Home Blog Page 2046

Mahindra Tractors Racing: Chase Briscoe Martinsville Advance

CHASE BRISCOE
Martinsville Advance
No. 14 Mahindra Tractors 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

● Chase Briscoe is looking for his second win of the season in his No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) at the paperclip-shaped Martinsville (Va.) Speedway oval. In two Cup Series starts at the half-mile short track, Briscoe has a best finish of 22nd earned last fall. His best Cup Series result on a short track was an 11th-place finish earned last Sunday at Virginia’s other short track, Richmond Raceway.

● Seven races into the 2022 season, Briscoe is ninth in points, 49 out of first. He currently holds a spot in the 16-driver playoff field by virtue of his win March 13 at Phoenix Raceway.

● The 27-year-old driver from Mitchell, Indiana, made 15 short-track starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, scoring two wins – September 2020 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and July 2019 at Iowa Speedway in Newton – and earning 10 top-10 finishes. When the Xfinity Series made its return to Martinsville in the fall of 2020 after a 13-year hiatus, Briscoe finished seventh.

● Briscoe also made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Martinsville. His best result came in April 2017 when he started eighth and finished 11th. He returned in October to start on the pole and lead the first 39 laps before a late-race accident relegated him to a 19th-place finish.

● Mahindra Tractors, a brand of Houston-based Mahindra Ag North America, will be present on the No. 14 Ford Mustang for the second consecutive short track event after being the primary sponsor last weekend at Richmond. Part of Mahindra Group’s Automotive and Farm Sector, Mahindra Ag North America is the No. 1-selling farm tractor company in the world, based on volumes across all company brands. Mahindra farm equipment is engineered to be easy to operate by first-time tractor or side-by-side owners, and heavy duty to tackle the tough jobs of rural living, farming and ranching. Steel-framed Mahindra tractors and side-by-sides are ideal for customers who demand performance, reliability and comfort at a great value. Mahindra dealers are independent, family-owned businesses located throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Now that you’ve raced the NextGen on a true short track, what can we expect to see this weekend at Martinsville?

“I think we’ll see typical Martinsville – hard racing and a few guys mad at each other by the end of the race. In the past, brakes have come into play, guys using them up early in the race and having a hard time getting through the corners. And I think we’ll still see some issues where brakes are concerned but it might look a bit different than it has in the past. The track we raced on for the Clash is probably the closest to Martinsville, just half the size, so a lot of what you saw with the longer straightaways and tighter corners, and how guys were setting up passes, is likely what we’ll see this weekend. At least, I hope that’s how it goes. We ran pretty well there so, hopefully, we can take what we did there and have it translate to Martinsville. It’s always a fun race, but a lot more fun if you’re up near the front and out of the trouble happening further back in the field.”

Last weekend at Richmond, you qualified fourth but fell back out of the top-20 early in the race before fighting your way back to the front. Was that just a result of how the car was set up to start the race, or were you learning how to navigate that kind of short-track racing?

“I’m definitely still trying to figure out short tracks. I didn’t grow up doing any kind of short-track pavement racing, unlike a lot of the guys I’m racing against. Our car was good, we showed that in practice and there at the end of the race, when we were running top-10, but I was still getting the hang of what I needed to do. I’m more comfortable at Martinsville after having more experience there in Trucks, but the short-track side of things is still something I’m working on and I feel good about what we’ve learned so far with this new car.”

No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe
Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: John Klausmeier
Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey
Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen
Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Joey Campbell
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks
Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Naples, Florida

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Rob Fink
Hometown: Mocksville, North Carolina

Lawless Alan – Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 Race Advance

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. 45 AUTOParkit™ Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Lawless Alan (Los Angeles, Calif.) | Crew Chief: Darren Fraley

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @lawlessalan25

Alan on making his first short track start this season: “I’m excited to make my first start at Martinsville with AUTOParkit and Niece Motorsports. [Martinsville Speedway] is called the paperclip for a reason – there’s action all over the track at all times which makes for a tough week in the fabrication shop following the race. Our No. 45 team is also looking to build on the momentum from our run at Circuit of the Americas and continuing to trend upward in the standings this week.”

Alan at Martinsville Speedway: Alan makes his first-career start at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Thursday night.

On the Truck: Alan and the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado will run the AUTOParkit™ scheme for Thursday’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200.

Last time out (XPEL 225 – Start: 24th / Finish: 11th): Alan and the No. 45 team were forced to start at the rear of the field in Saturday’s XPEL 225 after making adjustments prior to the race, but quickly made up ground in the early laps of stage one. On lap six, Alan was scored 23rd before crossing the line in 13th-place at the end of stage one. Following a four tire stop at the stage break, Alan restarted 23rd but made his way into the top-10 by lap 22, scored in seventh-place.

The No. 45 team received a pit road penalty following their pit stop before the start of the final stage for an uncontrolled tire, forcing Alan to restart at the rear of the field. Alan was scored 22nd with ten laps to go, but worked his way into the top-15 with three to go before heading into the first of two overtimes.

Alan restarted the second and final overtime in ninth-place and narrowly missed his first career top-10 finish, but came away with a career-best 11th-place effort and was the highest finishing rookie in the XPEL 225, garnering Sunoco Rookie of the Race honors.

#

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 AUTOParkit:

AUTOParkit™ designs, manufactures, and constructs fully automated parking systems for new and existing buildings. AUTOParkit system structural steel and modular design can provide double the capacity of a traditional parking garage, providing up to 17 LEED points and drastically reducing construction time. AUTOParkit automated systems are 40 percent less expensive to operate, safer for the user and reduces carbon emissions associated with parking by more than 80 percent. AUTOParkit’s charging pallets provided by AUTOChargit, are a fast and convenient way of charging EVs and Hybrids. AUTOChargit’s patented technology allows for shuffling charged vehicles cutting infrastructure costs by up to 80 percent.

For more information on AUTOParkit, visit www.autoparkit.com

Parker Retzlaff Brings Momentum to Martinsville Xfinity Debut

MARTINSVILLE, Va.: Vowing to pick up where he left off last weekend at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Parker Retzlaff treks to the smallest circuit of the season eyeing back-to-back top-10 finishes in Friday night’s Call 811 Before You Dig 250 at the historic Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Last weekend at Richmond, Retzlaff in his second career Xfinity Series overcame several obstacles throughout the 250-lap race to earn a 10th place finish in the ToyotaCare 250.

After some early practice hiccups, Retzlaff was able to showcase aboard his No. 38 Ponsse Ford Mustang in qualifying when he delivered a 10th place qualifying effort. Proving once again that his speed in qualifying wasn’t just a two-lap fluke, Retzlaff would maintain pace inside the top-10 throughout the afternoon.

Despite some setbacks on pit road that would cost Retzlaff track position, the rookie would maintain his composure and maneuver a well-balanced race car to fight from the back to the front, including a massive charge in Stage 3 to enter the top-10 in the closing laps of the race.

Running down his RSS Racing teammate Ryan Sieg in ninth, Retzlaff would run out of laps to mount a further charge but delivered on his word to finish what he started in his Xfinity debut at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway last month.

“I passed a lot of cars,” said Retzlaff after the race. “We got a penalty on pit road, so I had to go back to last. I just followed Noah (Gragson) and Josh (Berry) up through the field and it ended up just working out for me. It was such a good car from everyone at RSS (Racing). I don’t know, I’m just speechless.”

No longer speechless – having the opportunity to dissect his Richmond performance, Retzlaff now turns his attention to the tight confines of Martinsville looking to produce a similar effort in his third Xfinity Series start.

“I think just taking the same approach that I have in my first two races is the way to go right now,” added Retzlaff. “I know my RSS Racing team is working hard to bring me fast race cars. Hopefully, we can have a mistake-free night on Friday and it puts us in contention for a top-five finish or better.”

Wanting to showcase his potential on a larger scale is obviously the continued goal of the freshman driver but he knows staying focused, humbled and reserved will lead to results like he delivered at Richmond.

“Richmond was huge in a lot of ways,” sounded Retzlaff. “It was validation for me as a driver after our tough finish at Phoenix, but it was also a boost of confidence for my RSS Racing No. 38 team and all our marketing partners who have made the leap from ARCA to Xfinity.

“I know Martinsville – like Richmond is going to be about track position. The goal for Friday night is to qualify inside the top-10 again, keep the leaders in sight, stay out of trouble and be ready to fight for the best finish possible.”

Ponsse, which manufactures and markets a range of forestry vehicles and machineries such as forwarders and harvesters will return as the primary partner of Retzlaff’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for the 131.5-mile race.

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

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

“Without them, I would not be competing in the Xfinity Series this year. My goal is to go out there and just stick to the same goals we had at Richmond – but hope to do a little better than 10th at the checkered flag.”

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

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

“I think having the opportunity to race back-to-back races will be beneficial for me and the RSS Racing team,” sounded Retzlaff. “Even though the tracks are different, I hope to be able to take some of the fundamentals of learning to drive the Xfinity car at Richmond and apply it to Martinsville.

“Without a doubt, I think turning many hours and laps on iRacing will prove to be equally as beneficial too.”

The Rhinelander, Wisc. Native added, “I am also focused on building respect with my peers and teammates and having the chance to race two weekends in a row will help with that building process. I’m just looking forward to getting to Martinsville and getting back to work.”

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

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

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

The Call 811 Before You Dig 250 (250 laps | 131.5 miles) is the eighth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs., April 7 from 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Qualifying follows shortly after 6:00 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag on Friday night, April 8 shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

About RSS Racing:

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

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

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

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.

#

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.