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DGR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Advance: Talladega Superspeedway

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Saturday, October 2
Track: Talladega Superspeedway, 2.66-mile oval
Race: 20 of 22
Event: Chevrolet Silverado 250 (94 laps, 250 miles)

Schedule
Race: 1:00 p.m. ET (FS1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Monster Ford F-150

  • Deegan is making her 21st career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start on Saturday afternoon at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
  • The Ford driver is making her second career NCWTS superspeedway start. Earlier this year in February at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Deegan made her first superspeedway start from ninth and ran in the top-10, but finished 24th after making contact with the wall and damaging her F-150.
  • In last weekend’s event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the young driver started 17th in the Craftsman F-150. Deegan had a strong run for most of the event, but late in the race she received contact from a spinning truck and was forced to retire her truck and finish 31st.
  • In June of 2020, Deegan made an ARCA Menards Series start at the Alabama superspeedway. She started third and finished seventh in the 75-lap event.
  • Veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. has called 12 NCWTS events at Talladega. The New York native has earned three wins — 2007 and 2008 with Todd Bodine, 2020 with Raphael Lessard — and three pole awards, along with seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes at the 2.66-mile venue.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

  • Gray makes his 20th start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season and 46th of his career on Saturday afternoon.
  • At Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Friday night, the 22-year-old driver battled inside the top-10 for most of the race and was running as high as second late in the final stage. After a lap 117 caution, he restarted 10th and suffered a flat tire that trapped him two laps down and relegated him to a 23rd-place finish.
  • Gray has two previous starts the 2.66-mile superspeedway – one with the NCWTS and one with the ARCA Menards Series. In the truck race last season, he was involved in a multi-truck crash and finished 29th.
  • Drivetrain issues derailed Gray’s one and only attempt at a superspeedway this season back at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February before turning a single lap.
  • Marcus Richmond has called 12 career races at Talladega with two wins, three top-fives and four top-10s. Both wins came with Timothy Peters in back-to-back visits to the track in 2014 and 2015.

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

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

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Talladega 250, Race 20 of 22 (Race 2 in the Round of 8)
94 Laps –20/20/54; 250.04 Miles
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Oct. 2, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Goes Superspeedway Racing:

  • Chandler Smith and the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass team head to Talladega Superspeedway Saturday for the second race in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs. Smith had a fast Tundra in the early portion of the opening race of the round at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, finishing third in the opening stage and 10th in Stage Two before being relegated to a 35th-place finish after getting caught up in an accident in the Final Stage. The Georgia native enters this weekend’s race 24 points below the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4. After Saturday’s 94-lap event, the Round of 8 concludes Oct. 30 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
  • The talented teenager has proven to be a quick learner when it comes to restrictor-plate racing. He made his first superspeedway start at Talladega last October after turning 18 in June. He maneuvered his way from just outside the top 10 with 20 laps remaining up to fourth for a restart with two laps remaining. Smith was tucked in behind former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne in the middle lane with his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Raphael Lessard and Ben Rhodes nose to tail next to them on the inside lane as the field went down the backstretch on the final lap. A multi-truck wreck broke out mid-pack and the caution flew as the field was going through Turn 4. After NASCAR reviewed the cameras, Smith was credited with a third-place result. In his second superspeedway start earlier this year, he led a race-high 22 laps and finished ninth at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
  • The 19-year-old collected his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Sept. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Smith muscled his way past reigning Truck Series champion Shelden Creed on a restart with five laps remaining and then held off his KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek to collect the victory in his 34th career start in NASCAR’s third division. The Safelite driver fended off playoff elimination with the hard-fought victory.
  • Smith finished the regular season 10th on the Camping World Truck Series playoff grid, 10 points above the cutoff line for qualifying for the post season, after posting three top-five and five top-10 finishes across 15 races. Smith and fellow Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Carson Hocevar are the only two drivers who are competing for a driver’s championship for the first time. The other eight contenders have all competed for the Truck Series championship at least one time in previous seasons. Overall, across 19 starts in 2021, Smith has recorded one win, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 18.2.
  • The Toyota Racing Development driver has one win, 12 top-five, and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.5 across 35 career Camping World Truck Series starts. In addition to his Bristol win, he has posted two runner-up finishes; at Knoxville Raceway earlier this season and at Bristol in 2019.
  • Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman calls the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2021. Stockman led the No. 51 team to four wins in his first season atop the pit box at KBM in 2020. He came to the organization with experience as a crew chief in all three national series, including a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s drivers have finished inside the top 10 in all three of his races at Talladega with Smith’s third-place finish last season his best result.
  • Safelite AutoGlass – the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration services – will serve as the primary sponsor on Smith’s Tundra at Bristol and for 16 races total this season. Smith General Contracting and Fortune-Johnson, a premier building contractor for multifamily projects in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, will be associate partners on the bedtop of the No. 18 Toyota for Saturday’s 94-lap event.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:

You had a strong run at Talladega last year. Does that give you confidence as you head back there this week?
“I’m kind of hesitant to answer these types of questions on restrictor-plate tracks because a lot of it has to do with luck, timing and being at the right place at the right time. Daytona we were really good, led the most laps and at the very end we got caught up and had a flat right-rear tire that ended our day. Talladega last year, we finished I think third, but we were going to race back to the line and have the potential to have a photo finish. Overall, I’m comfortable on these tracks and I’m looking forward to it.”

What do you think it takes to be a good superspeedway racer?
“I don’t know, I’m still brand new to it. I think patience and looking out to see different moves and what you can do to advance your row or advance your position and not get in a bad situation. Also protecting what you already have, which is a lot to say and a lot to do, but I feel like that’s what it takes to be a good superspeedway racer and those are the things I’ve been following recently every time I’ve been on a superspeedway. It has seemed to work out for me.”

You climbed out of a points deficit in the opening round. Does that give you confidence that you can repeat it in the Round of 8?
“(Las) Vegas stung for sure because I thought our Safelite AutoGlass Tundra was probably the best truck out there at the start of Stage Three. I thought we were going to go ahead and advance ourselves into the next round, but circumstances didn’t end that way, so we are going to go to Talladega and Martinsville and try to repeat what we did at Bristol and bring home another win.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

  • Across 35 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded one win (Bristol Motor Speedway, 9/16/2021), 267 laps led, 12 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.5.
  • Posted an average finish of 7.7 across his final seven of 12 total Truck Series starts in 2020, including third-place finishes in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway and his first career superspeedway start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October.
  • Produced three top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.2 across his first four career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2019. He led 55 laps and finished eighth in his Gander Trucks debut at Iowa Speedway last July and then posted top-five finishes in his final three starts, including a runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
  • Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1783 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.4 across 34 career ARCA Menards Series starts. Set an ARCA Racing Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career and earned his first victory after leading a race-high 102 laps at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:
KBM-64: The No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass team will unload KBM-64 for Saturday’s race at Talladega. Smith most recently piloted this Tundra at Daytona in February where he led a race-high 22 laps and finished ninth. The Georgia native also piloted this same chassis to a third-place finish at Talladega last October.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 68 laps led, nine top-five and 17 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.6 across 28 starts at Talladega.
  • Raphael Lessard collected the first victory of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career last year at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Owner-driver Kyle Busch was victorious in the 2010 event when he finished 0.002 seconds ahead of Aric Almirola in the closest finish in Truck Series history since electronic scoring was instituted.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (89) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway Chandler Smith became the 17th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 22 career victories.

Ryan Truex – Chevrolet Silverado 250 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 40 Circle B Diecast / Marquis Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at Talladega: “Our Circle B Diecast / Marquis Chevrolet looks awesome; I’m excited to get it on the track at Talladega,” said Truex. “We had a really solid run last week at Las Vegas, and we are looking to build on that at Talladega. This is usually a pretty wild race, but we’re going to do our best to stay out of trouble and be there at the end.”

Truex at Talladega: Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway will mark Truex’s third start at the track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. His best finish of eighth came in 2016.

Truex also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 2.66-mile track, with his best finish of 11th coming in 2012.

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

On the Truck: Truex will race with support from CircleBDiecast.com and Marquis this week at Talladega Superspeedway.

“I grew up playing with diecasts and collecting them, so it’s always neat when I can get behind the wheel of a Circle B Diecast livery,” said Truex. “Working with Brent and our creative team always means the scheme is going to be wild. They did a great job with this one and I think it’ll really stand out on the track. I can’t wait to do some superspeedway racing at ‘Dega!”

Plan B Sales was founded in 2010 with the goal of bringing service to dealers that carry licensed motorsports products. Plan B Sales started as a Lionel diecast and Chase Authentics apparel distributor. Over the last few years Plan B Sales has grown to be the largest account for Lionel, servicing the motorsports market and has expanded its product offerings.

Plan B Sales has quickly become the choice of dealers for a one-stop stocking distributor. Its product offering also includes Auto World, Greenlight Collectibles, BrandArt and are the exclusive distributor for University of Racing product lines.

In September of 2020, Plan B Sales decided to split its wholesale and retail business into two different websites to better serve each segment of customers, effectively launching CircleBDiecast.com.

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.

Carson Hocevar – Chevrolet Silverado 250 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 42 Good Sam Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on Racing Talladega: “I learned a lot at Daytona earlier this year that I think will really help me at Talladega this weekend,” said Hocevar. “Our Good Sam Chevrolet looks incredible – this whole organization is so appreciative of Marcus Lemonis’ support, and everyone at Good Sam. We have nothing to lose this weekend. We have two weeks to do everything we can to put ourselves in position to compete for a championship in Phoenix.”

Hocevar at Talladega: Hocevar will make his first start at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday. Hocevar, who was not yet 18-years-old last season, was unable to run the superspeedways, due to NASCAR rules.

Earlier this season, in his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start on a superspeedway at Daytona International Speedway, Hocevar started 12th and finished fifth.

In the Points: Hocevar had a strong run going at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but a loose wheel forced him to pit road under green flag conditions with just a handful of laps remaining. Without any time to battle back, Hocevar was left with a 22nd-place finish. Following the first race of the Round of Eight, Hocevar sits sixth in the playoff standings, 16 points out of fourth.

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

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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Talladega Playoff Advance

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Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: TALLADEGA NOTES

The NASCAR playoffs continue with a second straight tripleheader weekend, but this time the venue is Talladega Superspeedway. The NASCAR Camping World Truck and NASCAR XFINITY Series will highlight a Saturday afternoon doubleheader while the NASCAR Cup Series headlines the finale on Sunday. Here’s a look at where Ford drivers stand in each series and how the manufacturer has fared at NASCAR’s biggest track.

This Week’s Schedule:

Saturday, Oct. 2 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, Oct. 2 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 4:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Sunday, Oct. 3 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2 p.m. ET (NBC)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT TALLADEGA

  • Ford has 31 all-time series wins at Talladega, including 10 of the last 12, and 11 of the last 14.
  • Ford has won at least one Talladega Cup race each of the last 10 years.
  • Brad Keselowski is going for a Talladega season sweep this weekend.

ROUND OF 12 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 advance after Charlotte)

5- Ryan Blaney +24
7- Joey Logano +6
8- Brad Keselowski +4
10- Kevin Harvick -7

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT TALLADEGA

  • Ford has 6 series wins at Talladega.
  • The first Ford victory in the series was by Chad Little in 1995.
  • Six different Ford drivers have series wins at Talladega.

ROUND OF 12 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 advance after Charlotte)

1- Austin Cindric +66
11- Riley Herbst -32

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT TALLADEGA

  • Ford has 1 series wins at Talladega.
  • That victory came in the inaugural series race when Mark Martin won in 2006.

TEAM PENSKE ROLLING AT TALLADEGA

Team Penske drivers Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney have combined to win 9 of the last 14 NCS races at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski started this run by winning in 2014 and has registered four victories at the track during this stretch. Logano won this weekend’s event in back-to-back seasons (2015-16) while Blaney has followed suit, winning twice in the last three years at Talladega.

KESELOWSKI CLIMBING ALL-TIME TALLADEGA WIN LIST

Brad Keselowski will be going for a season sweep this weekend after taking the checkered flag in the spring for his sixth career win at Talladega Superspeedway. That victory makes him the winningest active driver at the track and is tied for second on the all-time Talladega Cup win list with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. The track’s all-time winner is Dale Earnhardt Sr., who won 10 times during his NASCAR Hall of Fame career.

ALMIROLA ALRIGHT AT TALLADEGA

Stewart-Haas driver Aric Almirola has had his share of success recently at Talladega Superspeedway, having posted eight top 10 finishes in the last 10 races at NASCAR’s biggest track. Almirola, who won the playoff race at Talladega in 2018, had his streak of eight straight top 10 finishes come to an end last year in this event when an accident on lap 58 ended his day with a 37th-place result.

TALLADEGA TOP 10’s FOR NEWMAN

Ryan Newman has competed in five NASCAR Cup Series events at Talladega Superspeedway since joining Roush Fenway Racing in 2019 and produced three top 10 finishes. Newman was seventh in his first outing with the team, and then later that year had the lead coming off turn four before getting nipped at the finish line by Ryan Blaney in a photo finish. Last season, he finished 24th in the first race and sixth in the playoff event. He narrowly missed extending that streak this past spring when he finished 13th. This weekend will mark Newman’s 40th career series start at TSS.

Ford Talladega Highlights:

WINNING IN THE CLUTCH

Needing a win to advance in the Playoffs, Brad Keselowski did exactly that in winning the Geico 500 on Oct. 19, 2014. The win was Keselowski’s sixth of the year, most for any driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, and enabled him to move into the next round. Keselowski got a push from Penske teammate Joey Logano on the final green-white-checker restart and held off Matt Kenseth for the win.

ROUND OF 12 SWEEP

Joey Logano made history in 2015 when he came to Talladega Superspeedway and completed a three-race Round of 12 sweep by surviving a green-white-checker finish to win the CampingWorld.com 500. Logano became the first driver to sweep an entire round in only the second year of the format and won for the sixth time in 2015. In order to do it, he had to survive an aborted green-white-checker restart and then the official restart after it was determined by NASCAR that the original attempt had not gone green before an accident back in the pack occurred. The cars lined up again and shortly after Logano passed the start-finish line, a multi-car wrecked ensued that involved Kevin Harvick, who was having engine issues which brought the caution out and gave Logano the win.

BAKER PROVIDES MOORE SUCCESS

The first time Ford went to victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway was May 4, 1975 when Buddy Baker, driving for Hall of Fame car owner Bud Moore, held off David Pearson on the final lap. The win was Baker’s ninth career victory and came after he took the lead with 18 laps to go. One of the key decisions in getting Baker to the checkered flag first came when his team opted for two tires on its final pit stop of the day while Pearson and the Wood Brothers decided on gas only. Even though Pearson steadily gained ground on the final lap, Baker was able to hold on by half a car length to win. That started a streak which saw Baker and Moore win three straight Talladega races.

DAVEY ALLISON’S FIRST WIN

Ford has had many milestone moments at Talladega Superspeedway, including the first NASCAR Cup Series win for the late Davey Allison, who won the Winston 500 on May 3, 1987. The race came down to a restart with 10 laps to go in which Allison found himself behind Dale Earnhardt in the outside lane. Earnhardt bolted to the lead when the green flew and Allison tucked in right behind him through turns one and two. As they came off the second corner, Allison went to the inside and easily passed Earnhardt for what proved to be the winning pass. Terry Labonte ended up finishing second with Earnhardt third. Allison went on to win 19 NCS races, including three at Talladega.

ROBERT YATES RACING’S FINAL WIN

When Dale Jarrett won the UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 2, 2005 it ended up being the final trip to victory lane for Robert Yates Racing. This race came down to a green-white-checker restart, where Jarrett was positioned fourth. He was still in that spot when they came around to start the final lap, but quickly moved to the outside as Tony Stewart grabbed the lead on the inside lane. The two drivers battled side-by-side down the backstretch before Jarrett powered his way in front. Seconds after getting the lead, Kyle Petty was involved in a single-car accident that brought out the caution as the cars entered turn three. Jarrett was declared the winner after NASCAR verified that he was in front at the time the yellow flag was thrown. The win was RYR’s 57th triumph in the NASCAR Cup Series, and came six years after the team won its only championship with Jarrett in 1999.

DAVID RAGAN’S SURPRISE VICTORY

And then there was David Ragan, who became the 11th driver to win a NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway when he took the checkered flag in the 2013 Aaron’s 499. The win was his second series victory and first for Front Row Motorsports, and it ended in typical Talladega fashion. As the cars came to the white flag it was Carl Edwards in the lead while Ragan was fifth and tucked in the middle lane behind Aric Almirola. When Almirola moved to the high side, it enabled Ragan and teammate David Gilliland to work together and push their way forward. The duo was behind Edwards off turn two, but they made their move to the inside on the backstretch and made what proved to be the decisive pass.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA

1975 – Buddy Baker (Sweep)
1976 – Buddy Baker (1)
1979 – Bobby Allison (1)
1983 – Dale Earnhardt (2)
1985 – Bill Elliott and Cale Yarborough
1987 – Davey Allison and Bill Elliott
1989 – Davey Allison and Terry Labonte
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1994 – Jimmy Spencer (2)
1995 – Mark Martin (1)
1997 – Mark Martin (1)
1998 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2005 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2009 – Jamie McMurray (2)
2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2013 – David Ragan (1)
2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2016 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Joey Logano (2)
2017 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1) and Brad Keselowski (2)
2018 – Joey Logano (1) and Aric Almirola (2)
2019 – Ryan Blaney (2)
2020 – Ryan Blaney (1)
2021 – Brad Keselowski (1)

FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA

1995 – Chad Little
1997 – Mark Martin
2002 – Jason Keller
2009 – David Ragan
2015 – Joey Logano
2017 – Aric Almirola

FORD’S NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA

2006 – Mark Martin

Zipadelli to serve as Harvick’s crew chief at Talladega

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Scott Scoggins for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Greg Zipadelli is slated to serve as an interim crew chief for Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Playoff event at Talladega Superspeedway.

Zipadelli, a two-time Cup championship-winning crew chief with 34 career victories, serves as competition director for Stewart-Haas Racing. He will be filling in for Rodney Childers, who will not be participating this weekend at Talladega after Harvick’s car was found with two lug nuts not secured following last weekend’s Playoff event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In addition to serving his one-race suspension, Childers is anticipated to be fined $20,000 from NASCAR.

With Zipadelli serving as Harvick’s crew chief, veteran Tony Gibson will be serving as competition director for all SHR operations this weekend.

Talladega will mark Zipadelli’s first time serving as an interim crew chief this season. The previous season, he served as an interim crew chief for six NASCAR national touring series events (four with Chase Briscoe in the Xfinity Series and two with Clint Bowyer in the Cup Series). During the six-race schedule, Zipadelli guided Briscoe and the No. 98 SHR Ford Mustang team to three victories (Homestead-Miami Speedway and Pocono Raceway in June along with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in July).

Currently, Harvick, who finished ninth in the previous Cup event at Las Vegas, is ranked in 10th place in the Cup Playoff standings and is seven points below the top-eight cutline. While he has yet to record his first victory of this season, he has achieved eight top-five results and 20 top-10 results as he is nearing 750 Cup career starts.

The upcoming Cup Playoff event at Talladega is scheduled to occur on Sunday, October 3, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

M&M’S Racing: Kyle Busch Talladega Advance

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Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH
What a Difference a Year Makes

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Sept. 28, 2021) – When looking at the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, Kyle Busch sits in a much different position than he did one year ago.

Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), earned 22 playoff points during the regular season, and while the first round of the playoffs was not what he had hoped for, the Las Vegas native started the Round of 12 much closer to how he’s run all season. In fact, not only did Busch bring those previous playoff points into the 2021 Cup Series playoffs, but with 18 stage points and a strong third-place run at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend, Busch finds himself with a 35-point cushion over the eighth-place cutoff position.

Contrast this to Busch’s position one year ago, when he sat eight points below the cutline. However, the most unpredictable track in the playoffs is looming this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Sunday’s YellaWood 500. Busch and his fellow competitors know the racing outcome at the mammoth, 2.66-mile high-banked oval is more of an unknown than any of the others on the schedule. Busch has found fortune there, both good and bad. With lessons learned from his now 17-season career, the two-time Cup Series champion knows anything can happen at Talladega.

With Busch’s strong third-place finish at Las Vegas last weekend, he and his M&M’S team know that every point matters in the NASCAR playoff format. He maximized his stage points at Las Vegas and has a much more optimistic outlook heading into Talladega than one year ago. Still, nothing is a given at a place like Talladega. So far, only JGR teammate Denny Hamlin, by virtue of his win at Las Vegas, is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs’ Round of 8. At Talladega, one lap, or even one corner, could change a driver’s fortunes one way or another, and quite quickly.

Busch has conquered Talladega just once in his career, his lone win coming in April 2008. In his 32 starts at the track, he has 13 other top-15 finishes, and six outings that ended in an accident. So, the Las Vegas native knows the winner of Sunday’s 500-mile race will need to have a strong car and some good fortune at NASCAR’s longest track. If Busch could bring home a solid finish, it could bolster his chances of making it to the next round of the playoffs following next weekend’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

So, as Talladega looms, Busch hopes to stay out of the chaos with his M&M’S Camry, then head to Charlotte the following week with a shot at advancing in the tightly contested Cup Series playoffs.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

How will you and the team approach this weekend at Talladega?

“I’m just going to do what I’m told to do. I’ve been in front and been a part of a wreck, and I’ve been riding in the back and been taken out, too. There’s really no place that’s safe. With this race being the second race of the round, you have to try and run up front and hope that you don’t have some bad luck and just bring home a solid finish. We’ll do the best we can this weekend with our M&M’S Camry and see where the points fall for us afterward, then focus on what we need to do at the Roval.”

Do you try and duplicate what worked at Talladega before?

“There are obviously times when you feel like you want to push hard and go get a win, or go get a better finish than where you’re currently running. But, you know you’ve just got to do what you can in order to let these races kind of fall into place, and sometimes it’s just worth taking the finish that’s coming to you and moving on and going to the next one. It doesn’t always help to push too hard, either, at times. There’s a balance there, for sure. It can also help to just sit back, relax and finish where you can, so we’ll see how it plays out for us. For example, we had a strong car and ran up front there last year in the first race but just didn’t have enough Toyotas running up front at the end to get any help. That’s what it comes down to a lot at Talladega, getting the help from your teammates, since it’s hard to do that on your own.”

What does it do for you mentally to be above the cutline going to Talladega?

“I don’t know. I’ve said it and I’ll say it all the time – if you can go to Talladega and you can come out of there with a 12th-place finish with no stage points, that’s a successful day. I’ll take that right now if you told me I can take that finish and move on.”

What did you learn about the current superspeedway racing package at Daytona and Talladega so far?

“Everything is just a bit slower. The runs are slower, so it takes more momentum to get built up and takes more energy behind you in order to make a move for the win. But it keeps everyone packed up a bit tighter, and also strength is in numbers. I think that’s kind of still the same as the past. You can have 10 guys on the inside and 15 guys on the outside and it’s all going to venture up to the outside because the outside is faster with a bit more cars. It’s superspeedway racing, every time we are in it we are not far enough from the front that we are always crashing. Heck, you can be leading and get wrecked. That’s happened twice this year from guys behind you.”

Event Overview:

● Event: YellaWood 500
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 3
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps, 500.08 miles
● Format: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC/ MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Meet the No. 18 M&M’S / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Blake Houston
Hometown: Enochville, North Carolina

Jackman: T.J. Ford
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero
Hometown: Salem, Connecticut

Road Crew Members:

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Truck Driver: Chris Miko

Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Tom McCrimmon
Hometown: Spicer, Minnesota

Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Justin Peiffer
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Notes of Interest:

● Round of 12: Busch was able to survive and advance to the Round of 12 of the 2021 Cup Series playoffs, and started strong in the first race of the round last weekend at Las Vegas, finishing in third. Busch has racked up 22 important playoff points he can take with him through each round. He sits third on the playoff grid with a 35 point cushion over the eighth-place cutoff with his 12 top-five finishes and 18 top-10s.
● All in the Stats: Busch has one win, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s and has led a total of 256 laps in 32 career Cup Series starts at Talladega. Busch’s average Talladega finish is 20.8.
● Alone in Ninth: With Busch’s win at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in June, the two-time Cup Series champion scored his 59th career win in NASCAR’s top series as he moved past Kevin Harvick into sole possession of ninth on the all-time win list. Next up on the win list is Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer who won 76 races during his storied career.
● 222 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 222 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Talladega. In addition to his 59 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 61 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

Ken Thwaits Claims Second Podium of the Season at Virginia International Raceway

By
Official Release
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Franklin, TENNESSEE – September 28, 2021 – Ken Thwaits returned to the scene of his 2020 triumph in the Xtreme GT Class to claim another podium spot at Virginia International Raceway, this time putting together a smooth drive for his third place in the TA Class. The event marked Round 11

It was the second podium of the season for Thwaits, matching his performance at Laguna Seca and a terrific return for a driver in his first season in the iconic muscle car class. It puts him in prime position to claim P4 overall when the season concludes in November at Circuit of The Americas.

Ken was described in the broadcast commentary as “Mr. Trans Am” for his exploits this year in both TA and TA2, not forgetting his promotion of the Series with branded Franklin Road Apparel.

He qualified the No. 5 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro in P6 with a time of 1:49:416 and subsequently took advantage of the retirements in the race of Ernie Francis, Tomy Drissi and Simon Gregg to climb the field. Chris Dyson took the checkered flag uncontested to claim his first Trans Am Championship title. We spoke to Ken as he stepped off the podium and he was understandably pleased with the afternoon’s work.

“It’s my best finish of the season. On the road, third place podium. I’ll take it. We kind of chipped away at everything all weekend. We weren’t really fast but I knew I had a fast race car.”

After a yellow flag Ken had a brief tussle with Simon Gregg before the former Champion retired, “On the restart Simon and I were pretty much clicking off the same lap times so I was getting ready to dig in and have a battle with him and then I don’t know what happened to his car but he pulled off. It was just clear sailing from there. I just made sure I didn’t make any mistakes. [Crew Chief] Gary was telling me to back it down but whenever you do that you make mistakes so I just kept a decent pace up, and made sure I braked a little early apart from that I kept driving the same line.”

It was a very smooth drive from Ken who avoided all the trouble for a great finish with a reliable TA car.

Ken and Franklin Road have been supporting Trans Am all season and there is a commemorative t-shirt available to highlight the inaugural Music City Grand Prix, together with the rest of a great range of clothing at www.franklinroadapparel.com.

Next up for Ken in the 2021 season is the Heacock Classic for Trans Am at the current Formula One Grand Prix circuit, the Circuit of the Americas November 5 to 7 where we hope Ken can claim a richly deserved fourth place overall in the Drivers’ Championship.

Download the new Trans Am Racing App and watch the race events live from the Google PlayStore or Apple from your smartphone or mobile device.

Learn more about the Showtime Motorsports team partner, Franklin Road Apparel, at franklinroad.com and showtimemotorsports.net. Keep up to date with the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at gotransam.com.

Check out the Showtime Motorsports Facebook page: facebook.com/showtimemotorsp/ and @ShowtimeMotorsp on Instagram.

About Showtime Motorsports:
The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwait’s racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members.

Jean-Philippe Bergeron Joins DGR for Three Races

By
Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 27, 2021)—David Gilliland Racing (DGR) announced today that Lanaudière, Quebec, Canada native Jean-Philippe “Bergy” Bergeron will join DGR to pilot a Ford Fusion with the ARCA Menards Series for three races to conclude the 2021 season. Bergeron will make his DGR debut at Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200.

“We had the chance to see Jean-Philippe Bergeron perform on the oval track at the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna in February, and we are very happy to have him with us to finish the 2021 season,” David Gilliland, team co-owner, said.

In addition to Salem, the Canadian driver will compete at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City on October 23 with the ARCA Menards Series, as well as Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on November 6 with the ARCA Menards Series West.

“It is an honor to be able to drive for one of the best developmental stock car teams in the United States,” Bergeron said. “You only get one chance to make a good first impression and I intend to give it my all to impress those who have encouraged and supported me over the past few years. I know that I am in good hands with DGR and this experience will certainly have a major impact on my career as a professional driver.”

Bergeron will have support from multiple partners for his first foray into ARCA. Partners include Festidrag Development, Aviation NETWorx, Aero Skills Tournament, Prolon Controls, JCPerreault, Technoflex, NeuroVision, CTSR, Hamel Honda, Rousseau Metal, Silverwax, Hipertech, Groupe GBI, Globocam, Permatex and Festidrag.TV.

The Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Salem Speedway will be televised live on MAVTV and streamed on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 2.

About Festidrag Development

Festidrag Development offers emerging Canadian drivers the support to help them progress positively in their discipline according to their level and their need, through a customized program. The objective is to offer them the best tools, not only at the competition level, but also in terms of media communication, branding, self-promotion, sponsorship research and partner relations.

About Aviation NETWorX and the Aero Skills Tournament

Founded by Jay Logie and ATG, Aviation NETWorX, is a continuously improving pipeline of skilled people that connects technicians and employers in the aircraft manufacturing and maintenance industry. Using a proactive approach to better identify proven technicians and teams, Aviation NETWorX is committed to the success of its partner aviation employers and NETWorX technicians. The Aero Skills Tournament, established in 2016, showcases the expertise of aviation workers across North America, while planting the aero trade seed. These trade competition events are open to the public and help attract potential technicians to aviation careers in an effort to address the shortage of skilled people. For more information visit www.aviationnetworx.com.

About David Gilliland Racing

David Gilliland Racing (DGR) is a race team owned by NASCAR veteran David Gilliland and businessman Johnny Gray. The team specializes in driver development, competing full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, multiple ARCA Menards Series divisions and CARS Tour with factory support from Ford Performance. In its first four years of operation, DGR has achieved success in each series tallying up multiple wins and championships. The team operates out of three buildings totaling 60,000 square feet in Mooresville, N.C.

GRX Loenbro Kicks Off the 2021 Nitro Rallycross Championship in Utah with Second Place

By
Official Release
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Salt Lake City, UT – GRX Loenbro driver Steve Arpin battled his HempFusion Hyundai i20 to a 2nd place finish to kick off the 2021 Nitro Rallycross season. After seeing his new ride for the first time just a few days prior, Arpin quickly acclimated himself to the new platform during open practice session on Thursday and Friday.

“We couldn’t have hoped for a better way to kick off the 2021 Nitro Rallycross Championship. The GRX Loenbro HempFusion #00 has been like a rocket since the guys pulled it out of the shipping container. It’s been 2 years since I’ve raced in rallycross and it took me a little bit to get used to the differences between this new platform and the Fiesta, but I think we are in a great spot! Pumped to bring home this 2nd place finish!” Steve Arpin

Competition began with a 5th fastest time in solo qualifying placing Arpin in Heat 4 for the forthcoming head-to-head battle rounds. Arpin powered past Robin Larsson in the 1st round and Tanner oust in the 2nd to setup a battle between himself and Travis Pastrana. A 3-lap back-and-forth battle between the two ultimately ended with Pastrana taking the checkered flag first ending day one of competition for the GRX Loenbro team.

Day 2 of competition kicked off Saturday with heat races. Sitting in 3rd place following the conclusion of day 1’s events, Arpin lined up P2 for heat race 2. A tense battle between himself, Travis Pastrana and Andreas Bakkerud ensued following the drop of the green flag. Once the dust cleared, Pastrana and Arpin crossed the line P1 and P2 respectively, moving them directly to the 10-car final. In the final, Arpin’s nearly perfect launch set him up perfectly to take the 100-foot gap jump on lap 1. Arpin ran 3rd through the first few laps behind Kevin Hansen, until Hansen took his joker lap. Arpin focused on his driving and set 2 quick laps before taking the joker himself. Upon rejoining the main track Arpin had gained enough time to comfortably keep 2nd place as the checkered flag waved.

“Obviously, we are really really happy. We started from a blank sheet and managed to continuously improve over the two days. We managed stayed out of trouble and have a decent pace on track and together that brought a us great result. It’s a five-race championship and next weekend is already another round. o its important to put the focus on future events and try to keep up the progress we have made and hopefully we are up there again and can bring home another positive result.” – Jussi Pinomaki

As mentioned, the 2021 Nitro Rallycross Championship continues Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday October 3rd at ERX Motor Park outside of Minneapolis.

2021 Nitro Rallycross Schedule:
Utah Motorsports Campus, Salt Lake City, UT – September 24-25th
ERX Motor Park, Minneapolis, MN – October 2-3rd
Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Phoenix, AZ – November 13-14th
Glen Helen Raceway, Southern California – November 20-21st
The Firm, North Florida – December 4-5th
Be sure to follow Steve, Loenbro Motorsport, Grönholm RX HempFusion, SCT Performance and Yokohama on social media:
Facebook: Steve Arpin, Loenbro Motorsports, HempFusion, SCT Performance, Yokohama
Twitter: @stevearpin, @loenbroracing, @hempfusion, @sctperformance, @YokohamaTC
Instagram: @arpin00, @loenbromotorsports, @hempfusion, @sctperformance, @yokohamatire

About Loenbro Motorsports
Owned by brothers Paul and Jon Leach, Loenbro Motorsports is the racing team division of Loenbro, a successful industrial construction and services company. Loenbro provides single-source solutions for industrial customers from coast to coast. Its reputation for exceptional performance and a strong work ethic has helped fuel its growth since it was founded in 1998. For more information, visit www.loenbro.com.

About GRX-SET World RX Team:
GRX, led by two-time World Rally Champion Marcus Grönholm, made its maiden full-time foray into the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2017, having previously run Niclas Grönholm to Finnish Rallycross Championship glory in 2015. Building on that solid foundation, GRX evolved into a full-blown, two-car World RX team with a pair of newly built Hyundai i20s in 2018. Since, the team has scored a best overall result of second in the World RX Teams’ Championship in 2019. The team has also claimed four World RX outright wins, three with Niclas Grönholm in Norway and South Africa in 2019 and Finland in 2020, and with Timur Timerzyanov in Belgium 2019.

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