Home Blog Page 2172

RCR Event Preview – Auto Club Speedway

By
Official Release
-

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway … Richard Childress Racing has made 92 overall NASCAR Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway and has tallied one win, a thrilling victory by Kevin Harvick in 2011. RCR has three pole awards at the California track, led by Austin (2016 and 2019) and Mike Skinner (2000), and has 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Auto Club Speedway … In 61 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 2.0-mile speedway, RCR has captured two victories with drivers Jeff Burton (2007) and Austin Dillon (2016) and has won five pole positions. The Welcome, N.C., based organization has racked up 20 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes, led 272 laps and completed 8,871 of a possible 9,154 laps (96.90 percent).

All Aboard … This weekend, NASCAR Cup Series drivers Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick are bringing back two new partners on their Chevrolet ZL1’s. Dillon will pilot the No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet while Reddick hits the track in the No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet. Both are longtime partners of RCR and the entire organization is excited to have them on track this weekend in Fontana.

NASCAR is Back in Fontana … The most recent visit by NASCAR to Auto Club Speedway was in February of 2020, making this the first race back in two years. RCR driver Anthony Alfredo piloted the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro SS to a respectable sixth-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race while Tyler Reddick led the NASCAR Cup Series effort with an 11th-place finish in our last NASCAR Xfinity Series appearance at the track.

Catch All of Saturday’s Action … The Production Alliance 300 will be televised live on Saturday, February 26 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Prior to the race, you can catch Xfinity Series practice at 12 p.m. ET followed by Xfinity Series qualifying at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track for the first time at 2 p.m. ET for practice and will qualify directly after that at 2:35 p.m. ET on FS1.

Tune-In Information for Sunday’s Action … The Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway will be televised live Sunday, February 27 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Dow Coatings Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Auto Club Speedway … Dillon has seven previous NASCAR Cup Series starts to his credit at Auto Club Speedway, earning back-to-back top-10 finishes in 2018 and 2019. He is a two-time pole award winner at the 2.0-mile track (2016 and 2019). Dillon is a former NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner at Auto Club Speedway.

Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team … Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After nine years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowSports & @DowNewsroom.

Welcome, Dow Coating Materials … Dow Coating Materials is the most innovative coatings raw material supplier in the world; driving fundamental shifts in the coatings industry and moving the market as the expert’s expert in coatings solutions. Through its mission of collaboration, inspiration, innovation and growth, the business provides material products, science, technology, and manufacturing solutions to the architectural and industrial coatings industry worldwide. Dow Coating Materials manufacturing and R&D footprint spans across all major geographic markets where Dow does business. For more information, please visit https://www.dow.com/en-us/industries/consumer/paints-and-coatings.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Describe the racing at Auto Club Speedway.
“Tire wear is the biggest part. You’re running all the way against the fence, and all the way against the bottom. There’s a good mixture. You have to have speed at the beginning of a run and then hold it for a long run. If you can’t take off you get beat on the restarts and if you can’t hold on they’re going to lap you at the end of a run. You have to have a good balance between the short and the long run. If you can do that, you’ll be pretty good. We’ve done pretty well in the past there, but it’s been a while since we’ve raced at Auto Club Speedway and there are quite a few unknowns this year heading into the race with the Next Gen for the first time. I love the track, though, and feel pretty good about it. The fans are amazing at Auto Club Speedway. Actually, the fans are amazing at all of the races during this west coast stretch so I’m looking forward to getting out there.”

Where does Auto Club Speedway rank for you among the West Coast swing races?
“I think my favorites now are between Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway. I like Phoenix Raceway, too, but between Vegas and Fontana it’s a tight race.

What stands out to you about the Next Gen race car?
“It’s very futuristic compared to what we’ve been driving. I think it’s going to be a breath of fresh air. We have a lot of kinks and things to work out right now. There are a lot of unknowns, but I think that change is good for the sport. I think a lot of the fans are going to love to see the different things we do with the car. We’ll figure a lot out as we go. We had so much time and effort put into the old cars. We’re still figuring out things to make the old cars faster, which is crazy to think about when you look at how long we’ve had them. With the Next Gen, I think the engineers in our sport are going to be learning at a very fast pace, and we’re going to have to try to keep up with them as drivers.”

Are you concerned about the inventory of cars?
“I think it goes back to short track racing. When you are coming up through the ranks short track racing you do not have the inventory of cars that we’ve always had in the NASCAR Cup Series. If you wrecked your car, you could be out the next weekend. I don’t know that the inventory situation with the Next Gen car is that serious, but a wreck early in the season definitely could put you behind and put your team in a bind early in the season. Until we get more inventory of these cars, you want to take care of your equipment, but you also want to win and put it all out on the line.”

This Week’s Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Auto Club Speedway … Tyler Reddick has one previous NASCAR Cup Series start at Auto Club Speedway under his belt. His first and only start came in 2020 for Richard Childress Racing, when he started 19th and finished 11th. Reddick also made two starts at the Fontana, California track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In 2018, Reddick started 16th and finished seventh and in 2019, he started from the pole position and finished fourth.

About Lenovo … Lenovo’s story has always been about shaping computing intelligence to create a better world. With the world’s widest portfolio of technology products, we deliver our vision of Smarter Technology for All through products, solutions, software, and services that individuals, communities, businesses, and entire populations need to fulfill their potential. We serve more than 180 markets, and we own the majority of our facilities, giving us unrivaled scale, efficiency, and control of our supply chain. Our global manufacturing allows tailored offerings to regional markets and includes more than 30 manufacturing facilities, including in-house, joint venture, original design manufacturer, and contract manufacturer sites in Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, and USA.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
Describe what you think the racing is going to be like this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
“Heading back to Auto Club Speedway for the first time in two years and with the new Next Gen car will bring a lot of unknowns. I’ve only been to Auto Club in the Cup Series once and it was in 2020. It’s just that type of racetrack, even when you’ve got the best car, it’s easy to make mistakes and step over the line. This car has already proved it’s unforgiving. You’ve got to drive the daylights out of it, but it will fight you if you don’t respect it. Maybe the drivers will play it safe, maybe I’m wrong, but I expect some mistakes. I’m expecting a tire management approach. You’re going to really have to keep the tires underneath you, especially because it hasn’t been run on in so long. All of it is going to play out really quickly in our warmup and leading into qualifying but it’s going to be an exciting start to this format that we have because you’re only going to really get maybe 10 to 12 laps, maybe 15 laps, in a practice session. That’s a good amount of time to kind of get an idea of what your comfort level is but it’s barely enough time to know if you have the right setup underneath you.”

Where does Auto Club Speedway rank for you among the West Coast swing races?
“Auto Club is my favorite track on the West Coast swing because of the many racing lanes.”

Everything is different with this new car. What is the biggest thing you had to adapt to with the Next Gen car?
“For me, the biggest challenge is pit road. All aspects of pit road, but especially entering pit road. Exiting pit road at a speedway is about the same- you just hammer down and get through gears as fast as you can, but entering the box is certainly more challenging. Just as the car is more of a fine line and less forgiving on the racetrack, it’s less forgiving on pit road, too. Once you lock up the tires coming in, you want to lock them up when you get about one pit stall away, but it’s much easier to lock them up three or four pit stalls away and then you’re rolling too fast and you roll through the pit box. I actually had that happen to us on our last yellow flag stop at Daytona International Speedway before we were out of the race. Your marks, everything, are so different. It happened a lot throughout the Duels and throughout the race. Drivers were using their old marks from the old car and they’re not even close anymore. It’s been fun learning and getting up to speed on that, but I think it’s going to play a huge role in how the races play out in the first two months of our season. Whoever can clean up the details on pit road the best will find themselves in Victory Lane.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Auto Club Speedway… Hill will be making his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Auto Club Speedway. He claimed a 16th-place finish in the 2020 event.

A Pair of Firsts at Daytona … Hill scored his first-career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in the season opening event on Feb. 19 at Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS passed AJ Allmendinger on the last lap to claim the win in just his 16th career start. The Daytona event was also Hill’s first start at Richard Childress Racing.

Locked Into the Playoffs … With his Daytona victory, Hill has clinched a spot in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. He enters the event at Auto Club Speedway second in the series championship standings, four points behind leader Allmendinger.

About Bennett Family of Companies … McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its nine affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
You won at Daytona and you’re in the Playoffs. What does that feel like?
“It takes a lot of weight off your shoulders because now we can go to Auto Club Speedway this weekend and not feel like, man, I need to run really well this weekend and stack up points. Like I said on the radio right after the race, I came to RCR for one thing and one thing only, and that’s to win races. We got one under our belt, and we expect a lot more. I feel like Richard Childress Racing is the type of organization that I want to be around because they’re very family oriented and that’s what I love about this team. They’re always there for you. I think that’s why this organization just works for me, and hopefully we can work together for a lot of years to come.”

There hasn’t been a race at Auto Club Speedway in almost two years. How big of a factor is that?
“NASCAR does a really good job of cleaning the track off but it’s still a challenge. The first laps on the racetrack there’s dust flying everywhere and you just see a cloud of dust behind you. It’s going to be a worn out surface and managing tire wear is going to be crucial. Maybe start the run at the bottom for a little bit and if your car is really good and you’ll go up and be running the fence by the end of it.”

Sheldon Creed and The No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Auto Club Speedway … Creed will be making his first start in any NASCAR National Series this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. He scored a second-place finish in the Truck Series in 2019 at Michigan International Speedway, a track similar to the 2.0-mile oval in Fontana, California.

Home Sweet Home … Creed is a native of Alpine, California and will be competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time in his home state.

Solid RCR Debut at Daytona … Creed posted a sixth-place finish in the Xfinity Series season-opener last Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. He claimed his best finish in five series starts and second consecutive top 10. Creed is ninth in the series championship standings, 20 points behind leader AJ Allmendinger.

About Whelen … Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

SHELDON CREED QUOTE:
This is going to be your first time racing at Auto Club Speedway in NASCAR and it’s your home track. How excited are you to make your debut?
“This weekend will be special for me at Auto Club Speedway. I’ve never raced there so it’s going to be special because I consider it my home track. I grew up only a couple of hours south of Fontana. I really want to have a good run there in our Whelen Chevrolet Camaro. I’ve been putting in a lot of time doing my best to prepare, doing everything from watching video to iRacing to spending time in the Chevrolet simulator. I wanted to give myself the best chance and do everything I can to have a good run there. I just want to learn everything I can early in the season.”

Thomas Continues Mazda MX-5 Cup Win Streak in St. Petersburg

By
Official Release
-

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 25, 2022) – Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering), the current Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires point leader, continued his winning ways on the streets of St. Petersburg, finishing well ahead of Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) and Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports).

Starting from the sixth position, Thomas had a tremendous start and was in the fight for the lead on the opening lap. He had to concede the lead to Tyler Gonzalez (No. 51 Copeland Motorsports), however, the only other driver to have a win so far this season.

It didn’t take long for Thomas to gain control of the lead, where he stayed for the remainder of the race. It was by no means easy, with two full-course yellow periods that forced Thomas to go on the defensive for the hectic restarts. It didn’t hurt, however, that his primary opposition, Gonzalez, had to pull off just past halfway with a mechanical issue.

“It wasn’t easy,” said Thomas. “At this place, half the challenge is the car and the track instead of just the competitors. Even though I started from sixth, I knew I wanted to get out front and stay out front. I just maintained that gap, so I didn’t have to push any harder than I needed to. It worked out and I’ll be happy to do it again tomorrow!”

This is three-straight wins for Thomas, who won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in January, as well as the 2021 season finale at Road Atlanta in November. He provisionally extends his lead in the championship to 130 over Chris Nunes (No. 32 Formidable Racing).

Though Wagner started and finished second, those results do not illustrate the amount of work Wagner had to do to claim the runner-up spot. In the end, there wasn’t much fight left in the car to challenge Thomas for the win.

“I was really nervous on some of the restarts just to be able to keep my position,” Wagner said. “I thought I was going to struggle if I got shuffled to the back so I drove really hard. I’d be able to build up a cushion, but then I’d need to save my brakes a bit, so it was a tough balance. Jared [Thomas] drove a great race and he had enough of a gap so he could manage all the way to the finish.”

A winner at St. Pete last year, Rollan clawed his way to third from 10th on the grid. It took some time to make his way through the bottom half of the lead pack, but his experience showed as the Floridian made smart choices and conserved his braking power.

“I had to be smart with my brakes but that was the case for everyone I think,” Rollan said. “Joey [Antanasio] gave me a run for my money at the end. That was a lot of pressure and that made me nervous, but I was happy to keep the consistent laps down and keep him behind me and then secure the podium. I’m really happy. Hopefully tomorrow we can do the same thing.”

Crossing the line in fourth was the highest rookie finisher of the race: Joey Antanasio (No. 43 Formidable Racing). He had an inspired run from 10th to fourth, finding an advantage whenever his competitors were struggling.

His teammate, Nunes, finished fifth, which must have been a relief after changing engines overnight.

The close confines of the St. Petersburg street course made for some incredible battles, especially in the top 10, where the order could be turned upside down with the slip up of just one driver, or a car slowed by a brief mechanical issue. That pack included last season’s Rookie of the Year Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing), polesitter Glenn McGee (No. 23 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and the race’s Hard Charger, Jameson Riley (No. 31 Copeland Motorsports).

Riley picked up 10 positions during the race, having started seventh.

Saturday’s Round Four race is slated for 10:00am ET and will be streamed live on RACER.com.

McGee is once again the polesitter, sharing the front row with Wagner.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion is awarded $250,000 as the top rookie nets $80,000.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

McElrea Grabs Dramatic Pole in Indy Lights Debut at St. Petersburg

By
Official Release
-

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Friday, Feb. 25, 2022) – With the pressure maxed out at 10 in a dramatic qualifying session, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires rookie Hunter McElrea posted a statement lap as time expired to score the pole for Sunday’s Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

McElrea posted a best lap time of 1 minute, 5.2812 seconds in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport entry with no time left on the clock. His rise to first was the last of six changes at the top of the board in the final five minutes alone.

That monster lap put McElrea nearly three-tenths of a second ahead of second place Linus Lundqvist, who put down an impressive time of 1:05.5735 in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry. Other drivers to hold P1 in the final five minutes of the 30-minute qualifying session were Christian Rasmussen and Benjamin Pedersen.

Even McElrea, who will start his first Indy Lights race at 9:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday (live on Peacock Premium and INDYCAR Radio Network), was caught off guard by the lap.

“I knew I had to do it on that last lap, and the tires were honestly a little bit past their peak,” he said. “I just did a lap. I didn’t expect to be on pole by three-tenths. I thought it was good enough for pole, probably, but when they said, ‘Pole by three tenths,’ I was shocked.”

McElrea’s Andretti Autosport teammate Sting Ray Robb will start third after posting a best lap of 1:05.6751 in the No. 2 car. Lundqvist’s HMD Motorsports teammate Pedersen, who also races under the Global Motorsports Group banner, will start fourth after a best lap of 1:05.8377 in the No. 24 car. 2021 Indy Pro 2000 champion and Andretti Autosport driver Rasmussen rounds out the top five with a lap of 1:05.8580 in the No. 28 car.

In 26 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires races in St. Petersburg, Florida, the pole winner has won the race 13 times. It happened in both races here last year with Kyle Kirkwood and David Malukas. McElrea, 22, from Los Angeles, figures he has a good chance to continue that streak.

“It just sums up how good the car is,” he said. “It’s probably one of the best cars, if not the best car, I’ve ever driven. We’ve been fast, and then we’ve had issues that made us third or fourth instead of fastest. It was nice just to have a representative session with everyone on the same tires.”

The session was red-flagged just once with roughly 16 minutes remaining when HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing’s Danial Frost locked the brakes entering Turn 10 and slid into the tire barriers. His car suffered damage to the front wing and was towed to pit lane. He will start 12th in Sunday’s race.

This came just moments after Rasmussen overshot Turn 10. He went into the runoff area and was able to continue.

McElrea Tops Final Practice, Too

Mirroring how he ended qualifying Friday afternoon, McElrea posted a fast lap as time expired in final practice to end the session at the top of the charts with a best lap of 1:05.7693. He stole the top spot from Frost, who rebounded nicely from a qualifying incident to land second on the speed chart with a best lap of 1:05.8655. Lundqvist backed up his strong run in the morning practice session by rounding out the top three with a best lap of 1:06.0056.

Lundqvist Opens Season Fastest in First Practice

Lundqvist opened the day by posting the top speed in the first practice session of the day at 1:05.7856, picking up right where he left off in 2021 when he scored three wins, including the season-finale at Mid-Ohio. Denmark’s Rasmussen rebounded from a mid-practice spin to place second with a best lap time of 1:05.8080. McElrea rounded out the top three with a best lap time of 1:05.9255.

About Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires

Celebrating 35 years, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires develops drivers and teams to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Past champions include INDYCAR SERIES champions Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Paul Tracy and Cristiano da Matta. In 2021, 20 drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES were Indy Lights graduates, including rising stars and race winners Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Rinus VeeKay. The 2022 season consists of 14 races in the United States. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, please visit www.indylights.com. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.

About Cooper Tire

Cooper Tire, a subsidiary of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT), specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of passenger car, light truck, medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. Cooper is headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, with manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design operations located in more than one dozen countries around the world. For more information on Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com, www.facebook.com/coopertire or www.twitter.com/coopertire.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 55 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

Grosjean Powers to Front in Andretti Debut at St. Petersburg

By
Official Release
-

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Friday, Feb. 25, 2022) – Talk about making an entrance.

Romain Grosjean led the first practice of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in his first official drive with Andretti Autosport, pacing the Friday afternoon session for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the streets of the Florida city.

Grosjean’s best lap of 1 minute, 1.0525 seconds in the No. 28 DHL Honda led by more than a tenth of a second over reigning event winner and Andretti teammate Colton Herta, second at 1:01.1567 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.

SEE: Practice Results | Driver Video Quotes

The strong performance appeared to validate perhaps the biggest move of the offseason, in which Grosjean and engineer Olivier Boisson joined the Andretti team after earning three podium finishes in Grosjean’s rookie season in the series last year with Dale Coyne Racing with RWR.

“We still have a bit more speed we can get out of the car to get it to my liking, but the car was really good, very smooth to drive,” Grosjean said. “I know Andretti has got a brilliant car on all the street courses. With Olivier last year, we had a really good car on road courses. Ovals, I know Andretti has got a good car, as well.

“I think with all of us, we can get something good. I’m happy that I’ve got really fast teammates. That’s going to push me to get better.”

All four of Andretti’s drivers placed in the top half of the field in the 45-minute session on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile circuit. Besides Grosjean and Herta, 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alexander Rossi was sixth at 1:01.4570 in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda. Series rookie Devlin DeFrancesco rounded out the Andretti contingent in a solid 13th at 1:01.6632 in the No. 29 PowerTap Honda.

Among other leaders, two-time St. Petersburg race winner Will Power was third at 1:01.2282 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Simon Pagenaud, who moved from Team Penske to Meyer Shank Racing in another big offseason move, ended up fourth in his debut with his new team at 1:01.3249 in the No. 60 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda.

Former St. Petersburg race winner Graham Rahal rounded out the top five at 1:01.3683 in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda.

Less than a second separated the top 21 drivers in the 26-competitor field, but two prominent names ended up uncharacteristically toward the bottom of that group. Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon was 19th at 1:01.7747 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, while 2021 championship contender Pato O’Ward was 20th at 1:01.8297 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Another practice session will start Saturday action at 9 a.m. (ET), followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 12:30 p.m. Both sessions will stream live on Peacock Premium.

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

By
Official Release
-

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

By
Official Release
-

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

By
Official Release
-
  • 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
-

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
-

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
-
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.

1...2,1712,1722,173...6,733Page 2,172 of 6,733