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Chandler Smith – No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra Camping World Trucks Daytona Preview

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Official Release
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Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: NextEra Energy 250, Race 1 of 23, 100 Laps – 20/20/60; 250 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 18, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Season 2:
Chandler Smith begins his second full-time season behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens the 2022 season at Daytona International Speedway Friday night. Safelite, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services, returns to KBM for a fifth season and will be the primary sponsor on Smith’s Tundra TRD Pro Tundra for 15 races this year.

Smith earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory. Across 38 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, the Toyota Racing Development product has collected two wins, 14 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. Additionally, Smith has produced nine ARCA Menards Series victories, 10 poles, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes across 34 career starts.

The 19-year-old driver will be making just his second career start at Daytona. Smith led a race-high 22 laps and finished inside the top 10 in all three stages of last year’s race in his Daytona debut. He was battling for the lead in the closing laps when he got loose, slid down the track and barely clipped the apron. As he corrected his path, he shot up the track and made contact with Grant Enfinger on the outside lane. The contact caused an issue with a tire and moments later the No. 18 Toyota ended up spinning out. After repairs, the Georgia native was scored 19th when the field took the white flag during NASCAR overtime, but as another incident occurred as the field exited Turn 4 causing several trucks to wash up the race track, he drove to the inside to avoid them and ended his night with a ninth-place result. His best result across three superspeedway starts was a third-place finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in 2020.

Since the Truck Series was last in action last November, Smith has had two newsworthy moments. In December, he executed a late-race bump-and-run- pass to bring home the victory in the Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., the most prestigious Super Late Model race in the country. Earlier this month, he and his wife, Kenzie, announced on social media that they are expecting their first child later this year.

Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will once again call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2022. Stockman’s drivers have produced six victories at KBM across his first two seasons, including two with Smith behind the wheel in 2021. The veteran crew chief captured a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and also won an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman has totaled 10 career Truck Series victories to go along with seven in the Xfinity Series. Stockman’s drivers have collected two poles, 21 laps led and an average finish of 19.3 across three starts at Daytona in Truck Series action. He missed last year’s event serving the final race of a three-race suspension for a loose wheel that carried over from the end of the 2020 season. Paul Andrews, KBM’s shop foreman, was atop the pit box for Smith’s ninth-place finish at Daytona last year.

Charge Me will serve as an associate sponsor on the bedtop of Smith’s No. 18 Tundra TRD Pro for 15 races this season beginning Friday night at Daytona. Charge Me was founded on the principle that the electric vehicle (EV) revolution will require robust infrastructure support at all levels. To encourage this transition towards a clean energy future, Charge Me is launching a diverse product range of EV charging solutions. Charge Me has developed off-grid multi-use portable charging systems for both EV roadside assistance as well as stationary on-site power generation.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:
Are you looking forward to your second career start at Daytona and how will you approach the race?
“Going back to Daytona this year, first and foremost I’m just thankful to be back with KBM and Safelite for another full-time season. Looking forward to going to Daytona and trying to bring home the win. It’s all about survival. It’s about making sure you are there at the very end. Putting yourself into a position where you can avoid really bad situations where you could get caught up in a wreck, but you’re in a good enough position to make it happen if you’re presented the opportunity. So, it’s all about position and opportunities”

What seemed to click at the end of last year and can you build off that momentum to start 2022 strong?
“The biggest thing that honestly started helping us was practice. Granted we only had it for one of my two wins, but we learned so much in practice. We started getting our sim pretty good and accurate for our data. With, all the notes we captured at the very end of the year, all of the momentum we were running off of is going to very beneficial to us to start this year. I feel like all of the goals that myself, Danny and all of this No. 18 team at Kyle Busch Motorsports have set that there should be nothing holding us back.”

  • Chandler Smith Career Highlights:
  • Across 38 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded two wins, 306 laps led, 14 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.9.
  • Led 55 laps and finished eighth in his Gander Trucks debut at Iowa Speedway in July of 2019. Drove a limited schedule for KBM in 2019 (four races) and 2020 (12 races), before going full-time in 2021.
  • Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1783 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.4 across 34 career ARCA Menards Series starts. Set an ARCA Racing Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career and earned his first victory after leading a race-high 102 laps at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start.
  • Has numerous Super Late Model victories across his career, including two marquee wins: the Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. (2021) and SpeedFest at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia (2018). Will compete in several Super Late Model events around his Truck Series schedule in 2022.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:
KBM-64: The No. 18 Safelite team will unload KBM-64 for Friday night’s Truck Series race at Daytona. It is the same Toyota that Smith has piloted in all three of his superspeedway races across his career. He finished ninth after leading a race-high 22 laps with it at Daytona last year and his best result was a third-place finish with it at Talladega in 2020.

  • KBM Notes of Interest:
  • KBM drivers have collected one win, three poles, 102 laps led, four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 16.3 across 31 starts at Daytona. Owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up the team’s lone victory at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in dramatic fashion in the 2014 season opener, finishing .016 seconds ahead of fellow Toyota competitor Timothy Peters.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (90) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway last September, Chandler Smith became the 17th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 23 career victories.

John Hunter Nemechek – No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Tundra Camping World Trucks Daytona Preview

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Official Release
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John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: NextEra Energy 250, Race 1 of 23, 100 Laps – 20/20/60; 250 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 18, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Nemechek #Back4More in 2022
John Hunter Nemechek begins his second full-time season with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series opens the 2022 season Friday night at Daytona International Speedway. Nemechek came to the most successful team in Truck Series history last season with one goal in mind, winning, and that’s exactly what he did. Nemechek led the Truck Series in race wins (five), stage wins (11), and brought home the regular season championship. In addition to leading the series in wins, he topped all drivers in driver rating (112.4), fastest laps run (299), and top-five finishes (16). The second-generation driver made the Truck Series Championship 4 for the first time in his career, but after an early incident at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway put him in a hole, he rallied back late in the race to finish seventh but ended up third in the final championship standings.

The 24-year-old driver has made four starts in Camping World Truck Series action at Daytona, with a best result of fourth coming in the 2017 event. In his first career start for KBM, he led 14 laps and finished seventh despite being involved in a late-race accident. In 2020, he finished 11th in his first career Daytona 500 and equaled that finish in the August Cup Series event at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. Nemechek also has two NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at the World Center of Racing, with an eighth-place finish in the 2019 season-opening event being his best result.

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, an industry leader in commercial fire protection since 1946, will adorn the hood of Nemechek’s for five races in 2022 beginning with Friday night’s season-opening event. Pye-Barker, who acquired Nemechek’s long-time partner Fire Alarm Services in 2021, will also serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2/19), Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (5/27), Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (9/15) and the season finale at Phoenix Raceway (11/4). Mobil 1 returns as Nemechek’s primary sponsor in 2022 and will adorn his No. 4 Toyota for 10 races beginning at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (3/4).

Nemechek is an 11-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane in 2021 with KBM. Across 124 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, he has compiled two poles, 1,181 laps led, 40 top-five and 66 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.6

In addition to getting back to victory lane in the Truck Series last season, Nemechek was able to secure the second victory of his career in the NASCAR Xfinity Series when he led a race-high 92 laps in the fall event at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. He earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Kansas Speedway in October of 2018. In addition to a full-time Truck Series schedule, Nemechek will run select races in the Xfinity Series.

Eric Phillips returns to lead the No. 4 team in 2022. His 41 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 32 of those coming while at KBM including five last year. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. Across 11 starts at Daytona, Phillip’s drivers have one win, three top-five and five top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.5. Owner-driver Kyle Busch collected his organization’s lone Truck Series victory at Daytona with Phillips atop the pit box in 2014.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:

How important is it to get the 2022 started off strong?
“Super excited to get back to Daytona, starting off the season on the right foot is super important. We were able to have a great run last year. I feel like I’ve really enjoyed speedway racing. I feel like we’ve gotten our trucks better at superspeedway racing as of recent, had a shot to win Talladega and we’re taking that same truck to Daytona, so hopefully it has some speed. The new Tundra TRD Pro bodies are looking sharp for 2022 and hopefully they fly on the race track as well. Practice, qualifying and then race, it’s back to a normal schedule for Daytona. There are going to be a lot of things that are in effect going down there, but hopefully we can get the season kicked off on the right foot and start of the year with some good stage points and a really good finish. Just have to keep our nose clean, stay out of the big one — that’s really all it takes.”

After having a really good season last year do you feel pressure to have an even better one this year?
“I think that there is always pressure. You want to continue to better yourself not just on the race track, but in everyday life as well. When you come into a new season, you want to go and achieve the goals that you may not have the year prior even though it was a really good year. We learned a lot last year and we built a notebook. There are mistakes that we made, but it’s all in the process of learning and building that notebook so that you don’t make the same mistake twice. So that you can continue to grow and learn from it and have an even better season and that’s what we are here to do. We have the same group around me, Eric Phillips (crew chief), Adam (Ebel) our engineer, and Jimmy (Villeneuve) our car chief with a few mechanic changes on our team, but it seems like everything is continuing to go in the right direction and I feel comfortable with where I am at. TRD and Toyota do a lot for us, and I feel like we are able to utilize the resources that they give us to go and succeed on the race track.”

What does it take to be a good superspeedway racer in the Truck Series?
“To be a good superspeedway racer in the Truck Series, I think it takes a lot of patience — knowing who you are racing around, what experience levels they have and kind of knowing where the wreck is going to start. Obviously, that is kind of hard to predict, but as the race goes on you can kind of feel the energy and see what moves guys are making, seeing where it is kind of getting hectic, or in the bee’s nest as we call it. So, hopefully you can stay out of all the trouble and be there at the end. It really comes down to being able to be pushed, being able to push and being a good pusher for your teammates or whoever is around you and positioning yourself to be in a really good spot that you fell is comfortable. Being up front towards the end is huge. Normally, they come down to a short amount of run. Normally there is a green-white-checkered or something to finish it off. That’s a huge key of just positioning yourself in the right place.”

  • John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:
  • Eleven-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 124 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,181 laps led, 40 top-five and 66 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.6. Registered a career-high and series-leading five victories in 2021 and earned the NCWTS Regular Season championship and third in the final standings after qualifying for the Championship Four for the first time in his career.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
  • Across 56 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled two wins, one pole, 364 laps led, 14 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.7.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra TRD Pro:
KBM-13: The No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team will unload KBM-13 for Friday night’s race at Daytona. This is the same Toyota that Nemechek nearly won with at Talladega last October. He was leading on the final lap when he got spun by the second-place driver coming to the checkered flag and had to settle for a fourth-place finish. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch captured his organization’s only victory at Daytona with this chassis in the 2014 event.

KBM Notes of Interest:
KBM drivers have collected one win, three poles, 102 laps led, four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 16.3 across 31 starts at Daytona. Owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up the team’s lone victory at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in dramatic fashion in the 2014 season opener, finishing .016 seconds ahead of fellow Toyota competitor Timothy Peters.
KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (90) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway last September, Chandler Smith became the 17th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
The No. 4 has 16 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Premier Security Solutions Renews Partnership with Hocevar, No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet for 2022 Season

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 15, 2022) – Premier Security Solutions returns as a primary partner of the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado and driver Carson Hocevar for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season, announced Tuesday afternoon.

Premier Security Solutions will serve as the primary partner of Hocevar’s No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado for multiple races in the Portage, Mich. native’s second full-time season in the NCWTS. Premier Security Solutions will be aboard Hocevar’s No. 42 Chevrolet for the first three races of the 2022 campaign, including the season-opening NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18.

“I really appreciate the support from everyone at Premier Security Solutions for stepping up and making sure we had the funding for our second full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” Hocevar remarked. “I am very thankful for the growth in support from one primary sponsorship last season to several races this year. I can’t wait to debut our 2022 Premier paint scheme at such an iconic venue as Daytona International Speedway to open the season.”

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

“Premier Security Solutions is beyond excited to be the primary sponsor for Carson Hocevar and the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado,” President of Premier Security Solutions, Dave Forystek, said. “Carson exemplifies the same dedication, goals, and values in racing that Premier has used to grow and expand in the security industry. We’re hopeful to be the push Carson and Niece Motorsports needs to get the No. 42 into the victory lane in 2022.”

“We’re thrilled to have Premier Security return this year and even expand their involvement with Carson and the team,” said Niece Motorsports Team Owner Al Niece. “Carson had such a great rookie season last year, I know that he’s excited to build on that and return to a lot of these tracks for a second or third time around. It means so much to have organizations buy in to our team and our goals. We have high expectations this season and are looking forward to performing well for Premier Security and all of our partners.”

Hocevar made the move to full-time Truck Series competition in 2021 at the age of 18, earning three top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes while producing a 12.82 average finish in his rookie season. He notched a career-best second-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the spring.

Additionally, Hocevar made the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs, advancing to the ‘Round of 8’ and narrowly missing a chance at the ‘Championship 4’.

Hocevar ran a partial schedule in the Truck Series in 2020, racing in seven events with a best finish of 12th coming at Dover International Speedway.

The NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway will be broadcast live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network (MRN), and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

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

For more information, please visit www.premiersecurity.solutions/

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

NASCAR and NACE Starleague Bring Sim Racing to College Campuses Nationwide

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Official Release
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The eNASCAR College iRacing Series will launch this month with three-race schedule

Daytona Beach, FL (February 15, 2022) – College students nationwide will have the chance to compete at Daytona International Speedway – virtually that is. National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR®) and NACE Starleague, the largest collegiate esports league in North America, announced today the launch of the eNASCAR College iRacing Series, bringing competitive sim racing to more than 500 colleges and universities nationwide.

The new series will be presented by NASCAR Official Partners Coca-Cola, Logitech, Playseat and Southern Computer Warehouse.

“Gaming and Esports are an important component of NASCAR, allowing us to reach new fans who are often engaging with the sport for the first time,” said Nick Rend, Managing Director of Gaming and Esports, NASCAR. “Our various eNASCAR initiatives have seen exponential growth. We felt this was the right time to extend our reach to a younger audience and launch the eNASCAR College iRacing Series to show students the opportunities that sim racing and our sport hold for them.”

More than 10,000 students will have the option to compete in the eNASCAR College iRacing Series through NACE Starleague, which was established in 2021 as a strategic partnership between the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and CSL Esports, a Playfly Sports Company.

“It is paramount for CSL Esports and Playfly Sports to continue growing and expanding within NACE Starleague,” said Rob Johnson, CEO, CSL Esports. “Integrating sim racing as part of the league not only provides greater opportunity for students with varied gaming interests, but furthers our long-term mission of linking education, in this case engineering-focused knowledge, with Esports competition.”

The 2022 season opens on Thursday, February 24 with the Playfly Sports 30 race at Daytona International Speedway. Qualifying takes place now through Monday, February 21. The top 40 students who post the fastest qualifying times will advance to the race with the eNASCAR Scholarship Fund awarding the highest finishers a combined $50,000 in scholarships throughout the calendar year.

Students will compete with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series vehicles emblazoned with their school branding. Competition will be led via iRacing.com, the official simulation partner of NASCAR, which provides one of the top online racing simulation portals and features officially-sanctioned, laser-scanned replicas of race tracks around the world.

For more information or to register, visit https://www.enascar.com or https://www.cslesports.com.

2022 eNASCAR College iRacing Series Schedule*

Spring

·       Daytona International Speedway

Qualifying: February 7 – 21

Race (60 Laps): February 24 at 8 p.m. ET

·       Charlotte Motor Speedway

Qualifying: March 7 – 21

Race (80 Laps): March 24 at 8 p.m. ET

·       Watkins Glen International

Qualifying: April 10 – 24

Race (30 Laps): April 27 at 8 p.m. ET

Fall

·       Four-race schedule to be released at a later date

*Tentative and subject to change

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About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (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 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’).

About NACE Starleague

“The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of member institutions and is the largest association of college esports in North America. Together, NACE members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space. NACE colleges and universities collaborate to lay the groundwork in areas such as: eligibility, path to graduation, competition and scholarships. NACE represents the majority of varsity programs across North America.”

About CSL Esports 

CSL Esports provides turnkey solutions for schools and students to compete and learn valuable skills in the rapidly expanding esports industry. Since 2009 CSL Esports has been the operator of North America’s largest collegiate esports business and has provided over $1 million in direct scholarships.  CSL Esports works with scholastic partners at all levels including colleges & universities, state and local high school districts, athletic and activities associations, departments of education, and parks & recreation in this new endeavor. www.cslesports.com

About Playfly Sports

Playfly Sports is a full-service sports marketing company operating where sports marketing, media & technology converge. Playfly Sports drives outcome-based solutions for brands reaching approximately 83% of all US sports fans generating over 230bn impressions each year in pro, college, and high school sports. Utilizing the influence and durability of local sports fandom, Playfly Sports exclusive rights in the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA, esports, and high school sectors drive value for our local, regional, and national brand partners. Playfly’s insights-infused multimedia and tech platforms drive innovation through scaled linear, digital, in-venue, and experiential marketing and engagement assets. Playfly Sports has the unique ability to partner, innovate, and advance the aspirations of athletes, brands, academic institutions, and sports fans across the U.S. Playfly Sports is Igniting Brands through the Love of Fans. Visit Playfly Sports online at playfly.com and follow Playfly Sports on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook: @PlayflySports. www.playfly.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: BJ McLeod Daytona 500 Media Availability

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Daytona 500 Advance | Tuesday, February 15, 2022

BJ McLeod is in his second year as driver and co-owner of the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series. He spoke to members of the media today about the 2022 season and how he and co-owner Matt Tifft continue to build their team.

BJ MCLEOD, No. 78 Live Fast Ford Mustang – WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE GETTING THE NEXT GEN CAR READY FOR DAYTONA? “Exciting is the first thing because this car is something that four years ago I’d have said you’d never see in NASCAR. It’s its own different animal altogether and it’s definitely gonna change the landscape of the way we see stuff on TV. It’s just been incredible to get into NASCAR at the Cup level as an owner and a driver at this point be able to here for it. There’s been challenges to learn stuff and there’s gonna be more challenges for us. We’re a small team and we have to get things figured out, but we went to one test in November and had an awesome day. I think we were in the top five for a good bit of the day both days, so it was cool to see that and see what we could work towards. The point of being here at this time is just exciting and it’s definitely been the strangest offseason too because usually you’re not worried about knowing if you could build the car or get the car ready. It’s a car you’ve dealt with for years and all the people have worked on it for decades and it’s not a big deal. This car is a new car, so everybody is learning. The mechanics are learning, crew chiefs are learning, owners are learning, drivers are learning. To me, it’s the most exciting time I’ve ever seen and I’ve been watching NASCAR since the late eighties and I’ve been a part of NASCAR for almost 20 years. It, to me, is the most exciting time I’ve seen since I’ve been around.”

HOW DO YOU APPROACH PRACTICE AND THE DUELS THIS WEEK? HOW MANY CARS DO YOU HAVE? “We actually have done well inventory-wise. We have two complete cars right now. We’ve got all the parts for the third and a lot of the parts for the fourth, I’d say half the parts for the fourth, so inventory-wise this race for us I choose to play strategy every time I come to a superspeedway. I don’t ever go up there and try to lead. I don’t ever go up there to try and get into the top 10. I just like to do what feels right and try to hang on to the draft and stay on the lead lap. I’d say we’re approaching this week much the same as we did last year. If you look, I think we had five to eight practice laps. We ran very conservative in the Duel. I did spin in the Duel, but didn’t hit anything. In the race, we practiced very little on Friday and Saturday, and then in the race we just hung on to whichever draft – first pack or second pack that I felt I needed to be in to not lose a lap. I think we came out of here 23rd. We fought fuel pump issues most of the day, so that hurt us. We were eight or nine laps down, I think, but our strategy is not much different than it’s been, but there’s definitely, I think, an emphasis on making sure that we try to come out of here with as much as we can to prepare ourselves for the weeks to come because we want to race hard at every track as much as we can even being a small organization.”

WHAT IS YOUR DRIVING SCHEDULE LIKE THIS YEAR? “As far as Cup, we’re always open. We’re trying to build our budget and if there’s an opportunity with a driver that’s got a great sponsor that we can take me out of the seat and help the organization, that’s there. Until that happens, I’m running full-time, but I would expect to see somebody else on the road courses and even maybe some ovals because, like I said, we want to build our budget and run it as good as we can, especially with this car because it’s an exciting time. It’s going to help us to be a lot more competitive. In Xfinity, I love Darlington. I love Dover. I would say that I’ll probably find something to definitely drive Darlington because I just can’t stand to not run that race in the Xfinity car. I’ll work on that, but, right now, the Xfinity Series is packed. I don’t know of many rides that you can even bring a sponsor to and drive. We’re sitting at 47 cars for Daytona and every one of them have multiple race drivers or full-time drivers and I don’t know if there’s a spot, but I’m gonna work hard to race Darlington in the Xfinity car right now.”

ARE YOU GOING TO FIELD A TRUCK AT SOME POINT? “We’ve played around with that idea for myself, for maybe Matt Mills or one of our Xfinity guys, just strictly to go run top 10. I have no interest in going there and trying to build up like we have in Xfinity and we do Cup. If we can’t go there and try to be in the top 10, I have no interest in it. If things played out right, we would buy one really nice truck and make sure it was prepped right, take the time and pick the race. It just depends on how all the Next Gen stuff works out and how our season starts out in Xfinity and we’ll go from there. I almost did it last year and I just pulled it out at the last second. I think this year we might try it, but, like I said, we’ll just see how things start out this year and see how I feel and what I want to do.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR TOP 10 FINISH IN AUGUST THAT CAN HELP THIS TIME? “My strategy so far has always been to just do what feels right to me and you just get smarter every restrictor plate race. My first 500 I lost a lap, I think two laps because of pit road mistakes. You just try to minimize those mistakes and it’s just unreal how hard it is. It’s good competition at this level and it’s insane. Getting that ninth-place finish last year it just proves, I think we were 23rd with four to go or something. We passed, there were like nine or 10 cars that wrecked on that last lap and we managed to get through it and got back to the line and that’s how we got that top 10, so I think you just learn to be patient because you’ll have what you feel like is a horrible day, especially for a superspeedway, which is somewhere we can stay with the pack and not lose laps if we execute correctly. It’s very hard to stay patient and a finish like that last year it proves that there’s a reason why you’re being smart and taking care of your stuff because you have a chance at the end. These speedway races, I hear people say go with 30 to go, go with 40 to go, go with 20 to go and I’m like, ‘Ten to go in a Cup race is a long time to go.’ You have to be careful. It’s funny, I told Joe Falk before that race I said, ‘I’m not going until the second green-white-checker,” and he laughed at me and I think it was the second green-white-checker when we ended up finishing the race ninth. It was just crazy. You can just feel the atmosphere. You can watch the cars and Newman has helped me with that. I try to lean on him because I know he does a great job of always making sure he’s there. Like I said, I’ve tried to learn from him and you just feel the way the pack is forming up and the way the side drafts are going and if they are two or there wide, you can see when things are starting to get a little dicey and I’m just getting smarter with all that stuff and trying to build my knowledge as much as I can because this is the best shot for me to ever win a race as a driver is definitely a superspeedway.”

HOW CAN YOU QUANTIFY WHAT THIS NEXT GEN CAR CAN DO FOR YOU AS FAR AS LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD? “I think you’re gonna see some erratic finishes. I believe right now there are two different ways this is gonna go. It’s definitely, like I said, a complete game-changer. There’s no doubt about that. You have small organizations and you have the big organizations. There’s really no in-between. The small organizations, we’re either gonna take longer to catch up and you’re gonna see us still struggle a little bit to start with – maybe not all of us, but maybe some of us – and then catch up the sixth race, the eighth race, the 12th race, the 20th race because we have less engineers, we have less sim data – different things to work with than some of the larger organizations. I think that’s one option and then I think there’s another where this car is so uniformed for Hendrick versus Live Fast Motorsports. Hendrick can’t have any different upright than I can. They can’t have any different A-frame than I have. They can’t have any different front or rear clip or anything. It’s literally the same parts on their car as my car. Like I said, they have many more resources there. Winners are always winners. It doesn’t matter what you do with the rulebook, but it still makes it for the fans watching that they know I have the same car that Hendrick has. Now, we still have engine differences and, like I said, engineering and infrastructure is massively different, but there’s a time when you can only do what you can do, so that may be three races worth or that may be a year’s worth, we don’t know, but at some point the small organizations will catch up and get to where they have evened the playing field because there is only so much you can do to the car. Where we got in trouble every year that NASCAR has existed is you could build your own spindle, you could build your own lower A-frame, you could build your own anything. There were rules you had to go by, but you could figure out the flexion and different things that we just never could catch up on. We’re always two to three years behind and that might as well be 20 years in this sport, so I think that is the best way to put it to try to understand what could happen. I strongly feel that you’re gonna see some smaller teams have some crazy runs that you would have never seen the last however many years you want to say. I believe that’s gonna happen this year. Whether it’s me or Corey LaJoie or Rick Ware Racing or Front Row or whatever, I believe that you’re gonna see some top 10s, top 15s, some regular top 20s that you just didn’t see before.”

DO YOU HAVE A GOAL IN MIND FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION THIS YEAR? “I have not set anything and I have no interest in it. My focus is I know where this car is capable of taking us. There is no doubt in my mind. I don’t know whether it’s a month or five years. I don’t. My goal is taking this car and every week learning and getting my guys more familiar with it, building our knowledge around it, working with our alliance with Haas and making that as strong as I can, just keep building my network because that’s what got me where I’m at and know that this car is the piece that we didn’t have that will eventually make us a top 20 team. That’s where our focus is this year. It’s not numbers. It’s not finishes, it’s just work, get better every week, go home, get smarter, come back get better. That’s what we’re gonna do.”

WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR XFINITY PROGRAM? “We’re looking for a lot on that side this year. I guess the series is the most stacked it’s been since I believe 2014 as far as car count. There is a lot of mid-pack cars that we race a lot, so I believe now that we have the capability to run 12th, I really believe that. We have upgraded our cars. We have got different crew members. We’ve got three separate crew chiefs finally for all the teams, which I know sounds crazy, but we did it with one crew chief at the shop and then two crew chiefs that came to the track the last six years, so we actually have three full-time crew chiefs. We’ve just been building that program very slowly to make sure we didn’t go out of business and we’re to the level now where I believe we’re capable of running 12th, but I also believe with how stacked the series is right now that you’re capable of coming down pit road having a two second slower pit stop you come in 12th and you come out 28th or 32nd. The Xfinity Series is gonna be a lot of fun to watch because you’ve got your contenders that are your contenders. They’re gonna be the same teams it has been the last 5-10 years easy, but you also have this mid-pack that’s gonna be a crazy race that, like I said, is gonna reach that 12th-place spot and every now and then go into the top 10 because things happen. It’s definitely an exciting year for us. We also have the danger of all three cars going home at Daytona. It’s that crazy. I think we have the best equipment, the best people, the best drivers, we have everything prepared and ready, but we may have all three cars go home Saturday and there’s nothing we can do about it, so we’re just gonna work every week, try to make the most of the investment we’ve made and the relationships we’ve got and that’s gotten us to the spot we’re in right now and hopefully we’ll see what happens at Daytona, but then California, Vegas, Phoenix, we want to go run good. We’re gonna try our butts off.”

WHO WILL BE MORE ANGRY IF ALL THREE CARS GO HOME, YOU OR JESSICA? “I think we’d just be disappointed. I think there’s nine people going home, so anybody that goes home they worked their butt off the last two-and-a-half months, and some people have worked for decades. We’ve been after this for, I think this is our seventh year now in Xfinity, and we’ve worked for 15 years to get here. You just hate to see people go home, but that’s just the sport we’re in and I think the only word I would say is disappointed, not angry. I’m not. We’re gonna go to California no matter what happens and we’re gonna haul ass, but the thing is it’s so hard and so much work, so much effort. I hate it for my people because they work very hard to do a good job for Jessica and I and the drivers and you just see the effort they put in and you want to see them get rewarded, but no matter what somebody is gonna have a rough day on Saturday.”

WHAT TYPE OF CEO IS JESSICA GOING TO BE? “With Xfinity, I never focussed on it that much. She’s been doing the job the whole time. I never worried about it because she was an owner . She had a presence and had the credibility of owning half the team and that’s why she worked hard and helped us make the right decisions to get to where we’re at. With Live Fast, Matt and I just felt like she did too much and she steered us and helped us and she does the job of a CEO and she didn’t have that title yet. We were in our first year last year and we were organizing things and figuring things out, it’s the Cup Series, we worked forever to get here and didn’t put a lot of effort into positions and organizing things correctly when we got going last year as far as titles. We did the work, but we didn’t have the titles in the right spots and she, like I said, has been doing this. This is nothing new for her. The first business she ran she was 22 years old. She’s very experienced, very knowledgeable and Matt and I wouldn’t be as strong without her by no means, so the CEO side of her is gonna be mad, yes. That’s no doubt, but it still, like I said, she looks at it the way we do. We treat all our people like they’re family and the first thing that pops into our minds is gonna definitely be the work and effort that went in and we don’t get in the race. That would be a rough day.”

Tony Stewart Racing: Pomona Advance for the 62nd NHRA Winternationals

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Official Release
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Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers
62nd NHRA Winternationals
Feb. 18-20 | Pomona, California

Event Overview

Friday, Feb. 18 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 4:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. EST

Saturday, Feb. 19 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 12:30 p.m. PST/3:30 p.m. EST
● Nitro qualifying session (Q3): 4:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. EST

Sunday, Feb. 20 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Round 1: 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST
● Round 2: 1:10 p.m. PST/4:10 p.m. EST
● Semi-Finals: 2:55 p.m. PST/5:55 p.m. EST
● Finals: 4:05 p.m. PST/7:05 p.m. EST

TV coverage on FS1

● Friday, Feb. 18: Qualifying show, recapping all of Friday’s action (7 p.m. PST/10 p.m. EST)
● Sunday, Feb. 20: Qualifying show, recapping all of Saturday’s action (4 a.m. PST/7 a.m. EST)
● Sunday, Feb. 20: Finals show, recapping all of Sunday’s final-round action (10 p.m. PST/1 a.m. EST)

Notes of Interest

● The Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona serve as the official debut of Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. The team fields two fulltime entries – one in Top Fuel for nine-time event winner Leah Pruett and one in Funny Car for 39-time event winner and three-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan. (Hagan earned his titles in 2011, 2014 and 2020, and he was the runner-up in the 2021 championship.)

● Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection are the primary partners of Pruett and Hagan. The new Dodge Power Brokers program will roll out ready to serve as the exclusive source for all new Direct Connection, Dodge’s factory-backed performance parts program, and equipped with staff trained to deliver a performance-focused customer service experience.

● TSR’s roots are in sprint car racing, with Mopar powering its multiple entries in USAC and the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series from 2001 through 2007. Seven of TSR’s 27 open-wheel championships were won with Mopar.

● The Winternationals kicks off the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ 22-race calendar. Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is emblematic of a fresh season, as a freshly ground and polished track will greet NHRA competitors upon their return to the historic California dragstrip.

● Pomona serves as a homecoming for Pruett as she grew up approximately 35 miles east of the track in Redlands, California.

● The Winternationals will mark Pruett’s 173rd career Top Fuel start and her 15th at Pomona. In fact, her Top Fuel debut came at Pomona in the 2009 Finals.

● The Winternationals will mark Hagan’s 296th career Funny Car start and his 26th at Pomona.

● Two of Pruett’s nine career Top Fuel wins have come at Pomona (2017 Winternationals and 2021 Winternationals).

● Six of Hagan’s 39 career Funny Car wins have come at Pomona (2011 Finals, 2013 Finals, 2014 Finals, 2015 Winternationals, 2017 Winternationals and 2018 Winternationals).

● Pruett has a 16-12 round record at Pomona and is undefeated in her two final round appearances at the track.

● Hagan has a 41-19 round record at Pomona and is 6-2 in final round appearances at the track.

● Pruett’s career-best elapsed time of 3.631seconds came at Pomona on Nov. 10, 2018 in Q4. (Her best speed of 334.15 mph was earned at Phoenix on Feb. 24, 2018 in Q3.)

● Pruett has been the No. 1 qualifier 12 times in her career, two of which came at Pomona (2017 Winternationals and 2018 Finals).

● Hagan has been the No. 1 qualifier 43 times in his career, four of which came at Pomona (2011 Finals, 2017 Winternationals, 2018 Winternationals, 2019 Finals and 2020 Winternationals).

● Hagan owns the Funny Car track record at Pomona – 3.822 seconds at 335.57 mph on Feb. 11 in the 2017 Winternationals.

● DYK? The quickest side-by-side race in NHRA Funny Car history took place at Pomona during the 2018 Winternationals when Hagan ran a 3.823 to Robert Hight’s 3.866.

● Crew Chief Corner: Neal Strausbaugh is the crew chief for Pruett while Dickie Venables continues his longtime role as the crew chief for Hagan. Both Strausbaugh and Venables came to TSR from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), where the duo spent a combined 25 years. Strausbaugh had been an assistant crew chief since 2008 working across both Top Fuel and Funny Car, first with Cory McClenathan in Top Fuel (2008), Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel (2009-2016), Jack Beckman in Funny Car (2017-2018) and Pruett (2019-2021). Venables had two stints at DSR, spending 2010-2011 with Funny Car driver Johnny Gray before returning in 2013 to lead Hagan’s Funny Car effort.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster

Being with a new team at TSR, does the start of this season feel different?

“I haven’t felt any two seasons feel the same at the start of the year, but this one is most definitely the largest difference. A new racecar, a new group of crew members, a new co-crew chief, Neal Strausbaugh’s first season as a crew chief – I’m used to change so all these things bring comfort in their newness. What I’m not used to, but have always had a desire for, was to race with my spouse. This one happens to be my team owner, but also the new feeling has been operating in the management structure of this organization and taking on and sharing new responsibilities. To say it’s business as usual would be far from correct and, until I put on the helmet for the first time during a race event, I can’t say exactly what will be different, but I already know it will be, and I expect to enjoy our successes even more than before.”

For the novice drag racing fan, why is Pomona such a legendary and prominent venue for the NHRA?

“Professional drag racing is rooted in Southern California, and Pomona has been the foundation, literally, of generations of drag racing legends. SoCal may no longer be the physical center of the highest tier of drag racing as it once was – as that is now Brownsburg, Indiana – but the magic of its location and the heritage it holds is still undeniable.”

Explain the nuances of drag racing at Pomona. Is it like any of the other venues on the NHRA circuit, or does it have enough characteristics that make it unique?

“I might be biased, but I think it’s the most gorgeous track on the circuit. It’s surrounded by palm trees, purple mountain majesties, and an incredible Mexican food joint on the corner there at opposite end of the NHRA museum. Pomona is ground zero for NHRA drag racing, and it’s also where I began racing at just age 8. From the tower where I sang the national anthem as a kid, to hanging in the bleachers as a teenager with my friends, to roaming the pits, excited if I knew anyone on a team or got to take home a clutch disc or connecting rod, that was my life, and those memories came from Pomona. I’ve won there before in Top Fuel, and I didn’t think it could get any bigger than that moment, but that was because of what I didn’t know. With what I know now, if we can duplicate that same success from 2018 in our Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster, it will be a new milestone for me at Pomona, no doubt.”

Climate and weather play a big part in dialing in your dragster. What do you deal with at Pomona to get your car right?

“We’re back to our regularly scheduled Winternationals programming, being in February as opposed to July where it was last year, so that’s ideal for us. We prefer the cooler, drier conditions for making maximum horsepower, and that’s what it looks like we’ll get this weekend. The new Pomona surface will take some time to get worked in, which is probably why they have cars starting to run on Wednesday. Pomona has a reputation for creating world-record conditions, and I think the new track surface will help that for the second race of the season, and for running later in the evening. This weekend we will be running in the afternoon instead of at night, which is really where those record conditions are at.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Being with a new team at TSR, does the start of this season feel different?

“We’re coming up on my 15th year of racing and, honestly, it does feel different. Our team’s morale and charisma is different. These guys are super excited to be here and Tony Stewart has been great to work for. It’s laid back, but business as usual for us. We know what we have to do. I’ve won multiple championships out here and have won a lot of races along the way. Our core group of guys between my crew chief, my assistant crew chief, my car chief and myself, we know what we have to do to get it done in our Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car. Out here, everyone gives 100 percent no matter what. There’s not a day where you can ask for any more from anybody because everyone is trying as hard as they can. I think Tony as a racer and competitor, he sees that.”

For the novice drag racing fan, why is Pomona such a legendary and prominent venue for the NHRA?

“Pomona is such a legendary place because we start there, we finish there, and history is made there. It’s where you crown champions. I’ve been fortunate enough to run there quite a few times, but I’ve also been fortunate enough to be crowned a champion there. That’s something that no amount of money can buy, and that’s something no one can take away from me. You are 10 people with one goal and you’re surrounded by people who helped you get there. It’s such a special and magical place because of how it ends there. You’re able to see history get made every year there.”

Explain the nuances of drag racing at Pomona. Is it like any of the other venues on the NHRA circuit, or does it have enough characteristics that make it unique?

“Pomona is unique in and of itself. It’s kind of short, so when you show up there, you know you better have your parachutes together and a handful of brake. It makes you be more aware and more prepared as a driver to start the season. You have to be more tuned-in to what you’re doing because the shut-down isn’t quite as long as other tracks. It makes you on top of your game to start the season. Pomona is a special place because drag racing originated in California, so there are so many legends that show up there. Back in the day, people were on fire and upside down there. They had to go through so much to put on a show. We’re so fortune nowadays that we have so much safety equipment and fire gear to keep us safe. I have a lot of respect for all the legends that started out there and made the sport what it is today.”

Climate and weather play a big part in dialing in your dragster. What do you deal with at Pomona to get your car right?

“The weather at Pomona is always changing, but I remind myself that the conditions are the same for everyone. That’s what our crew chiefs do so well because they take the conditions, their notes and the data they’ve compiled over the years to be able to go up there and make a solid run. I’m so lucky with Dickie Venables because he has been doing this for a very long time, so he has a lot of data, gut knowledge and instinct. I think we’re so successful because of Dickie and the calls he makes.”

Petty GMS Event Preview: Daytona 500

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Official Release
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Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Dillon at Daytona International Speedway:

  • Dillon has competed in 10 NASCAR Cup Series events at the historic Daytona International Speedway, posting three top-six results. The 29-year-old’s highest finish of fourth came in the July 2019 event. Dillon also has 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series, three NASCAR Truck Series, and one ARCA Menards Series races to his resume.
  • Coffee Up: Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) will serve as primary partner on Dillon’s Chevrolet Camaro for the Daytona 500. BRCC made their partnership debut two weeks ago at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and will be adorning the No. 42 multiple times throughout the 2022 Cup Series season.
  • Newest Member of No. 42 Team: Crew chief Jerame Donley and his wife, Jenna, welcomed their first child, Ryder Thomas, into the world on Friday, February 11.
  • Top of the Box Debut: After missing the Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum due to the impending arrival of his son, Donley will make his NASCAR crew chief debut this Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. Donley, who has engineer and mechanic experience at the Cup Series level, was named crew chief of the No. 42 in November 2021. - About Black Rifle Coffee Company: Black Rifle Coffee Company is a Veteran-founded coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. Founded in 2014 by Green Beret Evan Hafer, Black Rifle develops their explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus they learned while serving in the military. BRCC is committed to supporting Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and the American way of life. With every purchase made, they give back.

To learn more about BRCC, visit www.blackriflecoffee.com, follow BRCC on social media, or subscribe to Coffee or Die Magazine’s daily newsletter at https://coffeeordie.com/presscheck-signup.

  • From the Drivers Seat: “Any driver can go into Daytona and have a shot at winning the race. In my younger days, I looked at it as a luck race, that you just have to let it play out and miss the big one. And while that is somewhat true, I’ve had success over the past few years by trying to take a more cerebral approach and really setting up the race. It’s truly a high-speed chess match of positioning yourself in a spot to where you can take advantage of the crashes and be there at the end. It doesn’t really matter where you are at the middle portion of the race; you have to be in position at the end of the race for a chance to win.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Jones at Daytona International Speedway:

  • Jones has competed in 10 NASCAR Cup Series regular season races at Daytona International Speedway, earning one win, two top-five, and three top-10 finishes. Jones’s victory at the World Center of Racing came in July 2018. In addition, the 25-year-old has six NASCAR Xfinity Series and one NASCAR Truck Series events under his belt.
  • Daytona Winner: Jones is looking to continue his success on the high banks of Daytona. The Michigan native has collected two checkered flags at the Florida superspeedway – one points-paying event in 2018 and one exhibition race in 2020.
  • Focusing Forward: FOCUSfactor will serve as primary partner on Jones’s Chevrolet Camaro for the Daytona 500. The No. 43 machine will sport FOCUSfactor’s blue and green colors for a total of 26 races during the 2022 Cup Series season.
  • Cup Series Debut: Crew chief Dave Elenz will make his Cup Series regular season debut this Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. Elenz, a veteran crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, collected 15 victories during his seven years on top of the box at JR Motorsports. - About FOCUSfactor: FOCUSfactor is sold at America’s leading retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com. FOCUSfactor, America’s leading brain health supplement, is a nutritional supplement that includes a proprietary blend of brain supporting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In December 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 8,329,227 covering FOCUSfactor’s proprietary formulation “for enhanced mental function”. The issuance of the patent marked one of the few times a patent has been issued for a nationally branded nutritional supplement. FOCUSfactor is clinically tested with results demonstrating improvements in focus, concentration and memory in healthy adults.
  • From the Drivers Seat: “Once you’ve won at Daytona, like I have in the summer race, you know you can do it and you have the confidence that you can get the job done there. Everyone wants to win the Daytona 500 though. It’s a race that ranks up there with every other milestone race in motorsports. I have the confidence, but it will be different this season with the new car. We aren’t sure how this car is going to race, draft, or what it’s going to do in certain situations. It will be a blank notebook for a lot of guys, including myself and our Petty GMS team, but it’s still a stock car at Daytona so there will be things you can apply.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

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

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

2017 Mustang GT | Customer Spotlight

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Official Release
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AmericanMuscle’s New Video Features a Super Clean Build

PAOLI, Pa. (February 14th, 2022) – AmericanMuscle (AM) is back with another episode in its “Customer Builds” YouTube series. The new video highlights a supercharged and tuned 2017 Mustang GT. Host Justin Dugan connects virtually with the owner, Lucas T. to dig deeper into his modifications and help viewers visualize the possibilities for their own ride at home. The video complements the dedicated build page on AM’s website which lists a complete breakdown of all the upgrades along with extra images and product details.

“One of the first “Customer Build” interviews I’ve done was with a guy named Lee from Jersey who had a black 

car with blue accents… Yours is…that car on steroids.” says Justin. With that, Justin dives in to find out more about Lucas’ bumper mods. Taking his cues from retro builds, Lucas installed a customized MP Concepts Bumper adding that the fitment was “spot on.” Other key upgrades include an Edelbrock Supercharger Kit, an aluminum driveshaft, and Ford Performance Half Shaft Kit, custom powder-coated Shelby Super Snake Style wheels, an MMD Decklid Panel, and smoked taillight covers. Justin and Lucas spend time talking about his MBRP Exhaust before moving on to future mods and the name Lucas has chosen for his ride.

AM’s customer spotlight series connects customers from all over the country to share upgrade inspiration and ideas in a format that’s easy to digest. Lucas’ 2017 GT has been thoroughly researched and executed and the results speak for themselves.

For a complete breakdown of Lucas’ modifications, viewers can check out his build page on americanmuscle.com. AM’s YouTube series will continue to feature ambitious builds from customers across the USA. 


View it here: https://www.americanmuscle.com/profiles/153270

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About AmericanMuscle

Starting out in 2003, AmericanMuscle quickly rose to be one of the leading aftermarket Mustang parts providers in the business. With the addition of Challenger in 2018 and Charger in 2020, AmericanMuscle provides the most sought-after parts, accessories, and fast shipping. Located just outside of Philadelphia, AmericanMuscle is dedicated to supporting the Mustang, Challenger and Charger communities with the highest level of customer service. Please visit http://www.AmericanMuscle.com for more information.

Country Music Icon Trace Adkins to Sing National Anthem Ahead of NASCAR’s Most Iconic Race – The DAYTONA 500 This Sunday, Feb. 20

By
Official Release
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NASCAR’s New ‘Next Gen’ Car Will be Showcased in The Great American Race, the Season-Opener for the NASCAR Cup Series and Culmination of Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 15, 2022) – Award-winning, multi-platinum Country music icon and star of the upcoming FOX series MONARCH, Trace Adkins will perform the National Anthem prior to the start of The Great American Race – the 64th running of the DAYTONA 500 this Sunday, Feb 20 (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Adkins will give his rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner in front of a packed house for the DAYTONA 500, which is a complete sellout. The season opener for the NASCAR Cup Series, which will feature NASCAR’s anticipated ‘Next Gen’ car, gets underway at 2:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

In his 25-year career in Country music, Adkins has sold over 11 MILLION albums, charted more than 20 singles, earned numerous awards, multiple GRAMMY nominations, and garnered over TWO BILLION streams. A Grand Ole Opry member for nearly two decades, the Louisiana native is known for dynamic baritone and fiery, always-memorable live performances, and has expanded his Country career to include film and TV acting.

He broke out in 1996 with the debut album, DREAMIN’ OUT LOUD, cracking the Top 5 of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “Every Light In the House Is On” and following with the #1 smash, “This Ain’t (No Thinkin’ Thing).” Since then, Adkins has pioneered a mix of classic Country minded traditionalism and adventurous, good-natured showmanship, breaking open new avenues in modern Country through fun-filled hits like “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and “Hillbilly Bone” (with Blake Shelton).

Adkins is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his debut with 2021’s THE WAY I WANNA GO (Verge Records), a 25-song album that released to critical acclaim with Rolling Stone praising as “lighthearted club-ready fun…,” PEOPLE noting it’s “packed to the hilt with hits,” and Billboard applauding “a creative tour de force that serves up the lyrical and stylistic diversity that would make his hero Milsap proud.” Mixing pure-Country reverence with standout collaborations featuring Blake Shelton, Melissa Etheridge, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder on harmonica and more, the LP introduces Adkins’ latest single “Where The Country Girls At” (featuring Luke Bryan and Pitbull). Launching his headline THE WAY I WANNA GO TOUR this spring, Adkins will also host Season 3 of Ultimate Cowboy Showdown premiering in April on INSP plus star in FOX’s new drama series, MONARCH, expected to premiere in the fall.

While the DAYTONA 500 is sold out, there are still plenty of exciting ways to experience the pageantry of Speedweeks Presented By AdventHeath with an excited lineup of super-competitive races. For ticket information, log onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

  • Tuesday, Feb. 15: DAYTONA 500 Practices (5:05 p.m./6:35 p.m. ET).
  • Wednesday, Feb. 16: DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Busch Light (8:05 p.m. ET).
  • Thursday, Feb. 17: Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA qualifying races (7:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (4:35 p.m. ET) & ARCA Menards Series practice (5:30 p.m. ET).
  • Friday, Feb. 18: NextEra Energy 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (7:30 p.m. ET); ARCA Menards (1:30 p.m. ET) and Camping World Truck Series qualifying (3:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series practice (6:00 p.m. ET).
  • Saturday, Feb. 19: Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire ARCA Menards race (1:30 p.m. ET) and Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series event (5:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series final practice (10:30 a.m. ET); NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying (11:35 a.m. ET).
  • Sunday, Feb. 20: DAYTONA 500, The Great American Race (2:30 p.m. ET).

** Schedule subject to change

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

Fans can follow Adkins on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.

KRIS WRIGHT AND F.N.B. CORPORATION ANNOUNCE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP

By
Official Release
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Mooresville, N.C. (February 15, 2022) – In anticipation of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) NextEra Energy 250, Kris Wright, driver of the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports, and F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), one of the 50 largest bank holding companies in the United States, have announced a multi-race partnership for 2022.

FNB will be returning to NASCAR with Wright for its third consecutive season and will be partnering with Niece Motorsports for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

“We do not take it lightly when companies invest in our program,” Al Niece, team owner of Niece Motorsports said. “We are really looking forward to getting the season started and having Kris join our team this year, as well as bringing F.N.B. Corporation into the fold. What started as a little team has really grown and the whole organization is excited for the year ahead. Every team member is working hard to bring fast Chevrolet Silverados to the track and make our partners proud.”

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., FNB will be the primary partner of the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado piloted by Wright for Niece Motorsports at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Friday, February 18.

“It is awesome to have F.N.B. Corporation partner with us for the third year in a row, at one of the biggest events in motorsports, at Daytona,” Wright said. “I am really excited to start this season with a returning partner, a new team, and with new goals in mind.”

FNB first partnered with Wright in 2020 at the DAYTONA Road Course in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for his debut in NASCAR national series competition. In 2021, Wright competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) for seven road course events with F.N.B. Corporation, recording a career-best finish of 17th-place at the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

FNB’s red and blue will adorn the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado with a patriotic paint scheme. The colors represent trustworthiness and sophistication.

Through the partnership with Wright, a Wexford, Pa.,-native, FNB aims to expand its reach and connect fans with innovative products, services and financial education resources.

“We are proud to support Kris Wright. Our customers have been very excited to watch him perform over the last two years,” said Vincent J. Delie, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of F.N.B. Corporation and First National Bank. “We are looking forward to promoting our brand and continuing to offer our products and services to NASCAR’s passionate fanbase.”

Wright has one start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in Daytona Beach, Fla. He posted a 12th-place finish at the Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2021. The result produced a career-best finish in the series for Wright. In two combined NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on restrictor plate tracks (Daytona International Speedway and the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway), Wright has an average start of 21.5 and an average finish of 24.

“Daytona (International Speedway) is one of those events that can either start your season off on the right foot or put the team in a hole you have to dig yourself out of for the first few races due to attrition,” the 27-year-old said. “We are looking forward to getting after it and starting the season off right.”

The NextEra Energy 250 at the Daytona International Speedway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Friday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

For additional information, news and the latest updates, please visit KrisWrightMotorsports.com or connect with Kris Wright on Facebook (/KrisWrightRacing), Twitter (@KrisOnNASCAR) or Instagram (@krisonnascar).

About F.N.B. Corporation
F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a diversified financial services company operating in seven states and the District of Columbia. FNB’s market coverage spans several major metropolitan areas including: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point) in North Carolina. The Company has total assets of approximately $42 billion and nearly 340 banking offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.

FNB provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking and wealth management solutions through its subsidiary network which is led by its largest affiliate, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, founded in 1864. Commercial banking solutions include corporate banking, small business banking, investment real estate financing, government banking, business credit, capital markets and lease financing. The consumer banking segment provides a full line of consumer banking products and services, including deposit products, mortgage lending, consumer lending and a complete suite of mobile and online banking services. FNB’s wealth management services include asset management, private banking and insurance.

The common stock of F.N.B. Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FNB” and is included in Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) Regional Banks SubIndustry Index. Customers, shareholders and investors can learn more about this regional financial institution by visiting the F.N.B. Corporation website at www.fnbcorporation.com.

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