beginning to do that. A string of three-straight top-15s is a win for us right now, and we look forward to the opportunity to improve on that even more come Saturday night in the Fastenal Ford Mustang.”

Last Time Out

Keselowski finished top-10 in each of the first two stages Sunday at Richmond, before going on to finish 13th, his third-straight top-15 dating back to Atlanta.

On the Car

Fastenal, in its 12th season with RFK in 2022, makes its second appearance with the No. 6 team this weekend. In its early days with RFK, Fastenal originally was a partner with the No. 99 team before moving over to the No. 17 team since. They were also the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers Dewalt, Honeywell, Weiler, Loctite and Steiner Industries on Keselowski’s Mustang as he competes this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

Chris Buescher – Martinsville I Advance

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 210 miles, 400 laps, Stages: 100-100-200

Practice – Friday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Qualifying – Friday, April 8 at 5:05 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Race – Saturday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· Practice and qualifying are back in the weekend schedule for the NASCAR Cup Series, which this weekend features a pair of group practice sessions Friday afternoon, immediately followed by group qualifying.

· Qualifying will again be split into two groups with the top-five fastest cars in each group transferring to the final round. The final round of qualifying to determine the pole sitter will feature 10 cars, as all qualifying this weekend will include just one lap per car.

Buescher at Martinsville Speedway

· Buescher is set for his 14th Cup start at Martinsville this weekend, where he has one top-10 (P9), which came in last fall’s race. In that event he drove from the 15th starting spot to his career-best Martinsville finish.

· Prior to last fall, he had five other top-15 results, including a P13 finish in each of the last two spring races.

· Buescher has an average starting position of 23.9 with a career-best P12 starting spot (2019 spring). He started 15th in both of last season’s races.

Scott Graves at Martinsville Speedway

· Graves will call his 12th Cup race from Martinsville Saturday night where he has two career top-10s, including a best finish of ninth, which came last fall with Buescher.

· Graves has a string of five-straight top-20s, including a P10 finish with Ryan Newman back in 2019, and a 12th-place run the following spring.

· His best starting position of eighth came with Newman in the 2021 spring race, as overall he has a 19.3 average starting position.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Martinsville:
“I’m excited to get to yet another short track and continue improving on our program that has already proven an uptick from our performance in the past. This race is a little shorter this year, and you can always count on some fireworks with this tight of racing. Consistency is the name of the game this time of year, and we’re looking forward to the weekend in the Fastenal Ford.”

Last Time Out
Buescher earned a career-best 15th-place finish in Sunday’s race from Richmond Raceway.

On the Car

Fastenal, in its 12th season with RFK in 2022, makes its second appearance with the No. 17 team this weekend. In its early days with RFK, Fastenal originally was a partner with the No. 99 team before moving over to the No. 17 team since. They were also the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers Kimberly Clark Pro, Ingersoll Rand Co., Danfoss Power Solutions, ND Industries and Walter Surface Technologies on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Zane Smith Going For Third Truck Series Win of 2022 at Martinsville

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Martinsville Advance | Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Zane Smith, driver of the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports, is the only one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with two victories after coming away with a win two weeks ago at Circuit of the Americas. Smith also won the last time the series headed to this week’s stop – Martinsville Speedway. He was a guest today on a Ford-hosted media call and spoke with reporters about his season.

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports F-150 – WHAT IS IT ABOUT MARTINSVILLE THAT SUITS YOUR STYLE? “I feel like Martinsville is probably, if not the biggest rhythm track that we go to, and I feel like ever since I was a little kid on short tracks and that’s really at the end of the day what it is, they’ve just suited me. I really enjoy going to those places. The racing is always hectic, but it’s always a thrill of a finish and fortunately I’ve been on the good side of those recently. Hopefully, we can continue that wave.”

HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU ABOUT YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP CHANCES WITH FORD? “It’s so early to talk about championship stuff just because of the format that we go through. You’ve seen guys that dominate the regular season and then when the playoffs come around they struggle to have things go their way, so I’m trying not to get caught up in the too high of highs and enjoy the amount of fun that we’re having each and every weekend so far. Going back to Ford and being underneath that banner now has been awesome. The simulation tools and everyone I’ve been able to meet over the past few weeks or a couple months now have been awesome to lean on and work with, so the simulator time is still extremely valuable even in the normal world and now we’re kind of coming out of the COVID world, but I think typically we’re only getting 30 minutes or an hour of practice, so if you don’t have that you really lean on your simulation tools and they give us that, so a huge thank you to them and we’ll continue getting those Blue Ovals in victory lane.”

WHAT DOES HAVING TWO WINS AT THIS POINT DO FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM AS FAR AS YOUR APPROACH TO RACES AND STRATEGY? “I wish we had a few more stage wins and more stage points in general and then I feel like we’d be able to really approach these races a lot differently, but being locked in, and I think I have more wins than anyone this year, has been awesome. It not only boost my confidence, but really my whole team. It’s a lot of fun we’re having each and every week, so we’re just trying to enjoy that. I feel like I stole a clock from this team last year, so hopefully I can get them one this year.”

YOU ARE 31 POINTS OUT OF THE LEAD. ARE BONUS POINTS A PRIORITY NOW? “Yeah, I’ve always wanted to win that in general from my get-go in the truck series. It’s definitely something on our mind. We’ve already taken our hit to the gut at Vegas, so in our minds and many others we’re still looking at our year as a first, a second, a fifth and a first. I don’t know, I guess technically it’s not there, so I feel like that’s where that points buffer has hit us, but I feel like to still be fourth with that this early in the season really says something about our team. Honestly, COTA was a great points day. We maxed out on that. If we’re in contention to win that regular season championship and collect those extra points, it’s gonna be awesome, but myself and my team we’re just chasing wins and trophies right now and having fun in the process.”

HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CHAOS AT MARTINSVILLE? “I don’t know how it will be this year. Martinsville is always crazy, but I feel like we’ve seen the past few years it’s been the transfer race to get to the final four, so I feel like that really made the aggression level really high there at time. Going back and watching film of the night race in 2020 it was ugly how aggressive it got, and that was my first time ever at Martinsville so I was a little gun shy, but I was in a must-win situation last year and we pulled it off. I just feel like that place has been good to me and it fits me and I always look forward to Martinsville week.”

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE BRISTOL DIRT RACE THIS YEAR? “I don’t know what to expect for Bristol dirt. I don’t think anyone has a clear answer for that, but I know Bristol dirt last year in the very beginning was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a truck and then at the very end I didn’t have quite that much fun, just from the seeing concept of things, but I’ve heard they’re trying to work out those bugs and make it a good show for us. I feel like we’re all kind of in the same boat there and I love that.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE GOING DOWN FROM A FIVE TRUCK TEAM TO ONE? “It was definitely really different at first just because I’d been so used to always seeing truck parts and pieces floating around the shop and now it’s definitely in a smaller building and we’re surrounded by Cup cars. Obviously, the whole Cup world is crazy right now with getting cars and stuff. It’s been crazy to see the shop slowly but surely fill up with new cars, but it’s been really cool, honestly, to see not only all of FRM but especially the fab shop because they’re not as busy anymore and the Cup guys on their off days will give a helping hand to the truck team and that’s what winning and championship race teams do. They look at themselves as almost one and I feel like that’s what Front Row is and when I went over there I really tried to pay attention to the people and I feel like the team I have assembled on my 38 truck is as good as it gets. I’m just having a ton of fun with the group I’m with this year and look forward to the future.”

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO ADJUST TO A NEW TEAM SO QUICKLY AND HIT THE GROUND RUNNING LIKE YOU HAVE? “I feel like if you finish Daytona rolling, it’s gonna be a good year, so we finished Daytona winning. Once that happened, it was kind of a different ballgame of we got to focus forward on all the next steps, already locked in the playoffs and just getting to go have fun and chase trophies. I know that word keeps coming up of having fun, but that’s just simplifying it of what we’re doing and it’s been working.”

WHAT IS YOUR FEELING ON THE RIGHT WAY OF MOVING SOMEONE OR BEING IN THAT POSITION WHERE YOU COULD GET MOVED. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT? “I feel like each and every single one of us have known what moving someone the right way versus wrecking somebody is. I feel like we’ve known that since we were 12 years old at our first short track or something like that. I don’t know. A few of us are pretty good at measuring that out and some are absolutely awful at measuring that out, and so the guys that are awful, obviously it’s in our head that we’re gonna treat you how we’re treated and vice versa with the guys who do it the right way. It’s however you want to race me is how I look at it and I’ll typically do it two times worse back to you. That’s how I’ve always been about it.”

DO YOU EXPECT THAT AT THE END ON A SHORT TRACK IF YOU’RE LEADING AND WHAT ABOUT IF YOU’RE SECOND WITH HOW VALUABLE WINS ARE? “It’s a little bit different Martinsville now since we’re still early in the year and you don’t really want to make enemies. This isn’t now the final transfer race to get to the final four, so I don’t know. I probably say that and it’ll be 10 times worse, but I feel like everyone should try to initially pass the guy in front of them and if you can’t get it done, then, yeah, I don’t see anything wrong with just the classic short track bump and run, but there’s a difference between a bump and run and a dump and run. Hopefully, we could stay smart with that.”

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL ZANE SMITH RACE TRACK IF YOU HAD UNLIMITED MONEY? “I don’t know. Personally, one of my favorite racetrack is Dover. I love that place so much no matter what it’s in. I was super bummed out when the Truck Series quit going there, but hopefully in the near future I can go grab another monster.”

THIS WILL BE THE FIRST SPRING RACE AT MARTINSVILLE IN THREE YEARS AND THERE’S NO FALL RACE TO FOLLOW IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. HOW MUCH DOES THAT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF THIS RACE? “I see what NASCAR is trying to do putting it still right after a road course where we all get into each other so we all go into it pissed off. I feel like the past couple years you spend all year and the guys that haven’t won are extremely aggressive. The guys that are in a must-win are extremely aggressive and then there are just the normal guys that are always aggressive. I feel like you could possibly see a three-truck breakaway maybe in this one and those guys duke it out. I don’t see it being such a caution fest as its been in the past couple years, but, like I said, now that I say that I’ll probably get proved wrong, but you would think they wouldn’t be as aggressive. I don’t know. I’ll race however it is.”

No. 10 Smithfield Spirals Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Martinsville Advance

By
Official Release
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ARIC ALMIROLA
Martinsville Advance
No. 10 Smithfield Spirals Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 (Round 8 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 9
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/210.4 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 220 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

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

● History at Martinsville: In 26 starts, Almirola has earned six top-10 finishes, one top-five, and has led 75 laps on the .526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval.

● Points: Almirola arrives at Martinsville 11th in the driver standings with 184 points, 57 out of first.

● Almirola’s career: In 395 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has earned three wins, 27 top-five finishes, 87 top-10s, three poles, and has led 899 laps.

● Smithfield’s famous fully cooked, hickory-smoked Spiral Sliced Hams, which are all expertly crafted, perfectly cooked, uniformly sliced and available with a variety of delicious glaze flavors, will adorn the No. 10 Ford this weekend with a fan-favorite red and black design. Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc., is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.SmithfieldFoods.com, and connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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

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

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

What is it about short-track racing that drivers love?

“Short-track racing is where we all came from. It’s where our sport began. You get to put the racing back in the driver’s hands and there’s a lot of beating and banging involved. You can’t pass much, so you have to stay mentally and physically focused the entire time. It’s close-quarter racing at its finest and even better when we get to race under the lights on a Saturday night.”

After Richmond, how do you feel about your short-track program?

“We just missed the balance of the car at Richmond and tried a different strategy to make up for it. The race obviously ended with a big strategy call and we were not the beneficiaries of it. It’s hard to tell from that race to know how well we’ll be on short tracks, so we’re still taking notes and trying to maximize our days. Kevin (Harvick) had the right pit call and the 14 had some speed, so we know we’re capable of finding it as a team. I always look forward to Martinsville. Our finishes don’t indicate it, but we always find a good run there. If we can stay out of trouble, we should be there at the end for a much needed momentum boost.”

No. 10 Smithfield Spirals Ford Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Davin Restivo
Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

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

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Robbie Fairweather
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Rusty Davidson
Hometown: Mount Juliet, Tennessee

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

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

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Martinsville NXS Advance

By
Official Release
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RILEY HERBST
Martinsville NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Call 811 Before You Dig 250 powered by Call811.com (Round 8 of 33)
• Date: Friday, April 8
• Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
• Layout: .526-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. EDT on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Back-to-back races in the Commonwealth of Virginia have Riley Herbst seeking additional riches in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Friday night at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) finished a strong fifth last Saturday at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, and in addition to it being his fourth top-10 in the last four short-track races on the Xfinity Series schedule, it also placed Herbst into the Dash 4 Cash. If Herbst finishes ahead of his fellow Dash 4 Cash combatants – Ty Gibbs, Sam Mayer and AJ Allmendinger – he will get a $100,000 payday and automatic entry into the next Dash 4 Cash round April 23 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

• Herbst didn’t become Dash 4 Cash eligible on his own. He got by with a little help from his friends, namely crew chief Richard Boswell and the No. 98 Monster Energy pit crew. They helped orchestrate Herbst’s fifth-place drive at Richmond. The 23-year-old racer started 24th, but Herbst didn’t stay there long. He was 13th at the end of the first stage and, thanks to quick pit work by his crew, Herbst was among the top-10 for the start of the second stage, ultimately finishing the stage in ninth to pick up two valuable bonus points. The third and final stage consisted of 100 laps and Herbst was methodical on every tour of the track as the race stayed green to the checkered flag, culminating with his third top-five of the season.

• Herbst has made just three Xfinity Series starts at Martinsville. He finished sixth in his debut at the track in October 2020, but then endured a 29th-place finish in his return to Martinsville last April. Herbst rebounded from that spring setback when he returned to Martinsville in fall, earning a solid 10th-place result.

• Getting that 10th-place finish last fall in the Xfinity Series’ prior visit to Martinsville proved Herbst’s resiliency. While running eighth, Herbst was collected in a multicar accident that left him 26th with less than 60 laps remaining. His top-10 track position was out the window as Herbst had to pit so his Monster Energy crew could fix the damage to the right-front of his No. 98 Ford Mustang and get him back on track with four fresh tires and fuel. Herbst methodically made his way forward, rejoining the top-10 with less than 40 laps to go. He then survived two late-race restarts and held steady among the top-10 to collect his 12th top-10 of the season.

• Friday night’s race at Martinsville will mark Herbst’s 84th career Xfinity Series start and his 14th on a short track. Herbst’s history on short tracks has been strong. After finishing an impressive sixth in his first career start in June 2018 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Herbst has gone on to earn eight other top-10s on short tracks, including in his last four short-track starts – fifth last September at Richmond, third the very next week at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, 10th last October at Martinsville, and fifth last Saturday at Richmond.

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Your fifth-place finish last Saturday at Richmond earned you a spot in the Dash 4 Cash Friday night at Martinsville. What are your thoughts heading into this race with a $100,000 payday on the line?

“I honestly feel like we could’ve had a shot to win last weekend at Richmond, which makes me excited to head to another short track this weekend. We’re not only racing for the win this weekend, but also a $100,000 check, which is awesome. I have to have a good day from qualifying to checkered flag if I want to win both, but I think we can do it. This No. 98 Monster Energy team can get the job done.”

Your success on shorts tracks has been impressive with top-10s in each of the last four short-track races. Do you these tracks suit your driving style?

“Man, I’m excited to head to Martinsville under the lights – the second short track in two weeks. I think these tracks are good for a lot of the drivers coming up because it’s like the short tracks we grew up on. We’re all going for the win, but there’s a lot of strategy that goes into short tracks. We have to qualify well to be able to race for wins, though, and that’s what we’re working on. The cars are fast, but we need to put it all together.”

You chose a different path from the other members of your family as their respective racing careers happened in the off-road racing world. Who do you go to for racing advice when your career is on asphalt?

“For racing and in life, I think my cousins and I just go to our dads. We all just kind of talk about racing like the fans do. We’re fans of the sport, and really, of any sport. We just like to watch and take in the motorsports action. The biggest thing is what our grandfather instilled in us. He told us that hard work pays off. He was the vital resource and the role model for that. We always looked up to him. If you wanted something, you had to work for it. Anything was achievable. That’s what I can credit for getting me into NASCAR, where I’m working hard trying to win some races.”

No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: Matt Noyce
Hometown: Oregon, Wisconsin

Engineer: Justin Bolton
Hometown: Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Fueler: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Jackman: Brandon Banks
Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Road Crew Members:

Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine

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