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Daytona Speedweek schedule and format

By
Angie Campbell
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During the NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Annual Daytona 500 in 2021 at Daytona International Speedway (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

NASCAR kicks off the start of the 2022 season at Daytona International Speedway this week culminating in the 64th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon. While we got a glimpse of the Next Gen car in the Busch Clash at the L.A. Coliseum, the true test begins this weekend as the regular season begins.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will compete Friday night in the ‘NextEra Energy 250’ and the Xfinity Series will be on track Saturday evening for the ‘Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300.’

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is set for Wednesday night and will have a new look this year. There will be two rounds of qualifying with the top 10 fastest cars moving to the second round. The fastest two cars in Round 2 will lock in their starting positions on the front row.

The remaining starting positions will be determined in the Bluegreen Vacation Duels on Thursday evening. The lineup for the Duels will be set by the single-car qualifying results from Wednesday.

The cars that finished first, third, fifth, etc. in the single-car qualifying will make up the field for Duel 1. The cars that finished in even-numbered positions will compete in Duel 2. There will be the same number of Open teams in each Duel race.

The Bluegreen Vacation Duels will set the starting lineup for the Daytona 500. The drivers from Duel 1 will line up on the inside row in order of their finish and the drivers from Duel 2 will line up on the outside row in order of their finish.

The fastest open team in each Duel will qualify into the Daytona 500. The two open teams with the fastest times in single-car qualifying that did not qualify through the duels will make up the final two spots in the field.

This year the top-10 finishers in each Duel will receive points that will count toward the regular-season championship. The winner receives 10 points, the runner-up nine points, etc., with the 10th-place finisher earning one point.

If it rains and the Duel races cannot be run, the starting grid for the Daytona 500 will be set based on the best qualifying speeds along with the four fastest Open cars, If only the second Duel race is canceled due to rain, the highest-finishing open team from the first duel plus the three remaining fastest open teams from qualifying will advance to the Daytona 500.

All times are Eastern.

Tuesday, Feb. 15:
5:05 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice – FS1/MRN
6:35 p.m.: Cup Series Second Practice – FS1/MRN

Wednesday, Feb. 16:
8:05 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle, One Lap, Two Rounds – FS1, MRN

Thursday, February 17
4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series practice
5 p.m.: Truck Series practice – FS1
7 p.m.: Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 – 60 Laps, 150 Miles – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
8:45 p.m.(approx.): Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 – 60 Laps, 150 Miles – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Friday, February 18
1:30 p.m.: ARCA Qualifying (Groups)
3:00 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Single Vehicle, One Lap, Two Rounds) FS1
4:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – FS1
6 p.m.: Cup Series Third Practice – FS1/MRN
7:30 PM Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 (Stages 20/40/100 Laps=250 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Saturday, February 19
10:30 a.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS2/MRN (coverage moves to FS1 at 11 a.m.)
11:35 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Single Vehicle, One Lap, Two Rounds) – FS1
1:30 p.m.: ARCA Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 Laps, 200 Miles) FS1/MRN
5 p.m.: Xfinity Series Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 (Stages 30/60/120 Laps=300 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Sunday, February 20
2:30 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 (Stages 65/130/200 Laps=500 Miles) FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

FactoryONE Sherco Rider Cody Webb Competes in ArenaCross – A First for the Brand

By
Official Release
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Photo courtesy of Jack Jaxson @jackjaxson Instagram

Denver, CO – In a first for Sherco, Cody Webb, on a whim after an invite from the promoter, raced the last two rounds of ArenaCross in his adopted hometown of Denver, CO. To put this in perspective, the 33 year old Sherco pilot had never before ridden a set of “whoops” until his test laps on Thursday evening. Cody would lineup for rounds 9 and 10 on his EnduroCross / SuperEnduro practice bike which was complete with super soft suspension, 18 inch rear wheel, hand guards and a headlight. This wasn’t the most ideal setup for jumps and whoops but he showed what a diversified rider he is.

“The Arenacross crew asked me to come out and race the final two rounds since it was in my hometown.” Said Cody Webb “Since it’s the same promoter as endurocross, I figured I would give it a go and help cross promote the two series and get the Sherco name where it hasn’t been before. Honestly, I didn’t even mention it to the guys with Sherco USA until that week, but I knew they support me no matter what, so that is another reason I opted in.

I did the best I could to set my practice bike (EnduroCross) up last minute. I bought an 18” MX tire Wednesday from my local dealer and adjusted the clickers almost all the way in. I had never hit a set of whoops before in my life, but I was more than willing to give it a try. I had an absolute blast and would honestly probably try and give it a go when they come into town next year. I think I impressed some of the other riders on my ‘enduro’ bike so I was pretty stoked about that..”

Cody qualified for both the 250 and 450 main events on Friday’s round 9 by way of the last chance qualifiers. This was a surprise to many, given his setup and his lack of preparation for such racing. He was running in a top 10 position in the 250 main until he allowed the leaders to come through near the end of the race. While doing so, he thought the riders just behind him, were also part of the lead train and let them by as well, and thus finished 14th. In the 450 main event, he would better that with a 12th place finish.

Round 10 on night two would see Webb winning the 250 LCQ putting him in the main event once again. Bad luck would come his way in the 450 LCQ when he would crash in a corner while trying to make a pass on two riders who were in the lead. “I was way faster than the riders just in front of me, but I just couldn’t get around them. I made a dumb little mistake that put be on the ground going into the corner just before the whoops, and that ended my chance of getting into the 450 main” Said Webb. He would match his best finish from the night prior with a 12th place overall in the 250 main event.

About FactoryONE Sherco: FactoryONE Sherco is a multi-time United States AMA championship observed trials team and multi-discipline Championship enduro team led by some of the top riders in the business. The Trials team is led by 12x AMA Champion Pat Smage (Smah-gee) on the men’s side; and 6x AMA Champion Louise Forsley (fours-lee) on the Women’s side. The trials team consists of four professional riders and five development riders. The Enduro team is led By Cody Webb who is a multi-time champion that competes in Extreme Off-Road, EnduroCross and FIM SuperEnduro. He is also the 2010 AMA Mototrials Champion.

Brad Keselowski – Daytona 500 Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski

Race Format: 500 miles, 200 laps

Qualifying – Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Duels – Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Daytona 500 – Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Speedweeks Format

· While the schedule for Daytona Speedweeks has changed over the years, the format remains the same for teams heading into the Daytona 500.

· Following a pair of practice sessions Tuesday evening, drivers will go for the pole in qualifying Wednesday night, which sets the lineup for the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

· That qualifying session will feature two rounds, with the top-10 speeds in round one moving on to round two. The fastest two cars in round two will lock in as the front row.

· The single-car qualifying results otherwise will set the lineups for Thursday’s duels. Cars finishing first, third, fifth, seventh, etc. in single-car runs will comprise the field for Duel 1. The cars in even-numbered positions will comprise the field for Duel 2.

· Results from those Duels will set the starting lineup for ‘The Great American Race.’ The finishers from Duel 1 will line up on the inside row in order of their Duel finish, while the finishers from Duel 2 will line up outside in order of their finish.

Keselowski at Daytona International Speedway

· Keselowski makes his 26th overall Cup start Sunday in Daytona, and 13th start in the Daytona 500. In 12 Daytona 500 starts all-time, Keselowski has two top-10s and a best finish of third, which came back in 2014. A year prior, he crossed the line fourth.

· Most recently, Keselowski finished 13th in a chaotic 500 last February. He does have one win at ‘The World Center of Racing,’ which came in the 2016 summer event. Overall Keselowski has five top-10s in Cup racing at DIS.

· Keselowski has two top-10 qualifying efforts in the Daytona 500, including a top result of seventh in 2017. He also started ninth in the 2020 season kick-off event.

· Keselowski enters the week with four top-10s in the Duels all-time, including a P4 finish in 2020. Last season he ran 11th in duel No. 2. Thursday will mark his 14th start in the Duels.

· In Xfinity action, Keselowski made 15 starts at Daytona with seven top-10s and a best finish of second (twice – 2012, 2014). He also made three Truck Series starts with a seventh-place run in 2005.

Matt McCall at Daytona International Speedway

· McCall enters his eighth full-time season as a crew chief in the Cup Series. He will be atop the box for his eighth Daytona 500 on Sunday where he carries a best finish of 16th (2018).

· Despite no top-10s in the Daytona 500, McCall does have a P10 finish with Kurt Busch in the 2019 summer race. His best Daytona 500 qualifying effort came with Jamie McMurray in 2017 when the duo ran second in the Duel to qualify third for the 500.

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing in the Daytona 500:
“I’m excited to see this all come together and happy to get this journey going. Daytona is obviously one of the most special places you will ever race, and for us it is a great opportunity to put our stake in the ground early and right out of the gate. For me, the 500 hasn’t always treated me with the best of luck despite bright moments along the way, so I have that fire now, more than ever, to add a Daytona 500 win to my career list of accomplishments, and can’t wait to get down to Florida soon to get the week started.”

Last Time Out

Keselowski failed to advance to the main event at the Clash at the Coliseum two weeks ago in Los Angeles.

On the Car

Kohler Generators begins its second season with RFK Racing in 2022, and kicks it off as the primary partner aboard Keselowski’s machine for the Daytona 500. Kohler Generators will serve as the anchor partner for the No. 6 team, and serve as the primary partner for 14 races this season. Kohler initially joined the RFK family in 2021 as a partner in eight events with the No. 6 team.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 40,000 associates. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

A global force in power solutions since 1920, Kohler manufactures engines and complete power systems, including generators (portable, marine, residential, commercial and industrial), automatic transfer switches, switchgear, monitoring controls, and accessories for emergency, prime power and energy-management applications all around the world. The business is committed to reliable, leading edge power-generation products, clean energy solutions, as well as comprehensive after-sale support. Visit KohlerGenerators.com, facebook.com/KOHLERPower, and on Twitter at @KOHLERPower.

Chris Buescher – Daytona 500 Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 500 miles, 200 laps

Qualifying – Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Duels – Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
Daytona 500 – Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Speedweeks Format

· While the schedule for Daytona Speedweeks has changed over the years, the format remains the same for teams heading into the Daytona 500.

· Following a pair of practice sessions Tuesday evening, drivers will go for the pole in qualifying Wednesday night, which sets the lineup for the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

· That qualifying session will feature two rounds, with the top-10 speeds in round one moving on to round two. The fastest two cars in round two will lock in as the front row.

· The single-car qualifying results otherwise will set the lineups for Thursday’s duels. Cars finishing first, third, fifth, seventh, etc. in single-car runs will comprise the field for Duel 1. The cars in even-numbered positions will comprise the field for Duel 2.

· Results from those Duels will set the starting lineup for ‘The Great American Race.’ The finishers from Duel 1 will line up on the inside row in order of their Duel finish, while the finishers from Duel 2 will line up outside in order of their finish.

Buescher at Daytona International Speedway

· Buescher makes his 13th Cup start on the oval at DIS on Sunday, and seventh in the Daytona 500.

· In 12 prior events, Buescher has five top-10s, including three inside the top-five. His best Daytona 500 result came just two years ago when he ran third (2020), and also has a fifth-place finish in the 500 back in 2018.

· Buescher’s best starting position in the 500 came back in 2019 when he started 15th. Thursday will be his seventh start in the Duels, a race he has four-straight top-10 finishes in with a 10th-place run the last two seasons. Overall he has five top-10s in six Duel races.

· In three NXS races on the oval, Buescher had a best finish of second in Jack Roush’s No. 60 entry in 2015.

Scott Graves at Daytona International Speedway

· Scott Graves enters his seventh full-time season in the NCS, and is re-paired with the driver he won the 2015 Xfinity Series title with.

· Graves will call his 12th race from Daytona on Sunday, and sixth Daytona 500. His best 500 finish came with Ryan Newman in 2020 (ninth), and overall the duo had three top-10s at ‘The World Center of Racing’ in their last five races there together.

· Graves was also on the box for six Xfinity events in Daytona with two top-10s, including a runner-up finish with Buescher in the 2015 season opener.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing in the 500:
“More than anything I’m ready to get to a track and race, as this has been one of the longer off-season’s anyone has ever endured. We have had a lot going on with everything new at RFK, but many of the facts remain the same in that our goal is to compete for wins every week, and Daytona and the 500 is a great place to start that. This year is already exciting, and I’m thrilled to get it going this week in Florida.”

Last Time Out
Buescher failed to advance to the main event at the Clash at the Coliseum two weeks ago in Los Angeles.

On the Car
Fastenal returns as the anchor partner for the No. 17 RFK team for its 12th season in 2022. Their first three years with then RFR were with the No. 99 team, before moving over to the No. 17 team since then. They also were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers MCR Safety, Dewalt, Norseman, MSA and Berkshire on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes in the Daytona 500. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

100 NHRA victories has a nice ring to Anderson

By
Official Release
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Reigning Pro Stock champion looking to reach milestone in 900th event of the class

DETROIT (Feb. 14, 2022) – Ninety days have passed quickly since Greg Anderson hoisted the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock championship trophy for a fifth time.

“I’m still smiling everywhere I go,” he said.

With ample reasons. Anderson passed his mentor, Warren Johnson, last October as the all-time class leader with 98 victories. He added win No. 99 in the season finale on the way to wrapping up his first Pro Stock world championship since 2010.

“It was a magical season in so many ways,” said Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Seeking to join select company
Now, he’s looking to make more magic during the 2022 season that begins this weekend with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.).

His immediate goal is 100 wins, which will put him in select company.

Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, driver of the BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS, leads all drivers with 154 career victories. Sportsman drivers Dan Fletcher (105), Frank Manzo (105) and David Rampy (100) have also reached the milestone.

“It’s far beyond belief. I’ve said it a million times that when I started this deal 20-some years ago I was hoping I could just win a race,” said Anderson, who piled up five wins in nine final-round appearances plus 12 No. 1 qualifier honors in 2021. “I didn’t have a plan of winning 50 races or 75 races or even 100 races.

“It’s been quite a run. I guess we’ve overachieved our goals, but as you go along you set goals like that, achieve them, and start raising them. Once we got to 75, it was like, well, the next mark is the wins record for the class, which was 97. We set our goal on that and finally achieved that last year and that was tremendous.

“To be honest, that 100 number just sounds a lot better than 97 or 98 or even 99,” he said. “We’ve got the record for the most wins in the class, but to get 100 is just a flat cool number, so I’m very much looking forward to it. I’m not thinking about it or worried about it because that’s the goal when you go to the racetrack is to win. I hope I can get it done at the first race out of the gate.”

Chevrolet domination in class
That would be serendipitous. This weekend’s opening round of competition happens to be the 900th event in Pro Stock history and the 498th entered by Anderson.

Pro Stock Eliminator was introduced as an NHRA national event in January 1970, emerging from the popular Super Stock, Modified Production and Factory Experimental battles of the previous decade. Bill Jenkins, driving his ’68 big-block Chevrolet Camaro, was the first of 70 drivers to claim victory in the class by defeating Ronnie Sox in the final round at Pomona.

Chevrolet has dominated the class with 347 wins, including 228 by the Camaro. The stout 2022 Camaro contingent is all but guaranteed to add to the total this weekend. Most Pro Stock drivers, including Anderson and his KB Racing teammates, tested last week in Arizona to get up to speed.

“Every year when you go into Pomona, at least me, I’m very apprehensive and ask myself, ‘What have the other teams found?’ We’ve had almost three months to find some gains – and we’ve worked awfully hard – but you have no idea until you get to the first race what the other teams have done,” said Anderson, who will tie Bob Glidden for most wins in class history at seven with a victory in the Winternationals.

“You can only control what you’ve done to prepare,” he said. “I know we’re going to be every bit as good or better than last year, and I have my hands full trying to beat my own team cars. The competition out there is incredible; the talent level is incredible. I’ll be looking forward to seeing how we stack up.”

Around the bend, Anderson will be chasing his 900th elimination round win (he enters the season with 881 – second only to Force’s 1,387) — and down the road he’ll seek to earn his sixth Pro Stock title to tie Johnson for second to Glidden’s 10.

“We had a great car all year long and I couldn’t have won if I didn’t have the horses,” Anderson said. “It’s a KB Racing team record. I wouldn’t be nothing without them. We’ll see what we can do this year, how we can improve.”

Chevrolet in Pro Stock
347 wins: Camaro 228, Cobalt 54, Cavalier 36, Beretta 11, Vega 11, Monza 6, Lumina 1

17 driver championships
103 wins in a row by a Camaro

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Joins Sam Mayer and JRM’s No. 1 Team

By
Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 14, 2022) – JR Motorsports announced today that Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions, a Midwest-based professional search firm that matches job candidates with top employers nationwide in numerous industries, will join Sam Mayer and the No. 1 team for multiple races in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The partnership kicks off with the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 19) as the 18-year-old Mayer seeks his first NXS championship.

Headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions is a division of parent company QPS Employment Group and has been matching professional job seekers with top employers for 37 years. With nationwide service, Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions is 100% employee owned and takes a concentrated, streamlined approach to pairing job seekers in professional areas like accounting, engineering, finance, human resources, information technology, operations and supply chain within manufacturing markets.

“I can’t thank everyone from Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions enough for coming on board this year,” said Mayer. “We’ve got a lot of things to accomplish in 2022, namely winning races and getting into the title hunt. I’d love start things off with a victory for them at Daytona this week.”

Mayer will contend in his first full-time NXS season for JRM during the 2022 season after competing in 17 races for the organization in 2021. The Franklin, Wis. native tallied one top five, six top 10s and had a best finish of fourth in the penultimate race of the season at Martinsville Speedway.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Sam and JR Motorsports for the upcoming season,” said Scott Zorn, senior vice president of professional services for Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions. “Sam is such a talented driver and will be a strong brand ambassador as we aim to further our nationwide presence. We look forward to cheering on Sam and the No. 1 team’s triumphs on the track while Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions continues to drive the professional success of job seekers.”

Mayer will build on an already impressive resume. In 2019, he became the youngest champion in any NASCAR series at the age of 16 years, three months and eight days by winning the K&N Pro Series East championship. Following up on the success of 2019, Mayer went on to tally 11 wins across all three ARCA Menards Series’ en route to the Sioux Chief Showdown championship and the ARCA Menards Series East championship. In the same season Mayer also won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in only his sixth start in the series.

Additional details on specific races for the No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Camaro will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT ACCELERATE PROFESSIONAL TALENT SOLUTIONS:

Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions’ parent company, 100% employee-owned QPS Employment Group, opened its doors in 1985 with one simple truth at the core of the business. The right job has the power to change lives.

We’ve lived by that mantra ever since. More than three decades later, QPS has grown from a one-room office in suburban Milwaukee to almost 55 branches across seven states. Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions was developed to laser-focus on accounting, engineering, finance, human resources, information technology, operations and supply chain, particularly in the manufacturing world. And we’re bringing the same customer-service-oriented, people-first approach that we’ve always lived by to the companies and job seekers we serve today.

They say that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. We couldn’t agree more.

Whether you are a job seeker or a client looking for professional talent, visit www.acceleratepros.com.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 21st year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

Ruedebusch Development and Construction, Inc. Backs Gilliland

By
Official Release
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Wisconsin Company to Partner with No. 38 Team for Three Races

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 14, 2022) – Front Row Motorsports (FRM) welcomes new partner Ruedebusch Development and Construction (RDC). RDC will partner with NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang for three races in 2022.

RDC will join FRM and Gilliland starting at World Wide Technology Raceway to begin the month of June. They will return for two road course races in July at their home track, Road America and back again at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“It’s a new NASCAR season and we’re ready to partner with Front Row Motorsports, Todd Gilliland and to make the jump to the NASCAR Cup Series this year,” said Carl Ruedebusch, Owner, Ruedebusch Development and Construction. “We have watched Todd grow and believe he is an incredibly talented driver who will learn a lot in his rookie year. We’re proud to support him in his efforts.”

Gilliland is thrilled to be able to welcome a new partner, and happy to be the driver they chose for their first NASCAR Cup Series season.

“Mr. Ruedebusch has always been a friend and loyal in supporting my father,” said Gilliland. “He was quick to help my program this year and that means a lot. I want to do him proud this year.”

Gilliland is preparing to make his Daytona 500 debut this Sunday, February 20, on FOX.

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

Gray Gaulding Debuts New Crypto Sponsor SAFE HEDGE at Daytona

By
Official Release
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64th Annual DAYTONA 500 COMPLETELY SOLD OUT!

By
Official Release
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Ticket Options Remain for Other Exciting Events at The World Center of Racing as Part of Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth, Feb. 15-20; 65th Annual DAYTONA 500 Scheduled for Feb. 19, 2023

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2022) – NASCAR’s incredible momentum entering 2022 was showcased again today as Daytona International Speedway announced that the 64th running of the DAYTONA 500, set for this Sunday, Feb 20, is a complete sellout.

All reserved frontstretch seating, RV camping, UNOH Fanzone admissions and hospitality options are no longer available for this year’s Great American Race, which will feature NASCAR’s anticipated ‘Next Gen’ car. The green flag will fly at 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). However, there are still plenty of exciting ways to experience the pageantry of Speedweeks Presented By AdventHeath.

Those opportunities include DAYTONA 500 practice (Tuesday, Feb. 15) and Busch Light Qualifying (Wednesday, Feb. 16) and the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races (Thursday, Feb. 17) for the NASCAR Cup Series, as well as the NextEra Energy 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (Friday, Feb. 18), and a Saturday doubleheader (Feb. 19) with the Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire ARCA Menards event and the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. For ticket information, log onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

“What an incredible way to begin Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth by announcing that we have completely sold out of the NASCAR Cup Series season-opening DAYTONA 500,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “Our sport is as captivating as ever and we are riding some great momentum from the 2021 season, and the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. We are so thankful to the fans who have reserved their place in what will be yet another history-making event at The World Center of Racing. For those who can’t attend the DAYTONA 500, there are still chances to attend other one-of-a-kind racing events that makes up Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth.”

Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth officially kicks off today with the NASCAR Hauler Showcase at ONE DAYTONA from 5-7 p.m. The event is open to the public and is scheduled to feature approximately 40 brightly-colored, massive 18-wheeled NASCAR Cup Series haulers that take each team’s race cars and equipment to NASCAR venues across the country.

In addition to Tuesday’s opening practice sessions (5:05 p.m. & 6:35 p.m.) for the NASCAR Cup Series and the ‘Next Gen’ cars, noted Country music artist Rodney Atkins will take to the UNOH Fanzone stage at 8:00 p.m. All infield campers and GEICO West Lot campers will be able to attend for free while others – who are not camping guests – can buy a ticket for just $20 per person, gaining access to the UNOH Fanzone for both Atkins’ concert and the Cup Series Practices.

If fans are looking to buy or sell reserved seats for the DAYTONA 500, please visit SeatGeek, the Preferred Ticket Exchange of the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth.

The 65th Annual DAYTONA 500 is scheduled for February 19, 2023 (subject to change). For more information on the 2023 Great American Race, visit www.DAYTONA500.com.

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.

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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Ford Looking for Second Straight Daytona 500 Victory

By
Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: DAYTONA 500 NOTES

The 64th Annual Daytona 500 is scheduled for this Sunday as the first points race of the Next Gen era takes place at Daytona International Speedway. Ford has won “The Great American Race” a total of 16 times, including last season when Michael McDowell posted the first victory of his Cup Series career, and is coming off Joey Logano’s triumph in the season-opening Clash at the Coliseum.

This Week’s Schedule:

Thursday, February 17 – NASCAR Cup Series Duels, 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
Friday, February 18 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, February 19 – NASCAR Xfinity Series, 5 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, February 20 – NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500, 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

FORD GOING FOR SECOND STRAIGHT DAYTONA 500 WIN

As mentioned above, Ford has won the Daytona 600 16 times by 13 different drivers. Michael McDowell’s victory last season was the Blue Oval’s third 500 triumph in the last seven years after Joey Logano won in 2015 and Kurt Busch in 2017. Only three Ford drivers have won the Great American Race more than once. Bill Elliott was the first to do it (1985 and 1987) with Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012) following.

FORD CHANGES IN 2022

There have been a few changes to the Ford Cup Series lineup for 2022. First, Brad Keselowski has gone from driver at Team Penske to driver/co-owner at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, swapping his familiar No. 2 for No. 6. Austin Cindric has moved up from the NASCAR Xfinity Series and will take over the No. 2 Team Penske Mustang, while fellow Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Harrison Burton moves into the No. 21 Wood Brothers Mustang. A third member of the ROY class is Todd Gilliland, who has moved up from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to drive the No. 38 Mustang for Front Row Motorsports. Additionally, Rick Ware Racing will field a pair of Mustangs with Cody Ware running full-time in the No. 51 and a series of different drivers competing in the No. 15.

TINY LUND COMES UP BIG FOR WOOD BROTHERS

Ford won the Daytona 500 for the first time on Feb. 24, 1963 when Tiny Lund took the Wood Brothers to Victory Lane and completed a script that would have made Hollywood envious. Lund didn’t have a ride for the 500, but was at the track watching Marvin Panch test a Maserati when the car went out of control, flipped upside-down and started on fire. Lund, along with four others, rushed to the scene and eventually pulled Panch to safety. Panch, who was the primary driver for the Wood Brothers, was unable to race in the 500 due to his injuries, so the team tabbed Lund as a substitute. Lund defied the odds by winning the race on one set of tires to give Ford and the Wood Brothers their first win in “The Great American Race.”

KENSETH WINS EXPLOSIVE DAYTONA 500

When Ford won the Daytona 500 on Feb. 27, 2012 with Matt Kenseth, it marked his second victory in four years. But while Kenseth will be recognized for becoming the ninth multiple winner of “The Great American Race,” the weekend will forever be remembered for a series of unforeseen events. For the first time in its 54-year history the race had to be postponed until Monday due to rain. As lingering showers persisted the next day, NASCAR officials decided to make it a primetime event for the first time. The race was building to a climax when caution came out on lap 157. During the ensuing caution, something broke on Juan Pablo Montoya’s car and sent it careening into a jet dryer that was working on the track. An explosion ensued and resulted in a red flag that lasted more than two hours as officials repaired the track. There were no major injuries, but the incident resulted in one of the more memorable photos ever taken as driver Brad Keselowski used his cell phone to post a shot from his vantage point on the backstretch. Kenseth eventually held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle on a green-white-checker finish to win.

A CINDERELLA STORY

Ford won the Daytona 500 for the 15th time after Kurt Busch took the checkered flag for Stewart-Haas Racing in its debut event with the manufacturer in 2017. That Cinderella story marked Ford’s fourth Daytona 500 win in a seven-year period, a streak that started with another Disney-type story when Trevor Bayne became the youngest Daytona 500 winner in 2011. The victory was even more memorable because it came one day after his 20th birthday and in only his second career NASCAR Cup Series start for the Wood Brothers.

LOGANO GIVES FORD FIRST SWEEP OF DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS

Joey Logano survived an intense final 10 laps, including a green-white-checkered finish, to give Ford a sweep of Daytona Speedweeks by winning the 57th running of the Daytona 500. The win came on the heels of Tyler Reddick winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Ryan Reed taking the checkered flag for the first time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series event. It also capped an undefeated month of racing at Daytona for Ford, which also won the season-opening Rolex 24 Hours. In the end, Logano used a push from Clint Bowyer to get in front of the pack, but when caution came out with three laps to go for an accident involving Justin Allgaier, the field bunch back up for the deciding restart. As the leader, Logano opted for the outside line and that proved to be the right decision as he got ahead of Denny Hamlin on the inside and stayed in front until the caution came out on the final lap to officially end the race.

FORD’S DAYTONA 500 WINNERS
1963 – Tiny Lund (Wood Brothers)
1965 – Fred Lorenzen (Holman-Moody)
1967 – Mario Andretti (Holman-Moody)
1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough (Junior Johnson)
1978 – Bobby Allison (Bud Moore)
1985 – Bill Elliott (Harry Melling)
1987 – Bill Elliott (Harry Melling)
1992 – Davey Allison (Robert Yates)
1996 – Dale Jarrett (Robert Yates)
2000 – Dale Jarrett (Robert Yates)
2009 – Matt Kenseth (Jack Roush)
2011 – Trevor Bayne (Wood Brothers)
2012 – Matt Kenseth (Jack Roush)
2015 – Joey Logano (Roger Penske)
2017 – Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas)
2021 – Michael McDowell (Front Row)

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