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John Hunter Nemechek Camping World Trucks Las Vegas Preview

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John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200, Race 2 of 23, 134 Laps –30/30/74; 201 Miles
Location: Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway at (1.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: March 4, 2022, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Nemechek #Back4More in 2022:
John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team head to Las Vegas for the first 1.5-mile race of the 2022 season. After two stage wins and a 24th-place finish at Daytona in the season opener, Nemechek is currently tied for sixth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings with his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Chandler Smith. In the 2021 spring event at Las Vegas, Nemechek beat out driver-owner Kyle Busch for his first win with KBM. In the five events that Busch competed in last season, Nemechek won three of them and Busch won twice. In all three of Nemechek’s victories, Busch finished in the runner-up position.

The second-generation driver will be making his ninth career start at Las Vegas in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He has tallied one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes with average finish of 17.1 in his first eight starts at the 1.5-mile oval. In two NASCAR Cup Series starts at the Nevada track, Nemechek has a best finish of 20th in the fall event. He has also produced an average finish of 5.0 across two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, including a runner-up finish in the spring of 2019.

In addition to competing in the Camping World Truck series race Friday, Nemechek will be making his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the season at Las Vegas behind the wheel of No. 26 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. In 56 Xfinity Series starts, he has tallied two wins, one pole, 364 laps led, 14 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.7.

The world’s leading synthetic motor oil, Mobil 1, will be the primary sponsor onboard Nemechek’s No. 4 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for 10 races in 2022 starting Friday night in Las Vegas. Mobil 1 returns to the hood of Nemechek’s Toyota April 7 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Nemechek is an 11-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane in 2021 with KBM. Across 125 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, he has compiled two poles, 1,231 laps led, 40 top-five and 66 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.7.

Eric Phillips returns to lead the No. 4 team in 2022. His 41 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 32 of those coming while at KBM including five last year. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. At Las Vegas, Phillip’s drivers have collected two wins, two top-five, and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.4 across 11 starts. He won with Nemechek in the spring of 2021 and with Erik Jones in the fall of 2014.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
John Hunter Nemechek | Las Vegas Motor Speedway Preview
You won this race last year, are you looking forward to getting back to Las Vegas?
“Yeah, I am, we won in the spring Vegas and led most of the fall Vegas race until we had a mechanical issue. Vegas has been a really strong racetrack for me with the KBM Toyota Tundra TRD Pro that we have and hopefully we can go there again and grab our first win of the year. It’s a special place and suits me very well as a driver and I feel like the setups and trucks that we have here at Kyle Busch Motorsports.”

Have you and the team thought about how you will approach practice at Vegas?
“We haven’t really thought about how we’re going to approach it yet. It’s 20 minutes so you can’t really change much setup wise. It will be close to the same as last year as far as going out there and going out there right off the truck and hoping your truck is fast. If not, you can make minor adjustments to it but can’t change springs or shocks. Just have to go out there and hope that we unload the right way and be fast right off of the truck.”

Kyle (Busch) will be in the race again and you beat him three out of five times last year, are you looking forward to battling head-to-head against him again?
“Yeah, for sure. I think anytime Kyle is in the field it is definitely challenging but it is also very rewarding when you are able to beat him. Kyle is strong every time he gets into a truck, and I think he has finished first or second in the last 19 out of 21 races he’s run in a truck. He’s very consistent and always up front when he races, so hopefully we can continue to duel it out with him.

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

  • Eleven-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 125 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,231 laps led, 40 top-five and 66 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.7. Registered a career-high and series-leading five victories in 2021 and earned the NCWTS Regular Season championship while finishing third in the final standings after qualifying for the Championship Four for the first time in his career.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
  • Across 56 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled two wins, one pole, 364 laps led, 14 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.7.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-56: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-56 for Friday night’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Nemechek piloted this Tundra TRD Pro three times last season, including at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., where he was victorious. It is the same Toyota he raced at Las Vegas last fall and was out front for 33 laps before being relegated to a 33rd-place finish after experiencing mechanical issues.

KBM-56 Performance Profile
KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected five wins, four poles, 688 laps led, 14 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1 across 42 starts at Las Vegas.
  • Nemechek collected a victory at the spring Las Vegas race in 2021, while owner-driver Kyle Busch won in the spring of 2018, 2019 and 2020 and Erik Jones was victorious in the fall of 2014.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (90) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway last September, Chandler Smith became the 17th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 4 has 16 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Chris Buescher – Las Vegas I Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 17 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400 miles, 267 laps, Stages: 65-65-70
Practice – Saturday, March 5 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS2, SiriusXM Channel 90
Qualifying – Saturday, March 5 at 2:05 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM Channel 90
Race – Sunday, March 6 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· With practice and qualifying back on the horizon for the NASCAR Cup Series, with it comes a unique format. For Las Vegas, the field will be separated into two groups who will each have a 15-minute warm-up/practice.

· Immediately following that brief session, qualifying will begin, also 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 Las Vegas Motor Speedway

· Buescher makes his 11th Cup start at Las Vegas this weekend, where he carries an average finish of 17.7 with one top-10 (ninth – 2020).
· Most recently Buescher ran 14th in last season’s spring race and finished 25th last fall.
· His best qualifying effort of 16th came in the 2020 fall race, and overall he has a 24.3 average starting position.
· Buescher made two Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas and recorded a best finish of ninth (2014) in the No. 60 entry for Jack Roush.

Scott Graves at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

· Graves will be on the box for his 10th Cup race Sunday at Las Vegas where he has two top-10s and an average finish of 18.4.
· Graves led Daniel Suarez to an eighth-place run in 2018 fall race, and followed that with a P10 finish with Ryan Newman a year later. Last spring in this race the duo finished 18th.
· Graves also called three Xfinity Series events from LVMS, earning a second-place finish with Suarez in 2016, and a ninth-place run with Buescher in 2014.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Las Vegas:
“Coming out of Fontana we are confident in the speed we showed early on, and we need a good run this weekend given our finishes the last two weeks. Vegas carries a ton of speed at all points and is a fun track to drive. We’re proud to carry Wyndham Rewards with us on the No. 17 this weekend and look forward to putting their sharp, new scheme on track Saturday.”

Last Time Out
Buescher was well inside the top-15 and improving in Sunday’s race from Fontana, but a cut tire entering the turn sent him spinning into the outside wall, which ultimately caused damage too severe ending his day early in 35th.

On the Car
Wyndham Rewards – who initially joined the RFK family of partners in 2018 – will be aboard the No. 17 with Chris Buescher this weekend in Las Vegas. The brand has served as a primary partner for the No. 6 team the last five years, and this year will be a primary on both RFK entries at select races.

About Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham Rewards® is the world’s most generous rewards program with more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide. Designed for the everyday traveler, members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every qualified stay and may redeem points for a wide range of rewards, including free nights at over 8,900 hotels or thousands of vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally through affiliation with Wyndham Destinations and others. Wyndham Rewards has 86 million enrolled members around the globe. Join for free today at www.wyndhamrewards.com. You’ve earned this.®

Smith Heads into Vegas with Momentum After Truck Win at Daytona

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MRC joins No.38 for First of Six Races in 2022

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 1, 2022) – The Michael Roberts Construction (MRC) orange and black Ford F-150 will hit the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a big target on its back. Zane Smith leads the truck series after picking up the season-opening victory at the Daytona International Speedway.

Las Vegas marks the first of six races for MRC with the No. 38 team in 2022. Coming off of a thrilling victory, Smith is focused on more and hoping to do it again Friday night with MRC.

“It’s great having the support of MRC over the last few seasons of my career,” Smith said. “I’m thankful that they have stuck by me and I can’t wait to have their truck hit the track this weekend in Las Vegas.”

Smith is excited about how the year has started, clicking with the team has made the No. 38 team strong out of the gate.

“There’s no better way to start off the season than with a win,” Smith stated. “Since the beginning, I’ve felt really comfortable around my guys and we have really clicked. I’m excited to be in the playoffs and now we’re able to focus on winning more.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race will air on Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Las Vegas Advance

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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: LAS VEGAS ADVANCE

NASCAR’s western swing continues this weekend as all three top series will be in action, beginning with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday night. That will be followed by the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series events on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, March 4 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 9 p.m. (FS1)
Saturday, March 5 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 4:30 p.m. (FS1)
Sunday, March 6 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. (FOX)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT LVMS

· Ford leads all manufacturers with 13 series wins in 28 all-time events.
· Roush Fenway Racing tops all organizations with 7 victories, including the first three.
· Ford has won four of the last eight at LVMS (Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano twice).

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT LVMS

· Ford has 11 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at LVMS.
· Chase Briscoe won both races in 2020.
· Jack Roush leads all car owner with 6 series victories at LVMS.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT LVMS

· Ford has 5 series wins at LVMS.
· Ford’s last win came by Grant Enfinger, who won the 2018 playoff race.
· Joe Ruttman, Greg Biffle, Travis Kvapil and Tyler Reddick also have one Ford win each.

THE ONE AND ONLY

One example of NASCAR Cup Series parity can be found in the fact that Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang, is the only one to post top-10 finishes in each of the first two races. Almirola finished fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500 and backed that up with a sixth-place run last week at Auto Club Speedway. Almirola, who is in his final year of full-time competition, has three top-10 finishes in 17 career starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

FORD AND TEAM PENSKE ON TOP OF CUP STANDINGS

It’s been a good start to 2022 for Team Penske, which has all three of its drivers in the top 5 of the point standings after two events. Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric tops everyone in first place while teammate Joey Logano is eight points behind in second place. Ryan Blaney rounds out the trio in fourth.

SHR AND RFK ALSO IN TOP 10

Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Chase Briscoe and Aric Almirola also sit comfortably in the top 10 of the point standings after two races. Briscoe, on the strength of a third-place finish in the Daytona 500, is fifth while Almirola is seventh. Brad Keselowski, who is in his debut season as co-owner and driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, is 10th overall and rounds out a group of six Ford drivers in the top 10.

FORD’S LAS VEGAS HIGHLIGHTS

BRISCOE COMPLETES VEGAS FIRST

Chase Briscoe became the first driver to win both NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since the track began hosting two events a year in 2018. Briscoe, who achieved the feat in 2020, won the spring event, which had to be run over the course of two days due to rain, after leading a race-high 89 laps. The key to his victory, however, was the pit crew, which got Briscoe off pit road first and allowed him to lead the final 36 circuits to post his first win of the season. He followed that up in the 2020 playoff opener with a dominating performance that saw him lead 164-of-200 laps. Briscoe won all three stages and left the track with the points lead and a guaranteed spot in the Round of 8.

VEGAS PROVES TO BE LOGANO’S BEST TRACK

Joey Logano has two career victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and those wins have helped make the track his best statistically on the circuit. Logano sports an 8.8 average finish in 17 career starts, including 9th and 11th-place finishes last season. In fact, it’s the only track in which he’s made more than 10 career starts where his average finish is in single digits. Besides his two victories, Logano has 6 top-5 and 11 top-10 finishes at LVMS since joining the circuit in 2009.

ROUSH RULES

There have been two Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing drivers who have posted consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jeff Burton won in 1999 and 2000 while Matt Kenseth did it in his championship season of 2003 and 2004. In fact, RFK has been a force in both the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series at the 1.5-mile facility. The organization has posted seven NCS wins and six NXS victories for a total of 13 overall, which includes back-to-back weekend sweeps in 1999 and 2000. In addition, RFK has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series triumphs.

SWEEP DELIGHT FOR KESELOWSKI

Brad Keselowski completed a weekend sweep in 2014 after taking the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series events on consecutive days. Even though Keselowski led the most laps in the NCS race, he needed a little bit of luck and got it on the final lap when Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was in conservation mode, ran out of gas on the back straightaway. That enabled Keselowski to win going away and post the first of his six victories that season.

MARTIN LEADS FORD CHARGE IN INAUGURAL VEGAS CUP EVENT

Ford took the checkered flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the inaugural race at the 1.5-mile facility on March 1, 1998 as Mark Martin led a manufacturer runaway that saw 13 of the top 14 finishers driving a Taurus. The win was the first for Taurus, which became the first full-time four-door entry in NASCAR, after Ford decided to use it in the NASCAR Cup Series starting with the 1998 season. Martin bested Roush teammate Jeff Burton by 1.605 seconds to win the Las Vegas 400 with Rusty Wallace, Johnny Benson and Jeremy Mayfield rounding out the top-five. The only non-Ford to finish in the top-10 was the late Dale Earnhardt, who was eighth.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT LAS VEGAS

1998 – Mark Martin

1999 – Jeff Burton

2000 – Jeff Burton

2003 – Matt Kenseth

2004 – Matt Kenseth

2008 – Carl Edwards

2011 – Carl Edwards

2014 – Brad Keselowski

2016 – Brad Keselowski

2018 – Kevin Harvick (1) and Brad Keselowski (2)

2019 – Joey Logano (1)

2020 – Joey Logano (1)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT LAS VEGAS

1999 – Mark Martin

2000 – Jeff Burton

2002 – Jeff Burton

2005 – Mark Martin

2009 – Greg Biffle

2012 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

2013 – Sam Hornish Jr.

2014 – Brad Keselowski

2017 – Joey Logano

2020 – Chase Briscoe (Sweep)

FORD NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT LAS VEGAS

1997 – Joe Ruttman

1999 – Greg Biffle

2007 – Travis Kvapil

2016 – Tyler Reddick

2018 – Grant Enfinger (2)

KRIS WRIGHT: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes – Las Vegas

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Official Release
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KRIS WRIGHT
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200
Date: Friday, March 4, 2022
Venue: Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway
Track Description: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Race: 134 laps, 201 miles

Niece Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2016, the Mooresville, N.C.,-based organization has logged 285 starts with 40 drivers, including NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) drivers Trevor Bayne, Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson. Niece Motorsports has collected three victories (Ross Chastain, 2019: Kansas, Gateway and Pocono), 19 top-five finishes and 55 top-10 finishes and has an average starting position of 19.6 and an average finishing position of 18.9.

NIECE MOTORSPORTS STATISTICS
Niece Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway … This weekend will mark Niece Motorsports’ 26th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the Las Vegas, Nev.,-facility. The organization posted a team best second-place finish at the track in September 2019 with Ross Chastain. The 25 previous starts at the ‘Diamond in the Desert’, a 1.5-mile oval with 20-degree graduated banking, have earned Niece Motorsports an average starting position of 21.1 and an average finish of 17.8.

Welcome Shocker Hitch … Shocker Hitch, a cushion and airbag towing hitches company, will adorn the side of the No. 44 Chevrolet driven by Kris Wright at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway as an associate partner. Manufactured in Arthur, N.D., Shocker Hitch is on a mission to make towing smoother and safer with a variety of products including bumper air hitches, gooseneck air hitch couplers, bolt-on air trailer tongue couplers, cushion ball mounts, and air equalizers for W-D hitches.

“As a long-time dirt track driver, I was tired of the bangs, bumps, and jerks while towing trailers and started inventing air hitches and couplers to smooth-out my ride,” Bob Sagen, founder of Shocker Hitch, said. “I am thrilled to get our growing brand teamed-up with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team Niece Motorsports”.

Catch the Action … The Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Friday, March 4 at 9:00 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

The practice session and qualifying for the second event of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Friday at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Kris Wright
No. 44 iHeartRadio Chevrolet Silverado
Under the Neon Lights Experience … This weekend marks Kris Wright’s third Las Vegas Motor Speedway appearance with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Wexford, Pa.,- native has two starts at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, collecting an average finish of 20.5 with a career-best finish of 16th-place (2021). Wright made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series track debut at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 5, 2021.

Speedway Stats: Kris Wright has 10 combined NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on speedways (tracks 1 to 2-miles in
length).

Renewed Partnership with iHeartRadio … iHeartRadio, the number one audio company in the United States, will renew its partnership
with Kris Wright. A long-standing relationship, iHeartRadio joined Wright as a sponsor in 2017 in the IMSA Prototype Challenge.
iHeartRadio will be featured on the hood of Wright’s No. 44 iHeartRadio Chevrolet Silverado as he competes at the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway.

In the Rearview Mirror: Daytona International Speedway … Kris Wright, driver of the No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports, finished in the 19th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 at the Daytona International Speedway, located in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Friday, February 18. Wright started in the 12th-place in the 36-truck field, and at the end of Stage 1 on Lap 20 he was in the 29th-place. By the end of Stage 2 on Lap 40, Wright was scored in the 22nd-place. In the extended 106 lap event, Wright was involved in a last lap incident. He was scored as high as the seventh-place at the Daytona International Speedway.

QUOTE WORTHY
Kris Wright, driver of the No. 44 iHeartRadio Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports
On the Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

“I am really excited for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The first intermediate track with a new team is always exciting – not to mention the single-car qualifying at a 1.5-mile track. As a driver, you really get a sense for what the truck is going to do for a lot of the races this season. Our Niece Motorsports team has been working hard at the shop and with Chevy to bring a good package out west.
“We are all excited and have high hopes.”

KRIS WRIGHT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PERFORMANCE PROFILE
Date Event Start Finish Laps Status Led
Friday, March 5, 2021 Bucked Up 200 15 25 132/134 running 0
Friday, Sept. 24, 2021 Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 26 16 134/134 running 0

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

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Gilliland Looks to Continue Strong Performance Heading into Las Vegas

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 1, 2022) – Frontline Enterprises will continue their support of Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Gilliland comes into Las Vegas looking to capitalize on a strong performance the week previous at Auto Club Speedway where he finished 20th.

“Auto Club was a really good learning experience for me and my guys,” said Gilliland. “I think it gives a great opportunity this weekend to go into Las Vegas with a positive outlook and really make some improvements.”

Gilliland is ready to climb behind the wheel heading into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at a track that’s been good to him in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“I can’t wait to get to Vegas in this Cup car,” Gilliland stated. “These cars have been fun to race and I’m more comfortable going back to a track where I have experience. California was all new to me, but I’ve been to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and I like the track. I am pretty excited about getting more laps under my belt.”

The green flag will drop this Sunday at 3:30 PM ET on FOX.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Stage Front and McDowell Looking for the Las Vegas Jackpot

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 1, 2022) – Last weekend showed the might of the No. 34 team, driver Michael McDowell, and crew chief Blake Harris. With Stage Front Tickets on the car again this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the team is looking to hit the jackpot after a second top-10 finish was taken away by electrical issues late Fontana.

With the top-10 at Daytona, and a strong showing in California, momentum is on the side of the No. 34 team. They are poised for another strong run in Las Vegas, where McDowell has a string of top-15 qualifying positions.

“Las Vegas is a venue that the team has always ran well at in the past, and with the preparation the everyone has put in the last month with getting these new cars built, we’re hopeful for another great race. We have a lot of momentum on our side, and with the strong run we had going in California, we feel we can be running inside the top-15 right now- maybe even better if we really hit on it.”

McDowell and his Stage Front Ford Mustang team will see the track Saturday afternoon for practice, followed by qualifying, and finally the race on Sunday afternoon.

“Like we (the team) discussed after our result in California, it is disappointing that we didn’t come out of the race with a top-10 like we deserved. But, the performance is there, and that makes us feel good. We just want to keep the momentum going.”

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Las Vegas begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Lawless Alan – Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Race Advance – Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 (134 Laps/201 Miles) | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Friday, March 4 | Las Vegas, Nev. | 9 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 building momentum in Las Vegas: “I’m very excited to get to Las Vegas with AUTOParkit™ and Niece Motorsports Friday night. It’s a new track for me, which is exciting, but I’m looking forward to the race. We were fast at Daytona and had a good run brewing until the next to last lap when we got wrecked. So I’m looking forward to continuing to show our speed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”

Alan at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Alan makes his first-career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in Friday night’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200.

On the Truck: Alan and the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado will run the AUTOParkit™ colors for Friday night’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200.

Last time out (NextEra Energy 250 – Start: 10th / Finish: 25th): After qualifying in the top-10 in his season debut, Alan and the No. 45 team suffered an early setback in the opening laps, making a trip down pit road for an unscheduled stop. Alan battled back to receive the free pass at the conclusion of stage two to get back on the lead lap. After linking up in the draft with Niece Motorsports teammates Carson Hocevar and Kris Wright, Alan made his way to the lead pack with four to go using the high line before he was collected in a 12-truck incident coming to the white flag. The No. 45 made several stops for repairs prior to overtime, but had to settle for a 25th-place finish making Alan the highest-finishing rookie in the NextEra Energy 250.

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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 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

Follow Lawless Alan on Instagram and on the web: @lawless_alan / www.lawlessalanracing.com

Ethel M Chocolates Racing: Kyle Busch Las Vegas Advance

By
Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH
Born in Las Vegas

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (March 1, 2022) – Kyle Busch is set to return to his hometown this weekend and another sweet piece of Las Vegas will be riding along with him once again.

For the second consecutive year, the craft chocolate division of Mars Wrigley – Henderson, Nevada-made Ethel M Chocolates – will be a primary sponsor of a NASCAR Cup Series car. The hometown duo has teamed up for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Ethel M Chocolates, maker of handcrafted chocolates in the Nevada desert, will serve as primary sponsor of Busch’s No. 18 Ethel M Chocolates Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).

Ethel M Chocolates is a marquis offering, manufactured by Mars Wrigley North America and dedicated to creating premium chocolates with fresh ingredients and no artificial preservatives.

Busch is focused on getting back to victory lane at Las Vegas after crossing an all-important hometown win of his checklist in 2009 in just his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at his hometown track. He’s just missed out on a few other Las Vegas wins since then. This weekend, Busch looks to bring home career Cup Series win No. 60 to add to his growing list of accomplishments.

The 2002 honors graduate of Durango High School in Las Vegas would like to double his number of Cup Series wins at the desert track after having brought home that emotional first win there 13 years ago.

Driving the yellow M&M’S Toyota that day, Busch qualified on the pole but was forced to start at the rear of the field because the team needed to make an engine change during Friday practice. Unfazed, Busch remained patient on race day as he and the M&M’S team worked their way to the front of the field by the 54th lap. He went on to lead three times for 51 laps en route to claiming what he called at the time the biggest win of his young career.

While Busch has NASCAR Xfinity Series wins in 2016 and 2019 and Camping World Truck Series wins in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to go with his 2009 Cup Series win on the 1.5-mile oval, he already was no stranger to winning on Las Vegas Motor Speedway property. From 1999 to 2001, he earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars while racking up two track championships at the Bullring, which existed for several years before the NASCAR track was built. When Busch moved up to Late Models, his winning ways continued with 10 victories at the Bullring in 2001.

As he returns to Las Vegas this weekend, Busch is hoping the “Born in Las Vegas” connection will be just what he needs to celebrate along with Ethel M Chocolates, right at “home” in victory lane.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 Ethel M Chocolates Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

How exciting is it to have Ethel M Chocolates on your car again on Sunday, especially with the Las Vegas connection?

“It’s always a big deal. I’ve been able to go out to the plant several times, now, and met with the associates there and I’ve really enjoyed it. I didn’t realize it until I visited the plant and the retail store that I had been to the cactus garden there before with my grandma. So it’s nice to have that memory of being there as a child with my grandma right next to the plant where they make Ethel M. I’m really looking forward to getting out there on Sunday and hoping we can get Ethel M a good run and go for the win. We had some issues at Fontana, so hopefully we have those corrected for this weekend and we have a shot to run up front and see what we can do from there.”

Being from Las Vegas, is there always more pressure to perform when you’re at that racetrack?

“Yeah, certainly, you always want to do well. I feel like I’ve won that race before and just the huge sense of relief that kind of comes off your shoulders when you’re able to do that and win at your home track. It was pretty awesome. Kurt (Busch) was just able to finally get it done a few years ago, so that was really awesome to see. I remember mine, I think it was 2009. It’s been a long time. Back at that time, it felt like winning the Daytona 500. I hadn’t won as many big races as I have now, or won as often as I have now. So a lot of guys look at the Daytona 500, everybody puts extra emphasis on the Daytona 500 because it is our sport’s biggest race, right? Then you’ve got the guys who all go to their home tracks, and those guys put extra emphasis on their home track and they want to do well there. So it’s just kind of that same philosophy, I think. It’s really cool to have Ethel M Chocolates on the car again this weekend and it would be a great weekend to be able to bring home another win there, not only for myself but everyone down the road at Ethel M.”

What does it mean to your family to race in Las Vegas again?

“It’s cool to be able to come back home and to have the notoriety, I guess, that we have now. When we went out there years ago, there were many other drivers who were way bigger than us and way more popular than us. Now that we’ve been here for a while and those other drivers aren’t there anymore, we’ve kind of upped ourselves on the ladder of that and it’s cool. One of these days, hopefully, there might be a road out there named after us, or a grandstand or something of that nature. Don’t get too far ahead of yourselves because that just means I get closer to retirement if they start doing that, I guess.”

What was it like to bring home a Cup Series win in your hometown in 2009?

“It was cool. To go out there and to run a smooth race and to have a shot at winning at the end of the race, that’s what it’s all about. I watched Vegas being built from the ground up, and I remember when it wasn’t anything but a gleam in the eye of Richie Clyne (founder of Las Vegas Motor Speedway) – all those guys who made that place happen.”

What is your fondest racing memory of growing up in Las Vegas?

“My fondest racing memory is probably my first Late Model race. I started about eighth or 10th and ended up winning it. My first-ever start, I won. So that is definitely a great memory to have.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Pennzoil 400 (Round 3 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 6
● Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Meet the No. 18 Ethel M Chocolates / 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 one win, nine top-five finishes and 12 top-10s and has led a total of 262 laps in 21 career Cup Series starts at Las Vegas. Busch’s average Las Vegas finish is 11.5.

● Family Ties: Kurt Busch joined younger brother Kyle Busch as a winner at their hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway with his victory there in September of 2020. Other noteworthy brothers who have brought home Cup Series wins at their hometown tracks include Hueytown, Alabama, natives Bobby Allison (four wins) and Donnie Allison (two wins), who both brought home victories at their home track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

● Looking Closer: The record books show Busch won the 2009 Shelby 427, his first win at his hometown track, from the pole. But, because of an engine change during the Friday practice session, Busch had to do it by starting at the rear of the field and storming to the front. It was an emotional win in the city where he grew up.

● Home Sweet Home: From 1999 to 2001, Busch earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars while racking up two track championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway “Bullring” before moving up to Late Model Stock cars. Winning seemed to come naturally no matter what Busch drove as he captured 10 victories in Late Model competition at the Bullring in 2001.

● Cap and Gown: Busch graduated with honors from Durango High School in Las Vegas – one year ahead of schedule.

● Drivers Training: In 2001, at age 16, Busch made his debut on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway oval with a solid ninth in the Orleans 350 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Just a few weeks later, Busch was about to make his first Truck Series start at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, but NASCAR officials were forced to pull him from the event because of a conflict between his age and the weekend’s open-wheel race that featured cigarette sponsorship. The unexpected ruling by NASCAR put new age limitations for competitors and sidelined Busch from NASCAR competition until his 18th birthday.

● Looking for Four: Busch went 17 years between Truck Series starts at Las Vegas, but his return to the series at his hometown track has been nothing sort of sensational. With changing schedules, the series started running on the same weekend as the Cup Series in 2018 and Busch has won all three of last four starts since his return to the series at the 1.5-mile oval. He’ll aim to bring home his fourth Truck Series win at his hometown track as he is entered in Friday night’s race in his No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra.

Kris Wright – Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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Race Advance – Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 (134 Laps/201 Miles) | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Friday, March 4 | Las Vegas, Nev. | 9 p.m. ET

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

Team: No. 44 iHeartRadio/Shocker Hitch Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Kris Wright (Wexford, Pa.) | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @KrisOnNASCAR

Wright on returning to Las Vegas Motor Speedway: “I am really excited for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The first intermediate track with a new team is always exciting – not to mention the single-car qualifying at a 1.5-mile track. As a driver, you really get a sense for what the truck is going to do for a lot of the races this season. Our Niece Motorsports team has been working hard at the shop and with Chevrolet to bring a good package out west.”

Wright at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Wright makes his third start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Friday night with both of his previous two starts coming in his first full-time season in 2021. Wright ran to a 25th-place finish in the spring event before turning in a 16th-place finish in the fall race after starting 26th.

On the Truck: Wright welcomes iHeartRadio and Shocker Hitch to the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado for the first time this season Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a new red and white paint scheme.

Last Time Out (NextEra Energy 250 – Start: 12th / Finish: 19th): Wright kept his No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado in line with the No. 42 of teammate Carson Hocevar for much of the early going in the NextEra Energy 250 as the two led the second pack of trucks in the draft. After serving a one-lap penalty for a pit road violation on lap 67, Wright got himself back on the lead lap via the free pass following a caution on lap 79. With 16 to go, Wright was collected in an incident in turn four and brought the No. 44 to pit road to repair right side damage but battled his way back to 12th for the overtime restart. Shortly after taking the white flag while following the high line to the front, the No. 44 was again collected in a wreck – this time on the frontstretch ultimately ending the race – resulting in a 19th-place finish.

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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 iHeartMedia, Inc.:

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business — iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings — as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world’s leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

About Shocker Hitch:

Shocker Hitch is on a mission to make towing smoother & safer. The Shocker Hitch lineup of products, manufactured in Arthur, North Dakota, includes bumper air hitches, gooseneck air hitch couplers, bolt-on air trailer tongue couplers, cushion ball mounts, and air equalizers for W-D hitches. To learn more, visit ShockerHitch.com.

Follow Kris Wright on Instagram and on the web: @KrisOnNASCAR / KrisWrightMotorsports.com

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