SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt | Joe Graf Jr. Auto Club Speedway February Event Preview

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February 25, 2022

SS Greenlight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway | Production Alliance Group 300

Fast Facts
No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy Drink
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Jason Miller
Spotter: TJ Bell
2022 Driver Points Position: 30th | 2021 Owner Points Position: 33rd

Engine: Roush Yates Engines (RYE)

Notes of Interest:

Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy and its sister products will continue their role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 08 Ford Mustang this weekend. Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway is the second race of 2022 but is the 33rd race overall in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.

Bucked Up Energy Drink is the every man (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days.

We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all delivers long-lasting energy.

Bucked Up started in 2013 when twin brothers Ryan and Jeff Gardner started marketing a product called Deer Antler Spray. After selling thousands of bottles to GNCs nationwide, the company morphed into what is now Bucked Up, a full-fledged vitamins and supplements manufacturer.

The company has gone from its humble beginnings to becoming the No. 1 best-selling pre-workout brand that’s available on their website and in over 10,000 stores worldwide, including GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Walmart and many other stores nationwide.

Check Out The New Flavor: Bucked Up Energy Drink now offers more than 10 quenching options, but this weekend at Auto Club, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. will feature its Strawberry Kiwi flavor with Graf’s No. 08 Ford Mustang infused with a pink and green livery.

Inspired by nuclear fusion, Bucked Up Strawberry Kiwi is an unparalleled source of energy and refreshment. We won’t get deep into the science, but in nuclear fusion, you get energy when two atoms join together to form one — the same reaction that powers the sun.

Conceptually, harnessing nuclear fusion in a reactor is a no-brainer. Except scientists have yet to concoct a controllable, non-destructive way of doing it. But we’re not scientists. We don’t think in reactors. We think in cans and flavors.

With Bucked Up Energy Strawberry-Kiwi, we fused two delicious flavors to form one. The result — a zero sugar, solar-sweet source of energy so abundant the world might actually start revolving around you.

New Year, But New Look: In January, SS GreenLight Racing announced the organization would switch from Chevrolet to Ford and have a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing.

SHR will supply the organization with race cars while Roush Yates Engines will provide the legendary Ford horsepower.

In addition to providing race cars to SSGLR, SHR will also provide technical support for the entire 33-race season.

Additionally, Graf will have NASCAR Cup Series and Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe as teammates for select events throughout the 2022 season – including this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.

Surprise Awaits: Joe Graf Jr., SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt and Bucked Up Energy will showcase a new product for the organization next weekend at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway for the Alsco Uniforms 300, the third race of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

Bucked Up started in 2013 when twin brothers Ryan and Jeff Gardner started marketing a product called Deer Antler Spray. After selling thousands of bottles to GNCs nationwide, the company morphed into what is now Bucked Up, a full-fledged vitamins and supplements manufacturer.

The company has gone from its humble beginnings to becoming the No. 1 best-selling pre-workout brand that’s available in over 10,000 stores worldwide.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Auto Club Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his second career start at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway in Saturday afternoon’s race.

In his rookie season before the pandemic, Graf qualified 22nd – but suffered mechanical issues during the race that relegated him to a 31st place finish aboard his No. 08 Core Development Group Chevrolet Camaro.

Auto Club is the sister track to Michigan International Speedway, another 2.0-mile circuit where Graf also has one Xfinity Series start in 2021.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Speedway Nuggets: At tracks greater than 2.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 15 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with one top-10 finish. He holds an average starting position of 25.7 and an average result of 29.5.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Jason Miller is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief this weekend.

He will crew chief his 253rd NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his seventh at the 2.0-mile speedway.

In his previous 252 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected two top-five and eight top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran Cole Custer will drive the No. 07 Production Alliance Group | Bucked Up Energy Drink Ford Mustang on Saturday evening for his first Xfinity start of the 2022 season.

Custer is set to make his 106th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and fourth at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway – Fontana. His best Xfinity track finished occurred in the 2019 Production Alliance Group 200 where he won the race after starting third for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please visit SSGreenLight.com, like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708).

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Auto Club Speedway: “It’s hard to believe that it has been two years since I’ve been to Auto Club Speedway, but I am looking forward to getting on the track Saturday morning.

“I remember the track being very fast but the seams definitely can make negotiating the two-mile track somewhat treacherous. We must capitalize on practice and get ourselves a solid starting spot that will put us in a good position for the race.

“I’m proud of our team for showcasing speed during the race last weekend at Daytona and hope we can continue that not only in Fontana this weekend but the entire west coast swing.”

On Teammate Cole Custer: “I’m excited to have Cole (Custer) a part of the SS GreenLight Racing team. Obviously, he is a former winner at Auto Club, so I think he could put the team in a position to do that again.

“I believe Cole not only can bring a lot of good communication, ideas and strategy but also help us accelerate the continued transition from Chevrolet to Ford.”

On 2022 Season Outlook: “We have made a lot of changes during the offseason. From switching manufacturers to bringing in new personnel, it’s all for the better. Honestly, I would be disappointed if we weren’t able to showcase ourselves a strong capable team throughout the season.

“Top-10 finishes should not be out of the question and hopefully by Phoenix in November, we will be racing near the front on a consistent basis.”

Race Information:

The Production Alliance Group 300 (150 laps | 200 miles) is the second of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Sat., Feb 26 from 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Qualifying begins at 9:30 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. ET) with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter has been a mainstay in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022.

Danny Trejo Will Wave Green Flag to Start WISE Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway

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Official Release

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February 25, 2022

FONTANA, Calif. (Feb. 25, 2022) – One of the most recognizable and inspiring talents in Hollywood will wave the green flag for Sunday’s WISE Power 400. Auto Club Speedway announced today that actor, producer and restauranteur Danny Trejo has been named the Honorary Starter for the NASCAR Cup Series race at the 2-mile, high speed oval.

“Many know Danny Trejo from the tough-guy roles he plays on the screen” said Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen. “But Danny’s transformative work with youth battling addiction may be his greatest achievement, and we’re beyond honored to have him start Sunday’s race in style.”

Trejo’s hard-earned, prolific career as an entertainer followed an atypical road to success. From years of imprisonment to helping troubled youth battle drug addictions, from acting to producing, and now on to restaurant ventures, Trejo’s name, face, and achievements are well recognized in Hollywood and beyond.

Trejo has appeared in hundreds of films and series, and his screen credits continue to multiply. The same can be said for a restaurant empire that includes Trejo’s Tacos and Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts. But it’s Trejo’s continuous role as a devoted father of three and his work as an intervention counselor that bring him the most satisfaction.

Sunday’s role in the Auto Club Speedway flag stand will provide Trejo and his devoted fans with even more joy.

“I had a great time as a NASCAR fan at the LA Memorial Coliseum earlier this month,” Trejo said. “I am so honored that NASCAR has asked me to be part of the thunder as the cars pass beneath the Auto Club Speedway flag stand.”

The 2022 WISE Power 400 caps two great days of NASCAR racing on the high-speed, 2-mile oval of Auto Club Speedway. Racing begins Saturday, Feb. 26 with the Production Alliance Group 300, the second race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. And then on Sunday, Feb. 27, the WISE Power 400 will thrill fans with Auto Club Speedway’s first NASCAR Cup Series race since Alex Bowman took the checkered flag on March 1, 2020.

Tickets for both days are on sale now at www.autoclubspeedway.com

About Auto Club Speedway

Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles in Fontana, Auto Club Speedway is California’s premier motorsports facility, hosting over 320 days of track activity each year including a NASCAR Cup Series weekend. The two-mile D-shaped oval is one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR circuit. The Speedway is also home to numerous movie, television and commercial productions, photo shoots, new car testing, club racing and a variety of racing schools. For more information on events at Auto Club Speedway, call 1-800-944-RACE (7223), visit www.AutoClubSpeedway.com or download the new NASCAR Tracks App at www.autoclubspeedway.com/nascar-tracks-app/

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

INDYCAR, MOTORSPORT NETWORK REVEAL LARGEST-EVER GLOBAL FAN SURVEY

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Official Release

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February 25, 2022

Over 53,000 fans responded to Motorsport Network-hosted Global INDYCAR Fan Survey, conducted by Nielsen Sport
INDYCAR’s fans share overall favorable opinion of current state of sport – approve of “competitive” and “exciting” product
Sport showing gains with younger and female fans internationally
Romain Grosjean, Pato O’Ward and Helio Castroneves voted top three favorite drivers by fans
INDYCAR’s audience is avid content consumers across multiple platforms

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Feb. 25, 2022) – INDYCAR and Motorsport Network today announced the key findings of the 2022 Global INDYCAR Fan Survey. Launched in January, the Global INDYCAR Fan Survey was commissioned by INDYCAR, hosted by Motorsport Network and analyzed by Nielsen Sports, the global information, data and measurement experts. Conducted in 11 languages across the Motorsport.com platform and receiving feedback from over 53,000 fans in 147 countries, the survey revealed that INDYCAR has maintained a loyal and approving fanbase, while growing its ranks among younger and more diverse demographics in recent years.

Unsurprisingly, while the U.S. comprised 56% of the survey responses, the top five countries also included France, the U.K., Japan and Canada, suggesting a growth in interest internationally for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. This growth reflects an expanding and more diverse audience, highlighted by 37% of respondents under 35 years of age and 12.2% of respondents identifying as female. This is the second-highest female participant rate for a survey fielded by Motorsport Network of a global racing series.

“INDYCAR is growing – at a historic and rapid pace,” said Mark Miles, president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corporation. “Our product is viewed as competitive and exciting, and just as we’ve attracted new and talented drivers to our field, we’ve also seen admirable success in attracting new devotees to our ranks. As we embark upon a consequential and marquee year for INDYCAR, we’re tremendously encouraged by the picture the Global INDYCAR Fan Survey provides and remain confident that the future is bright for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and its stars.”

Overall fan approval of the racing product is very high. INDYCAR’s top five attributes, as reflected by the survey, are: “competitive,” “exciting,” “entertaining,” “growing” and “dangerous,” with over 80% of the respondents viewing INDYCAR as “competitive.”

Findings from the Motorsport Network INDYCAR Global Fan Survey indicate fans want to watch races live, predominantly on TV. Most INDYCAR consumers are now watching races via a combination of cable and streaming platforms, with the latter now surpassing free-to-air viewing. Paywalls remain a concern of some fans in specific markets, potentially lowering access to live races. Social media has become the leading platform for non-race weekend content for all fans and the main source of all INDYCAR content for those among the under-35 set.

Based on survey respondents, esports are increasingly relevant to INDYCAR fans, with nearly half partaking in gaming weekly. This number rises to 85% among 16- to 24-year-olds and 70% among 25- to 34-year-olds, suggesting a robust audience for the upcoming release of an INDYCAR-centric video game title.

“It has been fascinating to work on this largest ever Global INDYCAR Fan survey, and the inescapable conclusion is that fans believe that INDYCAR is a series on its way up,” said James Allen, president of Motorsport Network. “INDYCAR is the pre-eminent single-seater racing championship in North America, but it has long had a following in other continents due to prominent international drivers racing there. Today, the international makeup of the grid is reflected in the survey findings, with a strong geographical spread outside of North America. While the series has its loyal followers in the older age groups, particularly in the U.S., INDYCAR will be studying closely the data on its new, younger and female fans internationally. Thanks to the internet and social media giving easy access to rich content, anyone anywhere can become an INDYCAR fan today. And gaming and esports is clearly going to play a significant role in the future. It will be fascinating to see how the trends develop over the next few years.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still a strong desire to attend races live. Over 80% of respondents expressed the desire to attend a race live, while nearly 50% of respondents indicated that they have attended a race live in the past five years. One of the biggest factors cited as preventing live race attendance is the inability to attend a local race for fans, especially outside North America.

From an ecological standpoint, younger fans place higher importance on green initiatives in motorsport, and while most were satisfied with what INDYCAR is doing to be greener, over 20% of female fans believe INDYCAR should be doing more on the sustainability front.

“Off the back of the success of the Formula One fan survey, it has been a pleasure to be involved in another global motorsport survey with Motorsport Network,” said Nigel Geach, senior vice president, global motorsport, Nielsen Sports. “Our partnership not only delivers interesting insight on various motorsport disciplines but also actionable fan opinions that can help a series grow and evolve in a way that appeals to fans old and new. I look forward to running our next survey with Motorsport Network to unearth more insightful opinions from our vast global motorsport fan base.”

The survey findings were revealed at the opening round of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season today and included the size and demographics of the sport’s audience, fan disposition and attitudes toward the sport, their affinity for INDYCAR races, teams and drivers, and their consumption of racing as remote and live audiences.

Additional key findings from the 2022 INDYCAR Global Fan Survey include:

Venues and Competition

The top five most important races for fans are: the Indianapolis 500, Long Beach, Road America, Laguna Seca and St. Petersburg.
INDYCAR fans are happy with the mix of tracks (street, road & oval) and believe they provide the best test of a driver’s talent, and they also feel the sport is healthier now than three years ago, featuring the right balance of sport and entertainment.
For the future fans want INDYCAR to:
Feature multiple suppliers in key category areas
Maintain the Indy 500 as a double-points event
Minimize stewarding interference and let drivers race
Manage team operating costs and prioritize close racing over technical innovation
Fans are strongly against changing race formats and show little appetite for qualifying modifications.

Top Teams, Drivers and Races

Nearly 80% of fans support a number of teams and drivers.
Younger fans aged under 24 are more likely to follow a single driver.
Fans in South and Central America and Asia-Pacific are more than twice as likely to follow a favorite driver.
Team Penske was voted as the overall favorite team with 19% of votes, followed by Andretti Autosport and Arrow McLaren SP, who were tied at second, each with 17% of votes, to round out the top three teams.
Romain Grosjean was voted the survey’s most popular INDYCAR driver with 32% of fans placing him in their top three and nearly 12% of fans ranking him their favorite driver. Pato O’Ward was second, with a particularly high young fan voting and voted number one by female fans. Third was Helio Castroneves, followed by Scott Dixon. Alexander Rossi was the top-ranked U.S. driver, who was voted fifth overall.
The top five most-attended races are the Indianapolis 500 (58.8%), Indianapolis Road Course (31.3%), Mid-Ohio (19.0%), Road America (16.8%) and St. Petersburg (15.0%)

Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports Continues
as Racing’s Best Thrill Ride in 2022

By

Official Release

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February 25, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022) – The Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports will continue to provide unmatched thrills for celebrity and VIP passengers during the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Racing legend Mario Andretti once again will lead the field to the green flag at NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season in a special INDYCAR SERIES car that includes a seat for a celebrity, dignitary or influencer, creating the most daring and extraordinary pre-race element in global motorsports.

This is the second season of presenting sponsorship for Ruoff Mortgage of this breathtaking experience. Ruoff also is the presenting partner of the INDYCAR Experience two-seater program available to NTT INDYCAR SERIES guests on race weekends.

Among the celebrities who took a thrill ride in the Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports in 2021 were actors Michael Evans Behling, Tanner Buchanan and Jared Padalecki, singer Danielle Bradbery, comedian Charlie Berens, YouTube influencers Harry Jowsey and Dylan Efron, NFL players Kenny Moore II, Scotty Miller and Jamin Davis.

Other stars from sports, TV, movies, music and social media attracted to the thrill of riding in the two-seater in the past include NFL All-Pro wide receiver Julian Edelman, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, EDM mega-star Zedd, social influencer and “TODAY” contributor Dr. Mike, actor/producer Nick Cannon and more.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES season starts with Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on Sunday, Feb. 27 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Live television coverage starts at noon (ET) on NBC and Telemundo.

Ruoff Mortgage is a full-service residential mortgage company with 70+ locations throughout the Midwest and originates in 45 states through its online consumer direct division. The company has been recognized by several prominent industry publications such as the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America list for nine consecutive years, Scotsman Guide’s list of Top Mortgage Lenders, Mortgage Executive Magazine’s Top 100 Mortgage Companies in America and the Freddie Mac Home Possible RISE Awards. Ruoff Mortgage has a 97.8% customer satisfaction rating, as compiled by CX leader, IFS Customerville. For more information, visit www.ruoff.com.

Nikita Johnson Earns Valuable Experience, Prize Package For YACademy Winter Series Championship

By

Official Release

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February 25, 2022

Johnson’s Three Wins Score Prize Package Including Free Entry Into the USF Juniors Championship Season Opener

HOMESTEAD, Florida (February 25, 2022) – Thirteen-year-old Nikita Johnson, from Gulfport, Florida, captured the YACademy Winter Series championship in the month of February with three wins, taking home a prize package and race experience designed to give him a leg up in the upcoming full-season USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires Championship.

Johnson earned three wins in the six-race championship, which followed 10 days of testing in the same Honda-powered Ligier chassis he will drive with his Velocity Racing Development (VRD) team this season.

The youngster, making the transition from karting to the open-wheel ladder, capitalized with a pair of wins in the opening tripleheader at Sebring International Raceway and adding another at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In all, Johnson was the most consistent finisher as well, adding an additional two podium finishes to his point tally.

“All of us at the YACademy Winter Series would like to congratulate Nikita on his championship performance,” Gustavo Yacaman, owner and promoter of the YACademy Winter Series, said. “Nikita persevered through some competitive and challenging situations against a strong class of drivers and came out on top to earn the Winter Series prize pack. We’ll be excited to watch him and our other competitors as they move into USF Juniors this summer.”

For the win, Johnson earns a free entry to the season-opener of the USF Juniors Championship courtesy of Andersen Promotions, a Bell 8860 Helmet, and a brand-new race suit from Torq Racewear, along with Red Line Oil for himself and his Velocity Racing Development team.

“It feels amazing,” Johnson said on the podium after the final race. ”I pretty much all the time am talking to Dan Mitchell about the next race and testing, and wouldn’t be here without all of them.”

VRD Racing captured its second YACademy Winter Series Championship in three years, and understands the value of the extended season for young drivers.

“We are ecstatic to win another championship,” Dan Mitchell, VRD owner, said. “After last season, it’s great to go two for two. This championship has always provided our drivers and team preparation for the main championship. It’s something I think will only grow with its great management and media team. The development my drivers get during this series is priceless. They made many mistakes learning many lessons, something I think is important – especially for young rookies!”

The YACademy Winter Series has been proven to give a leg up to competitors, with alumni finishing in the top five throughout the open-wheel ladder in 2021. Kyffin Simpson (FR Americas) and Christian Rasmussen (Indy Pro 2000) each earned pro racing championships in 2021 as Winter Series graduates.

About the YACAdemy Winter Series
Operated by YACAdemy Track Days founder Gustavo Yacaman, the YACAdemy Winter Series provides additional seat time for drivers making the jump into professional open-wheel racing. Yacaman is an accomplished racing driver with over 20 years of experience at all levels of racing and coaching who has participated in all levels of professional racing, including the world’s major endurances races. The YACAdemy Winter Series is partnered with Cooper Tires, Red Line Oil, Bell Helmets, Torq, Ettrone and Andersen Promotions for the 2021-2022 Winter Season. More information can be found at YacademyDrive.com.

NASCAR 2022 driver and team updates

By

Angie Campbell

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February 25, 2022

NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart — During the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 11, 2021. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

As the NASCAR season winds down, we typically look forward to all the driver and team announcements. This year, however, has given new meaning to the name, “silly season.”

The biggest surprise came on June 30 when Chip Ganassi Racing announced the sale of its entire NASCAR operation to Trackhouse Racing Team, effective at the end of the 2021 season.

While rumors had hinted of it in the preceding months, on July 20 it was confirmed that Brad Keselowski was leaving Penske Racing to drive the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford and will also have a minority ownership stake in the company.

One of the most anticipated changes is the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022. After months of testing, NASCAR announced on Dec. 21 that the 670 Horsepower and the 4-inch rear spoiler will be used for all tracks except for Daytona and Talladega which will have a “separate speedway package” with 510 Horsepower and a 7-inch rear spoiler.

Please check out the list below for more NASCAR updates. Future news and announcements will be added regularly.

Cup Series 2022 driver and team updates

Anthony Alfredo

Front Row Motorsports announced on Nov. 9 that Alfredo will not return to drive for the team in 2022. His future plans are to be determined.

AJ Allmendinger

In addition to competing full-time in the Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing, Allmendinger will also run part-time in the Cup Series for the team in the No. 16 car (16 races) sharing driving duties with Noah Gragson (14 races) and Daniel Hemric (nine races).

Aric Almirola

Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Jan. 4, 2022, that Drew Blickensderfer will serve as the crew chief for Almirola in the Cup Series this season. On Jan. 10, Almirola announced that he would be retiring at the end of the 2022 season.

Josh Bilicki

Spire Motorsports announced on Jan. 10 that Bilicki will drive the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro for the majority of the 2022 Cup Series race schedule. Kevin Bellicourt will return as crew chief for Bilicki and the other drivers who will compete in the No. 77. In addition to his Cup Series schedule, Alpha Prime Racing announced on Jan. 27 that Josh Bilicki will also compete in six races for them in the Xfinity Series that will include four road courses and two ovals in the No. 44 Chevrolet. Bilicki’s first race with Alpha Prime Racing will be at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on March 26.

Alex Bowman

Hendrick Motorsports announced on June 18 that Bowman signed a two-year extension to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet in the Cup Series through 2023 with Ally Financial as his primary sponsor. With Bowman’s extension, all four HMS drivers have been resigned through 2022.

Harrison Burton

Burton will leave Joe Gibbs Racing where he currently competes in the Xfinity Series to move up to the Cup Series in 2022 with Wood Brothers Racing. The press release on July 15 stated that sponsorship will be announced at a later date but would include support from Ford Quick Lane and Motorcraft. On Nov. 11 it was announced that Brian Wilson will serve as crew chief for Burton with Tyler Green as the spotter.

Kurt Busch

After the announcement that Chip Ganassi Racing has been sold to Trackhouse Racing, Busch became a free agent. On August 27, 23XI Racing announced that Busch will join them as they field two full-time teams, alongside Bubba Wallace in his second year with 23XI. Busch will race the No. 45 Toyota with Monster Energy as a sponsor. It was confirmed on Nov. 16 that Billy Scott will be Busch’s crew chief. Jason Jarrett (Ryan Newman’s former spotter) will spot for Busch in 2022.

William Byron

On Sept. 21, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Byron signed a contract extension through 2022. In June of this year, Rick Hendrick stated that his “plan is for Chase (Elliott) and William (Byron) to retire with us, so that’s an ongoing situation with me. I love the lineup right now, and I want to keep the band together.” Brandon Lines, spotter for Ryan Preece in 2021, will spot for Byron in 2022.

Chris Buescher

Buescher will continue to drive the No. 17 Ford for RFK Racing with Scott Graves as his crew chief. Graves began working with Buescher in Oct. 2021 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.

Ross Chastain

On August 3, Trackhouse Racing announced that Chastain will join the team to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro in the Cup Series. Another announcement was made on Oct. 25 stating that Phil Surgen will make the move with Chastain to continue as his crew chief at Trackhouse Racing.

Austin Cindric

After the news that Brad Keselowski was leaving Team Penske next season, it was announced that Cindric will move up from the Xfinity Series with Team Penske to take over Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford in the Cup Series in 2022. Jeremy Bullins will serve as Cindric’s crew chief with, spotter, Doug Campbell.

Ty Dillon

On Sunday, Oct. 10, it was announced that Dillon will drive full time in the No. 94 Chevrolet for GMS Racing (now Petty GMS Motorsports) in 2022 in their inaugural NASCAR Cup Series season. On Nov. 16, Jerame Donley, Ganassi engineer, was named as Dillon’s crew chief for next year.

Chase Elliott

On February 20, Hendrick Motorsports announced that they had signed a five-year contract extension with Elliott that will be in effect through the end of the 2027 racing season.

Todd Gilliland

On Nov. 30 it was announced that Gilliland will move up from the Camping World Truck Series to the Cup Series to drive the No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports.

Noah Gragson

On Dec. 14 it was announced that Gragson will drive a part-time schedule in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing in the No. 16 car in addition to driving full-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports. His first Cup Series race with Kaulig Racing will be on Sunday, Mar. 20, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kaz Grala

Grala will attempt to qualify for the Cup Series Daytona 500 in the No. 50 Chevrolet for The Money Team Racing (TMT Racing), as announced by the organization on Feb. 1.

On Jan. 24, Alpha Prime Racing announced that Grala will join their Xfinity Series driver lineup for select starts in 2022. His first race with them will be at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 26th.

His season will get even busier as it was confirmed on Feb. 3 that Grala will return to Young’s Motorsports this year and drive the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado in 11 Truck Series races. His first scheduled race with Young’s Motorsports will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 4, 2022.

Justin Haley

Haley will drive the No. 31 Camaro for Kaulig Racing in 2022 as he moves from the Xfinity Series to drive for the team in their first full-time season in the Cup Series. Trent Owens will join the team as the crew chief.

Joey Hand

Rick Ware Racing announced on Jan. 27 that Hand will drive all of the six Cup Series road course races for the team this year. His first race will be at Circuit of the Americas on March 27 followed by Sonoma on June 12, Road America on July 3, the Indianapolis road course on July 30, Watkins Glen on Aug. 21 and the Charlotte Roval on Oct. 9.

Daniel Hemric

Hemric will begin the 2022 season competing in the Daytona 500 in the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing. As noted below, Hemric, along with AJ Allmendinger and Noah Gragson will split the driving duties for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16. Chevrolet in the Cup Series this year. Hemric will also compete full-time in Kaulig Racing’s No. 11 entry in the Xfinity Series.

Erik Jones

Jones announced Sunday, August 22 at Michigan International Speedway that he will return to Richard Petty Motorsports (now Petty GMS Motorsports) in 2022 for his second season driving the No. 43 Chevrolet. Dave Elenz (Noah Gragson’s former crew chief) will serve as the crew chief for Jones.

Brad Keselowski

On July 20, Roush Fenway Racing confirmed the rumors that Keselowski will move from Team Penske to drive the No. 6 Ford for RFR in 2022 and will also have a minority ownership stake in the company. He explained the move as a way to live “up to the maximum potential that I have. I don’t feel like I’ve lived up to that. I feel like I have a lot more to offer than being just a race car driver. Short of having won championships in the last few years, I haven’t achieved that.” It was announced on Nov. 2 that Matt McCall (currently crew chief for Kurt Busch) will join Keselowski in 2022 as crew chief. TJ Majors will spot for Keselowski.

Corey LaJoie

Spire Motorsports announced in November 2020 that they had signed a multi-year deal with LaJoie to continue as the driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet full-time in the Cup Series. Ryan Sparks will return as crew chief for LaJoie.

Kyle Larson

It was confirmed on July 14 that Larson’s contract with Hendrick Motorsports has been extended through 2023. HendrickCars.com will provide the majority sponsorship of the No. 5 Chevrolet for 35 races per year and will sponsor Larson in his non-NASCAR races.

Michael McDowell

McDowell will return to the Cup Series and Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 34 Ford Mustang for his fifth year with the team, as announced on Nov. 30. On Jan. 6, the team announced that Blake Harris will serve as the crew chief for McDowell.

Ryan Newman

Keselowski will take over the driving duties in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in 2022, leaving Newman’s future uncertain. RFR team president Steve Newmark indicated that a part-time role within the company is possible but Newman has not announced his plans for next season.

Ryan Preece

Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Jan. 6 that they have hired Preece as a reserve driver for the 2022 season. As part of an alliance between SHR and Rick Ware Racing, Preece will run a total of 12 races in the No. 15 including two in the Cup Series on May 1 at Dover Motor Speedway and May 29 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and three in the Xfinity Series on April 2 at Richmond Raceway, May 28 at Charlotte and June 25 at Nashville Superspeedway. He will also run seven Truck Series races – March 4 at Las Vegas, March 19 at Atlanta, May 6 at Darlington, May 20 at Texas, June 24 at Nashville, July 23 at Pocono, and Sept. 9 at Kansas Speedway.

David Ragan

Rick Ware Racing announced on Jan. 12 that Ragan will pilot the No. 15 Ford in multiple Cup Series races this season beginning with the Daytona 500. Sponsors will be announced at a later date.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

During a media availability session prior to the Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, Stenhouse confirmed that he will return to drive the No. 47 for JTG Daugherty Racing for the 2022 season. Tab Boyd will move from Hendrick Motorsports as the spotter for William Byron to spot for Stenhouse in 2022.

Bubba Wallace

Wallace will enter his second season with 23XI Racing. It was announced on Nov. 16 that Bootie Barker will be the full-time crew chief for Wallace in 2022.

Cody Ware

On Jan. 14, Ware confirmed that he will drive full-time in the Cup Series driving the Rick Ware Racing No. 51 Ford.

Beard Motorsports – Will return to the Cup Series in 2022

Beard Motorsports, a non-chartered team, announced today that they will return to compete in 2022 in the Cup Series in the No. 62 Camaro and attempt to race in the Daytona 500 and subsequent races at Daytona as well as Talladega. The driver is yet to be determined.

Chip Ganassi Racing – Sold and will cease operations at the end of the 2021 season

On June 30 Chip Ganassi Racing announced the sale of its NASCAR operation to Trackhouse Racing Team, effective at the end of the 2021 season.

Front Row Motorsports – Will field two cars in 2022

Front Row Motorsports announced on Nov. 9 that they will continue to field two cars in the 2022 Cup Series (No. 34 and No. 38). The team also said that Anthony Alfredo will not return next year to FRM. On Nov. 30 they announced that Michael McDowell will return to drive the No. 34 Ford and Todd Gilliland will move up to pilot the No. 38 Ford next year in the Cup Series. With Gilliland moving up, Zane Smith will join the team to compete in the No. 38 Ford in the Truck Series.

GMS Racing/Petty GMS Motorsports – Will make its Cup Series debut in 2022

It was announced on Dec. 1 that RPM sold a majority interest to GMS Racing owner, Maury Gallagher. The team announced the name change of Petty GMS Motorsports on Dec. 7. Erik Jones will return to drive the No. 43 Chevrolet in 2022. Ty Dillon will drive the No. 42 which was the original number used by Lee Petty from 1949 to 1961.

JTG Daugherty Racing

The team confirmed on Sept. 30, 2021, that they will only field one car in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022 with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as the driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet.

Kaulig Racing – Purchased two charters from Spire Motorsports

Kaulig Racing purchased two charters from Spire Motorsports for the 2022 season. As noted above, Justin Haley will drive full-time for the team in the Cup Series in the No. 30 entry. On Dec. 14, Kaulig Racing announced the driver lineup for their second Cup Series entry. Noah Gragson will drive the No. 16 Chevrolet in 14 races. AJ Allmendinger and Daniel Hemric will split the driving duties for the other 24 races. Sponsors and the race schedule for each driver will be announced at a later date. On Jan. 8, it was announced that Matt Swiderski will serve as the crew chief for the No. 16 entry. It will be Swiderski’s first, full-time season as a crew chief in the series.

Richard Petty Motorsports agrees to sell majority interest to Maury Gallagher, owner of GMS Racing

It was announced on Dec. 1 that RPM sold a majority interest to GMS Racing owner, Maury Gallagher. The team announced the name change of Petty GMS Motorsports on Dec. 7. They will race out of GMS Racing’s current headquarters in Statesville, NC. As confirmed in August, Erik Jones will return to drive the No. 43 Chevrolet in 2022. Ty Dillon will drive the No. 42 which was the original number used by Lee Petty from 1949 to 1961. Petty will serve as Chairman of the Board, with Mike Beam as President and Brian Moffitt as the Executive Vice President of Sales.

Roush Fenway Racing – Changes name

Roush Fenway Racing announced on Nov. 16 that it has changed its name to Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK Racing).

Stewart-Haas Racing

Stewart-Haas Racing announced their driver/crew chief lineup for 2022 on Jan. 4 with Mike Bugarewicz making the move from crew chief to serve as the performance director at Stewart-Haas Racing after two years with Aric Almirola. Drew Blickensderfer will take over as crew chief for Almirola in the Cup Series this season. All of the other driver/crew chief pairings will remain the same – Kevin Harvick with Rodney Childers, Cole Custer with Mike Shiplett and Chase Briscoe with Johnny Klausmeier. Xfinity Series crew chief, Richard Boswell, will return to his position as crew chief for Riley Herbst.

The Money Team Racing

On Feb. 1, Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his plans to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series on a partial schedule this season with The Money Team Racing (TMT Racing). They will start out the year with Kaz Grala behind the wheel of the No. 50 Chevrolet as they attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500. Tony Eury Jr. will serve as crew chief for the team.

Trackhouse Racing Team – Will field two cars in 2022

Trackhouse Racing’s purchase of Chip Ganassi Racing includes two charters and they confirmed that Daniel Suarez will be back to drive for the team in 2022. On August 3, they announced that Ross Chastain will join the team to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro in the Cup Series. Another announcement was made on Oct. 25 stating that Phil Surgen will make the move with Chastain to continue as his crew chief at Trackhouse Racing.

23XI Racing

On August 27, 23XI Racing announced that Kurt Busch will join them as they field two full-time teams, alongside Bubba Wallace in his second year with 23XI. It was announced on Nov. 16 that Billy Scott will serve as crew chief for Kurt Busch and Bootie Barker will continue as crew chief for Bubba Wallace. Dave Rogers will also join the team to serve as performance director.

Xfinity Series 2022 driver and team updates

Anthony Alfredo

Our Motorsports announced their driver lineup in the Xfinity Series on Dec. 16. Alfredo will drive full-time with crew chief Pat Tryson. Brett Moffitt and Jeb Burton will complete the three-driver team for Our Motorsports.

Justin Allgaier

JR Motorsports announced Sept. 14 that Allgaier will return to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022. Jason Burdett will return as his crew chief. It will mark Allgaier’s seventh season with JRM.

AJ Allmendinger

It was announced on July 18 that Allmendinger has signed a multi-year agreement with Kaulig Racing and will continue to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in the No. 16 Chevrolet. Bruce Schlicker will serve as the crew chief for Allmendinger in the Xfinity Series in 2022. Allmendinger will also run part-time in the Cup Series for the team in the No. 16 car, sharing driving duties with Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric.

Michael Annett

It was announced on Oct. 6 that JR Motorsports driver, Annett, will retire from full-time competition in the Xfinity Series at the end of the 2021 season.

Trevor Bayne

2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will make his return to NASCAR in the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 18 Devotion Nutrition Toyota for seven starts. Bayne made the announcement Feb. 9 on FS1’s NASCAR Race Hub. His first start will be on Feb. 26 at Auto Club Speedway. He’s also scheduled to race at Phoenix Raceway on March 12, Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28, Nashville Superspeedway on June 25, New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 15, and Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 22. Jason Ratcliff will serve as crew chief for the team. Additional drivers and sponsors will be announced at a later date.

Josh Berry

JR Motorsports announced on August 16 that Josh Berry will compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet with Mike Bumgarner as crew chief.

Josh Bilicki

In addition to his Cup Series schedule, Alpha Prime Racing announced on Jan. 27 that Bilicki will also compete in six races for them in the Xfinity Series that will include four road courses and two ovals in the No. 44 Chevrolet. Bilicki’s first race with Alpha Prime Racing will be at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on March 26.

Brandon Brown

Brown announced on Dec. 30 that he would compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2022 after securing a sponsorship agreement with LGBcoin.io for his team, Brandonbilt Motorsports. However, NASCAR chose not to approve the sponsorship, though the team and LGBcoin.io stated that NASCAR had already granted the approval. After a week of ‘he said, they said,’ LGBcoin.io, on Jan. 8, made the decision to expand their commitment to a 2-year sponsorship/personal endorsement deal with Brandon Brown. While NASCAR will not allow any sponsorship decals or logos on the car, Brown’s uniform, etc., the partnership will include Brown’s “participation in publicity events, videos and crypto conferences.”

Jeb Burton

Our Motorsports announced their driver lineup in the Xfinity Series on Dec. 16. Burton will drive full-time with crew chief Chad Walter. On Oct. 11 Burton had confirmed that he would not be returning to Kaulig Racing for the 2022 season due to funding issues. Brett Moffitt and Anthony Alfredo will complete the three-driver team for Our Motorsports.

Landon Cassill

It was announced on Dec. 9 that Cassill will drive the No. 10 Chevy in the Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing in 2022. Voyager Digital Ltd., a publicly-traded cryptocurrency platform, also announced a two-year extension of their partnership with Cassill who will be paid in a portfolio of cryptocurrencies. Jason Trinchere was announced on Jan. 8 as Cassill’s crew chief for the 2022 season.

Sheldon Creed

On September 14 Richard Childress Racing announced that Sheldon Creed will join RCR in 2022 to compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Creed currently drives for GMS Racing in the Camping World Truck Series.

Bayley Currey

It was announced on Dec. 27 that Currey will return to JD Motorsports with Gary Keller for the 2022 season to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series. Sponsorship will be announced at a later date.

Howie DiSavino III

On Jan. 26, Alpha Prime Racing announced that DiSavino will join the team’s Xfinity Series driver lineup for select starts. He will make his Xfinity Series and Alpha Prime Racing debut at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 12.

Jeffrey Earnhardt

On Jan. 14. 2022, Sam Hunt Racing announced that Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive multiple Xfinity Series races for them this year in the No. 26 Toyota.

Ty Gibbs

On Feb. 16 Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed that Ty Gibbs will compete full-time for the team this year in the Xfinity Series driving the No. 54 Toyota. Chris Gayle will return to the No. 54 team as crew chief.

Noah Gragson

JR Motorsports announced on August 31 that Gragson has been re-signed and will remain with the team in 2022 to compete in the Xfinity Series driving the No. 9 Chevrolet. Bass Pro Shops, TrueTimber® Camo and Black Rifle Coffee will return as sponsors. Dave Elenz will not return as Gragson’s crew chief and will move to Richard Petty Motorsports to serve as the crew chief for Erik Jones. On Dec. 14, it was announced that Gragson will also drive a part-time schedule in the Cup Series for Kaulig Racing in the No. 16 car and is scheduled to compete in 14 Cup Series events, sharing driving duties with AJ Allmendinger (16 races) and Daniel Hemric (nine races). Luke Lambert was announced as Gragson’s crew chief for this season on Jan. 4, 2022.

Kaz Grala

Kaz Grala – Alpha Prime Racing announced on Jan. 24 that Grala will join the team’s Xfinity Series driver lineup for select starts in 2022. His first race with them will be at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 26th.

His season will get even busier as it was announced on Feb. 3 that Grala will also return to Young’s Motorsports this year and drive the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado in 11 races Truck Series races. His first scheduled race with Young’s Motorsports will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 4, 2022.

His diverse schedule will also include an attempt to qualify for the Cup Series Daytona 500 in the No. 50 Chevrolet for The Money Team Racing (TMT Racing), as announced on Feb. 1.

Derek Griffith

Sam Hunt Racing announced on Feb. 2 that Griffith will drive multiple Xfinity Series races for the team this year. His first start will be at Martinsville in April with additional races to be announced at a later date.

Daniel Hemric

Kaulig Racing announced on Sept. 25 that Hemric will drive the team’s No. 11 car in the Xfinity Series in 2022. On Jan. 8 Alex Yontz was announced as the crew chief for Hemric. He will take over for Justin Haley who will transition to drive Kaulig Racing’s first full-time entry in the Cup Series. Hemric will also run a part-time schedule for them in the Cup Series and compete in nine races, sharing driving duties with AJ Allmendinger (16 races) and Noah Gragson (14 races) in the No. 16.

Austin Hill

Richard Childress Racing announced on Oct. 29 that Austin Hill will join the team and compete in the No. 21 Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2022. On Feb. 11, it was announced that Hill will also drive in the Truck Series race at Daytona for Spire Motorsports in the No. 7 Chevrolet.

Jesse Iwuji/Jesse Iwuji Motorsports

On Aug. 21, 2021, Jesse Iwuji announced that he had partnered with NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith to form Jesse Iwuji Motorsports for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. On Feb. 7, Iwuji and Smith announced a partnership with Chevrolet and their intention to use car number 34, as a tribute to Wendell Scott. They will run a full-time schedule with Iwuji as the driver and Jason Houghtaling as the crew chief.

Brandon Jones

Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Oct. 20 that Jones will return to drive the No. 19 Toyota full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2022. It will be his fifth consecutive season with JGR.

Alex Labbé

On Feb. 12 DGM Racing announced that Alex Labbé will return to the team to run a partial schedule of 18 Xfinity Series races in 2022. Labbé will drive the No. 90 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 19 and will then move to the No. 36 car for the next three races at Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway. Labbé will also try to secure sponsorship so that he can compete full-time in the series.

Mason Massey

DGM Racing announced on Dec. 15 that Massey will drive the No. 91 Chevrolet in the “majority” of races in 2022.

Sam Mayer

JR Motorsports also confirmed on August 16 that Mayer will run a full-time Xfinity Series schedule for JRM in 2022 in the No. 1 with Taylor Moyer as crew chief.

CJ McLaughlin

On Jan. 17, McLaughlin announced that he will rejoin RSS Racing with sponsorship from SciAps for 13 Xfinity Series races in the No. 38 Ford Mustang beginning with the season-opener at Daytona on Feb. 19. He will also race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 5, Talladega Superspeedway on April 23, Texas Motor Speedway on May 21, New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 16, Michigan International Speedway on August 6, Daytona on August 26, Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 16, Texas on Sept. 24, Talladega on Oct. 1, Las Vegas on Oct. 15, Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 22 and Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 29.

Matt Mills

It was announced on Jan. 20 that Mills will return to BJ McLeod Motorsports in 2022 to compete in the Xfinity Series in the No. 5 Chevrolet.

Brett Moffitt

Our Motorsports announced their driver lineup in the Xfinity Series on Dec. 16. Moffitt will be back to drive full-time with Jeb Burton and Anthony Alfredo as teammates. Jeff Hensley will join the team as Moffitt’s crew chief. Car numbers were not revealed.

Miguel Paludo

Paludo will drive the JR Motorsports No. 88 for three Xfinity Series road course races in 2022 at Circuit of the Americas (March 26), Road America (July 2) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on July 30.

Stefan Parsons

B.J. McLeod Motorsports announced on Sept. 21 that Parsons will compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022 with “returning primary sponsor Sokal Digital and Advertising on-board for the entire season as well as Springrates Automotive Suspension Source.” This will be his first full-time season with the team.

Ryan Truex

Truex will race for Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26 Xfinity Series car at Daytona with Circle B sponsorship. Any additional races are to be determined and announced at a later date.

Will Rodgers

Reaume Brothers Racing announced on Feb. 16 that Will Rodgers will join the team to drive a part-time schedule in the Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022. He will make his debut in the Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 26. Rodgers will also compete in the Truck Series race at Sonoma Raceway on June 11 and will race in the Xfinity and Truck Series races at Circuit of the Americas on March 26.

Myatt Snider

Jordan Anderson Racing announced on Nov. 3 that Myatt Snider has signed with the organization to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2022. He will drive the No. 31 Chevrolet and his longtime sponsor, TaxSlayer, will make the move with him.

David Starr

It was announced on Feb. 18, 2022, that Starr will drive the No. 08 Ford for SS Green Light Racing in 28 Xfinity Series races this season. His first race will be at Daytona International Speedway in the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300 race.

Ryan Vargas

On Jan. 19. JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller announced that Vargas will return to the team for his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series. His car number and sponsors will be released at a later date.

Kyle Weatherman

DGM Racing announced on Jan. 31 that Weatherman will race in the first five Xfinity Series races of 2022 in the No. 92 Chevrolet.

Josh Williams

Williams confirmed on Nov. 15 that he will not return to DGM Racing next year. On Dec. 8, BJ McLeod Motorsports announced that Williams will join their Xfinity Series team driving the No. 78 in 2022 with crew chief Danny Johnson.

DGM Racing

DGM Racing announced on Nov. 15 that the team plans to field at least two full-time entries in the Xfinity Series in 2022 with the driver lineup to be announced at a later date. On Dec. 15, they also announced that Mason Massey will drive the majority of the Xfinity races in the No. 91 next season. This will be in addition to the two full-time teams announced in November.

Joey Gase Racing

On Nov. 18, driver Joey Gase announced plans to start an Xfinity Series team in 2022. He released a statement stating that the team “currently has 5 cars and bought the remaining cars and equipment of H2 Motorsports from Shane Lee.” The team plans to run a full-time schedule and Gase will drive the No. 35 car most of the year with Rick Bourgeois as the General Manager of the team. Gase also plans to drive part-time in the Cup Series. The newly formed team is now looking for additional sponsors and hiring for all positions, including qualified drivers. More information will be announced at a later date.

Camping World Truck Series 2022 driver and team updates

Tyler Ankrum

Hattori Racing announced on Dec. 1 that they are expanding to two Truck Series teams in 2022 and that Ankrum will join them to compete in the No. 16 Toyota with crew chief Scott Zipadelli.

Matt Crafton

On Nov. 12, ThorSport Racing confirmed that Crafton will return in 2022 to race full-time for the team in the Truck Series in the No. 88.

Hailie Deegan

David Gilliland Racing announced on Dec. 15 that Deegan has been re-signed to run the full season in the Truck Series in 2022.

Matt DiBenedetto

It was announced on Jan. 6 that DiBenedetto will compete full-time in the Truck Series in 2022 for Rackley W.A. R. driving the number 25 Chevrolet.

Christian Eckes

On Feb. 3, ThorSport Racing announced that Eckes will drive a full Truck Series schedule for the team in the No. 98 Toyota this year.

Grant Enfinger

GMS Racing announced on Oct. 1 that Enfinger will drive the team’s No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado full-time in 2022 and 2023. His longtime sponsor, Champion Power Equipment, will serve as the primary sponsor for the majority of races over the next two seasons.

Tate Fogleman

It was announced on Nov. 30 that Fogleman will move from Young’s Motorsports to drive the No. 30 Toyota Tundra for On Point Motorsports.

Jake Garcia

Garcia, who currently races Super Late Models and Pro Late Models will make his debut in the Camping World Truck Series this season and compete in five truck races for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. He will drive the No. 35 Chevrolet Silverado, the same number he has used in Pro Late Models.

His first race will be at Martinsville Speedway on April 7. Garcia is also scheduled to compete at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 4, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 29, Richmond Raceway on Aug. 13 and Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 15.

Kaz Grala

it was announced on Feb. 3 that Grala will return to Young’s Motorsports this season and drive the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado in 11 Truck Series races. His first scheduled race with Young’s Motorsports will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 4, 2022.

In addition to his Truck Series schedule, Alpha Prime Racing announced on Jan. 24 that Grala will join the team’s Xfinity Series driver lineup for select starts in 2022. His first race with them will be at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 26th.

To complete his schedule, on Feb. 1 The Money Team Racing (TMT Racing) announced that they will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 with Grala in the No. 50 Chevrolet.

Chris Hacker

Reaume Brothers Racing announced on Dec. 21 that Hacker will return to the team in 2022 to run a limited schedule in the Truck Series. His first race will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19, 2022. The remainder of his schedule and sponsorship will be announced at a later date.

Corey Heim

Kyle Busch Motorsports announced on Dec. 21 that Heim will compete in 15 Truck Series races in the No. 51 truck in 2022. Heim will begin the season at Daytona International Speedway and in the final eight races. The remainder of his season is to be determined.

Austin Hill

Hill announced on Oct. 2 that he will not return to drive in the Truck Series for Hattori Racing Enterprises next year. On Oct. 29 Richard Childress Racing announced that Hill will join RCR to compete full time in the Xfinity Series in 2022. On Feb. 11, it was announced that Hill will also drive in the Truck Series race at Daytona for Spire Motorsports in the No. 7 Chevrolet.

Timmy Hill

On Dec. 6, 2021, Hill Motorsports announced that they will field two Truck Series teams in 2022 and make the switch from Chevrolet to Toyota. Timmy Hill will drive the No. 56 Toyota full-time in 2022. The number of the second truck and the driver will be revealed at a later date.

Carson Hocevar

Niece Motorsports announced on August 17 that Carson Hocevar will race full time for Niece Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2022. It will be his second full-time season with the team.

Jesse Little

Young’s Motorsports announced on Dec. 22 that Little will join the team and compete in the Truck Series in 2022. His first race will be at the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. His truck number, crew chief, schedule, and sponsors will be announced at a later date.

Ty Majeski

ThorSport Racing announced on Feb. 11 that Ty Majeski will compete full time with the team in the Truck Series driving the No. 66 with Joe Shear Jr. as crew chief. Majeski joins returning drivers Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton and Christian Eckes in his first full-time season with ThorSport.

Matt Mills

Young’s Motorsports confirmed on Feb. 10 that Matt Mills will join the team and drive the No. 20 Chevrolet for a limited Truck Series schedule beginning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Fri., Mar. 4, 2022. He will also be behind the wheel at Kansas Speedway (May 14), World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (June 4) and Richmond (Va.) Raceway (Aug. 13). These races are in addition to Mills’ Xfinity Series races with BJ McLeod Motorsports this year in the No. 5 Chevrolet.

Thad Moffitt

It was announced on Feb. 10 that Moffitt, the fourth-generation driver, and grandson of Richard Petty, will run a partial Truck Series schedule driving the No. 43 Chevrolet as part of a GMS Racing partnership with Reaume Brothers Racing. He will make his debut at Daytona International Speedway on February 18 in the NextEra Energy 250. STP will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Richard Petty’s “Fan Appreciation Tour” with a paint scheme that will pay homage to his 1992 retirement season. Moffitt’s 2022 schedule will include races in the Camping World Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, and the Trans-AM Series. More information on his schedule and sponsorship will be announced at a later date.

John Hunter Nemechek

On Oct. 14, Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that Nemechek will return to drive the No 4 Toyota full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2022.

Blaine Perkins

On Dec. 23, CR7 Motorsports (owned by Codie Rohrbaugh), announced that Perkins compete full-time for the team in 2022 and pilot the No. 9 Chevrolet in the Camping World Truck Series after signing a single-year contract.

Chase Purdy

It was announced on Nov. 30 that Chase Purdy will move from GMS Racing to Hattori Racing Enterprises and drive the No. 61 Toyota Tundra in the Camping World Truck Series. On Dec. 22 the team also announced that Matt Lucas has joined the organization as Team Manager and will also serve as crew chief for Purdy.

Ben Rhodes

On Nov. 12, ThorSport Racing confirmed that Rhodes will return in 2022 to race full-time for the team in the Truck Series in the No. 99.

Will Rodgers

Reaume Brothers Racing announced on Feb. 16 that Will Rodgers will join the team to drive a part-time schedule in the Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022. He will make his debut in the Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 26. Rodgers will also compete in the Truck Series race at Sonoma Raceway on June 11 and will race in the Xfinity and Truck Series races at Circuit of the Americas on March 26.

Johnny Sauter

On Feb. 3 it was announced by G2G Racing that Johnny Sauter will drive the No. 47 entry at Daytona, as part of a 13-race schedule with the team.

Chandler Smith

It was announced on Nov. 30 that Smith will return to Kyle Busch Motorsports next season to drive the No. 18 in the Camping World Truck Series.

Zane Smith

As announced on Nov. 30, Smith will move from GMS Racing and join Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 38 Ford in the Camping World Truck Series with crew chief Chris Lawson.

Dean Thompson

On Nov. 2 Thompson announced that they will join Niece Motorsports in 2022 to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and contend for Rookie of the Year.

Jack Wood

It was announced on Aug. 26 that Wood has been re-signed by GMS Racing for the 2022 Truck Series season and will compete full-time in the No. 24 Chevrolet.

G2G Racing

G2G Racing will field two full-time trucks in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team is owned by NASCAR driver, Tim Viens, and business partner Bill Shea. Matt Jaskol will pilot the No. 46 Toyota full-time while the No. 47 Toyota will be driven by three different drivers in 2022, including Johnny Sauter who will run a 13-race part-time schedule. Sauter’s first race will be at Daytona. Roger Reuse and Viens will compete in the remaining races.

GMS Racing – Truck Series

GMS Racing confirmed on Dec. 7 that they will continue to compete full-time in the Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series after their majority purchase of Richard Petty Motorsport, operating as GMS Racing. Grant Enfinger will drive the Truck Series No. 23 Chevrolet with Jack Wood in the No. 24.

ThorSport Racing

ThorSport Racing will field four full-time teams in the Truck Series this year. Ty Majeski will compete full time with the team in the Truck Series driving the No. 66 with Joe Shear Jr. as crew chief. Majeski joins returning drivers Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton and Christian Eckes in his first full-time season with ThorSport.

Parker Chase Rides Daytona ARCA Finish as Momentum for 2022 Season

By

Official Release

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February 25, 2022

NEW BRAUNFELS, Tex: Parker Chase closed out his 2022 edition of Speedweeks with an exclamation point as the 21-year-old earned a career-best finish in the ARCA Menards Series on its biggest stage this past Saturday at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Chase in the first of a minimum 10 ARCA Menards Series races this season for the potent Venturini Motorsports utilized the 80-lap Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire to earn crucial superspeedway experience but contend for a career-best finish in just his sixth career start aboard his No. 15 Vertical Bridge Toyota Camry.

Throughout the 2022 ARCA season-opener, Chase kept his race car pinned to the yellow double line in clutches with his teammate and defending race winner Corey Heim.

Even through controlled pit stops and a demanding race that produced two lines of intense drafting, Chase rarely found himself outside the top-five throughout the race and when the race had a green-white-checkered finish to determine the winner, Chase was a part of the mix.

Unable to secure the additional drafting help needed to make a run at Heim, Chase instead pushed his teammate to the team’s fifth consecutive victory at the “World Center of Racing” – while delivering himself his first career top-five finish and a one-two punch in the finishing order for the Concord, N.C.-based team.

“Daytona was awesome,” said Chase. “You dream of racing there – let alone being in contention for the win. We had a shot there on the last restart – but if I couldn’t pull it off myself, I was going to make sure my Venturini Motorsports teammate won the race.

“A first and second-place finish for the organization is something to be really proud about. I cannot thank Vertical Bridge and all our partners for the opportunity. A runner-up finish is a great way to end my Speedweeks in Florida and give me some great momentum for the rest of the racing season.”

Daytona marked Chase’s sixth career start in the NASCAR-owned series with the avid Sports Car driver delivering his first career top-five but his sixth straight top-10 finish dating back to the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course in August 2020.

“I’ve only competed in six ARCA races, but I have learned so much since my first race in the summer of 2020,” added Chase who turned 21 on Feb. 22. “Each race track offers a different discipline and has introduced me to new elements of racing that I’ve been able to quickly adapt to.”

From the high banks of Daytona, Chase is keeping a smile on his face as he prepares for his next ARCA race at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on March 11th before shifting his attention to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series (IMPC) at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway beginning March 16th.

“I’m hoping that all that experience will continue to be beneficial as the 2022 season marches on – including in my next ARCA race at Phoenix Raceway next month and then getting to return to IMSA competition at Sebring a week later.”

In IMPC competition, Chase drivers the No. 98 Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) with Curb Agajanian.

For more on Parker Chase, please visit ParkerChase.com, like him on Facebook (Parker Chase), Instagram (@parkerchase) and follow him on Twitter (@parker_chase19).

Petty GMS Event Preview: Auto Club Speedway

By

Official Release

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February 25, 2022

Ty Dillon, No. 42 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Dillon at Auto Club Speedway:

Dillon has competed in four NASCAR Cup Series events at Auto Club Speedway. The North Carolina native has also participated in four NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the Fontana oval, earning an eighth-place finish in 2014.
Allegiant – Together We Fly™: Allegiant will serve as primary partner on Dillon’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway. From America’s favorite small cities to world-class destinations, Allegiant makes leisure travel affordable and convenient. With low-low fares, nonstop, all-jet service and premier travel partners, Allegiant provides a complete travel experience with great value and without all the hassle.
Birthday Boy: Dillon will celebrate his 30th birthday on Sunday, February 27. - About Allegiant: Las Vegas-based Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) is an integrated travel company with an airline at its heart, focused on connecting customers with the people, places and experiences that matter most. Since 1999, Allegiant Air has linked travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class vacation destinations with all-nonstop flights and industry-low average fares. Today, Allegiant’s fleet serves communities across the nation, with base airfares less than half the cost of the average domestic roundtrip ticket. For more information, visit us at Allegiant.com.
From the Drivers Seat: You know your NASCAR history. How cool is it to drive the No. 42? ”It’s such a honor. I’m not sure if people realize that the No. 42 was really made famous by Lee Petty, Richard’s father. He was the originator of the Petty name and was very successful from day one, the start of NASCAR as we know it. I hope to bring honor back to his name and number with a little bit of a modern twist with myself. It’s very exciting for me personally. There have been many drivers of the No. 42, but not many with the stylized No. 42 that is the same as Lee’s. I take it as a honor and hope to carry it to Victory Lane.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Jones at Auto Club Speedway:

Jones has competed in four NASCAR Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway, collecting two top-10 results in 2018 and 2020 respectively. In addition, Jones has three starts at the California oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning two top-five finishes and one pole.
Nutrition for the Brain: FOCUSfactor will serve as primary partner on Jones’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway. The No. 43 machine will carry FOCUSfactor’s blue and green colors for a total of 26 races during the 2022 Cup Series season. - About FOCUSfactor: FOCUSfactor is sold at America’s leading retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com. FOCUSfactor, America’s leading brain health supplement, is a nutritional supplement that includes a proprietary blend of brain supporting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In December 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 8,329,227 covering FOCUSfactor’s proprietary formulation “for enhanced mental function”. The issuance of the patent marked one of the few times a patent has been issued for a nationally branded nutritional supplement. FOCUSfactor is clinically tested with results demonstrating improvements in focus, concentration and memory in healthy adults.
From the Drivers Seat: What has your relationship with Dave Elenz been like so far? ”Dave is a super smart guy number one, which is big reason why we wanted to go out and get him during the offseason. It’s a pretty long process when you try to hire someone and get them to make a move. Any career move like that is pretty big for a crew chief, but I’m really happy to have him. He’s done a really good job up to this point with the Next Gen car. A lot of times when you get a new crew chief, you don’t get to work with them until Daytona. With the testing we did this off-season, we had the opportunity to work together before Daytona, which has helped with getting our communication going and being on the same page. I’m confident in what we can do together this season.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

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

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow Petty GMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Countdown to Cup: World Wide Technology Raceway’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race goes green in 100 days

By

Official Release

-

February 25, 2022

Feb. 25, 2022, St. Louis — The clock is ticking. As of today, February 25, only 100 days remain until World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, waves the green flag on its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race.

The entries are the stars and cars of the Daytona 500 and will include recent 500 winner Austin Cindric and defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. This will be the St. Louis-Metro East’s first look at NASCAR’s new Next Gen cars.

The 240-lap, 300-mile Cup race is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. Central on June 5. Leading up to the main event will be a NASCAR hauler parade, NASCAR fan fest at Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis, the short track classic at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois, and the June 4 Toyota 200 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Fans are invited to enjoy the pre-race pageantry and concerts, the Infield Experience, the Rumble Before the Road pre-race party – as well as the new campground.

And when the checkered flag falls on WWTR’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, the countdown clock will reset: 76 days to the annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

WWTR will host its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, June 5. Leading up to the Cup Series race, WWTR’s festive NASCAR Weekend will include a downtown NASCAR hauler parade, a fan fest at Ballpark Village, the inaugural #CupTimeSTL Short Track Classic at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois, and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Toyota 200. For tickets and additional information, please call (618) 215-8888 or visit www.WWTRaceway.com. Follow WWTR on social media (@wwtraceway) for additional information.

About World Wide Technology Raceway

World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) is the home of NASCAR, INDYCAR, and NHRA racing in the St. Louis region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering more than 600 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1/4-mile drag strip, 1.25-mile superspeedway, recently expanded 2.0-mile road course, the Gateway Kartplex (a state-of-the-art karting facility), and the adjacent Gateway National Golf Links. WWTR and owner Curtis Francois have been recognized with several awards, including: 2021 Comcast Community Champion of the Year; 2021 Jack Buck Award; 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Track Award; 2018 Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission; 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference; and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association.

Our Mission

We are committed to making a difference in our community, while providing first-class entertainment and memories that last a lifetime.

Silver Hare Racing Set for Trans Am Opener at Sebring

By

Official Release

-

February 25, 2022

Rising Star Connor Zilisch Joins Owner-Driver Maurice Hull in Two-Car TA2 Effort

HIGH POINT, N.C. (Feb. 24, 2022) – Maurice Hull became a teenager a month and 11 days before the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli debuted on March 25, 1966 at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway. In 2006, Connor Zilisch was born the year America’s Road-Racing Series returned to the iconic 17-turn, 3.74-mile racetrack for the 40th time.

This weekend in the Trans Am season opener at Sebring, Hull and Zilisch will be teammates at Silver Hare Racing, a staple of Trans Am since 2018 that has won the TA2 Masters class championship with Hull as both driver and team co-owner three times (2018, 2019 and 2020). The 69-year-old Hull and the 15-year-old Zilisch will pilot a pair of Chevrolet Camaros in the TA2 class during the Sebring Speed Tour where a packed, 48-car TA2 field takes the green flag at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday.

Hull co-owns Silver Hare Racing with his wife and team manager, Laura. The driver of the No. 57 Silver Hare Racing/Waukegan Farms Chevrolet Camaro followed up his most recent Masters class title with a runner-up points finish in the same division last year. Sunday’s 75-minute race will be Hull’s fifth TA2 start at Sebring, and in addition to his four previous TA2 starts there, Hull has plenty of vintage racing experience at the historic, concrete-clad circuit, including a sweep of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) doubleheader event in 2017.

Zilisch, meanwhile, will make just his second career TA2 start on Sunday. The 10th-grader from Mooresville, North Carolina, made his TA2 debut last fall at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, where he became the youngest pole-winner in series history with a track-record lap of 1:48.905.

Zilisch began racing go-karts at age 4 and has scored multiple karting championships nationally and overseas in the ultra-competitive European ranks. In Italy, Zilisch scored the 2017 ROK Cup Superfinal championship in the Mini ROK category and the 2020 FIA Academy Trophy title. The 2021 season was his first year racing cars.

Zilisch has made the transition to cars appear seamless. He finished third in the Spec Miata race during the SCCA National Championships Oct. 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and set three separate lap records – two in Spec Miata at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, and Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw County, South Carolina, respectively, and one in MX-5 at Road Atlanta.

Zilisch will augment his time in Trans Am with a full season of Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup, the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. Zilisch was the top winner of the series’ scholarship, earning $110,000 to take part in the 2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup where he will contend for the $80,000 rookie-of-the-year award and the $250,000 championship prize.

In fact, Zilisch is pulling double-duty this weekend in Florida, competing Friday afternoon and Saturday morning on the Streets of St. Petersburg in Rounds 3 and 4 of Mazda MX-5 Cup. He opened strong in the series’ first two events during Rolex 24 at Daytona weekend last month, finishing fourth and clocking the fastest lap in the first race, then qualifying on the pole before finishing seventh in the second race. He’ll arrive at Sebring on Saturday in time for qualifying at 5:45 p.m. EST where he’ll pilot the No. 5 Silver Hare Racing/KHI Management Chevrolet Camaro.

Silver Hare Racing leverages its Trans Am effort to promote its arrive-and-drive program, where aspiring racers and even tenured professionals hone their road-racing skills on some of the most revered tracks in North America. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Suárez, William Byron, Harrison Burton and Christopher Bell have all wheeled Silver Hare Racing-prepared cars to burnish their road-racing abilities. In addition to top-flight equipment, Silver Hare Racing provides professional driver coaching by general manager Michael Self, an ARCA and NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran.

The team offers six, professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing for both competition and private testing. Silver Hare Racing has a dedicated, fulltime crew and operates out of a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. At the track, two 53-foot Featherlite transporters serve as the team’s base, each outfitted with a lounge and smart TVs for data and video review, as well as for hospitality.

“With NASCAR having so many more road-course races, it’s our goal for Silver Hare Racing to be the preferred team for drivers to get that road-course experience,” Laura Hull said. “We want to be that important step in the ladder for the young, up-and-coming drivers like Connor, which we are doing in collaboration with Kevin Harvick Incorporated.

“It started when they brought him to us for testing at VIR a year ago, and now we’re delighted to have him under contract. That’s how we’re trying to position this. We want people to know we have an arrive-and-drive program, where people who want to run this track or another, we provide the opportunity for them to do that and be successful.”

Connor Zilisch, driver No. 5 Silver Hare Racing/KHI Management Chevrolet Camaro:

“I’m really excited to be running with Silver Hare this year. I think we can do really well. We’re going to have to put in a lot of work to get me understanding the car and how to race it. I’ll have to adapt to the crew guys and how they adjust stuff, and they’ll have to adapt to my feedback. But I definitely think if we can work well together, we can run up front. We’re here to win, so we’re going to do whatever we can to do that, and I’m looking to make that happen.

“They’ve won a championship, so I definitely think they have what we need to run up front. I really like Maurice and Laura, the team owners. They’ve treated me really well and have guided me throughout this process. I’m just really excited to get working with everyone. The whole crew is amazing. They work their butts off to bring me a fast car and I’m just excited to go out there and do my best.

“The TA2 cars are way different than anything I’ve ever driven. Obviously, I grew up racing go-karts, which are light and they’re fast. The Trans Am car is light and fast, but it’s still a stock car, so it doesn’t handle quite as well as what I’m used to, but I’m definitely getting used to it. And with more time, I’m just going to get faster and faster. It’s going to take some adapting, but I’m up for the task. I’ve got a good understanding of it but, obviously, more seat time is going to bring more experience, and with that comes speed, which will come throughout the year. I think through the car and through my driving, as well, there’s still a lot to learn, but that’s what makes it exciting.

“There are some good guys out there. Rafa Matos, he’s obviously going to be running up front this year, along with Thomas Merrill and Connor Mosack. They definitely won’t make it easy on me but, once again, that just makes it fun, the competition.

“I had been to Sebring in Miatas, previously. It’s definitely a unique track. There’s really no track like it. It’s got its own characteristics, the bumps, how flat it is. You definitely have to drive it a little differently than you do anywhere else because of the bumps, avoiding bumps and stuff like that. I think it’ll suit me well because I always seem to do well when other people struggle. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back there because it’s one of my favorite tracks.

“Our test at Sebring last month was good. Maurice drove the car the first day – it was a two-day test. Then I got in the second day. It was quick.

“I’ll be in St. Pete running the MX-5 Cup with Mazda and INDYCAR on Friday and Saturday. Once I finish my second race – the 10 a.m. race on Saturday – we’ll drive to Sebring to make 5:45 p.m. qualifying. I’m basically going into the race at Sebring with zero practice. Meanwhile, everyone will have already tested there and done two practices before I get there. So I’m a little bit behind the eight-ball, but I’m excited for it. I’m really hoping we can do well. I’m going to have to use the whole qualifying session and, hopefully, there won’t be any issues out there that limit the amount of laps in the session because that would be unfortunate. But it’s definitely going to take some strategy and a lot of prep work to do well. I’ve already been prepping a bunch on the sim and trying to get ahead as much as I can before I get there.”

Maurice Hull, owner/driver No. 57 Silver Hare Racing/Waukegan Farms Chevrolet Camaro:

“I think having Connor join us this season is going to be really exciting because he’s going to add a real youthful approach to everything. We already have youth up and down the organization, but Connor is so extremely talented, he’s –very polished for his age. I think we’re going to learn a lot from each other. I hope he teaches the old dogs some new tricks. He approaches the sport completely different and, hopefully, I can use some experience from some of the things that I’ve done to help him out.

“As an evolving team, we’re finding our niche. Laura and I both love the sport and we have a great passion for the sport. We’re both very competitive, we’re both in this to win, and we want to build something that’s got some longevity and some respect. Eventually, I’m not going to drive. I love it a lot and I’m glad they have a Masters class for drivers who are 60 years and older. There are 48 cars entered at Sebring, and there’s a lot of talent there. It’s gotten progressively deeper in talent since I started driving. The first race I ran four years ago, I finished seventh and was not happy that I finished seventh because I felt like I should’ve finished fifth and I’d screwed up. Now, if I finish top-five, that would really be something. So, it’s changed considerably.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting year. It’s a program where we want to continue having younger drivers come up through the ranks with us. We feel that’s an area where we can offer something unique. We’ve got a heck of a driver coach in-house in Michael Self, our general manager. We’ve got all this equipment. We’ve got cameras and data and more technology than you can shake a stick at. We run out of a former NASCAR Cup Series shop and it’s a heck of a facility. We’ve got good equipment, and when we show up, we show up. We’re trying to get all the basic pieces together for success. We’ve had name drivers – Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Harrison Burton, Christopher Bell – guys who wanted to rent a car and run well at a particular track. If we can establish ourselves as a major step on that ladder to excel in road racing, that’s where we want to be.

“We learned a lot at our Sebring test last month. We were fast. Connor jumped in the car and he was as fast as the pole qualifying time from last year in a very short time. The cars drove well. This weekend, we won’t see Connor until he drives over from St. Pete in time for qualifying late Saturday. I’ll shake his car down Friday and Saturday morning.

“I used to race vintage stock cars at Sebring in both HSR and SVRA and we were always dominant in those. One of the last times I raced there, in 2017, they had two races that weekend with a field of 30 stock cars. And I won both races that year, and won one of the two races the following year. We were running really nice equipment, Petty road-race cars with current motors. Those things were amazingly fast. So, interestingly enough, after that double-win weekend, we stuck around and watched the TA2 race and thought it looked way more fun. So, the very next week I went out and bought a TA2 car and that’s how all of this started. I’ve been running TA2 at Sebring since 2018.”

About Silver Hare Racing:

Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the TA2 division of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. The multicar team has won the TA2 Masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, and general manager Michael Self, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six, professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, please visit SilverHareRacing.com.

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