Home Blog Page 2288

Toyota Racing – NXS Martinsville Quotes – Harrison Burton – 10.27.21

By
Official Release
-

Toyota Racing – Harrison Burton
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 27, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Harrison Burton was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Martinsville race weekend today:

HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

How are you preparing for Martinsville?

“We are in a tough situation. We had a really great car at Kansas, contending for the win there and just ended up getting in a crash and it put us in a bad spot, so now we know that we have to win to get into the Championship 4, which we believe we are capable of. We’ve shown we are capable of it at Martinsville in particular. We won this race last year there. It’s just time to get after it – have at it. It’s going to be fun. These are the situations that – there’s no great comeback without a setback at first. I’ve got a great group of guys around me, great leadership. Jason Ratcliff has been in this situation before, having to win at Phoenix to have a chance for a championship and him and Christopher (Bell) got it done, so I don’t see why me and him can’t get it done either.”

Do you enter this race upset with how this round has gone or do you have to put emotions aside?

“A little bit. I’m a little bit frustrated. Kansas was frustrating in particular, because I like to be able to look back and be better with what I could have done differently to avoid that situation and it’s kind of a hard thing to say other than get by those guys faster. That’s the frustrating thing for me because without having something to work on and something that we could have done better in than exact moment to not have this happen is kind of frustrating, because you don’t know what you could have done and it’s kind of a racing deal, but that racing deal has kind of put us in a really bad spot now. Some of that is good. You use that for motivation. You use that for fuel throughout the week to prepare, to work out hard, all of that stuff and when the race comes, it’s just any other race. Everyone has the same goals every weekend – to win. You can’t go out and try to reinvent the wheel for our last chance here to getting in the Championship 4, but on the other hand we have to use that frustration and tune it into a positive way.”

Will you strategy be do what others don’t?

“I don’t know. It’s very situation dependent. If we are out there leading a bunch of laps, then we kind of have to make the decision and the guys in our similar spot like the 9 (Noah Gragson), the 19 (Brandon Jones), people like that will probably end up doing what we don’t do. It always comes down to where you are running. If you are in the top-three at Martinsville, it’s not crazy to think if the caution comes out that you could win from there or really top-five. A lot of things can happen there in a hurry, as we all know. That’s why I’m so happy that I’m not on the box. I don’t have to make those decisions. I will leave it to Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and my engineer Dustin (Zacharyasz) to make those calls and from there I just drive the best that I can but knowing that strategy is important. I expect us to be really aggressive. I’ve haven’t really set down with Jason and asked him what he’s thinking about strategy-wise yet, but most of what I would expect would be – stage points for us don’t matter. What does winning a stage mean to us? Nothing really. It’s all about the last lap and doing what we need to do to position ourselves to win. That’s what we will do.”

Coming into Martinsville, does it give you confidence since you’ve won there before?

“It does. You can’t rest on that thought. That’s something I’ve learned over time. If you get lazy and complacent in this sport and think that we run fast here, we are just going to run fast anyway, you are going to be trouble in a hurry. It does give you confidence, but you can’t rest on that confidence. You have to be aggressive in your preparation. You have to be willing to try new things to get better, especially because the race that we won, it was the first race Xfinity was back in quite some time, and our team did an amazing job of getting right up to speed fast. I have experience at Martinsville, so that helps quite a bit. We were able to have a dominate car, but everyone else has got significantly better. Even if you look at the speed traces throughout that specific race, everyone got better. Everyone closed the gap to us throughout the race and closer to us, fast as we were. Especially looking at the 7 (Justin Allgaier) car. There’s progression in this sport that’s going on. There’s a lot of things like that that you have to keep up with and it’s hard when you are the guy that won the first race to not rest easy on that, but we can’t do that. We have to be aggressive and try and go win.”

How does being on a must win strategy effect your mindset going into Martinsville?

“I think it helps us positively. You look at the guys that run not for championship points, a lot of times they are able to jump stages. I was able to do that last year and won some races once we got eliminated. We were jumping pit road spots and we were really fast. You have to have the speed, but it helps. You have free track position built into every pit stop if you do it right or if the cards fall that way. You just have the freedom to do whatever is best for your team at the end of the race. It’s not do we sacrifice points right now to be better off later or this or that. There’s no hesitation. It’s what is going to get us the best finishing position, so that makes the job easier for Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) I think. For me, it makes it easier. If we play our cards right, we will have track position and keeping track position is a lot easier than getting it in my opinion. I think once we get up there, we will be really, really hard to beat. I know I’m really confident in my abilities especially at Martinsville. It’s going to be fun to watch I know that much. All of the varying strategies, and watching guys try to point their way in versus guys that could maybe bump someone out of the Playoffs because of their win. It’s going to be entertaining for the fans to watch, and it’s going to be fun for me as a driver to be put in that situation. I’m ready to go and try to execute on it and put this team where we belong.”

How much help is your dad in navigating everything in the Playoffs?

“Quite a bit. He’s pretty hands off now-a-days, but recently he’s been helping with making sure that my mindset is the right one and helping me along the way try to emotionally navigate this stuff. There’s a lot going on. You care dearly about racing and finishing well and winning a championship and all of that. It’s what you work a whole year for and a whole off season for. It’s all you look forward towards is winning a championship. When that’s on the line in a one-race scenario, you can get caught up in that too much really easy and end up making a mistake because you are too nervous, whatever that may be. I think he’s been helpful in that case, but as far as actual driving, he hasn’t said much which is normal now-a-days, but when I was 13, he was my driver coach. Now I’ve got so many people around me that he’s able to be dad, which is fun for both of us I think.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Confident Brad Keselowski Ready For Martinsville Elimination Race

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Martinsville 2 Media Availability | Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Dent Wizard Ford Mustang, goes into this weekend’s Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville Speedway six points behind the final Championship 4 transfer spot. He spoke about his situation earlier this afternoon during a Q&A session with members of the media.

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Dent Wizard Ford Mustang — YOU HAVE TWO RACES LEFT WITH TEAM PENSKE. HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THAT AND ANY REFLECTIONS? “I think there was probably a lot of reflecting over the last half a dozen weeks, but now with the task at hand to try and win the championship there’s not a lot of time to reflect. There’s too much coming at me through the front windshield to be looking out the rearview mirror, but my head is down. I’m trying to win this weekend at Martinsville and then hopefully if we’re able to achieve that and/or just transfer into the next round, then do the same at Phoenix. That has consumed a majority of my bandwidth to be quite honest and I really haven’t had a chance to reflect.”

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM ROGER THAT YOU CAN APPLY AS FAR AS BEING AN OWNER? “A lot. It’s hard to say in one setting and give it the due justice it probably deserves, but I’ll give it my best shot. I think Roger has always had a level of professionalism that is somewhat contagious and inspiring. His attention to detail is incredible. Clearly, he’s got a great business acumen to be where he’s at and done the things he’s done. I think even more so than all that he is really in my mind known for his contagious work ethic. You’re not gonna outwork Roger Penske and I respect that so much about him.”

WILL YOU BE THAT KIND OF OWNER? “I certainly hope. I’ve got some things that are going for me, which are great having competed at this level now for just over 10 years and a pretty good understanding of the players and the landscape, etc. My goal is to take everything I’ve learned from him and be stronger accordingly and apply it with my own personal experiences and put together a great team, a great company that can endure and win championships for years and decades to come.”

WOULD THERE BE ANY MORE SENSE OF PRIDE IF YOU MADE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4 IN YOUR LAST YEAR WITH PENSKE? “Absolutely, yeah. I have allowed my head to go into that space a couple times. It’s a dangerous spot to get in because it distracts from the focus of putting it all together, so I tried to shut my brain off of that as soon as it goes in that spot, but clearly it would mean the world to me to be able to do that for him and do it for our team in our last year together.”

BUT WHAT ABOUT FOR YOU? HAVE YOU FELT ANY SORT OF DISCONNECT OVER THE FACT YOU WON’T BE THERE AFTER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS? “That feeling hasn’t been one that I’ve really settled into or allowed myself to settle into. I think this is as natural a transition as there is with the new car coming in because it’s such a technology shift, a resource shift that there really was no reason to hold anything back this year, so I haven’t felt that much of a change at least from my end.”

HOW MUCH DO THINGS CHANGE OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR AT A PLACE LIKE PHOENIX? “Normally, I would say it changes a lot, but with the development freeze and all those things I don’t think it changes that much. I think that there’s a lot that will apply between the spring race and the fall race, and I expect the two races to be very similar to each other, so not expecting a big difference and we’ll certainly apply all of the notes and thoughts we have from the spring.”

HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE TO YOU HAVE GOING TO MARTINSVILLE WITH THE TRACK RECORD YOU HAVE THERE? “Martinsville, I made my first-ever NASCAR start there in the Truck Series. It didn’t go very well and I learned so much from it and it’s been a great track for me ever since then. I’ve had some tough breaks. One year we blew a tire and this past year we lost power-steering and had a mechanical failure and then got caught up in a wreck because I didn’t have any steering, so that was not a good run, but outside of that, I feel like we’ve ran 15 maybe 20 races there that have gone really, really well. It’s been a great track for us. I always get excited about going there. The Team Penske group has worked very hard to bring great cars for that track over the last half-dozen years and I think it shows. We’ve put up some great numbers, so I’m excited about it and feel like we’ve got a great opportunity.”

HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIS BUESCHER AND HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM IN 2022? “Chris and I haven’t really had a chance to work together yet. Clearly, that’s coming soon. My overall impression is that he’s one of the most underrated drivers in the garage. It was only about a week after I signed my deal where the question came up about Chris and where the company should go and my immediate reaction was ‘sign him right away.’ I think given the right equipment he can win races and contend for a championship, so I’m excited about having him as a teammate. He’s put up some really strong races in situations where the effort elsewise was probably not in a position to deliver those results and I think given the right supporting cast he can really move the needle. I’m excited about him and looking forward to working with him. I’ll never forget the first time I actually got to see him and a fair evaluation. It was at a Ford event probably four or five years ago that he was at and we were driving Mustangs at this road course in South Carolina, and he was hands-down the fastest guy there and I was blown away. I quite honestly had not given him the respect that he deserved until then, so I feel really good about him.”

HOW DO YOU VIEW YOUR JOURNEY AS A DRIVER TO THIS POINT? “I don’t really view it that much. I just try to do my own thing and try to do the best I can at trying not to allow myself to get caught up in press clippings for good or bad and all those things. I’m trying to do the things I need to do to feel good about myself and the stats being what they are at the end of the day. That said, it is easy to get caught up in those things. Every once in a while someone will read a stat to me that makes me feel really good and blows my head up, and then it doesn’t take long for somebody to read one back to me that makes me feel like absolute crap, so I learned a long time ago to not let those things get into your psyche, so that’s what I try to do. I’m really proud of the career I’ve had. I’m nowhere near ready to be done and have a lot left to do, and look forward to these two weeks hopefully leaving some great marks on board.”

WOULD YOU FEEL ANY SATISFACTION IF YOU MADE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4 CONSIDERING SOME PEOPLE HAVE OVERLOOKED YOU AND YOUR TEAM BY CALLING IT A LAME DUCK SEASON? “Absolutely. I think it would be a huge testament to the team, not just myself, but the entire team to our resolve and overall mental toughness. It certainly would be a point of pride if we were able to pull that off. We’ve got a great opportunity. We’re six points back. We have control of our destiny if we win the race. Even if we don’t win the race realistically if we put up a lot of stage points and do all those things, we’ve got a great shot, so I feel pretty good about this weekend.”

HOW MUCH WILL YOUR POINT DEFICIT AFFECT HOW YOU RACE THIS WEEKEND? “I think, for me, it doesn’t affect my mentality. If you compare it to last year, we had a great race at Martinsville. We scored stage points, a lot of stage points, ended the race I think fourth or fifth and under that scenario I don’t know how many points we scored, but it was probably upper forties. That would probably be enough for this weekend, so if we can just repeat that, we’d be in a good spot.”

Toyota Racing – NCWTS Martinsville Quotes – Stewart Friesen – 10.27.21

By
Official Release
-

Toyota Racing – Stewart Friesen
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Quotes

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 27, 2021) – Halmar Friesen Racing driver Stewart Friesen was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Martinsville race weekend today:

STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra, Halmar Friesen Racing

How have you been staying busy and ready since the last race?

“Since Talladega, the last three weeks we have been really busy up here in the Northeast with our Big Block Modified team. We ran Super Dirt Week at Oswego, the 200 there. We ran Port Royal, another 200 in Pennsylvania with the Short Track Super Series, and we just finished up the Eastern States 200 this past weekend at Orange County Fair Speedway right outside of New York City. The last three weeks have been the busiest of the season for the dirt modified world, so we are getting a little bit of a breather now going back NASCAR racing and looking forward to that.”

What does it mean to you to make the Championship 4?

“It would be very gratifying. Not only for me, but our entire race team. For where we were from the start of 2020, starting the new team from the ground up with Halmar, with the support from TRD and the guys from Toyota to where we are now – since the Playoffs have started competing for top-fives. Building a championship winning team was the goal all along and we knew it would take time, so I think we are probably ahead of realistically the time it takes to build a championship team. We’ve done a really good job. Our guys have done a really good job. Chris Larsen with providing the equipment to do this. We knew where we wanted to be and we are there, and for us to make that Championship 4 this year in our second full season would be really, really gratifying. If we don’t, it is what it is. As long as we go to Martinsville and have a solid truck and don’t shoot ourselves in the foot – if we put our cards on the table and it is what it is at the end of the day and we don’t make it, hey, at least we went down trying and we will be back in 2022 to try again. If we do make that Championship 4, we are really excited about that. We have a good package for Phoenix. We have good notes for Martinsville and Phoenix. I believe we have an outside shot at the championship, so we will see what happens.”

What would you be looking for at the Next Gen test that you are going to participate in?

“It’s going to be interesting. First, it caught me by surprise when Jerry from NASCAR called and let me know that they were looking at me to run that test. It’s something that is really, really cool. It’s something that I’m really proud to do and help out with. We are still going to try to get back to Bristol in a Cup car, however that may shake out this year. We haven’t taken that off of the map, but for them to ask me to do it was something that was really, really awesome. I’m just going to try my best to help in all aspects. It’s primarily a tire test. I believe we will have a bunch of different compounds. We will run through a bunch of stuff. The engineers will look at temps and wear. Wythville, the surface there is a red clay surface, similar to what goes on Bristol. I believe the abrasiveness in the clay will be similar, so I think it will be a pretty good test to see how the tires hold up. I made one suggestion after Bristol and Knoxville that I think the cars and trucks would race better on a harder tire – similar to what we used at Eldora. We will see what happens. We will see what they bring, and we will try to go there and run some laps and have some fun with it. It’s going to be a pretty cool experience for me and hopefully, I will be able to give them as much feedback as I can to NASCAR and Goodyear so ultimately, we can have the best races at Bristol.”

Why would a harder tire be better for the dirt races?

“Just because it would be less demand on the racetrack. The harder tire tends to polish up a dirt track more, so it gets more of a beat on the wall at the top and a search for moisture on the bottom rather than just lay rubber lock down single file on the bottom, which kind of is where Bristol went after so many laps. We pit and we get tires, and you could race for 10-15 laps and then at the end of the segments we were kind of just locked in on the bottom. I think a harder tire will keep the track a little more polished up and let fans see a dirt race that they would like to see with cars beating the right rear off of the fence and guys catfishing on the bottom and searching for that moisture just to widen the track out and not be so demanding on the track and break it apart and make the holes and the dust that we saw.”

Coming in just below the cutoff line, are you wanting to know points updates throughout the race?

“A little bit. Jonathan Leonard, our crew chief, does a good job of that – just kind of keeping the big picture in play. That’s more for him to worry about during the race. I just get to go there and race. I will race as hard as I can to stay inside the top-five through both stages and make some stage points. I think that’s our goal – make some stage points to have a little bit of a cushion going into the last stage when kind of all hell breaks loose in the Truck races at Martinsville. We will watch other guys. Everyone in the Playoff hunt is looking at stage points. We have to race for stage points. We really can’t afford to short pit and try to get that track position. We need some stage points first, and then race it at the end. That being said, you’ve seen guys at Martinsville pit late and get tires and be able to come back through, so we will see what happens but for sure, we will watch the competition and if they are faster than us and if we need to come in and make and adjustment, we will make sure we do that and we don’t leave anything on the table.”

Have you raced at the Wythville track?

“I haven’t. I’ve raced a bunch of stuff in North Carolina, South Carolina in the past year since we started the dirt late model thing. I did that a little bit too. Our modified has been there a little bit more since COVID, but I haven’t actually been to Wythville. I’ve seen a lot of videos from there, similar to like a smoky mountain type of track, and kind of similar type of clay to a Cherokee and what goes down on Bristol. I’m looking forward to it.”

Has the three week-break since Talladega help you get past the wreck there?

“A little bit, I guess. We had some really great momentum throughout the Playoffs going into Talladega, and it is what it is. We brought a really fast truck. Our guys did a really good job executing the race. I was trying to put ourselves in position to be in the top-five on those last five laps just to have a shot at it, and kind of all hell broke loose with Grant (Enfinger) and Sheldon (Creed) there and we got collected up. It does feel good to have three weeks off and go back modified race a little bit, let the guys at the shop take a breath. The first part of the Playoffs was pretty wide open for the Truck Series, so they guys were able to take a breath and regroup a little bit and focus on our Martinsville and Phoenix trucks and put a lot of work into them. They’ve been busy with them, and we have two good pieces to go for that, so yeah, it was a little bit of a regroup for us.”

How well do you feel you need to run at Martinsville to advance?

“I say top-fives pay the bills, but we need to be in the top-fives in stages, if not win a stage to make maximum stage points and have a shot to win. The Playoffs are all about running up front and winning. We’ve been in the top-five. We’ve been close, so hopefully – if we could get a win that would be awesome. I believe in our team. I don’t believe we have an outside shot. I believe we will have a fast enough truck to compete with our competitors in the chase, and nothing is out of the question at this point.”

Are you stressed out about Saturday, or have you been through it enough at this point?

“I’ve been through it. I’m not losing sleep over it yet. Maybe Friday night a little bit. Anything can happen in the Truck Series. I’ve lost races in the 11th hour. I’m optimistic. I think I can go in there and just try to keep my emotion in check all race long and not get excited if something happens in the first or second stage and then we have to kind of drop the plow at the end and start putting the elbows up. That’s what we will try to do. I believe we can bring a fast truck. We had a fast truck there in the fall last year. We were able to win a stage, and we will have a similar package – which I think we even refined to be better yet. I hope we will be fast enough to stay up front and keep guys off of my back bumper. That’s going to be the main thing.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Trans Am’s TA2® Class Hits Milestone

By
Official Release
-

TA2® breaks all-time annual and event entry record ahead of CoTA season finale

MIAMI, FLA. (27 October 2021)- Following a compacted season in 2020 due the pandemic, the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli has bounced back in full force in 2021 and recently set a significant new milestone for the TA2® class.

After breaking an all-time class entry record in August at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix with 38 TA2 drivers taking to the streets of Nashville, the class has set a new benchmark for the season-finale. The Heacock Classic event at Circuit of The Americas has attracted a blockbuster entry with 50 TA2 machines set to take the green for the 100-mile race on Sunday, November 7.

The burgeoning field brings the TA2 competitor count to 406 between the National, West Coast and ProAm divisions for 2021, reaching an all-time high for the class.

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli West Coast Championship has seen the most growth this season, with an 85 percent increase in TA2 entries over 2020.

“TA2 represents the best value platform in racing, with engines capable of lasting an entire season and cost control measures that allow drivers to fully focus on racing, not the financing of it, while showcasing their talents and skill,” said Trans Am Race Company President John Clagett. “I believe this is what makes the class so attractive to competitors. Keeping the TA2 class the high performance, low cost platform it was founded upon is important to us and that’s why we’ve seen unprecedented growth in the class this season.”

The TA2 class harkens back to the “Muscle Car Wars” of the 60s and 70s, with fields featuring the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro racing side-by-side each event weekend in a 100-mile showdown.

The class combines the prowess of a purpose-built racing platform and the unmistakable silhouettes of today’s muscle cars tailored to the high-intensity that sprint format racing delivers.The class is also equipped with the affordable TA2 Choice powerplant removing the variable of power among competitors and adding even more importance to what the drivers do behind the wheel.

This format, paired with a high level of competition as well as a ruleset that prohibits driver aids and puts the racing in the drivers hands, the Trans Am TA2 class continues to be the choice for a growing number of drivers looking to develop their road racing skills, including those looking to race their way to NASCAR glory, drivers like Connor Zilisch.

With 2014 NASCAR Cup champion Kevin Harvick as his mentor and Stewart-Haas Racing’s (NASCAR Cup Series team co-owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas) Nick Tucker (Trans Am Nitro Motorsports owner) and Stephen Doran prepping his Nitro Motorsports car, Zilisch, at just 15-years-old, became the youngest driver to start on pole and lead a lap in series history.

“I chose TA2 because the series has always been intriguing to me, the competition and the car that is provided makes for some incredible racing,” explained Zilisch. “It also is a great stepping stone to many forms of professional motorsports. It felt like the right choice for me for what I hope to do in the future.

“I really liked the TA2 car’s power,” continued Zilisch. “Until I drove it, the most horsepower I’ve had in a car was no more than 150. To jump straight into something with 500 horsepower was obviously a big jump, but that is what made it fun. Having to control the throttle on the exit of the corner was something new to me, I picked it up quickly though, and soon felt very comfortable in the car.”

Zilisch isn’t the only driver to see the development value in TA2.

This season, TA2’s field is bursting with up-and-coming talent. As NASCAR continues to add more road courses to its calendar, TA2 has become an attractive development series for young drivers. Just this year, NASCAR driver development entries have included Sam Mayer, Ty Gibbs, Mathew Butson, Connor Mosack, Brandon Jones, Derek Kraus and Christopher Bell, among others.

“I first got introduced to TA2 back in 2015 through Justin Haley,” said Silver Hare Racing General Manager and NASCAR Xfinity driver and coach Michael Self. “I remember getting in his car for a few laps at Sebring and thinking, ‘Man, this is just like driving a NASCAR K&N car. I can’t believe more guys aren’t utilizing this. The package in terms of the transmission, brakes, tires and components are really important to utilize properly when trying to be a good road racer,” Self continued. Since then, I’ve vouched for the TA2 cars with everyone I talk to that wants to improve their road racing for NASCAR competition purposes, and I believe the results have continued to speak for themselves. As far as I’m aware, there’s still nothing else out there that translates to a NASCAR Cup or Xfinity car, or ARCA like the TA2 car does.”

The National TA2 Wilwood Rookie of the Year, Rhett Barkau is just 19 years old. After winning an SCCA national title, Barkau moved into TA2 this season with his ultimate goal of racing in NASCAR.

“The Trans Am cars are so fun to drive and are a true American muscle car,” said Barkau. “TA2 is one the most competitive classes in racing, and my ultimate goal is to race in NASCAR. TA2 is the closest class in the nation that can prepare me to move up through the NASCAR ladder. I am hoping Trans Am will open doors into the NASCAR world.”

The Trans Am TA class has served as a launching point for several famous drivers over the years. Drivers like Willy T. Ribbs, Wally Dallenbach Jr, Scott Sharp and Scott Pruett, among others, all got their road racing start in Trans Am. The class has also showcased breakthrough talents like Ernie Francis Jr. After winning seven consecutive Trans Am titles, the 23-year-old caught the eye of Ray Evernham, who put Francis Jr. in the new Camping World SRX Series to compete against several NASCAR and IndyCar legends. His outstanding performance in the series gave Francis Jr. global recognition which has led to additional opportunities, like an Indy Lights test during the Chris Griffith Test at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week, for him to ascend up the motorsports ladder.

Next season, Trans Am will celebrate its 55th season with a diverse 12-race schedule that will include multiple road courses, a roval and a street circuit, an ultimate mix of legendary circuits around the nation that will test the skills of any driver. (View 2022 Schedule)

Trans Am returns to racing for its season finale at Circuit Of the Americas November 5-7 for the Heacock Classic. For tickets visit: Trans Am – America’s Road Racing Series (gotransam.com)

Recent NASCAR Driver Trans Am Class Year
Ricky Sanders 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2021
Ty Dillon 2014
Justin Haley 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
Scott Heckert 2015, 2018
Joey McColm 2015
Matt Tifft 2017, 2018
Sheldon Creed 2017
Josh Bilicki 2017
Andy Lally 2017, 2020
Chase Briscoe 2018
Tyler Reddick 2018
Christopher Bell 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Ty Majeski 2018
Lawless Alan 2018, 2019
Brandon Jones 2018
Sam Mayer 2019, 2021
Derek Kraus 2019 West
Ty Gibbs 2019, 2020, 2021
Riley Herbst 2019, 2021
Mike Skinner 2020
Justin Marks 2020, 2021
Harrison Burton 2020, 2021
Austin Dillon 2021
Ryan Newman 2021
Joey Hand 2021
Jack Wood 2021
Daniel Suarez 2021

Haley primed for 100th Xfinity career start at Martinsville

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Justin Haley is set to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Playoff event at Martinsville Speedway, the driver of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro will reach 200 career starts in the Xfinity circuit.

A native of Winamac, Indiana, Haley made his Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway in June. By then, he was competing in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Truck Series for GMS Racing. Driving the No. 23 Chevrolet Camaro for GMS, Haley started 13th and finished 12th in his Xfinity debut. 

During his second series start at Daytona International Speedway in July, Haley completed a three-wide pass on Kyle Larson and Elliott Sadler on the final straightaway on the final lap to cross the finish line in first place and score what would have been his first Xfinity career victory. Upon review of the finish, however, Haley was disqualified from the victory after he completed his winning pass below the double yellow lines, an out of bounds zone in superspeedway racing. The move dropped Haley to 18th place, the final car on the lead lap, while Larson was awarded the victory. 

Haley’s third and final Xfinity start of 2018 occurred at Watkins Glen International August, where he finished 38th after being involved in an early accident with former NASCAR competitor Matt Tifft.

Following a third-place result in the 2018 NASCAR Truck Series drivers’ standings, Haley joined Kaulig Racing as a full-time driver of the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro for the 2019 Xfinity Series season. In his first start with Kaulig Racing, which was the season-opening event at Daytona, Haley won the first stage and led a total of three laps before settling in 17th place. Since then, Haley went on to record four top-five results, 20 top-10 results and an average result of 12.3 throughout the 33-race schedule. He made the 2019 Xfinity Playoffs, but was eliminated from title contention following the first round as he settled in 12th place in the final standings. 

Commencing the 2020 Xfinity season with a sixth-place result at Daytona, Haley achieved his first Xfinity Series career win at Talladega Superspeedway in June after receiving a push from teammates Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger to overtake future teammate Jeb Burton on the final lap. He went on to claim his second series career victory at Daytona in August after dodging a final lap accident involving teammates Allmendinger and Chastain. Qualifying for the Playoffs, Haley earned his third career victory at Talladega in October and joined Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the late Dale Earnhardt as the only competitors to achieve three consecutive superspeedway victories in the Xfinity Series. Along with his victories, Haley earned enough consistent results to earn a spot in the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway in November with an opportunity to contend for his first NASCAR Xfinity title. During the finale, however, Haley finished eighth on the track and third in the final standings. Despite falling short on the title, the 2020 season was a superb season for Haley, who achieved his first three career victories along with 10 top-five results, 21 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 10.3. His third-place result in the final standings is the best to date for Kaulig Racing.

Through the first 22 events of the 2021 Xfinity season, Haley and the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team earned three top-five results and 14 top-10 results. Despite being absent at Dover International Speedway in May due to COVID-19 protocols, the Indiana native remained in contention to make the Playoffs. Soon after, Haley solidified his spot in the Playoffs after edging teammate Allmendinger by 0.023 seconds to grab his fourth Xfinity career win at Daytona in August and first of the 2021 season.

Since winning at Daytona and competing in the Playoffs, Haley has notched seven consecutive results in the top 10 and is one of eight competitors still vying for the 2021 Xfinity title in the Round of 8. With a fourth-place result in his most recent series start at Kansas Speedway in October, Haley is ranked in fifth place in the Playoff standings and is seven points below the top-four cutline to make the Championship 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway in November and contend for his first NASCAR national touring series title.

Through 99 previous Xfinity starts, Haley has notched four career victories, 22 top-five results, 64 top-10 results, 190 laps led, an average-finishing result of 11.3 and three Playoff appearances.

Haley is set to make his 100th Xfinity Series career start at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 30, with the event scheduled to occur at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Chris Hacker – United Rentals 200 Race Advance

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 45 Sherfick Companies | Super DOPE Chiropractic Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Chris Hacker
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @chrishacker_

Hacker on Racing at Martinsville: “I am very excited about returning to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Niece Motorsports at Martinsville. Unfortunately, Las Vegas did not go as planned and I owe it to my team and all my partners to make it up to them on Saturday afternoon.

“I am also thrilled to have two Indiana companies from my hometown onboard for my Martinsville debut. I know it’s going to be a stacked race, but I feel that patience will go a long way.

“I’m hopeful that being patient and smart will pay off and put us in a good spot to contend for a strong finish with our No. 45 Sherfick Companies | Super DOPE Chiropractic Chevrolet Silverado.”

Hacker at Martinsville: Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway marks Hacker’s third start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and his first at the .526-mile track.

Honor a Cancer Hero: Peggy Remlin’s name will adorn the No. 45 Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway. Peggy was nominated by Wayne Remlin as part of the Honor a Cancer Hero initiative with the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation. Peggy lost her battle with cancer after two years of fighting. Her family wants her to be remembered as a strong, caring and wonderful mother.

On the Truck: Hacker and the No. 45 team will race with support Sherfick Companies and Super DOPE Chiropractic this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Sherfick Companies is a small family-owned construction company in Central Indiana.

The company began in residential construction and has grown to meet the commercial needs of local business owners as well as local multifamily complexes.

Super DOPE Chiropractic (SDC), located in Carmel, Indiana, aims to help the community live happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives through a range of services including chiropractic care, TRT Regenerative Therapy, nutrition advice and overall wellness care.

In addition to their location in Carmel, SDC also has an office in downtown Indianapolis, with five additional locations in the works.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

JR Motorsports — NXS Martinsville II Preview

By
Official Release
-

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Martinsville Speedway
RACE: Dead On Tools 250 (250 laps / 131.5 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 5:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Call of Duty Endowment Chevrolet
• Beginning this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Annett and Pilot Flying J will have a special paint scheme supporting Pilot Flying J’s initiative with Call of Duty Endowment, which helps veterans obtain high-quality jobs. The military green paint scheme will run this weekend and again next weekend in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
• Annett and the No. 1 Pilot Flying J/Call of Duty Endowment team will enter the final race of the Round of 8 in seventh, 25 points below the cut line in the owner’s championship.
• Annett has earned two top-10 finishes in two previous NXS starts at Martinsville.

Sam Mayer
No. 8 John 5 Sinner Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his third start on a track measuring less than one mile in length. Mayer’s best finish of ninth on such tracks came at Bristol Motor Speedway in September after leading 49 laps.
• Mayer has the colors of John 5’s new album, Sinner, displayed on the No. 8. The Sinner album is set to be released on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021.
• The 18-year-old Franklin, Wis. native is coming off a weekend where he scored his career best NXS finish of eighth. Mayer now has two top-10 finishes in his last three races.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson needs a stellar run this weekend at Martinsville to earn a spot in the Championship 4 as he currently sits 24 points below the cut line.
• Martinsville has been good to Gragson in the NXS. The young driver has finished third and second in his two starts there, and he’s led 35 laps between the two starts. In 2017, the young driver won the Camping World Truck Series event there, leading 10 laps on the way to his first career victory.
• To date in 2021, Gragson has accumulated two wins, 12 top fives and 19 top 10s while pacing the field for 207 laps.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier enters the final race in the Round of 8 as the third seed, nine points above the playoff cut line. Following this weekend’s event, the top four drivers in the standings will advance to the Championship 4 to compete for the NXS crown next week at Phoenix.
• In two previous NXS starts at Martinsville, Allgaier has earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes, with a best finish of second coming in this event last fall.
• Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet will be sporting the colors of Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters campaign this weekend in Martinsville. For more information about the campaign and for how you can become a Fridge Hunter, click here.

Driver Quotes

“We know what we have to do to advance into the Championship 4 on the owner’s side, and that’s run up front. Our Pilot Flying J/Call of Duty Endowment Chevrolet has been in the top 10 the last two times we’ve been at Martinsville, and we need to ramp that up to the top five to have a chance at advancing. I’m proud to feature Call of Duty Endowment for these final two races, supporting its effort to find high-quality jobs for those who have served our country so well.” – Michael Annett

“We know what we need to do this weekend in Martinsville with our Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters Chevrolet. It’s going to be a crazy race for sure with everyone fighting to try to advance to Phoenix, but if we can just be smooth, earn stage points at the end of both stages and keep our car clean, we can be there at the end to accomplish what we set out to do. We had a great car in this race last year to get us to Phoenix, and I know that Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and all of the guys on this JR Motorsports team will give me another one this weekend. Now we just need to execute the same way we have all season long.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’ve raced at Martinsville a couple times and it’s definitely a challenging track with it only having one dominant lane. I know this team will unload with a fast John 5 Sinner Chevrolet. The last time they were here this car was in Victory Lane so hopefully we can follow that up with another.” – Sam Mayer

“We need to go out and win this weekend in Martinsville to move us on to Phoenix to battle for a championship. That’s what we plan on doing. Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and this entire No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee team is doing whatever it takes throughout the week and I know we will have a great car when we unload this weekend.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:

• JRM at Martinsville: JRM has competed at “The Paperclip” a combined nine times in the NXS. Over the course of those nine starts at the half-mile facility, the organization has tallied one win, five top fives and eight top 10s, while holding the organization’s best average finish of 6.1. Josh Berry has the lone win at Martinsville, earning the victory in April of 2021.
• John 5 Sinner: Legendary guitarist and solo artist, John 5, has announced his highly anticipated new solo album, Sinner. Arriving just in time for the spookiest of holiday celebrations, the album will be released on Friday, October 29 via Big Machine Records. Pre orders are available here.
• Call of Duty Endowment: The No. 1 team of Michael Annett will feature a special paint scheme in conjunction with primary sponsor Pilot Flying J and the Call of Duty Endowment, which helps veterans obtain high-quality jobs. Annett’s Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will honor those who have served and sacrificed so much for our freedoms at Martinsville Speedway and in the Nov. 6 season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Since 2019, Pilot Company has contributed more than $500,000 to the Call of Duty Endowment, which has e

Ryan Truex – United Rentals 200 Race Advance

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 40 Marquis Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex
PR Contact: Amanda Efaw; aefaw@niecemotorsports.com

Truex on Racing at Martinsville: “It feels good to come to the track after a few really solid finishes,” said Truex. “This team has battled hard all year long, and to finally get those results is rewarding. We’re going to do all we can to close out the year on a high note and get our Marquis Chevrolet up front.”

Truex at Martinsville: Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway marks Truex’s seventh start at the Virginia short track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Truex has four top-15 finishes in those six starts, with a best finish of 10th coming in 2017.

The New Jersey native has one NASCAR Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway, coming in 2014.

Honor a Cancer Hero: Baylee Cromwell’s name will adorn the No. 40 Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway. Baylee was nominated by Jerrod Deitchler as part of the Honor a Cancer Hero initiative with the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation.

On the Truck: Truex will race with support from Marquis this week at Martinsville Speedway.

Marquis, an employee-owned company founded in 1980, builds world-class hot tubs in the USA. Designed with cutting-edge features, Marquis hot tubs deliver the ultimate hydromassage experience, costing less to operate, and requiring the least amount of maintenance. Marquis is proud to craft spas designed to enhance health and well-being. For more information, visit: www.marquisspas.com.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 10.27.21

By
Official Release
-

This Week in Motorsports: October 25-31, 2021

· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Martinsville Speedway – October 30-31

PLANO, Texas (October 27, 2021) – Three of NASCAR’s top three series battle this weekend at the track known as the paperclip – Martinsville Speedway – to decide the Championship 4 Playoff spots.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NCWTS

Martin plans for another Martinsville win… Martin Truex Jr. has been stellar at the Virginia-short track recently. The 2017 Cup Series champion has won three of the last four NASCAR Cup Series races at the track – including a victory earlier this season. Truex Jr. comes into the final race in the Round of 8 just three points below the Playoff cutoff.

Hamlin wants to secure another Championship 4 berth… Denny Hamlin is looking to secure his third straight Championship 4 berth this weekend. Hamlin holds a 32-point advantage over fifth in the standings as the Virginia-native heads to a track where he has earned five career Cup Series victories (March 2008, October 2009, March 2010, October 2010, March 2015).

Busch ready for another Grandfather Clock… Kyle Busch currently holds the final Championship 4 spot by a single point heading into Martinsville. Busch has two wins at Martinsville in the Cup Series (April 2016, October 2017).

Hemric looks to clinch Championship 4 spot… Daniel Hemric leads Team Toyota heading into Martinsville as he sits fourth overall – the final position to advance to the Championship 4 in the Xfinity Series Playoff race. Hemric finished third at the first stop at Martinsville earlier this season. Hemric’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Brandon Jones and Harrison Burton both will need a victory to advance. Burton won at Martinsville Speedway last fall.

Gibbs top rookie… Ty Gibbs will clinch the Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honors at Martinsville, simply by starting the race. The 19-year-old won both the national ARCA Menards Series Championship and the Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway last Saturday. Gibbs has four wins in his limited schedule along with nine top-fives and 10 top-10 finishes.

Garrett to run at his home track… Colin Garrett will make his first Xfinity start at Martinsville Speedway – his home track – this weekend. The Elmo, Virginia native is making his fifth start of the season in Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 26 Toyota Supra. He has three top-20 finishes in four starts this season.

Toyota looks to make Truck Series history… Toyota drivers could make Playoff history in the Truck Series as they look to sweep all the Championship 4 spots. Since the current Playoff system was brought to the Truck Series in 2016, no manufacturer has swept all four final positions. Currently, John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton hold the top three spots, with Stewart Friesen in fifth – just five points below the final Championship 4 berth.

Clinching another Truck Series manufacturer’s title… Toyota will clinch its 12th manufacturer’s title in the Truck Series this weekend. Toyota drivers have won 14 of the first 20 races this season. It is Toyota’s seventh manufacturer’s title in the last nine Truck Series seasons.

Heim returns… Toyota development driver Corey Heim will make his third career Truck Series start this weekend at Martinsville Speedway in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Heim won six races in the ARCA Menards Series this season and finished every race inside the top-10 on his way to a runner-up result in the point standings.

Stay Connected

https://www.toyota.com/racing @ToyotaRacing.com @ToyotaRacing

facebook.com/ToyotaRacing Camera With Flash on Apple iOS 11.3 ToyotaRacingMedia.com

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Carson Hocevar – United Rentals 200

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 42 Good Sam Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar
PR Contact: Amanda Efaw; aefaw@niecemotorsports.com

Hocevar on Racing at Martinsville: “Really the pressure is off this week,” said Hocevar. “We know what we have to do, and so our destiny is in our hands. We’re in a position where we have to win to advance in the playoffs. I’m proud of every single person at this team, they’ve worked hard all year and have never given up. We’re going to do all that we can to put our Good Sam Chevrolet in position to win this race. Thank you to Marcus Lemonis and Good Sam for their support.”

Hocevar at Martinsville: Hocevar will make his second start at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. In his previous start, which came last season, Hocevar started 33rd and led five laps before finishing 13th.

In the Points: Hocevar was having a strong run at Talladega Superspeedway before being collected in one of the ‘big ones’, which ended his day early. Hocevar enters the playoff cutoff race at Martinsville Speedway in seventh place in the driver point standings.

Honor a Cancer Hero: Annika Drolema’s name will adorn the No. 42 Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway. Annika was nominated by her uncle Butch Drolema as part of the Honor a Cancer Hero initiative with the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and the NASCAR Foundation. Annika is a Leukemia survivor.

On the Truck: The No. 42 Chevrolet will race with support from Good Sam this week at Martinsville Speedway.

Since 1966 Good Sam has delivered big savings, plus dependable services for millions of RVers. Today, Good Sam continues to provide a wide range of money-saving discounts and a range of services to help RVers enjoy their time on the road and focus on the fun!

As the world’s largest organization of RV owners, Good Sam members enjoy 10% savings in our network of 2,100+ Good Sam Parks in the United States and Canada. Members also get discounts at Camping World and Gander RV & Outdoors retail locations along with instant fuel discounts at select Pilot Flying J locations. Plus, Good Sam members enjoy savings on propane, installation fees, free online RV trip planning, show discounts and much more!

Good Sam has you covered with Roadside Assistance, extended warranty plans, RV and auto insurance, life and health insurance and travel assistance programs. Plus, the Good Sam Finance Center offers RV loans that could help you save on RV purchases or refinances. And, card holders earn points on every purchase with the Good Sam Rewards Visa.©

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

1...2,2872,2882,289...6,737Page 2,288 of 6,737