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Suicide Prevention Front and Center on the 21 at Vegas

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Official Release
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Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, hoping to recapture the magic from 2020 when they scored runner-up finishes in both Cup races. For this weekend’s event, they’re using the No. 21 Mustang to raise awareness for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline during the entire month of September, which is #SuicidePreventionMonth.

Instead of the No. 21 Mustang carrying the usual colors of Motorcraft and Quick Lane, the paint scheme for Sunday’s South Point 400 will focus on the suicide prevention campaign.

Jon Orth, Marketing Manager for Ford Customer Service Division, recently lost a close friend to suicide and spearheaded the effort to use the car to promote suicide prevention and to publicize the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number, which is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Part of the weekend effort is to also support the #BeThe1To campaign, which is designed to help people know steps to take if they are concerned about someone who might be considering taking their own life.

DiBenedetto said the paint scheme and the campaign are important to him too.

“Vegas has been an awesome track for us as far as performance, so I’m looking forward to that,” he said. “But bigger than that, I’m really honored to be driving the car to raise awareness for suicide prevention.”

“I have a conviction to always want to help others, and this is a topic close to my heart as we have had people close to us either take their own lives or contemplate it.”

“It’s an honor to be driving this race car this weekend, and I hope we can make a great impact on people to let them know that being vulnerable is OK.”

There will be no practice or qualifying prior to the start of Sunday’s South Point 400, and DiBenedetto will line up 14th, the line-up being set based on results at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The race is set to get the green flag just after 4 p.m. (7 p.m. Eastern Time), with live TV coverage on NBCSN.

Stage breaks are set for Laps 80 and 160.

About Motorcraft:

Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft:

Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Las Vegas II

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Official Release
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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Las Vegas

Las Vegas plays host to its second race weekend of the 2021 season as the NASCAR Cup Series is set for 400 miles of action Sunday evening. Jack Roush has 16 wins all-time including seven in the NCS, where Ryan Newman is set for his 24th start and Chris Buescher makes his 10th.

South Point 400
Sunday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. ET
NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Violet Defense Ford Mustang

Bristol Recap, Vegas Preview

  • Newman was collected in a multi-car crash in stage two of last Saturday night’s race from Bristol to finish 38th in the Kohler Generators Ford.
  • Buescher battled through damage sustained from that incident to finish 23rd.
  • Guaranteed Rate is back on Newman’s machine for its last race of the 2021 campaign.
  • Violet Defense makes its debut in the sport this weekend as the primary on the No. 17 for the first of four primaries this fall.

Early JACKpot

Roush Fenway hit the Vegas jackpot right off the bat, winning the inaugural Cup event at Las Vegas in 1998. Mark Martin led 82 laps in the victory that served as a banner day for Roush Fenway.

Inaugural Sweep

Roush Fenway placed all five of its Cup entries inside the top 10 of that inaugural Las Vegas Cup race in 1998, including three inside the top five, four inside the top six, one in the winners circle and the runner up (6 – 1st, 99 – 2nd, 26 – 4th, 16 – 6th and 97 – 10th).

Continued Success

Roush Fenway Racing won the first three Cup races at LVMS from ‘98-’00, with Jeff Burton winning back-to-back events in ’99 and ’00. Roush Fenway also took three of the first nine Xfinity Series events at LVMS.

Victory Lane at Vegas

In addition to the first three Cup races at LVMS, Roush Fenway again found the winners’ circle in 2003 and 2004 at the 1.5-mile track with Matt Kenseth. Carl Edwards took the checkered flag at the 2008 and 2011 events to give RFR seven Cup wins at Las Vegas with four different drivers.

Back to Back at Vegas

Roush Fenway has won back-to-back Cup races at LVMS on two separate occasions in ’99-’00 and ’03-04’ and once in the Xfinity Series in ‘99 and ‘00.

Across the Board at Vegas

All in all, Roush Fenway Racing has tallied 16 total NASCAR wins, while turning 38,000+ laps in NASCAR action at LVMS for 57,000+ miles, while leading over 2,600 laps at the track in NASCAR’s top three divisions. At the same time the organization has finished inside the top 10 in 50 percent of its 180 NASCAR starts at LVMS.

Roush Fenway Las Vegas Wins

1998 Martin Cup
1999 Burton Cup
2000 Burton Cup
2003 Kenseth Cup
2004 Kenseth Cup
2008 Edwards Cup
2011 Edwards Cup
1999 Martin NXS
2000 Burton NXS
2002 Burton NXS
2005 Martin NXS
2009 Biffle NXS
2012 Stenhouse NXS
1997 Ruttman NGOTS
1999 Biffle NGOTS
2007 Kvapil NGOTS

CHEVY NCS AT LAS VEGAS 2: William Byron Press Conf. Transcript

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
SOUTH POINT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript Highlights:

THE FACT THAT YOU’VE HAD SOME SUCCESS AT LAS VEGAS, HOW DOES THAT HELP YOUR MINDSET GOING INTO THIS NEXT ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS?
“I feel like Las Vegas has been a pretty good track for me in the past. I’ve scored a lot of Stage points in the past races. I think the aggression level is going to be really high on the restarts and that’s kind of your chance to make up ground for a lot of guys at 1.5-mile tracks with the 550 horsepower. So yeah, I think those are going to be crazy. My spotter and I have been working really hard on trying to be really good on those restarts. I think we were good at Michigan. I think we’ve been good at the last 550 horsepower tracks. I’m pretty excited for Las Vegas based on our past history and the way we’ve been running on those tracks.”

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TAKE FROM THE PRESSURE AT THE BRISTOL RACE RUN AND APPLY IT TO THE REST OF THE PLAYOFFS?
“I think for sure. I think for us, we’ve already kind of been through that pressure moment. A lot of guys maybe haven’t that we’re racing against haven’t been through that. Yeah, I feel like for us, we learned a lot about ourselves on Saturday. I feel like we learned a lot about how we can come through under pressure and how we can bring a good race car and how we can execute the race really well. So, it’s been a little while since we’ve had as strong a race as that throughout, and no mistakes. There’s always adversity in a race, but I feel like we handled the adversity that we did have really well and brought it home in third place. So, with that being said, Las Vegas is a lot different than a short track, but I do feel like the way we did perform is going to carry over.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL REMEMBER ABOUT THAT RACE? WHERE DOES IT RANK FOR YOU CAREER-WISE?
“It’s pretty high up there. I was saying this after the race that I feel like I had a similar situation to make it in last year into the Playoffs in general, with my first win, so that was a big deal. But yeah, this one was pretty awesome. I think any time you can do well at Bristol, it’s been a good track for me, but I haven’t had the finishes. It was nice to be there at the end of 500 laps and have a shot to win, honestly, and be really close and see the leaders. I think that was really cool for me and kind of a new feeling. I was excited. I love that night race. Every driver really does. So, it was cool to do well.”

DO YOU BREAK DOWN THE PLAYOFFS SO DEEP THAT YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY POINTS YOU WANT TO SCORE IN THE ROUNDS AND HOW MANY YOU NEED TO SCORE THIS WEEKEND IN LAS VEGAS? OR DO YOU NOT GET THAT DEEP?
“I think the team, for sure, does. They definitely kind of know what to expect points-wise, that can help us advance through the rounds. But honestly, the biggest thing is just having a really good race. In the first round, I think having one really good race is almost enough, but I think this race (round) you’ve got to have two or three really good races. So yeah, the Stage points create such a different playing field. If you get a lot of Stage points, you put yourself in a way better position. And you put a good finish on top of that, you’re well above a lot of guys. I think that’s the biggest thing I focus on is trying to get those Stage points and trying to put myself in a good spot for the end.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO TALLADEGA, HOW DO YOU PLAY TRYING TO JOCKEY FOR STAGE POINTS AND HOPE TO AVOID THE BIG ONE EARLIER IN THE RACE?
“It’s tough. I think the wrecks and the Stages are possible, but I honestly feel like you’ve just got to go as hard as you can. I’ve tried to play the lay back getting to the front, and all that. There are times that you can chill out just because the momentum of the race isn’t maybe that important in that time, but you’ve got to try to go for those Stage points and put yourself in a good spot. For me, personally, I try to go for the points and see what can happen.”

SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY LAS VEGAS IS THE MOST PREDICTABLE RACE IN THIS ROUND. OTHERS SAY VEGAS IS MORE UNPREDICTABLE THAN THE ROVAL BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT IS THERE. IS VEGAS A MORE PREDICTABLE RACE OR A WILDCARD RACE?
“Just because it’s the first race of the round, I think it adds some unpredictability there. A lot of guys can have early mistakes and mishaps at this first race in the round. It’s very easy to kind of take yourself out of it pretty early on. As far as speed and performance goes, I think you kind of know who the big hitters are going to be at this race with the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) and hopefully us and some of the Gibbs cars, and just knowing who has run well at the 1.5 miles. But that doesn’t really tell the whole story because it can come down to restarts and then anybody can win, basically. I think you’ve just got to put yourself in a good position and then you’ve got to go do really well in those restarts. That’s probably what it’s going to come down to. It’s tough. Las Vegas isn’t as straight forward as we used to think it was. And then, I think the ROVAL is definitely tough because road courses are difficult to get through traffic and all those things. But I definitely look at Talladega as the most unpredictable. And at the other two you somewhat control what you do.”

REGARDING RESTARTS, WHAT IS THE KEY THERE? IS IT GETTING THE SHIFTS RIGHT AT THE START? IS IT CONTROLLING YOUR EMOTIONS? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT MATTER AND WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE GOTTEN BETTER?
“It’s just obviously aggression, but it’s just anticipation, obviously; trying to anticipate where the runs are going to come from. The more you watch tape and the more you kind of understand what’s happened in the past, the better prepared you are for what scenario is going to happen. But it honestly comes down to anticipation and having a good spotter that knows what runs are going to come and is preparing you for it. Tab (Boyd) and I have worked a lot on that over the past six months to a year. You’ve got to be up front at the 1.5-miles to have success. A lot of that comes from restarts and holding your track position and things like that. It’s important.”

HOW HAVE YOU AND RUDY FUGLE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER THIS YEAR? WHAT’S BEEN GOING GREAT AND WHAT DO YOU NEED TO IMPROVE ON?
“Honestly, the thing with Rudy and me has just been experience. I think we’re trying to learn so much in a quick time. A lot of the teams and drivers we’re racing against have worked together for a couple of years now and that has hurt us a little bit with no practice. But I feel like we’ve kind of overcome that with really good communication. We have a lot of meetings throughout the week about set-up and what we want to do going to the race track. Although we really don’t have time to really practice it, I feel like we show up really strong. I think that’s been an adjustment. I feel like we’ve done really well in pressure situations and opportunities to win. He knows how to push my buttons and knows how to get the most out of me. As any crew chief, that’s the biggest thing is trying to get everything you can out of your driver. I feel like he’s done a really good job of knowing how to do that with me and he showed that at Bristol. We had good communication throughout the race and didn’t let the pressure get to us and make crazy decisions and had a really good race.”

YOU WERE TOP 5 IN POINTS IN THE REGULAR SEASON. DID THIS FIRST ROUND SURPRISE YOU AS HOW STRESSFUL IT TURNED OUT TO BE?
“Yeah, it definitely got turned on its side with everything happened at Darlington. Darlington seems like years ago now that we’ve been through the last two weeks. Just thinking back to that race and how much we overcame, to have a flat tire and crash after that, was just devastating. We thought we had put ourselves in a good position to overcome all that. At Richmond, we just kind of laid an egg and wasn’t really that fast and that was a big bummer, too. But we overcame it at Bristol and had a really good run and set the tone for the rest of our year. It was a tough stretch for six or seven weeks of just not getting the finishes. But we’ve had the speed and I feel like now we’re going to get the finishes.”

AFTER BRISTOL, DO YOU AND RUDY NOW JUST TAKE A BREATH AND GET EVERYBODY TO RESET AND TAKE A BREATH? OR IS IT JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL AND DON’T NEED TO REMIND EVERYONE TO JUST REFOCUS?
“A little bit of both. I think it was nice to have Sunday to kind of reflect and have that off-time. I know the guys worked on the car still. I think everyone kind of got a chance to breathe and reset. I don’t feel like we’ll have any issues about showing up at Vegas fresh and ready. We’ve got an extra this week to really recover and get prepared. I feel like we’re going to be ready when we get on the plane and go out there. I don’t think that will be an issue.”

WHAT’S THE MOOD IN THE ENTIRE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMP?
“I think there’s a lot of strength in the individual teams and obviously, the whole company that brings cars that we’re capable of bringing to the race track. We had a difficult stretch there with the start of the Playoffs. I would say half of our guys ran well at Richmond. And we all ran well at Bristol and that was a really good sight to see because Bristol is a tough place, and it can really be hard on you. So yeah, I think we’re poised to do really good things and we’ve overcome some things and there will be a lot more as we go through the Playoffs.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RACE AT A TRACK WITH THAT HOMETOWN CONNECTION, LIKE CHARLOTTE, IN THE PLAYOFFS?
“Oh, it’s amazing. I love going to Charlotte every year to race. I always have a really warm welcome there and it’s a really important race track to me. We’d love to win there this year and I feel like I’ve got the opportunity to this year with the way we’ve been on road courses. I’m pretty excited for it. We just have to go there and perform well.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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

Multiple Trans Am Championships in Play this Weekend at VIR

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Official Release
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ALTON, VIR. (22 September 2021) The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli enters its penultimate round this weekend (Sept. 24-26) at VIRginia International Raceway, and while the production class championships were locked up two rounds early, the TA and TA2 titles are still undecided.

Before the all-class doubleheader at Watkins Glen International, 10 TA drivers were mathematically viable for the championship. Now it’s down to three: Chris Dyson, Tomy Drissi and Ernie Francis Jr.

Dyson took a commanding lead in points following his weekend sweep at WGI. It’s the first time in his career that the No. 20 ALTWELL CBD Ford Mustang driver has led the season-long points battle by a 46 point margin heading into the final rounds of the season. Though Dyson has never won in Virginia in TA (the closest he came was in 2020 finishing second and third in the two-round weekend), he is confident that his winning momentum will carry over to VIR to lock up the title.

“We are going to treat the weekend like any other,” explained Dyson. “We are going in with the intent to win. We feel we have fast cars and have been competitive each time we’ve visited VIR. If we can keep executing like we have been, I am confident that we will be up front and points will fall into place if we do our jobs.”

Drissi’s title bid took a backseat following a tumultuous pair of races at WGI. Second in the championship, Drissi’s chance to challenge Dyson for the top spot was looking optimistic as his No. 9 Lucas Oil Slick Mist Chevrolet Camaro claimed the checkered flag in the opening round at WGI. However post-race penalties knocked the race winner down to sixth and promoted his championship rival Dyson to first. The second round at WGI was another heartbreak for Drissi as a mechanical issue sent him spinning down the back straight into the wall. His 20 point deficit quickly turned into a 46 point gap from Dyson heading into VIR. But, with 70 points up for grabs, Drissi is still hopeful that with a winning weekend at VIR he can clinch his second national championship title in the Heacock Classic at Circuit of The Americas finale (Drissi won the National TA Championship back in 2009).

“I can’t wait to get to VIR to give it everything I have for the fans, the team and the whole Lucas Oil family,” said Drissi. “We came out at Watkins and we were fast and competitive up front the whole weekend but unfortunately the results did not show how fast we were. I’m looking forward to bringing that to VIR to battle Ernie (Francis Jr.), (Chris) Dyson, Boris (Said) and everyone else, we’re not going to give up, we’re going to fight until the end!”

Seven-time Trans Am champion Francis Jr. enters the weekend in unfamiliar territory- third in the championship trailing Dyson by 62 points. With just 70 points left available for the season, everything would have to fall in Francis Jr.’s favor for him to claim his eighth consecutive title. But, the 22-year-old driver has VIR dialed in being the lone six-time winner on the technical track. Francis Jr. won in TA3 American Muscle in 2014-15; TA4 in 2016; and Trans Am in 2017. He struggled in his next two visits, finishing 14th in 2018 and in 2019, before sweeping the 2020 doubleheader. Out of any other driver entered for the weekend, Francis Jr. always seems to deliver on the unexpected, and shouldn’t be counted out just yet of capturing another title.

“We are heading into VIR looking to do the best we can,” said Francis Jr. “The car is ready after the few issues we experienced during the Watkins Glen event. We look forward to being competitive and we are focused on increasing our overall Trans am wins for the record books. A special thank you goes out to Future Star Racing / Wings and Wheels Foundation for their support.”

After facing engine complications at WGI, Said returns to the cockpit of the No. 2 WeaverRacingTechnique/SRI Dodge Challenger to throw a wrench in the championship battle. Said won at VIR in 2002 and in 2019. Another past TA VIR winner entered for VIR is Simon Gregg (2013).

The campaign for the TA2 2021 season championship has been the most unpredictable from race to race with a revolving door of six different winners claiming the top step over the last 10 rounds. But with just two races left, the championship chase has whittled down now to two former champions: Rafa Matos and Mike Skeen.

Matos stretched his championship advantage over Skeen by 40 points following a victory in the WGI doubleheader. While Matos has shown speed over the years at VIR, setting the class lap record in 2019 (1:49.401-seconds), the scenic track nestled in a forest of oak trees has created a mixed experience for the No. 88 3 Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang driver. Last year, Matos took second in the first round of the doubleheader and finished just inside the top 20 in both the second round in 2020 and in 2019. He did not start in 2017. Matos finished third in 2018 which was enough to clinch his first championship early. This weekend could be déjà vu for Matos as he has the opportunity to clinch his second championship at the same track as he did in 2018.

“It would be a dream come true to have a chance to clinch the championship at VIR, like we did in 2018,” said Matos. “Going into VIR with a 40 points lead gives us a peace of mind. Our goal is to earn max points on (Mike) Skeen, so in reality I can lose four points to Mike and I would still clinch at VIR. We will approach the weekend just the way we have been doing all season, focusing on session by session, and see after qualifying how we are positioned for the race. Obviously my main focus during this weekend is not to take unnecessary risks, and try to preserve the car as much as I can.”

Reigning champion Skeen has only wheeled two TA2 races at VIR, the back-to-back in 2020. He drove from pole to victory in the opening round and followed it up with a sixth-place finish in the finale. Skeen’s No. 1 Liqui-Moly/Turn14Distribution Dodge Challenger was severely damaged in the WGI Race 2 melee, which allowed Matos to expand his championship lead. His Stevens-Miller Racing crew has worked overtime to get the car together to be race-ready for VIR.

Connor Mosack is third in the points race, 43 points behind Skeen. The TeamSLR driver drove to a commanding victory at WGI, a career first for Mosack. While the title is out of grasp for Mosack, the No. 28 NicTailor/IFS M1-SLR/Fields Chevrolet Camaro can still challenge for runner-up, though he will have to hold off Thomas Merrill.

“We definitely would try to get second more than try to defend third,” said Mosack about his approach to the championship. “Really, our main goal is to try to win these last two races. Without having a real shot at winning the championship, points don’t really matter to me, we are now focused on getting race wins.”

Merrill’s championship chase ended at WGI after his No. 81 HPTuners/MikeCopeRaceCars Ford Mustang was collected in the multi-car incident in the final race. With the second and third spots still open in the championship, Merrill’s fight continues from fourth as he enters VIR (trails Mosack by 27 points). Over the last two seasons, Merrill has shown speed at VIR, driving to victory in 2019 before a post-race infraction promoted Marc Miller, who went on to win the championship. Last year, Merrill finished the doubleheader with fourth and ninth place standings.

In 2020, Tyler Kicera’s season peaked at VIR as he charged to his first Trans Am career victory. The No. 5 Davis Roofing/Silver Hare Racing Ford Mustang driver has been chasing success all season, and finally broke through with a podium in Watkins Glen, a second-place finish after avoiding the crash in the Esses that took out several top-competitors (VIDEO: Mega Crash Caught on Helmet Cam).

With his momentum building, Kicera is on the hunt for 2020 repeat.

“I’m excited to get back to VIR and feel like I have some unfinished business there,” said Kicera. “While we grabbed our first TA2 win on Saturday, which was unreal, on Sunday I basically gave away the win on a late race restart with all the mixed class and lapped traffic. Our performance here last year catapulted me into a full season drive with Silver Hare Racing, which I am incredibly thankful for. It’s been a really tough 2021 season, but we’ve managed to grab a third-place finish at Brainerd and were runner-up at Watksin Glen, so we’re looking for one spot better this weekend. The level of competition this year is extremely high, but I have a lot of confidence at VIR that we can get it done.”

Adam Andretti is another class VIR winner entered for the weekend. Andretti won at VIR in 2014.

Justin Oakes(SGT) and Erich Joiner (XGT) clinched their respective championships two rounds early. Both will miss VIR due to schedule conflicts.

“I am going to miss VIR for a race in Indy,” explained Oakes. “But, I will be back for CoTA. It’s our home track and we want to finish the season strong there. We are a Texas-based team and we are going to come out in full force and celebrate our championship with lots of family and friends.”

Oakes’ absence leaves the door open for the father-and-son duo of Milton and Carry Grant to faceoff for the top step, and with the return of 2020 race winner and class champion Lee Saunders, the class battle will be one to watch this weekend.

The Trans Am Series drivers will spend Friday (Sept. 24) testing with Saturday TA/XGT/SGT/GT class practice at 11:40 a.m. Eastern followed by TA2 practice at 12:10 p.m. Eastern. The Trans Am qualifying block starts at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Trans Am will host a pair of 100-mile races on Sunday with TA/XGT/SGT/GT taking the green at 11:00 a.m. Eastern and TA2 at 3:35 p.m. Eastern. The full VIR SpeedTour weekend will be live streamed on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App. Available for download: Download the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App to Watch Live Events (gotransam.com)

Weekend Links:

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Alfredo Goes West with Dockside Logistics

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 22, 2021) – Anthony Alfredo will return the Dockside Logistics colors this Sunday at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Alfredo will be making his second NASCAR Cup Series start at the track, finishing 24th earlier this season.

Dockside Logistics is headquartered in Charleston, S.C. and Houston, Texas. The company is committed to providing measurable difference in 3PL, warehousing and distribution, packaging & preservation, transportation, and order fulfillment.

Dockside Logistics creates innovative solutions to meet the needs of the modern marketplace. In an environment that demands perfection in every level of the logistics equation, Dockside has consistently delivered exceptional, cost effective service, and forged lasting relationships with our customers.

Alfredo is hoping that his added experience and team notes will help the team on Sunday.

“I feel more confident when we get back to a track for a second time,” said Alfredo. ‘We have some notes, I know the track in the Cup car and we’re not playing from behind. We should be in position for a good race on Sunday.”

Alfredo wants to finish the season strong and knows the next few weeks provide that opportunity.

“We look at Las Vegas, Talladega and the Charlotte ROVAL as great opportunities for us,” continued Alfredo. “We really feel that we can race in the top-20 and now it’s time to see those results. We had momentum going into Bristol, but it didn’t work out. The next three races, I feel that we have a good chance for some of our best finishes.”

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

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

Kyle Busch primed for 600th Cup career start at Las Vegas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

In his 17th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Busch is set to reach a significant milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Playoff event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which serves as his home track, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry will achieve career start No. 600 in NASCAR’s premier series. In doing so, Busch will also become the 31st different competitor to achieve 600 career starts in the Cup Series.

A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch made his inaugural presence in the Cup circuit at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2004. By then, he was a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for Hendrick Motorsports, competing for both the Rookie-of-the-Year title and the drivers’ championship. Driving the No. 84 Chevrolet for HMS, Busch started 18th and finished 41st in his Cup debut following an early retirement. He competed in five additional races for HMS throughout the 2004 season (Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Auto Club Speedway in September, Kansas Speedway, Charlotte and at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October).

In 2005, Busch earned a full-time ride with HMS for the 2005 Cup season, replacing two-time champion Terry Labonte. Driving the No. 5 Chevrolet, it took the first 25 races of the season for Busch to achieve his first Cup triumph at Auto Club Speedway in September. With his victory, Busch became the youngest winner in Cup history at age 20, four months and two days. He went on to record a second career win at Phoenix Raceway in November following a late battle with Greg Biffle. Despite missing the Playoffs and finishing 20th in the final standings, Busch captured the 2005 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title and in a season where he also earned a pole, nine top-five results and 13 top-10 results.

The following season, Busch achieved his lone victory of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. He went on to make the Playoffs for the first time in his career and achieve a pole, 10 top-five results and 18 top-10 results before finishing in 10th place in the final standings. The year after, Busch claimed his fourth Cup victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in March following a two-lap battle against veteran Jeff Burton. Busch’s Bristol victory was also the first event where NASCAR fielded the Car of Tomorrow stock car. Busch went on to earn 11 top-five results, 20 top-10 results, an average-finishing result of 14.1 and a spot in the Playoffs before finishing in fifth place in the final standings. By then, Busch surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

In June 2007, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Busch will be replaced by Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the 2008 season. Two months later, Busch announced that he will be joining Joe Gibbs Racing to pilot the No. 18 Toyota Camry for the upcoming Cup season.

In his first race with Joe Gibbs Racing and paired with crew chief Steve Addington, Busch kickstarted the 2008 season on a high note by finishing in fourth place in the Daytona 500 after leading a race-high 86 of 200 laps. Three races later, Busch achieved his first victory of the season and his first with JGR at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March after leading a race-high 173 of 325 laps. By winning at Atlanta, Busch also recorded the first NASCAR Cup career victory for the Toyota nameplate. 

Following his Atlanta victory, Busch went on to win at Talladega Superspeedway in April, Darlington Raceway in May, Dover International Speedway and Sonoma Raceway in June, Daytona International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway in July and at Watkins Glen International in August, which tallied his Cup win column to 12. By then, he had also achieved 15 top-five results and was leading the regular-season standings. Despite qualifying for the Playoffs and emerging as a title threat, Busch finished outside of the top 20 through the first three Playoff events, which were enough to diminish his championship hopes early. When the season concluded, Busch, who earned four additional top-10 runs through the final 10 races, capped off his first Cup season with JGR in 10th place in the final standings and with a total of eight victories, two poles, 17 top-five results, 21 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 12.5.

In 2009, Busch achieved four victories (Las Vegas and Bristol Motor Speedway in March, Richmond Raceway in May and Bristol in August) along with a pole, nine top-five results and 13 top-10 results. He, however, failed the make the Playoffs by eight points following a difficult summer stretch and went on to finish 13th in the final standings. By then, he was paired with crew chief Dave Rogers. He rallied the following season by winning three times throughout the 36-race schedule (Richmond and Dover International Speedway in May and Bristol in August), collecting two poles, 10 top-five results and 18 top-10 results and making the Playoffs before finishing eighth in the final standings. By then, Busch surpassed 200 Cup career starts and had won 19 career races.

For the majority of the 2011 Cup season, Busch and the No. 18 JGR Toyota team were strong on the track, with the combo winning four races (Bristol in March, Richmond in April, Kentucky Speedway in July and at Michigan International Speedway in August). During the midway section of the Playoffs, however, Busch’s title hopes came to an end as he went on to finish in 12th place in the final standings. The Playoffs was also where Busch was suspended for the Cup event at Texas Motor Speedway in November following a Truck Series incident with four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., where Busch intentionally wrecked Hornaday under caution following an earlier incident and NASCAR suspended Busch from competing the remaining national touring series events during the Texas weekend. 

Despite a disappointing conclusion to a strong 2011 season, Busch kickstarted the 2012 Cup season on a wild, high note by rallying from two near spins to edge reigning three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart in a photo finish to win the Shootout at Daytona in February. Busch went on to achieve his first points victory of the season at Richmond in April, which marked his fourth consecutive spring Richmond victory. Despite the victory, Busch’s 26-race regular-season stretch was mired with inconsistent results throughout the summer and he missed the Playoffs by three points. While he was not a title contender, Busch earned seven top-five results during the 10-race Playoff stretch before concluding the season in 13th place in the final standings.

Five races into the 2013 Cup season, Busch snapped a 31-race winless drought by winning at Auto Club Speedway after overtaking teammate Denny Hamlin and former teammate Joey Logano on the final lap. Two races later and in his 300th Cup career start, Busch prevailed over Martin Truex Jr. to win at Texas in April. He went on to win at Watkins Glen in August and at Atlanta in September, which were more than enough for him to return to the Playoffs. While an accident at Kansas Speedway in October ended his title hopes, Busch went on to conclude the season in fourth place in the final standings, which marked his best points result since finishing fifth in 2007. Overall, Busch achieved four victories, three poles, 16 top-five results and 22 top-10 results in 2013. By then, his Cup career wins tallied to 28.

In 2014, Busch recorded his lone victory of the season at Auto Club Speedway in March, which was enough for him to make the Playoffs for the seventh time in his 10-year Cup career. He went on to achieve three pols, nine top-five results and 15 top-10 results before capping off the season in 10th place in the final standings.

The 2015 Cup season started off on a harrowing note for Busch, who was set to embark in his 11th Cup season and first with new crew chief Adam Stevens. While competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ season-opening event at Daytona in February, Busch was involved in a late multi-car wreck, an accident that saw him make a hard head-on contact into a concrete barrier installed with no SAFER barriers. The accident left Busch with a massive compound fracture to his right leg, a minor fracture to his left foot and a sprained left finger. With Busch sitting out for the first 11 events of the season, names like Matt Crafton, David Ragan and Erik Jones participated as interim competitors for Busch in the Cup circuit.

By the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Busch was medically cleared to return to racing. He had also received a medical waiver that would make him eligible for the Playoffs under the Playoff’s qualification rules. After finishing sixth in the All-Star event and 11th during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, which marked Busch’s first Cup points event of the season, Busch rallied from finishing outside of the top 30 on the track during two of the following three races to achieve his first victory of 2015 and his 30th Cup career victory at Sonoma Raceway in June. The win checked off Busch’s first goal in his quest to make the 2015 Cup Playoffs.

Following his victory at Sonoma and a 17th-place result at Daytona in July, Busch went on a three-race winning streak, where he won at Kentucky, New Hampshire and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit in July. He also earned four additional top-10 results, which were enough for him to move into the top 30 in the regular-season standings and qualify for the Playoffs for the eighth time in his career.

After finishing in the top five in five of the first nine Playoff events, Busch earned a championship spot in the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. During the finale, Busch led 41 of 267 laps and held off reigning champion Kevin Harvick to claim his fifth victory of the season and his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. In claiming his first Cup title, Busch became the 31st different competitor to win a championship in NASCAR’s premier series and the first since Richard Petty in 1971 to do so without competing the entire schedule. Busch also captured the fourth Cup career title for Joe Gibbs Racing and the first for Toyota, with the driver earning a pole, 12 top-five results and 16 top-10 results.

Entering the 2016 season as the reigning Cup champion, Busch claimed four victories throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch (Martinsville Speedway and Texas in April, Kansas Speedway in May and at Indianapolis in July). He went on to make the Playoffs for the ninth time in his Cup career and earn enough consistent results to make the Championship Round at Homestead in November for a second consecutive season. During the finale, however, Busch pitted late for fresh tires and settled in sixth place on the track and in third place in the final standings. While he did not repeat as a Cup champion, Busch achieved four victories, two poles, 17 top-five results, 25 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 11.5. In addition, Busch surpassed 400 Cup career starts.

Determined to reclaim his title, Busch went winless through the first 11 races of the 2017 Cup schedule before capturing his first victory in the non-points All-Star Race at Charlotte in May. Two months later, Busch achieved his first Cup points victory of the season at Pocono. He went on to win at Bristol in August before winning back-to-back Playoff races at New Hampshire and Dover between September and October while as a Playoff contender. Following his fifth victory of the season at Martinsville in October, Busch qualified for the Championship Round at Homestead in November for a third consecutive season. During the finale, however, Busch ended up as the runner-up finisher on the track and in the final standings behind Truex. In a season where he won five races, Busch also captured a career-high eight poles along with 14 top-five results, 22 top-10 results and a second consecutive average-finishing result of 11.5. He also surpassed 40 Cup career victories.

The 2018 Cup season was one of Busch’s finest seasons to date, with the driver earning a total of eight victories throughout the 36-race schedule (Texas, Bristol and Richmond in April, Charlotte in May, Chicagoland in June, Pocono in July, Richmond in September and at Phoenix in November). By then, Busch surpassed 50 Cup career victories and had achieved a victory in every active track in the Cup Series. Along with a career-best eight victories, he also achieved four poles, a career-high 22 top-five results, a career-high 28 top-10 results and a career-best average-finishing result of 8.3. Despite making the Playoffs for the 11th time in his Cup career and earning a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead for a four consecutive season, Busch went on to finish in fourth place during the finale and in third place in the final standings.

The momentum from the previous season carried forth for Busch entering the 2019 Cup season, with the driver winning twice through the first five scheduled events (Phoenix and Auto Club in March) and earning a career-best runner-up result in the season-opening Daytona 500. By then, he surpassed 500 Cup career starts. Busch went on to win at Bristol in April and at Pocono in June before capturing the regular-season championship and make his 12th appearance in the Playoffs. After finishing in the top 10 in five of the first nine Playoff spots, Busch managed to qualify for the Championship Round at Homestead in November for a fifth consecutive season. Having a strong car throughout the finale, Busch went on to win the race for his fifth victory of the season and for his second Cup Series championship, his first while completing the entire 36-race schedule. With his second Cup career title, Busch became the 16th different competitor to repeat as a champion in NASCAR’s premier series as he also claimed the fifth Cup title for Joe Gibbs Racing and the third drivers’ title for Toyota. He also capped off the 2019 season with a pole, 17 top-five results, 27 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 8.9.

The 2020 Cup season was a roller coaster season for Busch, who went winless throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. Despite making the Playoffs for the 13th time in his career, his hopes for a third title evaporated following the second round. Nonetheless, Busch extended his winning streak in the Cup circuit to 16 consecutive years after Busch outlasted teammate Truex in a late fuel mileage battle to win at Texas in October. Overall, Busch earned a victory, 14 top-five results and 20 top-10 results throughout the 36-race schedule before finishing in eighth place in the final standings.

Paired with rookie crew chief Ben Beshore for this season, Busch commenced the season on another wild note by winning his second career Clash event on Daytona’s road-course venue following a last-lap pass on Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, both of whom wrecked on the final corner. Despite crashing out on the final lap in the Daytona 500, Busch extended his Cup winning streak to 17 consecutive seasons after the two-time champion won at Kansas in May. Eight races later, he rallied from clutch issues to win the second of a Pocono Raceway doubleheader weekend after overtaking teammate Denny Hamlin and barely having enough fuel to finish. The two victories earned throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, along with 11 top-five results and 16 top-10 results, were enough for Busch to make the Playoffs for the 14th time in his career. Despite recent finishes of 35th, ninth and 21st in the Round of 16, Busch is through to the Round of 12 in the 2021 Cup Playoffs and seeded in fifth place with 3,022 points.

Through 599 previous Cup starts, Busch has amassed two championships, 59 wins, 32 poles, 225 top-five results, 333 top-10 results and an average result of 13.6.

Busch is set to make his 600th Cup career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 26, at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

JR Motorsports — NXS Las Vegas II Preview

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Official Release
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JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
RACE: Alsco Uniforms 302 (201 laps / 302 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 7 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90


Josh Berry
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Driver Appreciation Chevrolet
• Josh Berry will sit in for Michael Annett again this week as Annett continues his recovery from a leg injury. It will be the fourth event in which the 30-year-old Tennessee driver will drive the Pilot Flying J #ThankATrucker Chevrolet.
• Berry has one start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a NASCAR Xfinity Series car, and it came earlier this season with JRM’s No. 8 team. Berry started ninth and finished seventh in the spring race on the 1.5-mile oval.
• Berry has made 19 NXS starts this season and earned a victory at Martinsville Speedway, along with five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes while pacing the field for 175 total laps.

Sam Mayer
No. 8 Carly Pearce Written In Stone Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his first NXS start at Las Vegas this weekend in a special Big Machine Label Group Chevrolet promoting country singer Carly Pearce’s new album 29: Written In Stone.
• In one start at a 1.5-mile track in his NXS career, Mayer started 22nd and finished ninth at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July.
• The 18-year-old comes off his strongest performance to date in the NXS as he paced the field for 49 laps last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway en route to a ninth place finish, tying his career best finish in the series.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson will start the 2021 NXS Playoffs at his home track this weekend, a place where the 23-year-old Las Vegas native has had a ton of success. In five starts on the 1.5-mile oval, Gragson has four top-five and five top-10 finishes, none lower than sixth.
• Gragson is fourth in the playoff grid entering the first of seven races that will determine the series champion, 27 points off the lead.
• Gragson has been on a hot streak of late, earning two victories (at Darlington Raceway and Richmond Raceway), two more top-five finishes and a pair of top-10 results in his last seven races leading up to the playoffs.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier heads into the opening round of the NXS Playoffs as the third seed on the playoff grid, just 24 points outside of the lead.
• In 14 previous starts at Las Vegas in the NXS, Allgaier has scored six top fives and 11 top 10s, with a best finish of second coming in this event in 2018.
• Allgaier has recorded a top-five finish in all three of the fall races at Las Vegas dating back to 2018, netting an average finish of 3.7 during that span.
• According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Allgaier ranks first in the NXS at Las Vegas in green flag passes (660), quality passes (554) and laps run inside the top 15 (2,654).

Driver Quotes

“In the spring, we were able to earn a top-10 finish despite the fact that I had never raced at Las Vegas. That’s my goal this weekend, to get Michael (Annett) and this No. 1 Pilot Flying J #ThankATrucker team another solid finish. I know that Bummy (crew chief Mike Bumgarner) will have a fast Chevrolet Camaro for me, and I look forward to the opportunity to represent all of the truckers who work so hard to keep us going.” – Josh Berry

“I’m ready to get these playoffs underway on Saturday in Las Vegas. We’ve traditionally had a lot of speed there with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet and I feel really confident that we will have that once again when we unload. This Round of 12 is full of unknowns, especially with the two wild card races coming up after Vegas, which makes this weekend all that more important to go out there and do what we can to try to secure our spot into the next round. If we can just execute the way we have been all season to this point, I feel like we will be in a great position to contend for the win and move on in the playoffs.” – Justin Allgaier

“We ran really well in our only other 1.5-mile start this year at Atlanta and I really learned a lot that I think will transfer over to this weekend. The first part of the race will be all about learning the track and how this No. 8 Carly Pearce Written In Stone Chevrolet handles and then towards the end we can start making our move. Hopefully we can put this car in Victory Lane to give our family friend Scott Borchetta something to celebrate and to advance us in the Round of 8 for the owner’s championship.” – Sam Mayer

“I’m always happy when I get a chance to head back to Vegas and see all my family and friends. Plus racing in front of a hometown crowd makes it even better. We’ve had really good runs there in the past and haven’t finished outside of the top 10. This starts our playoff run and I wouldn’t want it to be anywhere other than home. It’s the perfect place to keep our momentum moving forward and hopefully we can lock ourselves into the Round of 8.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates

• JRM at Las Vegas: JRM has competed in “Sin City” a combined 56 times. Over the course of the 56 starts at the 1.5-mile facility, JRM has tallied one win, 21 top fives and 35 top 10s. JRM’s win came in 2008 when Mark Martin drove the No. 5 to Victory Lane after leading 81 laps on the day. Martin’s win marked the first for JRM as an Xfinity Series team.
• Pilot Flying J Driver Appreciation Month: The No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will again carry a signature paint scheme this weekend as part of Pilot Flying J’s Driver Appreciation Month. The red and yellow scheme features the words “If you’ve got it, a trucker brought it” on the hood and #ThankATrucker on the TV panel at the rear of the car. The Driver Appreciation theme inspires fans to thank professional drivers for all their hard work in delivering the goods we all depend on. And to see how Pilot Flying J is thanking professional drivers, visit pilotflyingj.com.
• 29: Written In Stone: Big Machine Records along with chart-topping Country star Carly Pearce joins the No. 8 team with a special paint scheme promoting the Grand Ole Opry member’s brand new album 29: WRITTEN IN STONE. Pearce is a two-time ACM Award winner with No. 1 hits such as the platinum certified “Every Little Thing” and 2X platinum “I Hope You’re Happy Now”, which ignited her truth-soaked career. Earlier this summer, Dolly Parton invited the Kentucky native to become a member of the Grand Olem Opry ahead of an official induction by Trisha Yearwood.

Spencer Davis ready for seventh Truck Series start of 2021 at Las Vegas

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Official Release
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LAS VEGAS, Nev.: It’s often been said that seven is a lucky number in Las Vegas and as the Spencer Davis Motorsports (SDM) team treks to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, driver Spencer Davis hopes the legendary tale lives up to its hype in Friday night’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts.

Davis, the Dawsonville, Ga. native will make his seventh start of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and looks to boost his Mooresville, N.C.-based team to a season-high finish in the 19th Truck Series race of the season.

Statistically speaking, the 1.5-mile speedway of Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been a solid track for the 22-year-old driver and ahead of his fifth Truck Series start in Sin City, he hopes to roll the dice and earn a top-10 under the Friday night lights.

In his four prior starts, Davis has wheeled to four top-20 finishes nestled with two top-15 finishes including a 13th in his Truck Series debut at Las Vegas in 2018 with Kyle Busch Motorsports. Last spring, he finished 12th in his family-owned entry.

Davis has completed all but two of the 536 laps available for a 99.6 percentage lap completion.

“Las Vegas has been a pretty good track for me,” said Davis. “We may not of had the best starting position over the last couple of years, especially last year with the pandemic and all, but we’ve been able to make steady gains throughout the race to put us in a good position for a solid finish.

“We have been working on this truck for a few weeks diligently preparing it for battle and I’m confident that will be competitive on Friday night.”

Davis says the lack of practice and qualifying has certainly helped his team from a financial standpoint, but it has also prevented some challenges during the early run of the race.

“It’s a huge cost-cutting measure for us to not have practice and qualifying, but that time you had spent dialing in your truck is now being done in a crucial part of the race which is Stage 1,” added Davis.

“Everyone is in the same boat, so I’m okay with that, but it has forced some of the smaller teams to be more aggressive on our setups to make sure we’re marching forward from the drop of the green flag with the intent to stay on the lead lap.

“Some races it has worked, others it has not, but I think it has definitely made us be a little more on top of our game before we leave the shop. I feel pretty good about the setup and hope we’re able to make some moves in that opening stage on Friday night.”

Spencer Davis Motorsports partner INOX Supreme Lubricants will serve as a major partner for Davis’s 30th career Truck Series race.

INOX product range was first released in 1989 with the Original INOX MX3 Lubricant. The original MX3 product was in development stages for two years prior to release with testing and focus on creating the right product for the market.

The INOX product range continues to grow with 12 products on the market, each with their own many specialized qualities used in all different industries. All their products are tested and trialed before hitting the market to ensure the best of quality is maintained in the INOX name. INOX products are available at all major industrial, electrical, automotive, hardware, bearing and mining, marine, fishing and tackle outlets, plus many more locations.

A wholly owned Australian company Candan Industries is now exporting to over 25 countries including United States of America, Canada, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Excited to have a long-time friendship turn into a season-long partnership with INOX Supreme Lubricants,” said Davis. “I can’t thank Angel and James at INOX enough for their continued support and partnership with our small team.

“We use their products day to day on our race team and in our machines at our business. A quality product and amazing people helped bring this all together.”

Based on metrics set by NASCAR without practice or qualifying, Davis will lineup 34th for the 134-lap race.

Melvin “Woody” Burns who started the year with SDM as car chief will continue in his new role as crew chief for the third consecutive NCWTS race.

Entering Las Vegas, Davis, 22, has 29 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts to his credit with a career-best finish of seventh at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in Feb. 2018, with additional top-10s at Texas Motor Speedway (June 2018) and Kentucky Speedway (July 2019).

Following Las Vegas, Spencer Davis Motorsports plans to compete at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in the Chevrolet Silverado 250 on Sat. October 2, 2021.

For more on Spencer Davis, please like him on Facebook (Spencer Davis Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@spencerdavis_29) and Twitter (@spencerdavis_29).

Stay connected with Spencer Davis Motorsports on Instagram (@teamsdm11) and Twitter (@teamSDM11).

The Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts (134 laps | 201 miles) is the 19th of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-truck field will take the green flag on Fri., Sept. 24, 2021, shortly after 6:00 p.m. PT (9:00 p.m. ET) with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (PT).

Ty Dillon and South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa to Join Jordan Anderson Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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STATESVILLE, N.C. (September 22, 2021) – Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) announced today Ty Dillon will drive the team’s No. 31 South Point Chevrolet Camaro SS in the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) on September 25.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to get back behind the wheel in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” said Dillon. “Jordan’s program has had strong runs this season and I look forward to continuing what his No. 31 team has been able to put together so far. It’s cool to honor Brendan Gaughan in his hometown and sport the South Point Hotel and Casino’s colors once again in my career. Back in 2012 when I made my first Xfinity Series start, South Point was the sponsor on my car and what Brendan and his family have done and continue to do for our sport is worth celebrating.”

Having competed in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) full-time and partially for the last eight seasons, the Lewisville, North Carolina native holds 166 NCS starts to his credit. In those starts Dillon has collected two Top-5’s and six Top-10 finishes.

Starting Dillon’s ladder progression to NASCAR’s top-level, the now 29-year-old claimed the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROY) title with one win, an impressive seven Top-5’s and 17 Top-10 finishes. Dillon backed up his first year by claiming two wins, nine Top-5’s and 12 Top-10’s the next season on the way to being the 2013 NCWTS Championship Runner-Up.

Prior to moving to the NCS full-time, Dillon would spend three seasons in NXS competing for a Championship. In his rookie season Dillon would capture runner-up honors to Chase Elliot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings after a fierce battle all season long claiming one win, seven Top-5’s, and 24 Top-10’s.

The following season would see Dillon grab 12 Top-5’s and 25 Top-10’s in claiming third in the 2015 NXS championship point standings. In his last full-season driving in NXS Dillon would earn nine Top-5’s and 17 Top-10’s with a career best five second place finishes. NASCAR would move to the Chase format in 2016 for the point standings, making the chase Dillon would be eliminated from the final round in a close battle with Justin Allgaier. Ultimately, finishing fifth in the season long standings.

In 155 career NXS starts, Dillon has raced to one win with 34 top-five finishes, and 90 top-10’s.

In seven starts at LVMS in NCS competition, Dillon holds an average finish of 24.9 with a best of 10th coming in 2020, while holding an average finish of 15.3 with a best of seventh in six starts in NXS. Dillon also holds two starts in NCWTS claiming a best of fourth.

“Ty is a very experienced driver who will be able to step into the seat and instantly put the team in a position to compete towards the front. We first raced against each other in Legends cars over ten years ago – so this is really cool to see this opportunity come full circle.” Stated JAR President Jordan Anderson.

“It’s been incredibly fulfilling to have an opportunity to assemble a lineup of drivers that have been able to show the ability of our equipment and team. As we continue to build our relationship and program with the equipment from RCR and engines from ECR – it’s exciting to see the potential that the future has in store for us all. We’re also incredibly honored to welcome South Point Hotel and Casino on board this weekend. South Point and the Gaughan family have been a proud supporter of many race teams throughout the years, and they do a great job making the teams feel like they are at home during the race weekend.”

Partnering with JAR for the Alsco Uniforms 302 is South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa; the “Official Hotel and Casino of Las Vegas Motor Speedway” and sponsor of the Las Vegas NASCAR Cup Series race, South Point 400.

Featuring more than 2,100 guestrooms, South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa overlooks the famous Las Vegas Strip and the serenity of the surrounding mountainscape. Each oversized guest room features state-of-the-art LED televisions as well as WiFi with high-speed internet connections.

Guests visiting South Point Hotel will experience affordable luxury through a casino offering top-of-the-line gaming technology, over 2,200 slot and video poker machines, more than 60 table games and a separate race and sports book area, 11 restaurants, including the award-winning Michael’s Gourmet Room, world-class Costa Del Sur Spa and Salon, a 400-seat showroom featuring headliner entertainment, a 700-seat Bingo room, a 16-screen Cinemark movie complex, a state-of-the-art 64-lane bowling center, a 52,000-square foot Conference Center and an 80,000-square foot Exhibit Hall.

South Point Hotel is also home to the Tournament Bowling Plaza, a multi-million-dollar professional bowling tournament facility. In addition, South Point Hotel has the finest equestrian event facility in the country. The 240,000 square feet of event space features three climate-controlled arenas, vet clinic, feed store, more than 1,200 climate-controlled stalls and plays host to some of the country’s most unique events.

For more information or for room reservations, call (702) 796-7111 or visit the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa website. Connect with South Point on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Coverage of the NXS Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway begins at 9:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 25. The event will air on the Performance Racing Network (PRN), SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, NBCSN, and the NBC Sports APP.

Stay updated with everything Ty Dillon by following him on Social Media; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For more information on JAR, visit JordanAndersonRacing.com, and be sure to follow the team all season on the JAR social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Jordan Anderson Racing

Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) is a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson. Established in 2018, JAR has competed full-time in the last three NCWTS seasons claiming back-to-back runner-up finishes in the 2020 & 2021 season opening NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. JAR fields a full-time entry in the NXS Series; the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS driven by Jordan Anderson, Tyler Reddick, Josh Berry, Kaz Grala, Sage Karam, Erik Jones, Austin & Ty Dillon. JAR also fields the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for select drivers in the NCWTS.

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 09.22.21

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This Week in Motorsports: September 20-26, 2021

· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – September 24-26
· ARCA WEST: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – September 23

PLANO, Texas (September 22, 2021) – It’s a fresh Playoff round for all three top series of NASCAR as they all try to move forward with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The weekend starts on Thursday with Toyota drivers looking to close in on an ARCA West championship with a race at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NCWTS

600 for Busch… Kyle Busch hits a big milestone this weekend as he competes in his 600th Cup Series event at his home track – Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has 59 victories, 225 top-five finishes and 333 top-10 finishes. The two-time Cup Series champion has one Cup Series victory (March 2009), two Xfinity Series wins and three Truck Series victories at his home track.

All four Playoff drivers moving on… All four Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) drivers advanced into the Round of 12, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin on their victories in the first round and Busch and Christopher Bell on their point standings. Truex has scored Toyota’s last two wins at Las Vegas (March 2017 and September 2019).

Xfinity Series Playoffs begin… All three full-time Supra drivers Harrison Burton, Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones are part of the 12-driver Xfinity Series Playoffs that begin this weekend. All three drivers earned top-10 finishes at Las Vegas earlier this year with Hemric coming home in second after leading 74 laps. Jones followed him to the line after leading 28 circuits.

Lupton back in the Xfinity Series… For the first time since 2018, Dylan Lupton will be back in the Xfinity Series driving the No. 26 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing for his first of two races with the team. Lupton has 35 career starts in the Xfinity Series.

Friesen continues to run strong… Stewart Friesen has continued to have an impressive Playoffs. The Canada-native started the Playoffs with three straight top-five finishes – his first such streak in over two years. Friesen looks to add to that streak at Las Vegas. Since joining Team Toyota in 2020, Friesen has two top-five finishes, and three top-10 finishes in three starts at Las Vegas.

Tundra top-fives… Bristol was the second time this season – and fifth time in Toyota’s Truck Series tenure – Toyota drivers swept the top-five finishing positions with first-time winner Chandler Smith leading them to the line. The last time Toyota swept the top-five finishing positions was earlier this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where championship points leader John Hunter Nemechek scored his first victory for Kyle Busch Motorsports with team owner Busch coming home in second followed by Austin Hill, Friesen and Matt Crafton to complete the top-five for Toyota.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA WEST

Love plans to add another win… Toyota development driver Jesse Love continues to be impressive in his quest for a second-straight ARCA West title for Bill McAnally Racing. The 16-year-old holds a 19-point advantage in the standings with three races remaining. Last season at the Bullring, Love started on the pole and finished third to Toyota teammate Gracie Trotter, who scored a historic victory.

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