Brandon Sheppard (World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models), Brad Sweet (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), and Matt Sheppard (Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds) celebrate their championships after Saturday's NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. (Chris Owens/HHP photo)
Brent Marks (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), Jonathan Davenport (World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models) and Brett Hearn (Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds) won Saturday’s feature races in the NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte
Brad Sweet (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), Brandon Sheppard (World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models) and Matt Sheppard (Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds) claimed series championships
CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 6, 2021) – While Brad Sweet, Brandon Sheppard and Matt Sheppard celebrated championships, Brent Marks ended his season in the best way possible Saturday night: lifting a winner’s trophy in the NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Marks took advantage of a flat tire by leader Logan Schuchart, who led the first 21 laps, and held off Brock Zearfoss in front of a sellout crowd to score his first World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars victory at The Dirt Track.
“This is awesome, to be able to win in front of this crowd,” Marks said. “I usually struggle here, so we came here and had high hopes for how we’ve been running this year. Everything’s been working out. Right place, right time for me. I knew Logan was better than me, and I just wanted to make sure I finished second. It is just awesome to be standing up here.”
Marks was joined in Victory Lane by Jonathan Davenport, who won the 40-lap World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models feature, and the legendary Brett Hearn, who claimed the 30-lap Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds A-Main.
Marks’ good fortune mirrored Schuchart’s misfortune. For the second night in a row, Schuchart suffered a tire failure while in the lead. On Saturday, Schuchart won his heat and followed that up by dominating the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash.
Schuchart was pulling away in the 25-lap feature before the tire went down in Turn 1. Marks took over and led the final nine laps. Zearfoss earned his first top-five of the season with his runner-up finish, while Donny Schatz rallied from 25th to finish third.
“To end the year finally getting our first top-five of the year – I feel like we should have at least a handful,” Zearfoss said. “We were battling for the win there, and I just got a little antsy. I think I might have been able to get a run on him if I’d have hit it right. Just to have an opportunity to win is special for us.
“Happy to be on the podium here in front of this great crowd, a sold-out crowd, it’s awesome.”
Schatz needed a provisional to even get in the A-Main, but he used the bottom line around The Dirt Track to move through the field.
“It was a good night,” Schatz said. “We didn’t start out that way. We found ourselves in every bad position: Being on the bottom in the heats didn’t help, and same thing in the (last-chance qualifier). We changed everything but the seat, the steering wheel and the driver, and they did a great job. We were able to get up through there and have a respectable finish to end the year.”
Series champion Brad Sweet was the fastest qualifier and won a heat race, but had to change a tire in the feature and ended up ninth. Sweet’s title, on the strength of 16 victories, was his third in a row.
“It obviously says a lot (to win three in a row),” Sweet said. “There’s a lot of people who work so hard, night-in and night-out, to make it so we can celebrate these moments. We work together really well. We’re a great team. (Team owner) Kasey (Kahne) gives us great equipment. Once you’re on top of that (championship) mountain, you don’t want to get off it.”
Jac Haudenschild closed his stellar Outlaw sprint car career with a 24th-place finish after getting involved in an early-race, multi-car accident.
The other heat-race winners were Friday night’s winner, David Gravel, and Carson Macedo.
Davenport swept the weekend in the Late Model class, following up Friday’s win with another victory. He passed Garrett Smith with 19 laps to go and held Smith off on a green-white-checkered finish. Smith and Davenport battled earlier in the race, with Smith taking the lead just before a caution with 24 laps remaining. Davenport fought back and retook the top spot on his way to another triumph.
“I gave the lead away,” Davenport said. “I was a little too patient with the lapped cars. I just kept trying the top: it got me to third and almost to second on the first lap. Hat’s off to my guys one more time. This car here, we’ve beat it up pretty bad, and it’s got a lot of races on it, but she’s still pretty good.
“Congratulations to (series champion) Brandon (Sheppard) on his championship. That’s a pretty cool deal. Thanks to all these fans for coming out. I love this place. Charlotte’s the racing capital of the world, almost. This should be a crown jewel event.”
Sheppard, who claimed his fourth series title, won a heat race and finished third. The other heat winners were Kyle Strickler, Smith and Chris Madden. Davenport was the fastest qualifier.
“Our consistency paid off for us and we were able to win the championship,” Sheppard said. “I can’t thank my crew enough. Everybody involved with this team who supports me on these long trips, it means the world to me. I always dream big, but maybe never this big, so it’s really cool and I can only hope that my dad and my grandpa, that I made them proud. That’s what it’s about for me. If it wasn’t for my family, I wouldn’t have any reason to do it.”
Hearn added to his spectacular resume by leading all 30 laps of the Super DIRTcar feature. The Charlotte win was his 450th DIRTcar-sanctioned victory and his fifth at The Dirt Track. Plus, it was Hearn’s first Super DIRTcar win since Nov. 3, 2018.
“I don’t know how it feels, really, to be honest with you,” Hearn said. “I’ve been sitting on the sidelines running a race track. I never really envisioned being back in victory lane because I was so far out of the seat. But as I drove down here, I said, ‘If I can’t see myself in victory lane, I’ll never get there.’ I came into tonight visualizing being on this stage, and look, that’s what happens.”
Series champion Matt Sheppard chased Hearn the entire race but finished second. Peter Britton was third. Super DIRTcar Series heat winners were Brett Hearn, Britton, Jimmy Phelps and Mat Williamson, with Phelps the fastest qualifier.
Sheppard, who celebrated an incredible eighth series crown, reflected on an up-and-down season that ended in successful fashion.
“I don’t know how many races it took to get a top-five, but once we turned the corner, we had a lot of really good finishes to end the year,” he said. “We’re just happy to come out of here with a great run tonight and this eighth championship, it’s big. It’s really special.”
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Cars are regularly exposed to dirt and pollution because of driving. Because of that, their exterior starts to fade, and the interior sustains damage. That’s why it’s essential to wash your car to keep them in good condition.
Car washing is a basic maintenance method to ensure that cars remain usable and clean. How often it’s done varies depending on the car owner. Some follow a schedule, while some don’t.
If you’re one to procrastinate when it comes to washing your car, it won’t do you any good. Instead, doing it regularly will serve your car better. Learn about its benefits in this blog that discusses the good things you get from regular car washing.
It can serve as a maintenance check
If you allot time to wash your car yourself, it can be a great opportunity to do a maintenance check. The purpose of car washing is to maintain its cleanliness, so checking the exterior only makes sense even while washing your car. You can look around to survey your car for possible minor repairs if you haven’t done it lately.
You can check to see if things aren’t placed in tight, such as headlight and taillight lenses, mirrors, antennas, valve steam caps, and hubcaps. You can also look under your car to see if the chassis has any broken or loose cables. Other than that, you may also take some time checking your tires for any stuck debris or cuts.
Tire repair can be quite expensive, and so is replacing them. While there are many options to choose from online, like on https://triangletiresph.com/, it’d be better if you maintained and cleaned them well regularly.
It contributes to fuel efficiency
Did you know that dirt can affect a car’s fuel efficiency? When dirt particles accumulate on your car’s exterior, it causes wind resistance to increase. That leads to your car having to exert more effort accelerating forward, which requires the use of more fuel.
Hence, it’s important to keep your car aerodynamic to reduce the use of fuel. To do that, you have to ensure that no accumulation of dirt is on its exterior. Clean your car to make it more fuel-efficient and reduce fuel consumption and expenses.
It improves visibility
Speaking of accumulated dirt on a car’s exterior, it can also reduce your visibility when driving. It may look like a minor inconvenience from the outside but having something block your view while driving isn’t safe at all. It can disturb your driving which in turn makes it unsafe.
Of course, the safety of you and your passengers is a top priority. Regular car washing prevents dirt accumulation that could block your vision when driving.
It preserves the exterior’s finish
The paint on your car’s exterior protects it from the spread of rust. Dirt buildup compromises that by damaging your car’s paint. Damage brought by dirt will make your car’s exterior susceptible to winter elements that could lead to a huge rust problem.
What makes it even bothersome is you won’t notice the damage to your paint right away. That’s why you have to wash the dirt off regularly to avoid buildup and slow down the deterioration of your car’s finish. It’ll also delay having to repaint your car, reducing your expenses.
Wrap up
Washing your car regularly does a lot of good things for it and you as well. Aim to clean your car about once every two weeks to ensure that your exterior is in good shape. Make it a habit to prevent dirt buildup, which helps maintain your car’s looks, lessen expenses, and keep you safe when you drive.
Author’s Bio:
Frank is an energetic salesman. On his free days, he spends his time writing and reading about quality tires and vehicular parts. He says it’s because of his love for cars ever since he was a kid, when his dad started teaching him about automotive parts.
The process of choosing the right accessory for your car is both an enjoyable and daunting experience. There are so many different things that impact the look or feel of your vehicle. From the interior finish to the color, choices are endless. Today we’re going to reveal all the Auto-Secrets and tips to buy the car accessories so you can get specific information on each before you make your final purchasing decision.
Types of Car Accessories
When it comes to car accessories, it is important to know what kind of car accessories will work for your car’s interior and is important for your car’s make and model. It is vital to know what type of accessories will suit your car’s interior and is important for your car model.
Car safety
The safety of your car is most important, so it is highly recommended to consider installing video parking sensors along with the rearview mirror.
Nowadays, there are plenty of security options available for your vehicle. These include a gear lock, steering lock, concealed hardwired car tracker, auto cop car alarm system, and so on.
Price
It is important to set a budget when you shop for car accessories. There are many car accessories that can be found at varying prices, based on their functionality and design. Once you have decided on the accessory model and type, you can easily find a store or even a website that sells them with a wide variety of options at a price that suits your budget.
Consider your requirements
Consider your lifestyle, driving habits, and preferences when choosing auto parts and accessories. You can find hundreds of options with different price tags. Before making the final purchase, you must determine the purpose they will serve.
Brand & Quality
Owing to so many car accessory manufacturing companies in the market, choosing the right car accessory can be quite overwhelming for many car owners. Before buying a particular product or brand, it is prudent to check online for reviews or recommendations from other people who have bought it before you. Accessories are of great importance to the car owner. Some people like to look good while others prefer to drive their car in style.
A faulty car, someone else’s negligence, or your own actions have resulted in an accident. Besides the emotional distress, injuries, pain, and physical impairment, other damages come with such accidents.
You are lucky to have survived the accident, but the car has suffered extensive damage. Insurance premiums are mandatory for cars, and many factors will be considered for compensation.
So what to do next after an irreparable car accident?
Immediately After The Accident
The first thing to do after a severe accident is to ensure the safety of all passengers and to prevent fire or explosion of the vehicles involved. After this, notify the police and call the insurance agency.
Every detail of the accident, including the date, time, and location will be taken into account.
The registration details, car make and model, name of the driver or drivers involved, and insurance information are crucial.
It is significant when claims are to be made to the insurance provider. The policy provider will use fault determination rules to make the decision of who was at fault.
Tow The Car To The Mechanic
Once the authorities have done their part and you have notified the insurance company, it is time to move the vehicle.
Insurance companies have their preferred body shops, and this is where you should tow it to. The advantage is that the claim process will be faster.
Although there will be no repairs being done, you must follow their policies to the letter. It is for your good. If it cannot be towed there or it is too expensive, talk to your agent for further guidance.
Filing A Claim
As long as the car is insured, claim compensation according to the policy. This is especially important if you are injured, or need to protect yourself if you injured others.
An appraiser from the company will assess and estimate the damage to your vehicles and others.
If the appraiser deems the vehicle as unrepairable, then it means repairing it will cost more than the insured amount. When this happens, the car is deemed a write-off.
Do you owe anything in terms of auto loans? It is crucial as the insurer will have to do some calculations, and it is good you are prepared.
Have the title and identification documents with you as they are required. Work closely with the company’s representative for a seamless process.
At times, the claim process can be overwhelming when you do not understand what is required.
What Happens To The Vehicle
There are many reasons that the insurance company will choose not to repair an accident-damaged vehicle. It will either be too expensive, or it will be unsafe to get it back on the road.
In this scenario, there are two options. One is that you can opt to keep the damaged vehicle, and when it comes to compensation, its value will be deducted from the settlement.
For example, if the company was to pay 20,000 dollars and the value of the salvage is 5,000 dollars, your settlement will be 15,000 dollars. They will consider the highest salvage bid.
Once you buy back the vehicle, ensure you get a salvage certificate.
The other option is to have the insurer keep the vehicle. You need to understand that it is no longer yours once you get compensated, and you must hand over it’s documents.
Perhaps you have decided to keep the salvaged car and get the difference from the insurance company. What should you do with it?
There are different options to this, but you must put various factors into consideration. Will the car sit in your garage, driveway, or backyard? These options pose a risk to the environment, people, and animals.
The most viable option is to sell the junk car to a car salvage company who will purchase it in whichever condition it is. Even when it is deemed a total loss, you still get paid.
This allows you to have some extra cash to put towards a new car.
Things To Keep In Mind
Whenever you are acquiring insurance for your car, whether it is old or new, read the policy.
You need to understand what is covered and what is not. Every detail matters and one mistake people make is not to read it until after an accident.
Insurance agents will always be there for clarification. As soon as the accident takes place, inform the relevant people. The sooner the information is collected, the better.
Once such a terrible accident takes place and you survive, avoid arguing with other people involved.
Also, do not own up to any mistake or agree to pay other parties. Doing so implies that you are at fault, which may not be the case.
Determining fault should be left to the authorities or insurance agents. As a responsible driver, always carry your license and car registration.
What To Expect From The Insurance Agent
They will provide you with the forms that need to be filled in and also give instructions. A good company will not only do this but will also offer reasonable assistance as soon as possible.
Besides, they advise on the time limits, coverage, and benefits. It is all about the provisions of that particular insurance policy.
They should advise on the process up to when the settlement is completed. It should be inclusive of taxes, transfers, and license fees.
It should also cover towing fees and it should match the value of your totaled car. Additionally, they should keep you updated and respond to your communications promptly.
For example, once you have filed the claim, they should acknowledge and kick off the investigations immediately.
Conclusion
Being involved in an accident is detrimental, especially when it is fatal or there are injuries. The mental anguish that one goes through is immeasurable.
Apart from the injuries, a vehicle can be damaged to a point it is unrepairable. It is devastating, and this is where insurance comes in.
Inform the authorities and the insurance company. File the paperwork needed and submit it to the company. It is the responsibility of your agent to follow it up.
You can opt to hand over the damaged vehicle to the policy provider or take possession.
If you choose the latter, you can sell it to a car removal company and get paid for it. You don’t have to spend a dime to do so.
In a racing career highlighted with numerous heartbreaks and “what-ifs” moments, Daniel Hemric defied the odds and silenced his doubters by capturing two firsts following the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, November 6: first win and first championship.
Following an overtime finish for the ages, Hemric, a 30-year-old native from Kannapolis, North Carolina, dueled and rubbed fenders against the reigning series champion Austin Cindric on the final lap and final corner to come out on top by a fender and achieve both his first elusive NASCAR Xfinity Series race win and the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
The championship occurred in Hemric’s 208th NASCAR national touring series start (120th in the Xfinity Series) and following 10 runner-up results in the Xfinity circuit while competing for three different teams, including this season with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Qualifying occurred on Saturday, November 6, to determine the starting lineup and Austin Cindric, the reigning series champion, started on pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 131.902 mph. John Hunter Nemechek, piloting the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra, qualified alongside Cindric on the front row.
With Cindric starting as the highest of four Xfinity competitors vying for this year’s title, Daniel Hemric started fourth, Noah Gragson qualified sixth and AJ Allmendinger lined up in 12th.
Prior to the event, Harrison Burton dropped to the rear of the field due to multiple inspection failures. JJ Yeley also started at the rear of the field in a backup car after spinning in practice along with David Starr, who dropped back due to unapproved adjustments to his car.
When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Cindric and Nemechek dueled for the lead through the dogleg, the frontstretch and for a full lap before Nemechek was able to power through and lead the first lap.
As the field fanned out and jostled early for positions, Cindric was in second behind Nemechek followed by Hemric, Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones and Gragson. Allmendinger, meanwhile, was in the top 12.
Through the first 10 laps of the finale, Nemechek was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Cindric, who was the highest-running title contender on the track. Hemric settled in third followed by Allgaier, Gragson, Haley, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst, Allmendinger and Michael Annett. Jeb Burton was in 11th, Sam Mayer was in 13th ahead of Myatt Snider and Ryan Sieg, Brandon Brown was in 16th and Harrison Burton was battling for a top-20 spot.
Ten laps later, Cindric made a strong move beneath Nemechek through the frontstretch and the dogleg to take the lead for the first time, though Nemechek kept Cindric’s No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang within his sights. Hemric remained in third place on the track ahead of Allgaier, Gragson settled in fifth and Allmendinger was mired in 10th behind Annett.
Another 10 laps later, Cindric, who navigated his way through lapped traffic, continued to lead by more than seven-tenths of a second over Nemechek’s No. 54 Mobil 1 Toyota Supra. Hemric stabilized himself in third place, but his No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra trailed the two leaders by nearly two seconds as he also had Allgaier closing in for position. Gragson continued to run in fifth while Allmendinger was up in ninth.
When the first stage concluded on Lap 45, Cindric received the early upper hand in his bid to defend his series title as he captured his season-high 13th stage victory of the season. Behind, Hemric edged teammate Nemechek to settle in second followed by Allgaier, Gragson, Brandon Jones, Allmendinger, Annett, Herbst and Haley.
Under the stage break, the leaders pitted for adjustments and Hemric emerged with the lead following a stellar work from his pit crew that enabled him to exit pit road with the top spot. Cindric exited in second followed by Jones, Gragson, Allgaier, Nemechek and Allmendinger.
The second stage started on Lap 52 as Hemric and Gragson occupied the front row followed by Jones, Cindric, Allmendinger and Allgaier. At the start, Hemric rocketed away with the lead as the field fanned out to multiple lanes through the frontstretch and the dogleg.
The following lap, Cindric muscled his way back to second as Allgaier challenged teammate Gragson for third along with Nemechek.
Nearing the Lap 60 mark, the caution flew due to an on-track incident and long spin for Jeffrey Earnhardt on the backstretch as the incident also involved Joe Graf Jr. and Kyle Weatherman. At the time of caution, Hemric was leading by nearly three-tenths of a second over Cindric. In addition, Allgaier and Nemechek, both of whom were battling for third place, had made on-track contact twice towards the frontstretch in front of Gragson while Allmendinger was in sixth ahead of teammate Justin Haley.
On Lap 65, the race restarted under green as Hemric and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, Hemric and Allgaier dueled for the lead as the field again fanned out through the frontstretch. Through the backstretch, however, Hemric was able to clear Allgaier to retain the top spot until Nemechek, who gained a strong run entering the frontstretch, muscled his way back to the top spot the following lap.
With Nemechek leading teammate Hemric, Allgaier retained third ahead of Cindric while Allmendinger and Gragson battled for fifth.
Through the first 75 laps of the event, Nemechek was leading by nearly a second over teammate Hemric and Cindric. Teammates Allgaier and Gragson were in the top five followed by Allmendinger, Haley, Jeb Burton, Annett and Harrison Burton, who methodically worked his way from the rear of the field.
Five laps later, Nemechek extended his advantage to more than a second while Hemric and Cindric challenged one another for the runner-up spot and for the championship lead.
With four laps remaining in the second stage, Hemric, who managed to cut his deficit to Nemechek amid lapped traffic, overtook teammate Nemechek entering the frontstretch to reassume the lead.
When the second stage concluded on Lap 90, Hemric echoed his challenge for his first NASCAR national touring series title against his fellow competitors by capturing his 10th stage victory of the season. Cindric managed to overtake Nemechek to move into second followed by Allgaier, Gragson, Allmendinger, Haley, Harrison Burton, Annett and Herbst.
Under the stage break, the leaders returned to pit road and Hemric retained the lead following another strong service from his crew followed by Cindric, Nemechek, Allgaier, Allmendinger and Harrison Burton while Gragson, who dodged an uncontrolled tire pit road penalty, dropped to 10th.
With 103 laps remaining, the final stage started under green. At the start, the field fanned out to multiple lanes through the frontstretch and through the first turn. Amid the start, Hemric retained the lead ahead of Cindric, Nemechek, Allmendinger, Harrison Burton and Allgaier.
The following lap, the caution returned due to a hard accident involving Joe Graf Jr. in Turn 1 after making contact with Sage Karam.
Under the final 93 laps of the finale, the field restarted under green. At the start and with the field again fanning out through the frontstretch, Hemric dueled and managed to fend off Nemechek to retain the lead ahead of a steaming pack of cars.
During the following lap, however, the caution returned when Sage Karam made contact with Matt Mills, which sent Mills into the Turn 1 outside wall and with right-side damage.
Under caution, Gragson pitted his No. 9 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro for a chassis adjustment while the rest led by Hemric remained on the track.
With 87 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Hemric retained the lead by a narrow margin over Cindric and Nemechek as Harrison Burton made his way up to fourth ahead of Allgaier.
Two laps later, Cindric made a bold move beneath Hemric entering the frontstretch and nearly slid in front of Hemric’s No. 18 Toyota to take the lead. Behind, Harrison Burton challenged Nemechek and Allgaier for third while Allmendinger was battling teammate Haley and Annett for sixth.
With approximately 75 laps remaining, the caution returned due to possible fluid on the track when the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Stefan Parsons erupted in flames past the start/finish line as he parked his car on the dogleg in the frontstretch. At the time of the caution, Cindric was leading by a reasonable margin over Hemric, Nemechek, Allgaier and Harrison Burton.
Under caution, the leaders returned to pit road and Cindric retained the lead following a strong service from his pit crew ahead of Nemechek, Allgaier, Allmendinger and Hemric.
With 66 laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Cindric and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, Allgaier pulled ahead on the inside lane in front of Cindric and the field.
Not long after, the caution returned when Jade Buford spun in Turn 2. Then, Allgaier, the leader, was penalized for dropping below the apron and the yellow line prior to crossing the start/finish line during the previous restart. Allgaier’s penalty moved Cindric back to the lead ahead of Hemric. In the midst of the restart, Gragson, who restarted 13th, was up to seventh.
Down to the final 60 laps of the finale, the field restarted under green as Cindric and Nemechek occupied the front row. At the start, Cindric retained the lead while Hemric moved up to second after Allmendinger made contact with Nemechek entering the first turn. Behind, Gragson challenged Harrison Burton and Allmendinger for fourth as Jeb Burton joined the party.
Ten laps later, Cindric continued to lead by more than a second over Nemechek and Hemric, both of whom were battling for the runner-up spot before the former prevailed. Gragson was in fifth behind Harrison Burton while Allmendinger was in sixth.
With 40 laps remaining, Cindric stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Nemechek while third-place Hemric kept the two leaders within his sights as close as possible. Behind, Gragson was up in fourth ahead of Harrison Burton while Allmendinger was mired back in sixth, trailing the lead by more than five seconds.
Under the final 30 laps of the finale, Cindric increased his advantage to nearly two seconds over Nemechek. Hemric trailed by more than two seconds while Gragson and Allmendinger remained in fourth and sixth.
Down to the final 24 laps of the finale, Hemric’s charge for the championship began as he overtook teammate Nemechek for second place. By then, Cindric continued to lead amid lapped traffic, but was only approximately two seconds ahead.
Then with 19 laps remaining, the caution flew when Allmendinger, who was in sixth and trying to pit under green amid vibration issues, spun his No. 16 Hyperice Chevrolet Camaro below the Turn 2 apron and near the pit road entrance. The caution all but erased Cindric’s advantage over Hemric, Nemechek and the field.
Under caution, the leaders pitted and Cindric retained the lead following another stellar service from his pit crew. Hemric exited in second followed by Gragson, Harrison Burton, Nemechek and Haley.
Down to the final 13 laps of the finale, the field restarted under green. At the start and with the field fanning out through the dogleg, Cindric dueled against Hemric while Gragson challenged behind. Through the first two turns and the backstretch, Cindric, who had Gragson trailing behind him, managed to fend off Hemric on the outside lane to retain the lead back to the frontstretch and past the start/finish line. Just then, the caution flew when Jeb Burton, who was in a three-wide battle, spun following contact with Sheldon Creed in Turn 3, which drew the caution as Burton continued without sustaining any serious damage.
With eight laps remaining, the field restarted under green. At the start and with the field again fanning out through the dogleg, Hemric dueled against Cindric trough the first two turns followed by Gragson, but Cindric managed to clear Hemric through the backstretch.
The following lap, Gragson, who tried to narrow the gap between himself and his two title rivals, slid up and hit the Turn 1 outside wall. Though he continued to run under power, he was losing spots on the track and losing ground towards his championship bid. Meanwhile, Hemric started to launch an attack beneath Cindric for the lead through Turns 3 and 4.
Just then, the caution returned when Buford and Josh Williams wrecked in Turn 3. The wreck was enough to send the finale into overtime.
In overtime, Cindric and Hemric again dueled for the lead through the first two turns ahead of the field. Remaining side-by-side through the backstretch, Hemric wiggled slightly underneath Cindric entering Turn 3 and barely clipped Cindric, but both continued running straight approach the frontstretch.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Cindric was still leading by a narrow margin over Hemric as Harrison Burton tried to spoil the battle.
Entering the first turn, Cindric had Hemric cleared for the top spot. Hemric then tried to draw himself alongside Cindric entering the backstretch, but Cindric fought back on the outside lane and Hemric chose to settle behind Cindric through the straightaway. Then on the final corner, Hemric sent his No. 18 Toyota as hard as he could to the inside lane and managed to move Cindric up the track entering Turn 4. As both competitors dueled and rubbed fenders coming to the finish line, Hemric managed to pull ahead and beat Cindric by 0.030 seconds to win the race and the championship.
With his accomplishment, Hemric became the 31st different competitor to achieve an Xfinity Series championship, the third to do so while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, the third to do so while driving a Toyota and the 170th different competitor to win an Xfinity race. In addition to becoming the sixth first-time Xfinity winner of 2021, Hemric became the first competitor to record a first career race win and series championship in the same event. The win and the championship occurred in Hemric’s final ride with Joe Gibbs Racing as he will be moving to Kaulig Racing and attempt to defend his series title in 2022.
The Xfinity championship was also the first for veteran crew chief Dave Rogers, who kept Hemric poised and composed to attack late for the win and the title.
Ironically, Hemric and his No. 18 JGR Toyota team rallied from an early scare to the weekend, where his primary hauler that was transporting his car broke down while commuting to Phoenix and had to be transported on an alternate hauler. The hauler was able to arrive with the car as Hemric was able to hit the track for the series’ lone Xfinity practice session on Friday, November 5.
Upon claiming his championship flag and performing a long victorious burnout, Hemric capped off his long-awaited first win in NASCAR by performing a victorious backflip in front of his crew and the Phoenix fans.
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“[I] Lost my breath! Unbelievable!” Hemric said on NBCSN. “These guys right here, they’ve been asking me all year, ‘How bad do you want it?’ I gave [the win] away here [at Phoenix] in the spring. [I] Felt like we had to give one up last week to get here. We were not going to be denied. Thank you, Dave Rogers, Bill and Cindy Gallaher, everyone at Poppy Bank, Lou Gallaher, Jr., I’m talking to you. Man, they took a chance on me. 2015, some form or fashion. They stuck with me through times. They probably shouldn’t have, to be honest with you. How about those race fans? That backflip good enough for you? I’ve been waiting a long damn time to do that. Thank you Joe Gibbs, everyone at [Toyota Racing Development], Toyota…Everyone here that makes this program what it is. I know I’ve given up a lot. People doubted me. I’ll do it all over again for a night like this. I’m blacked out. Just knew I had to be the first one to the [finish] line…This is what it’s all about. Winning at the second-highest level in all of motorsports. What an honor. Unbelievable! I’ll do it all over again. I’ll take all the heartbreaks again to live this right here. That’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
While on the championship stage and hoisting the trophy, Hemric took a moment to evoke a powerful message about perseverance and emerging victorious amid the struggles in life.
“[This championship] ain’t for all those kids about racing trying to get to a level,” Hemric said. “It’s about people in life. It’s about coming from nothing and making yourself all that you work for. That’s what it’s all about. This is the American dream. I’m living a history of it, living proof of it. Un-be-lievable.”
Cindric, who was trying to become the eighth different competitor to achieve back-to-back Xfinity titles, settled in second place in a season highlighted with five victories and his last in the series as a full-time competitor, where he will be moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series to pilot the No. 2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske in 2022. Despite the result, Cindric, who managed to wrap up the sixth Xfinity Series owner’s title for team owner Roger Penske, kept his head high over the late battle for the driver’s title.
“If everyone in the stands enjoyed it, it’s good racing,” Cindric said. “I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to race on such a big stage, the opportunity to race for Roger Penske, to represent Ford Performance, our companies and all of our sponsors that have helped us this season. It would’ve been awesome to finish this out. I felt like we had a dominant race car. I felt like we did everything right. Come up a little short. Sometimes, it’s like that way. Unfortunately, at the end of both seasonal championships [regular and season] this year, I’m getting moved out of the way and doored, but that’s hard racing. That’s why everyone enjoys watching this series. It’s because there’s a lot on the line. Thankful for the opportunity and pissed to be second for like the third week in a row.”‘
Gragson, meanwhile, never recovered following his late contact into the wall and slipped back to 12th place in the final running order, which left him in a career-best third-place result in the final standings and in a season where he captured three victories. During his post-race interview, Gragson gave props to his crew chief Dave Elenz, who will be moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, while the driver will be remaining as a full-time competitor for JR Motorsports for the upcoming season.
“Just disappointed,” Gragson said. “I’m not really sure what happened there on that second-to-last restart. I got just sideways off into [Turn] 1, like there’s oil down or something. I’m kind of mind-blown on what happened. [I] Hit the wall there running third. We rebounded really well, I thought, from pit road, mistake early on in the race. Everybody just dug deep, kept working hard. A lot of big adjustments. We didn’t have the car nearly where we wanted it to be all weekend, practice, qualifying. Those guys, they beat us tonight. Just not enough this weekend. We didn’t bring out best car. Just thankful, really thankful. We’ll go on next year.”
Like Gragson, Allmendinger, who struggled with pace throughout the finale, could not recover from his late spin and ended the season in 14th place on the track and with a career-best fourth-place result in the final standings. Despite the late misfortune during the finale, Allmendinger praised his team, Kaulig Racing, for the season-long performance that included five victories and the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season championship. Like Hemric and Gragson, Allmendinger will be remaining in the Xfinity circuit with Kaulig in 2022.
“I just probably need to be a little better here [at Phoenix] as well to kind of lead us in a better direction,” Allmendinger said. “That’s part of growth here at Kaulig Racing. Of course, you’d like to have at least contended for [the championship]. Then I thought at worst, we’re gonna finish fifth or sixth. Then, the wheel was coming off on the right rear. I apologized to Austin [Cindric] because I think he had the race probably won. I don’t want to be a part of the storyline like that. I’d like to have been a better storyline, but part of the growth. Definitely not what we wanted today, tonight. We’ll come back strong. Thanks to all the men and women at Kaulig Racing, [owner] Matt Kaulig, [team president] Chris Rice for making this such a dream season. We kept making the Hyperice Chevy just a little bit better, but never really had the speed we needed to go run with [Cindric] or [Hemric]…We’ll come do this again next year.”
Harrison Burton, who made his final start with Joe Gibbs Racing before moving up to the Cup circuit to drive for the Wood Brothers Racing team, finished third on the track followed by Riley Herbst and Justin Haley. John Hunter Nemechek, Brandon Jones, Brett Moffitt, Justin Allgaier and Sheldon Creed completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Michael Annett finished 11th in his 436th and final NASCAR national touring series start before retiring from full-time competition.
Despite not competing in the Xfinity finale, Ty Gibbs earned the 2021 Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year title in a season where he won his first four career races in 18 starts.
The 2021 Xfinity finale was the final race aired on NBCSN as USA Network will covering the majority of NASCAR Xfinity and Cup events during the second half of the 2022 season.
There were 16 lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 61 laps.
Results.
1. Daniel Hemric, 48 laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Austin Cindric, 113 laps, Stage 1 winner
3. Harrison Burton
4. Riley Herbst
5. Justin Haley
6. John Hunter Nemechek, 39 laps led
7. Brandon Jones
8. Brett Moffitt
9. Justin Allgaier
10. Sheldon Creed
11. Michael Annett, one lap led
12. Noah Gragson, three laps led
13. Sam Mayer
14. AJ Allmendinger
15. Dylan Lupton
16. Blaine Perkins
17. Ryan Sieg
18. Jeremy Clements
19. Myatt Snider
20. Brandon Brown
21. David Starr
22. JJ Yeley
23. Jeb Burton
24. Tommy Joe Martins
25. Sage Karaam
26. Kyle Weatherman
27. Kyle Sieg
28. Ryan Vargas
29. Matt Mills
30. Alex Labbe, two laps down
31. Bayley Currey, four laps down
32. Josh Williams – OUT, Accident
33. Jade Buford – OUT, Accident
34. Stefan Parsons – OUT, Engine
35. Joe Graf Jr. – OUT, Accident
36. Jeffrey Earnhardt – OUT, Accident
Bold indicates championship finale contenders.
Final standings.
1. Daniel Hemric
2. Austin Cindric
3. Noah Gragson
4. AJ Allmendinger
5. Justin Allgaier
6. Justin Haley
7. Brandon Jones
8. Harrison Burton
9. Myatt Snider
10. Jeb Burton
11. Riley Herbst
12. Jeremy Clements
The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ teams and competitors enters its off-season period before returning to action at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 19, to commence the 2022 season. The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 6, 2021) – Camry driver Jesse Love earned his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series West Championship with a 14th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon. The championship marks the fifth ARCA West title for a Toyota driver in the past six seasons.
For the 16-year-old California native, it is his second consecutive championship in his second full-time season in the series. Love, who set the NASCAR record as the youngest champion in history last season, drove to two wins at Irwindale Speedway in California. He scored four top-fives and six top-10 finishes in nine starts this season. Love also earned his first national ARCA Menards Series victory in Salem, Indiana, in October.
“We could not be more excited to celebrate another championship with Jesse,” said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager, Motorsports and Assets, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “He has constantly delivered on the racetrack since becoming a part of the Toyota family and we are thrilled to watch him continue to grow and win races with the TRD driver development program.”
Love drives the No. 16 Toyota Camry for Bill McAnally Racing (BMR). Love is the fifth driver to win the ARCA West title with BMR and Toyota. The list that includes Eric Holmes (2008 and 2010), Chris Eggleston (2015), Todd Gilliland (2016 and 2017) and current Toyota Truck Series driver Derek Kraus (2019).
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AUSTIN, Texas (November 6, 2021) – Kyffin Simpson confirmed the 2021 title for the Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda during yesterday’s opening race of the weekend, but it took until this morning for him to really celebrate. Simpson, 17, climbed atop the podium after winning the second race of the weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).
Simpson started the race from the pole position after recording the fastest lap of the race in yesterday’s opening round. However, Ernie Francis Jr., who finished on the podium in Race 1, worked his way around Simpson on lap 1. Simpson fought back in his No. 21 TJ Speed Motorsports / Simpson Race Products / GoPro / Spy Optic Ligier JS F3 and was able to retake the lead by lap 4. From there, it was smooth sailing for Simpson who drove away from the field on his Hankook Tires to collect his sixth win of the 2021 season.
“It was an awesome race,” said Simpson. “We didn’t have the greatest start, Ernie pulled away, but after the first lap, we had an amazing pace for the rest of the race and caught back up to him and drove away from everyone else. I was able to take it easy towards the end and save tires. It was just a perfect race.”
Varun Choksey, driver of the No. 19 TJ Speed Motorsports ADR / Melonseed Ligier JS F3 had a solid start moving from sixth to fourth on the first lap. Choksey kept the momentum going through laps 3 and 4, ultimately moving up to the second position on the fourth lap. From there, Choksey held his pace for the remainder of the race and secured his fifth podium of the season.
“Logan [Cusson] and I had a good battle, but he made a small mistake that allowed me to get through,” Choksey said following the race. “We had a bit of good fortune with Ernie going off, but we also had a really good start and just took it home from there. Pretty happy with that.”
Nick Persing was a wildcard for the podium of Race 2 after starting 12th on the grid. The American moved up to eighth on lap 1 and had a steady progression throughout the rest of the race to finally end up in third on lap 12, joining Choksey and Simpson on the podium at COTA. It was Persing’s best finish of the season, and his first podium.
“I didn’t expect to be here from 12th to say the least,” said Persing, driver of the No. 29 Velocity Racing Development Ligier JS F3. “I love COTA; it’s a good track with its hard braking zones. I managed to put it together today. Yesterday, we struggled with some setup issues, but we worked on it overnight, did a debrief and got everything figured out, and then I went and drove it.”
FR Americas returns to the track for Round 18, their final race of the 2021 season, at 2:35 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon.
Full Results: https://www.framericas.com/pages/2021-austin-speedtour-results
About Formula Regional Americas Championship & Formula 4 United States Championship, Powered by Honda:
The FIA-certified Formula 4 United States Championship & Formula Regional Americas Championship are designed as entry-level open-wheel racing series offering young talent the opportunity to demonstrate their skills on an international platform while keeping affordability and safety as key elements. The Championships align with the global FIA development ladder philosophy of using common components to provide a cost-efficient, reliable and powerful racing structure as drivers ascend through the levels on their way to U.S. or global racing success.
November 05, 2021: at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, North Carolina. (HHP/Chris Owens)
David Gravel (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), Jonathan Davenport (World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models) and Alex Yankowski (Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds) won Friday’s feature races in the NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 5, 2021) – While David Gravel didn’t win the war this season, he claimed another important battle on Friday night. Out of championship contention, Gravel nonetheless continued his dominance at The Dirt Track at Charlotte by winning the 30-lap feature for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on the penultimate night of the NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals.
Gravel has won four of the last five feature races at The Dirt Track and will go for the weekend sweep on Saturday. Gates open at 12 p.m. ET, with Opening Ceremonies at 1 p.m.
Jonathan Davenport and teenager Alex Yankowski joined Gravel as winners on Friday night. Davenport won the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models feature, while Yankowski, 17, earned his first career win in the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds.
Gravel, who led every lap and won the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to earn the pole for the 30-lap sprint car feature, took the lead for good after dueling slide jobs with Brian Brown with 12 laps to go.
“Feels really good to get a win,” Gravel said. “I didn’t seal up second place in points and wanted to do good tonight and seal it up. I think we did that tonight. So, we go into tomorrow to just have some fun and try and get another one.”
Gravel and the rest of the Outlaw sprint car field chased Logan Schuchart for the first half of the race, but Schuchart had a flat left-rear tire after a restart and lost the lead.
“It was just all track positioning,” Gravel said. “I think if I got the lead on Logan, I don’t think he would’ve passed me. It was just all about where you were at and being in the right place at the right time. Luckily, we were there.
“Brownie kept throwing sliders on me. I was running as hard as I could trying to clear him, and finally I was able to clear him. I had to run a torrid pace for those last 12 laps, and it took a damn long time. I got up to lapped traffic sooner than I wanted to. I saw there were seven to go. And I’m like, ‘Man, I have to try something here.’ It started cleaning up off the cushion, almost like it was taking rubber a little bit, so I moved down, and it worked out.”
Brown ended up losing second to Kerry Madsen off Turn 4 on the final lap. Madsen recovered from an incident on the second lap to rally through the field.
“Can’t complain,” Madsen said. “I messed up pretty bad on the second lap. We were back at 10th at one stage, and fortunately those last couple double-file restarts helped me out. I needed really clean air to keep my car locked down. The last five laps, I started pushing really hard, and it came to me. That’s racing, and I’m pretty happy with P2.”
Brown finished third, with Carson Macedo fourth and Donny Schatz fifth. Brad Sweet, who clinched the 2021 championship by qualifying Friday, finished eighth.
“Maybe I conceded second to Kerry, maybe chasing a little bit of rubber a lane off the top and thinking I might have something for David,” Brown said. “He got a little balled up off (Turn) 4 one time and let me get a little bit of a run. I was almost laying to try and snooker him and probably should have ran a little bit harder and see what I could do.”
Davenport earned his ninth career Outlaw Late Models victory by passing 2021 series champion Brandon Sheppard with 19 laps to go and pulling away to a four-second win. Sheppard was second with Dennis Erb Jr. third.
“(The car) was really good,” Davenport said. “I thought I was a little bit better than Brandon when he was behind the 7 car (of Ricky Weiss), but I knew he had a little bit of dirty air and I could run a lane lower than he could. Once (Brown) he got into the lead, I thought, ‘Oh, crap, he’s going to be in clean air.’ But we got to lapped cars and it slowed him up a little bit. It gave me just enough where I could get a run on him.”
Yankowski took advantage of a late caution to erase a deficit to Larry Wight and then passed Wight with nine laps to go to take the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds win. Wight was second, with Mat Williamson third. Series champion Matt Sheppard finished 15th.
Yankowski was the fastest qualifier and won one of the four heat races.
“It was just one of those days, it just seemed like everything went our way,” Yankowski said. “I don’t know if I could ever have a day like that again. We’ve got a great group of guys. This was awesome.”
The other heat-race winners were Brett Hearn, Mike Trautschold and Peter Britten.
Brown, Madsen, Spencer Bayston and Kasey Kahne were the heat-race winners in sprint cars. Gravel earned his series-leading 19th quick time of the season with a lap of 12.579 seconds.
In Late Models, Tim McCreadie, Davenport, Sheppard and Ricky Weiss won the heat races, with McCreadie earning the 19th fast qualifier of his career.
TICKETS: Fans can renew their tickets and lock in their seats for next year’s World of Outlaws World Finals on-site this weekend or by visiting www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
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AVONDALE, Ariz., (Nov. 5, 2021) – Erik Jones brought new meaning to the phrase “read the room” Friday morning at Estrella Vista STEM Academy for Engineering. The NASCAR Cup Series driver whose charitable foundation, the Erik Jones Foundation, champions childhood reading, turned pages with students before turning laps around nearby Phoenix Raceway.
Jones read Dragons Love Tacos by the author/illustrator team of Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri to each of the school’s third-grade classes. Every student walked away with a copy of the book, and the school’s library was gifted with 10 more books, all thanks to a collaboration between Jones’ eponymous foundation and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company.
Jones then participated in a question-and-answer session with fifth-grade students before departing for the racetrack, where the 25-year-old racer from Byron, Michigan, will drive the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Petty Motorsports in the season-ending NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix.
“We’re still in the very early stages of building our foundation, but today was a proud moment because the Erik Jones Foundation is now an official Scholastic Literacy Partner,” said Jones, who launched his foundation back in August before his home race at Michigan International Speedway. “I’m passionate about reading. It’s a great escape, but it also makes you smarter. The more you read, the more you learn, and the best part about all of it is that once you have it, no one can ever take it away. It’s yours, and you can apply it to whatever you want to do in life.”
Jones’ appearance at the Estrella Vista STEM Academy for Engineering was done in collaboration with Valley of the Sun United Way, which supports community causes that ensure children and their families have a safe place to live with every opportunity to succeed in school, life and work.
“Our goal is to increase third-grade reading proficiency by 25 percent before 2016, and there’s no better way to do that than by showing students tangible reasons why reading is so important,” said Dr. Melissa Boydston, Vice President of Community Development and Engagement for Education, Valley of the Sun United Way. “Erik Jones is walking and talking proof of how reading helped make his dream of driving racecars for a living a reality. The kids got to see him and hear from him, and seeing is believing. Erik’s time at the school today really made an impact, and the work he is doing with his foundation is incredibly valuable. When we reach our goal, we can thank the Erik Jones Foundation for its help.”
Friday’s school visit was an extension of Jones’ #READwithErik series, which began last spring when COVID-19 forced NASCAR to take a 10-week break and schools transitioned to remote learning. Jones saw an opportunity to share his passion for reading, and the first #READwithErik event took place on April 21, 2020 when he sat down in front of a camera and read Dr. Seuss’ iconic Oh, The Places You’ll Go via his Facebook page. Since its debut, #READwithErik has featured 38 books with more than 200,000 views.
“COVID made life tough for everyone, but kids especially. They couldn’t go to school and see their friends, and normal things like getting together at the cafeteria table all of a sudden just went away. I wanted to do something to try and make that a little bit better, and that’s how our virtual reading circle came together,” said Jones.
“It was back at Michigan when we launched our foundation that I was able to do our first in-person reading. It was at a campground just outside the racetrack. Today was only our second in-person reading, but our first in a school. It was awesome. In-person is so much better than virtual. It was real and we got to interact with kids. It was a great way for me to kick off my race weekend and I’d like to think the kids enjoyed doing something a little bit different from their regular school day.”
Dr. Boydston agreed, citing the impact of COVID-19 on children’s reading skills.
“Results of the most recent state English language arts assessment confirm the implications of the pandemic on third grade reading proficiency,” Boydston said. “Less than half of Arizona’s third-grade readers passed the assessment, with our youngest students experiencing significant unfinished learning. That’s why opportunities like this, having Erik Jones ignite children’s passion for reading, is so very important. We know that reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination. It expands their understanding of the world and helps develop their language and listening skills.”
Supporting the Erik Jones Foundation and initiatives like the one at Estrella Vista STEM Academy for Engineering is easy during the upcoming season of giving. When shopping online, choose smile.amazon.com. Simply designate the Erik Jones Foundation as your charity of choice and Amazon will donate a portion of the sale from your purchases to the Foundation.
About the Erik Jones Foundation:
The Erik Jones Foundation changes lives by igniting children’s passion for reading, encouraging early cancer detection and care, and promoting animal welfare. Those wishing to make tax-deductible contributions to the Erik Jones Foundation can do so via the following address or online at www.ErikJonesRacing/Foundation.
Erik Jones Foundation
370 E. Maple Road, 4th Floor
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
About Valley of the Sun United Way:
Valley of the Sun United Way envisions a community where every child, family and individual is healthy, has a safe place to live, and has every opportunity to succeed in school, in life and in work. As we work with our community, corporate and nonprofit partners to implement MC2026, our five-year plan for Mighty Change, we will put all of our efforts toward reaching bold goals for Maricopa County in Health, Housing and Homelessness, Education and Workforce Development. We invite you to join us. www.vsuw.org
About Scholastic:
For more than 100 years, Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) has been encouraging the personal and intellectual growth of all children, beginning with literacy. Having earned a reputation as a trusted partner to educators and families, Scholastic is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, a leading provider of literacy curriculum, professional services, and classroom magazines, and a producer of educational and entertaining children’s media. The Company creates and distributes bestselling books and e-books, print and technology-based learning programs for pre-K to grade 12, and other products and services that support children’s learning and literacy, both in school and at home. With 15 international operations and exports to 165 countries, Scholastic makes quality, affordable books available to all children around the world through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online. Learn more at www.scholastic.com.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 05: Zane Smith, driver of the #21 MRC Construction Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway on November 05, 2021 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 5, 2021) – Zane Smith, driver of the No. 21 MRC Construction Silverado, is the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship runner-up following his fifth-place finish in the season-ending Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway.
Smith, by reaching the Championship 4 for the second consecutive year, was looking to join Johnny Sauter (2016) and Sheldon Creed (2020) as GMS drivers to earn a championship in the NASCAR Truck Series.
“I just needed for my truck to turn,” said Smith. “We struggled with that since we unloaded. But still an insane year, really. We were eight laps away from winning the championship. I’ve had so much support from Maury Gallagher, Mike Beam, MRC Construction, RTA gigFAST INTERNET; all the people that have helped me get to this point. Team Chevy – I almost got Chevy another one. I tried using all my tools from my side of things, but just couldn’t get the truck to turn and we fought that all night.”
The 22-year-old 2020 Sunoco Rookie of the Year has piloted his Chevy Silverado to victory lane three times in 46 career starts; and has captured 11 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes.
Chevrolet returns to competition in the NASCAR Truck Series with the NextEra Energy 250 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 18, 2022.
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.
