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RCR Post Race Report – Food City 300

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Official Release
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Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Brands Chevrolet Team Earn Solid, Top-10 Finish In Action-Packed Bristol Motor Speedway Night Race

Finish: 8th
Start: 17th
Points: 12th

“Our Crosley Brands Chevrolet was extremely fast tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway. My Richard Childress Racing guys brought such a good piece to the track and I couldn’t be prouder. To finish inside the top-10 in the regular season finale is a good way to build momentum heading into the NASCAR Playoffs next week. To start the race, our Camaro was tight center off, but when we were on a long run, it had so much speed. My crew chief, Andy Street, barely had to adjust on the balance all night, which is the sign of a good handling car. Racing at Bristol is a battle and there was a lot of beating and banging out there. I wish we didn’t tear up our car after the checkered, but there was nowhere for me to go at that point. We are now looking forward to Las Vegas.”

-Myatt Snider

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report – Bristol

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Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Race: Food City 300
Date: September 17, 2021

No. 22 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric

Start: 9th
Stage 1: 7th
Stage 2: 4th
Finish: 2nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 306/306
Laps Led: 75
Driver Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+0)

Notes:

  • Austin Cindric started ninth and finished second while crashing just past the start finish line in a wild NASCAR Overtime on Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Cindric led 75 laps on his way to the second-place finish in the Food City 300 and ended the regular season with the No. 22 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang team earning another 10 playoff points to use in their Championship quest, finishing second in the regular season standings. The team enters the first NASCAR XFINITY Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next Saturday as the number one seed.
  • In the early laps of the race, Cindric drove the No. 22 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang into the top-five, reaching the fourth position prior to the lap 40 competition caution. During the run, the driver reported that the handling of his Mustang was building slightly free on corner entry. Cindric would later get trapped behind a car on the inside line on a restart, dropping him to the seventh position at the end of Stage 1. Crew chief Brian Wilson adjusted on the No. 22 Mustang with air pressure on the stage ending stop, looking to give Cindric additional entry security and center turn.
  • Despite radioing the team that the Mendards/Richmond Mustang was too tight in the opening laps of Stage 2, Cindric quickly found himself racing back inside the top-five. As the stage wore on, Cindric was able to move up, becoming the first car to make good lap times in the second and third lane around the high-banked concrete half-mile. Cindric remained in the top-five, finishing Stage 2 in the fourth position. On the stage ending stop, the team elected to make a trackbar adjustment to help with the No. 22 Menards/Richmond Mustang being too tight on fire-off.
  • With the trackbar adjustment working favorably, Cindric powered to the second position at lap 210 with only 90 laps remaining in the scheduled distance. Cindric would take the lead for the first time of the night at lap 230 before a caution at lap 240 which set up setting up the final stop of the race. The team delivered on a four-tire stop, sending Cindric back to the track with the lead.
  • While leading and lapping cars, Cindric received contact to his left rear, but maintained control of the No. 22 Menards/Richmond Mustang, driving out to a one-second lead and cruising to the win. With only three laps remaining, a caution flag was displayed for a spin in second-place, sending the race to NASCAR Overtime.
  • On the restart, Cindric received heavy left-side contact from eventual race winner AJ Allmendinger and then again from Justin Allgaier. Cindric was able to rally back to the second position, getting inside Allmendinger before the two made contact at the checkered flag. Cindric netted another 10-playoff points with his regular season performance and enters the NASCAR XFINITY Playoffs with 44 total playoff points.

Quote: “Yeah. Absolutely. I’m sure everybody in the grandstands tonight will remember this one. I certainly will. That’s two years in a row in this race that I feel like we should have won. That’s a lot of races in this neon yellow car that I feel like we should have won this year, so really disappointed for Menards, Richmond, Team Penske — all the hard work these guys put in. We put ourselves in position. That’s all you can ask for and I guess that’s short track racing.”

Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric Finishes Second in Dramatic Final Lap at Bristol

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Food City 300
Bristol Motor Speedway | Friday, September 17, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
2nd — Austin Cindric
3rd — Riley Herbst
34th — Ryan Sieg

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang — YOU WILL MAKE HIGHLIGHTS AT BRISTOL FOR YEARS TO COME WITH THAT FINISH. “Yeah. Absolutely. I’m sure everybody in the grandstands tonight will remember this one. I certainly will. That’s two years in a row in this race that I feel like we should have won. That’s a lot of races in this neon yellow car that I feel like we should have won this year, so really disappointed for Menards, Richmond, Team Penske — all the hard work these guys put in. We put ourselves in position. That’s all you can ask for and I guess that’s short track racing.”

HOW DO YOU RESET YOUR MINDSET FOR THE PLAYOFFS? “I know how much it means to everybody else to beat us.”

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FINAL LAP? “What happened on the last lap? The short summary is short track racing. The long summary is a lot of contact. Five-star bodies definitely made their money’s worth today. I’m surprised we were able to not cut a tire down in that situation, but just a lot of hard racing, a lot of guys wanted to win the race. I feel like, and I say with confidence, we were probably the ones that deserved to, but that’s not how these play out with these green-white-checkers and sometimes you’re vulnerable.”

DID YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THAT LAST MOVE OFF OF FOUR OR WAS THAT DESPERATION? “I would say that was the exact same thing AJ did on the bottom of turn four the lap prior, just gassing up out of desperation. I would say it was a bit desperate, but monkey see, monkey do in that situation. Like I said in my TV interview, I don’t want to tear up race cars and can’t say I’m the one that instigated any of that. I had a shot to win. I mean, I’d love to see the margin there of two cars crashing across the finish line, but really close two years in a row.”

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU NARROWLY MISSED SIEG TRYING TO GET TO PIT ROAD? “I thought that was really close. The 10 car had a tire go down. The 39 had a problem. I was just waiting for my caution. When we got to three to go I thought we were in a decent spot, but I’ve had a couple of these run green while I’ve been leading and I consider myself lucky every time it does and today it didn’t happen.”

DO THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT WITH AJ CHANGE NOW AFTER TONIGHT? “Yes and no. I feel like at a track like this it’s probably more pliable, but it doesn’t surprise me. That’s how AJ races. That’s how he’s always raced. He’s usually walked that fine line no matter what position he’s running on the racetrack. I respect him for it — not for tonight — but I respect him for it in general. He’s hungry. I think that’s proof. Not to sound arrogant, but how bad guys want to win, how bad guys want to beat us. We obviously did the right adjustments tonight and got ahead and stayed ahead of the track and I’m really proud of that and some nights that’s all you can do.”

IT’S A BIG POINT SWING. DO YOU FEEL THAT PLAYED INTO IT AT ALL? “Absolutely. You can look at it from a different perspective that I would rather AJ win than anybody else because I’d rather have two cars have the most playoff points than to be equally distributed throughout the field because then that devalues mine, so from that perspective, I don’t mind him winning as long as I’m ahead. That’s the caveat there.”

WILL YOU CHAT WITH HIM ABOUT THIS? “The funny thing is we fly on the same plane as Kaulig, so it’s kind of been funny the whole year. They sit in the front of the plane. They make us sit in the back of the plane, so I get to have some snarky comment every time I walk by AJ when we walk on the plane, so, if he doesn’t talk to me by then I’m sure I’ll hear something on Friday morning.”

YOU TOOK THE OUTSIDE AND ALLGAIER OPTED TO GO BEHIND YOU. WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN YOU SAW THAT HAPPEN? “I actually liked it because I thought Allgaier was the better car and I thought that was gonna trap AJ on the bottom, but obviously contact there off of four really screwed my run. I did have a point that I was clear, but the moment I pull down with a tight clear like that all AJ is gonna do release the brake and run into the back of me, so, like I said, two guys who both wanted to win the race really bad.”

DO YOU KNOW YOUR SNARKY COMMENT YET BEFORE GETTING ON THE PLANE? “I usually try to think of my rebuttal because he usually gets the first word and the last word, and I try to shut him up before he gets the last word.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang — THAT WAS A WILD FINISH. “Yeah, that was fun. A lot of people using their bumpers out here tonight and kind of what I expected just because it’s the regular season cutoff and playoff points are on the line. It got aggressive, but it was cool. We kept ourselves in position. Richard Boswell and the 98 team gave us a really good strategy and a really good car. Thank you to Monster Energy and Ford Performance. Man, I’m so excited to go home next week and try to go race for a championship.”

HOW SPECIAL WILL IT BE TO START THE PLAYOFFS AT YOUR HOME TRACK? “It’s gonna be fun. I’ve been looking forward to going home for a long time and I think we can win at home next week and, like I said, I’m excited. We’re going to race for a championship.”

WHAT ABOUT THE FINAL RESTART? “Once the caution came and the overtime happened I knew it was gonna be kind of hectic. It’s just a product of Bristol. People got aggressive. Everybody wants to win at this place. This place is awesome. It was ten tenths there the last few laps and all hell kind of broke loose, but we were able to come away third and we’ll take it headed to Las Vegas.”

THOUGHTS ON LAS VEGAS NEXT WEEK? “We’re going to back to my home, Las Vegas, to try to go win and move to the Round of 8. We’re very capable of winning and we’re ready to go do it.”

Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Bristol 9.17.21

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Official Release
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Joe Gibbs Racing Trio Qualifies for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs
Hemric, Burton and Jones will vie for the Championship

BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 17, 2021) – Brandon Jones (fifth) led the way for Team Toyota in the Food City 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday evening. This was Jones’ ninth top-five finish of the 2021 season. All three Joe Gibbs Racing fulltime drivers locked themselves into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs with Daniel Hemric seeded sixth, Harrison Burton eighth and Brandon Jones 10th.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Bristol Motor Speedway
Race 25 of 33 – 159.9 miles, 300 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, AJ Allmandinger*
2nd, Austin Cindric*
3rd, Riley Herbst*
4th, Justin Allgaier*
5th, BRANDON JONES
7th, HARRISON BURTON
10th, DANIEL HEMRIC
11th, TY GIBBS
21st, BRANDON GDOVIC
22nd, STEFAN PARSONS
30th, DAVID STARR
33rd, CHAD FINCHUM
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 YeeYee Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How do you feel about the race and your momentum heading into the Playoffs?

“This is exactly what we need to do truthfully is just have a good, solid run. We had decent stages – I think we finished eighth in both stages. There at the end, you never know what’s going to happen. I’ve been part of a lot of these races where these late-race restarts cause a lot of chaos and you can come and sneak in. I didn’t know what to expect, but that was my best shot at trying to come in here and win this race. Awesome day for YeeYee, I know they had a big deal setup in the fan zone so that was super cool for them so it was great to get them a top-five although I think we should be grateful for a top-five, we’re still hunting for that win. It’s awesome to go into the Playoffs with some momentum and we’ve got some good tracks coming up. Vegas is really good for us and looking forward to getting there.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

What happened in the closing laps of the race and how was your car tonight?

“A 10th place finish is not at all what this Poppy Bank Toyota Supra team had. We struggled a little bit on pit road all night. We maintained track position – I think the worst we were was second or third under green flag runs and then would lose a few spots on pit road, which is very uncharacteristic of our group. It was one of those nights. I’ve made some mistakes and I’m cleaning it up. Just wish we could have been in the mix there coming to the end. Then somebody got into me coming to two to go and got me out of the groove and that was it. Finally got the ball rolling. First time in a couple weeks that we had one of the fastest cars. That’s all you can ask for. Get my voice healed up and head to Vegas.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

Newgarden Paces Opening Practice at Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey

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Official Release
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MONTEREY, Calif. (Friday, Sept. 17, 2021) – Josef Newgarden isn’t going down without a big fight.

Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Newgarden led practice Friday for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, turning a top lap of 1 minute, 11.7125 seconds in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet after losing ground to championship leader Alex Palou last weekend at Portland International Raceway.

“Overall, we unloaded pretty good,” Newgarden said. “Small differences here or there, but for the most part globally it felt like the car was in the window. Just got to look after it.

“Obviously, things can change quickly. In Portland, we were pretty sorted out in practice one, we choked in qualifying and were pretty far off the pace. That’s the number one thing for us in the 2 car, have a consistent run all the way through. If we can do that, we’ll be in the fight.”

Newgarden enters this penultimate event of the season third in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings, 34 points behind leader Palou. It’s far from impossible he can rally for a third career title, but he’ll need to leapfrog Palou and second-place Pato O’Ward – 25 points behind Palou – to wear the crown. Titles can be captured at the top south african online casino where you can compare the best players.

Colton Herta was second at 1:11.7927 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda before going off course just past the famous Corkscrew turn complex in the final minute of the 45-minute session on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula of Northern California. 2019 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey winner Herta made no contact and continued to the pits.

“I think it’s tough to do a 45-minute session on one set of tires,” Herta said. “Waiting for most of it, waiting to see what kind of lap times guys were doing.

“Compared to when we were at the test, I think the track was a lot better. It was quite nice. Even though it seemed like it was similar temperature, seemed to be a little bit more grip today.”

Track activity resumes with a 45-minute practice at 1:45 p.m. (ET) Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 5:05 p.m. (ET). Both sessions will be streamed live on Peacock Premium.

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Palou was third overall in the practice at 1:11.9750 in the No. 10 NTT Data Honda. Ed Jones was fourth at 1:12.0166 in the No. 18 SealMaster Honda, while 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alexander Rossi rounded out the top five at 1:12.0625 in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda.

Among the other three drivers mathematically eligible to win the Astor Challenge Cup as season champion, Marcus Ericsson (fifth, 75 points behind) was 10th at 1:12.3564 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon (fourth, 49 points behind) ended up 11th at 1:12.4415 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda, while O’Ward was 14th at 1:12.4982 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Herta wasn’t the only driver to go off track while pushing for lap time toward the end of the session.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves nudged the tire barrier in Turn 2, also known as the Andretti Hairpin, with the nose of his No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda with about 18 minutes remaining. Then Rossi went off in Turn 3 and continued, while Sebastien Bourdais spun and continued in the No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.

Rookie of the Year points leader Scott McLaughlin also slowed in the final minute approaching the Corkscrew turn complex.

Live coverage of the 95-lap race starts at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday on NBC, Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Allmendinger spins and wins a wild finish at Bristol; locks up Xfinity regular season championship

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Christian Gardner for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The conclusion of the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 17, left a bevy of race cars wrecked and tempers flaring amongst a number of competitors, including the top-two finishers fighting for both the win and the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season championship.

In a late overtime shootout between two potential championship favorites, AJ Allmendinger bumped and rubbed Austin Cindric for the lead before overtaking him on the final lap and just had enough to stay ahead of Cindric, who sent both competitors spinning and wrecking across the finish line, to win both the race and claim the regular season title. The finish of the event also provided a possible preview of this year’s Xfinity Series championship battle between two dominating competitors throughout this year’s Xfinity regular-season stretch.

The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Xfinity event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Xfinity race. With that, Noah Gragson, winner of last weekend’s event at Richmond Raceway, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with teammate Justin Allgaier.

Prior to the event, Josh Berry dropped to the rear of the field for filling in for veteran Michael Annett, who re-injured his right leg while working out. The move eliminated Annett in making the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs for the first time since 2018.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Gragson powered ahead with the lead on the outside lane followed by Daniel Hemric and the field. As Gragson led the first lap, Hemric retained second while Allgaier was trying to fend off Harrison Burton, rookie Ty Gibbs and Justin Haley in third.

On the fifth lap and while the field battled competitively early, Hemric emerged with the lead after passing Gragson, who led the first four laps, on the inside lane through Turns 4 and 1. Behind, Gibbs muscled his way into fourth behind Allgaier while Harrison Burton was left battling with Kaulig Racing’s Haley and Jeb Burton near the top five.

On the ninth lap, the first caution of the race flew when Brett Moffitt made contact with the outside wall in Turn 2, an incident that ended his hopes to make the Playoffs. By then, Harrison Burton fell back to eighth behind Austin Cindric while Josh Berry was up in 27th behind Spencer Boyd.

Seven laps later, the race restarted under green. At the start, Hemric retained the lead while Allgaier overtook teammate Gragson to move into second. Behind, Gibbs and Haley battled for fourth while Cindric and Jeb Burton battled for sixth.

By Lap 20, Hemric was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Allgaier while Gragson, Haley and Jeb Burton were in the top five. Cindric, Harrison Burton, Gibbs, Jeremy Clements and Brandon Jones were in the top 10 while AJ Allmendinger was in 12th behind Ryan Sieg.

Ten laps later, Hemric, who was approaching lapped traffic, continued to lead by a narrow margin over Allgaier while Haley was in third. Meanwhile, Cindric was up in fourth followed by Gragson. Behind, Gibbs was up in sixth followed by cousins Jeb and Harrison Burton. In addition, Allmendinger cracked the top 10.

On Lap 36, Allgaier made a move on Hemric, who was trapped behind the lapped car of Jade Buford, to move into the lead. Shortly after, Haley moved into second while Hemric got shuffled back to third.

When the competition caution flew on Lap 40, Allgaier was leading by three-tenths of a second over Haley while Hemric, Cindric and Gragson were in the top five. Gibbs, Jeb Burton, Harrison Burton, Allmendinger and Brandon Jones were in the top 10. By then, Ryan Sieg, Riley Herbst and Brandon Brown, all of whom were battling for spots in the Xfinity Series Playoffs, were in 11th, 12th and 13th, Myatt Snider was in 15th and Berry was in 19th.

Under the competition caution, some like Sieg and Jeremy Clements pitted while the rest led by Allgaier remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Spencer Boyd, who also pitted, dragged a gas can out of his pit box and on the track. When the gas can came off of Boyd’s machine, fuel spilled out on the racing surface, which required safety crews to remove the can.

When the race restarted on Lap 51, Allgaier continued to lead over the field.

By Lap 60, Allgaier was ahead by four-tenths of a second over Hemric and nearly seven-tenths of a second over teammate Gragson. Mayer was in fourth followed by Allmendinger, Cindric, Brandon Jones, Jeb Burton and Harrison Burton. Meanwhile, Gibbs was back in 11th, but locked in a battle with teammate Harrison Burton and Riley Herbst.

Fifteen laps later, Allgaier remained in the lead by nearly half a second over Hemric while third-place Gragson trailed by nearly a second. Meanwhile, light smoke and possible fluid was billowing out of the No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet Camaro driven by Berry. 

When the first stage concluded on Lap 85, Allgaier, who led 50 laps, was able to capture his second stage victory of the season. Hemric settled in second followed by Gragson, Haley, Mayer, Allmendinger, Cindric, Brandon Jones, Gibbs and Harrison Burton. By then, Berry, who pitted for fresh tires and to have the smoke assessed, took his car behind the wall.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Allgaier retained the lead ahead of the field following his pit service. Meanwhile, Jeremy Clements moved up to third after opting for no fresh tires during his pit service.

The second stage started on Lap 93 as teammates Allgaier and Gragson occupied the front row. At the start, Allgaier muscled into the lead on the outside lane while Hemric overtook Gragson for the runner-up spot. Behind, a pair of side-by-side battles occurred between Clements, Haley, Allmendinger and Cindric.

Two laps later, Haley, who was in fourth, slipped in Turn 1, which nearly placed him in a four-wide battle with teammate Allmendinger, Cindric and Clements entering Turn 2. With the field jumbled up, Allgaier continued to lead.

At the Lap 100 mark, Allgaier was leading by two-tenths of a second over Hemric followed by Gragson, Haley and Allmendinger. Cindric was in sixth ahead of Ty Gibbs while Jeb Burton, Mayer and Brandon Jones were in the top 10. 

Three laps later, the caution flew when BJ McLeod bumped and turned Tommy Joe Martins in the backstretch.

Another five laps later, the race restarted under green. At the start, Allgaier jumped ahead with a slight advantage over Hemric, who fought back on the inside lane. A lap later, Hemric muscled his way back into the lead. Not long after, the caution returned when Matt Mills wrecked on the frontstretch following contact from Boyd. After exiting his car, Mills expressed his displease to Boyd with an obscene gesture.

On Lap 116, the race restarted under green. At the start, Hemric retained the lead following another strong start while JR Motorsports’ teammates Gragson and Allgaier battled for second. Behind, Cindric was in fourth followed by Haley and Allmendinger.

By Lap 125, Hemric was out in front by six-tenths for a second over Allgaier while Gragson, Cindric and Haley remained in the top five ahead of Allmendinger, Gibbs and the field.

On Lap 136, Allgaier seized an opportunity to retake the lead after Hemric was mired behind lapped traffic.

At the halfway mark on Lap 150, Allgaier continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second over Hemric while Gragson, Cindric and Haley remained in the top five. Behind, Brandon Jones and Allmendinger battled for sixth while Gibbs, Maayer and Jeb Burton were in the top 10. Harrison Burton was in 12th behind Myatt Snider, Sieg was in 13th ahead of Herbst and Brandon Brown was in 17th area of Jeremy Clements and Sage Karam.

A few laps later, the caution flew when Allgaier, the leader who was trying to navigate his way through lapped traffic, made contact with the lapped car of Joe Graf Jr., wiggled and got sideways in Turn 1. Despite sliding sideways in the first turn, Allgaier managed to straighten his car and continue without sustaining any damage. 

Under caution, some led by Mayer pitted while the rest led by Hemric remained on the track. Under caution, Snider was busted for speeding on pit road.

With nine laps remaining in the second stage, the race resumed under green. At the start, Hemric fended off Allgaier on the outside lane to retain the lead while Gragson, Cindric and Haley battled in the top five. 

When the second stage concluded on Lap 170, Hemric secured his seventh stage victory of the season. Allgaier settled in second followed by Gragson, Haley, Cindric, Allmendinger, Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Sieg and Jeb Burton.

Under the stage break, some led by Allgaier pitted while others led by Jeb Burton, including those who pitted under the previous caution prior to the second stage’s conclusion, remained on the track. Following the pit stops, teammates Allgaier and Gragson were penalized for speeding on pit road.

With 121 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Jeb Burton moved and cleared Herbst for the lead in Turn 2. A lap later, though, Mayer used the outside lane to overtake Burton and move into the lead. 

Eleven laps later, Mayer was leading by a second over Jeb Burton while Herbst, Hemric and Cindric were in the top five. 

Nearing the final 100 laps of the event, the caution flew when Carson Ware cut a left-front tire in Turn 1 and went up the racetrack, though he managed to keep the car off the wall. 

With 96 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Mayer retained the lead on the outside lane while Jeb Burton and Hemric battled for second. Soon after, Hemric and Cindric overtook Jeb Burton for second and third before Cindric muscled into the runner-up spot.

Down to the final 90 laps of the event, Mayer was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Cindric while Hemric, Herbst and Allmendinger were in the top five. Jeb Burton was back in sixth ahead of Brandon Jones, Haley, Gibbs and Snider.

With 75 laps remaining, Mayer continued to lead by two-tenths of a second over Cindric while third-place Hemric trailed by more than two seconds. Herbst and Allmendinger remained in the top five followed by Jeb Burton, Brandon Jones and Allgaier, who rallied from his late pit road penalty. Gibbs and Snider were in the top 10 while Haley slipped back to 11th ahead of Sieg, Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Gragson and Jeremy Clements.

Four laps later, Cindric took advantage of Mayer getting stuck behind the lapped car of Tommy Joe Martins to challenge Mayer for the lead. After drawing himself alongside Mayer for a full lap, Cindric then made contact with Mayer and the outside wall in Turn 4 while trying to clear himself for the lead. Despite the contact, Cindric and Mayer continued to run in first and second

With 62 laps remaining, the caution flew for a two-car spin involving David Starr and Tommy Joe Martins on the frontstretch.

Under caution, the leaders pitted and Cindric remained as the leader ahead of Mayer and the field following his pit service.

With 53 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Cindric jumped ahead with a strong start while Allgaier challenged teammate Mayer for the runner-up spot. Behind, Brandon Jones moved up to fourth ahead of Herbst and Allmendinger.

With less than 50 laps remaining, Cindric was out in front by more than a second over Mayer while Allgaier, Brandon Jones and Allmendinger battled for third. Herbst was back in sixth ahead of Hemric, who had a slow pit stop under the previous caution. 

Soon after, Jeb Burton made contact with the wall after racing hard with Snider, which dropped him off the pace and eventually livid with Snider. After spending a lap below the apron, Burton then pitted under green to have the damaged right side of his car addressed.

Down to the final 30 laps of the event, Cindric, who was mired behind lapped traffic, was leading by three-tenths of a second over Mayer while Allgaier kept the two leaders in his sight. Allmendinger was in fourth while Hemric moved back up to fifth.

Seven laps later, Mayer drew himself towards Cindric, who was mired in lapped traffic, and attempted to take the lead, but Cindric fought back on the outside lane. By the time Cindric retained the lead to a reasonable margin, Mayer was left to battle with teammate Allgaier for the runner-up spot.

With 15 laps remaining, Cindric extended his advantage to more than a second over Mayer and Allgaier while fourth-place Allmendinger trailed by more than three seconds and fifth-place Hemric trailed by four seconds.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Cindric continued to lead by a second over Mayer, who was able to place a half-a-second gap over teammate Allgaier. 

With five laps remaining, Cindric, who continued to deal with lapped traffic, retained the lead by nearly a second over Mayer, who had teammate Allgaier reeling back in.

Just then, the caution flew coming to the final four laps when Allgaier, who was trying to navigate his way to the front through lapped traffic, made contact with teammate Mayer and sent him spinning along with Josh Williams entering Turn 2. The contact and the incident between the two JR Motorsports competitors erased a comfortable advantage for Cindric and sent the race into overtime.

When the race restarted in overtime, Cindric held a narrow lead over Allmendinger, who fought back on the inside lane through the first two turns. Then in Turn 3, Allmendinger bolted his way alongside Cindric and rubbed Cindric’s No. 22 Menards Ford Mustang through Turn 4. As both competitors got sideways, Allgaier drew his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro beneath both as the final lap started.

Just as Cindric and Allgaier were locked in a dead heat for the win, Allgaier made contact with Cindric in Turn 1, which opened the door for Allmendinger to overtake both competitors in a bold three-wide move entering Turn 2. As Cindric pursued Allmendinger for the win, Allgaier rubbed with Riley Herbt for third.

Then, entering the final turn, Cindric, knowing he was battling Allmendinger for the regular season title, made his way beneath Allmendinger and made contact with the Californian as both competitors veered sideways and headed for the inside wall. In the process, Allmendinger managed to edge Cindric by 0.082 seconds to claim the win. Moments after both slid across the finish line, though, Allmendinger and Cindric then made contact into the inside wall as Allmendinger veered back across the racetrack and was hit by teammate Haley and Snider.

Despite the accident, Allmendinger managed to claim his ninth career win in the Xfinity Series, fourth of the season and first at Bristol. In addition, he became the fifth different competitor to claim the Xfinity Series regular season title.

Moments after climbing out of his wrecked race car, Allmendinger, who was livid towards Cindric over being wrecked, saluted the fans before hopping into the ambulance and making the trip to the infield care center while Cindric was welcomed with mixed reaction from the crowd. While both competitors expressed no ill feelings towards one another, their on-track battle left both setting their sights for the series’ title.

“That was crazy at the end,” Allmendinger, who was released from the infield care center, said on NBCSN. “We had about a fourth-place car. My team did a great job. We just kept trying to work on it. You got a chance on the bottom [lane] and got in there. I slid into Austin trying to throttle up and stay on the bottom. Then into [Turn] 1, Allgaier had a run and there was contact there. [I] Went down into the last corner, I expected to get run into. It happened in the previous corner. It’s frustrating to get hit that hard coming to the checkered, but we’re battling for the win. It’s Bristol, baby. It’s what it’s all about. I haven’t had a lot of chances to ever in my life win at Bristol, so you know what, you get a chance to go do it, you got to do it. If I don’t take that chance, I don’t belong in a race car because my team deserves to win. Not the way you want to finish the race like that, destroying a lot of race cars. It’s a dream come true for this year. Thank you so much. Whether you love me or hate me for that, you know what, just keep being you guys [fans] because this is what makes this sport bad ass.”

“I thought we had a really great battle all season long up to this point,” Cindric said. “Congratulations to Kaulig [Racing] and AJ. Those guys didn’t want us to win really bad and I hate it completely destroyed our Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang. That’s all I got, man. I know what happened. I got drove into the door…AJ just drove straight through us. You’ll have that green-white-checkered racing. Man, what a hell of a race. I tried. That’s a big bummer. Sorry to everybody else that got involved in that wreck as well. That was really unfortunate…I just got booed and just got cheered. I don’t know what’s going on. Welcome to Bristol.”

Meanwhile, Riley Herbst came home in third place and secured his spot in the Playoffs along with fifth-place finisher Brandon Jones and 13th-place finisher Jeremy Clements. Names like Brandon Brown, Ryan Sieg and Josh Williams failed to qualify for the postseason battle for the title.

Allgaier and Jones finished in the top five on the track followed by Haley, Harrison Burton, Snider, Mayer and Hemric.

AJ Allmendinger, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, Jeb Burton, Harrison Burton, Myatt Snider, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst and Jeremy Clements have made the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, and will compete for this year’s series title.

There were 11 lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 72 laps. Only 14 of 40 starters finished on the lead lap.

Results.

1. AJ Allmendinger, one lap led

2. Austin Cindric, 75 laps led

3. Riley Herbst

4. Justin Allgaier, 92 laps led, Stage 1 winner

5. Brandon Jones

6. Justin Haley

7. Harrison Burton

8. Myatt Snider

9. Sam Mayer, 49 laps led

10. Daniel Hemric, 78 laps led, Stage 2 winner

11. Ty Gibbs

12. Noah Gragson, four laps led

13. Jeremy Clements

14. Brandon Brown

15. Ty Dillon, one lap down

16. Sage Karam, one lap down

17. Joe Graf Jr., one lap down

18. Gray Gaulding, one lap down

19. Alex Labbe, one lap down

20. Josh Williams, one lap down

21. Brandon Gdovic, one lap down

22. Stefan Parsons, two laps down

23. Tommy Joe Maartins, two laps down

24. Jeb Burton, three laps down

25. Jeffrey Earnhardt, three laps down

26. BJ McLeod, three laps down

27. Jade Buford, four laps down

28. Jesse Little, four laps down

29. Kyle Weatherman, five laps down

30. David Starr, six laps down

31. Spencer Boyd, eight laps down

32. Carson Ware, nine laps down

33. Chad Finchum, 24 laps down

34. Ryan Sieg – OUT, Fuel pump

35. Josh Berry, 91 laps down

36. Matt Mills – OUT, Accident

37. Ryan Vargas – OUT, Brakes

38. Bayley Currey – OUT, Brakes

39. Landon Cassill – OUT, Electrical

40. Brett Moffitt – OUT, Accident

The 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs is set to commence next Saturday, September 25, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with the event scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Johnny Morris & Entire Bass Pro Shops Family Pay Special Tribute to Longtime Friends Sherry Pollex and Martin Truex Jr. in the Fight Against Ovarian Cancer

By
Official Release
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The No. 19 car dedicated to SherryStrong.org at the Bass Pro Shops Great American Night Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway this Saturday night

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Johnny Morris and the entire Bass Pro Shops family proudly support longtime friends Martin Truex Jr. and Sherry Pollex in their efforts to raise awareness about ovarian cancer. Morris today announces the dedication space on the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops/SherryStrong.org Toyota Camry during Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Great American Night Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway to fight cancer. SherryStrong.org is a subsidiary of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation is dedicated to creating awareness about childhood and ovarian cancer. SherryStrong.org is named in honor of Sherry Pollex, longtime partner of NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. and cancer survivor. It is an educational website that’s mission is to create awareness about ovarian cancer and provide resources to women battling the disease.

After being diagnosed in 2014 with stage 3c ovarian cancer, Sherry has undergone three major surgeries and over forty chemotherapy treatments. But through it all, she continues to give hope to other women battling this disease. Educating others about ovarian cancer symptoms and sharing her cancer journey has given her a greater purpose. Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops are humbled by the opportunity to support such a noble cause, led by such a strong and courageous person.

Truex Jr., Pollex and the Morris family have a long friendship that has involved time at the racetrack and time in the great outdoors. Bass Pro Shops has sponsored Martin Truex Jr. through three championships—the 2004 and 2005 Xfinity Series and the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series titles. The friendship they have built along the way has spanned not only the great times and championships, but difficult ones as well. In 2014, Sherry Pollex was diagnosed with stage 3C ovarian cancer.

“Johnny has been a part of our lives for over 15 years. He has always held a special place in my heart for the amazing work he does for wildlife conservation and the many different causes he supports, including mine,” Sherry explains. “Johnny, Jeanie and JP have been so supportive of everything we do on and off the track. We are so grateful for their friendship and to be part of this amazing night!” The dedication of the No. 19 car at Bristol Speedway on Saturday night to SherryStrong.org raises the profile of the organization and increases its capacity to fight cancer.

An extension of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, SherryStrong.org is a movement that was born in 2014 with Sherry Pollex’s diagnosis. “Fans started posting support on social media with the hashtag SherryStrong. My friends and family encouraged me to share the story and my cancer journey to help others,” Pollex recalls. “It’s taken on a life of its own.”

In November of last year Pollex and Truex Jr. opened the Sherry Strong Integrative Oncology Clinic at the Novant Health Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sherry benefited greatly from integrative medicines during her treatment and wanted to make them available to others. Integrative medicines include therapies such as acupuncture, yoga, oncology massage and others designed to support the mental and spiritual wellness of those undergoing traditional cancer treatment programs. The clinic aims to make these therapies, which are not covered by insurance, available to patients who couldn’t otherwise afford them. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without Johnny’s support,” Sherry describes.

Dedication of sponsorship on the No. 19 car during Saturday’s race at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway—an event that will be nationally televised on NBC Sports—provides incredible exposure to the cause and the fight against childhood and ovarian cancer. “It’s a huge opportunity. Coverage on TV of the race at Bristol. It will help us spread our message of hope for kids and women. We are so, so grateful—especially during the month of September, which is childhood and ovarian cancer month,” Pollex says. In addition to dedication of space on the No. 19 car for SherryStrong.org, Pollex will also serve as the Grand Marshall and give the command to “Start Your Engines!” for the Bass Pro Shops Great American Night Race. All told it will be a big night for Pollex, SherryStrong.org and the battle against cancer.

As for Johnny Morris, he is humbled and honored for the opportunity. “Our entire Bass Pro Shops family thinks the world of Martin and Sherry. We are proud to support their remarkable efforts in the battle against ovarian cancer,” Morris explains. Jeanie Morris understands the importance of the foundation’s work intimately. She echoes this gratitude, “This terrible disease has affected my family, so I know firsthand how important Sherry’s passion is. Thank you, Sherry, for working for others while fighting your battle. You are amazing!”

To join in supporting Sherry Pollex, Martin Truex Jr. and their fight against childhood and ovarian cancer, please visit www.SherryStrong.org. Tune into NBC Sports on Saturday night to see Martin Truex Jr. drive the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops/SherryStrong.org Toyota Camry at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

About SherryStrong.org
SherryStrong.org is dedicated to improving awareness of early warning signs of ovarian cancer. Named for Sherry Pollex, cancer survivor and longtime partner of NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr, SherryStrong.org is part of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. The foundation’s mission includes awareness and education on ovarian cancer. Early warning signs of the disease can include bloating, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, pelvic or abdominal pain, and urinary symptoms. Women who have persistent symptoms for more than a few weeks should consult a doctor. Other ovarian cancer facts include, that women are often diagnosed late stage due to lack of an early detection test. A woman’s risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is 1 in 78. More than 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer annually. For more information or to donate, please visit: www.SherryStrong.org

About Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”

RCR Event Preview – Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Richard Childress Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway… In 179 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the concrete Bristol Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has scored nine wins, 35 top-five, and 71 top-10 finishes. The Welcome N.C. organization has also found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Tennessee short track, capturing nine wins, 37 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes.

Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live Friday, September 17, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Performance Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, September 18, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Performance Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Bristol Motor Speedway… In 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dillon has one top-five and three top-10 finishes, including a career-best fourth-place finish in August 2016. He is a former winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track (August 2016).

Winner, Winner… Dillon has won at Bristol Motor Speedway on both the paved and dirt configurations. In addition to winning a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the track in August 2016 (paved), Dillon was among the first drivers to compete on the track’s dirt surface earlier this season. He won two features and a heat race in dominating fashion in a 604 Crate Late Model for Corey Hedgecock Racing.

About Tracker Off Road… Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Bristol Motor Speedway?
“Anything can happen at Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s a short track and you can get caught up in things fast. Our goal as a team is to be consistent and to try and win.”

What’s going to be your top priority for the Bristol race weekend? Just finishing or going for a win?
“I think you’ve got to keep going for wins. Darlington and Richmond were both good races for us, but we have just as much potential at Bristol. We had a solid run here back in May, and I really think this team has the capability to back that up.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Food City/Childress Vineyards Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Bristol Motor Speedway… Reddick has two previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning his best finish of fourth at the track last year. Reddick also has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 0.533-mile track, collecting one top-five and four top-10 finishes there.

Winner, Winner… Reddick’s accolades at Bristol Motor Speedway include one win in five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts.

NASCAR Playoffs… Last week, Reddick survived an eventful race at Richmond Raceway with a 14th place finish. He’s still well in contention for a spot in the Round of 12 heading into this weekend’s cutoff race in the NASCAR Playoffs.

About Food City… Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 134 retail supermarkets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, Chattanooga and north Georgia, including 109 pharmacies and 108 fuel/convenience stores. The company also owns and operates their own 1.2 million square-foot distribution center in Abingdon, VA. Food City offers a wide variety of services and conveniences, including in-store bakery/delis, floral boutiques, full-service meat and seafood departments with in-house butchers, locally grown produce, full service pharmacies, fuel centers, GoCart curbside pick-up, and home delivery. The Food City name is also synonymous with NASCAR racing through their title sponsorship of two of the sport’s most popular events, the Food City 500 and Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN. Food City is Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest running sponsor and the second longest in NASCAR.Learn more by visiting FoodCity.com

About Childress Vineyards… Childress Vineyards is a premier winery located at the southern gateway of the Yadkin Valley in Lexington, North Carolina. Owned by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner and Hall of Fame member, Childress Vineyards has been producing award-winning wines with the expertise of Winemaker Mark Frizsolowski. Open daily for tours, tastings, and lunch in the Bistro. Information about Childress Vineyards can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/childresswines/, on Twitter at @ChildressWines and on Instagram at Instagram.com/childresswines.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
How do you view the points now? Is it any different from how you looked at it in the last race of the regular season?
“Oh no. Not at all. As we saw with Darlington and Richmond, so much can happen. The pressure is on not just us, it’s on everybody. Now a different kind of pressure is on. The pressure of not screwing it up is upon you. And it’s very easy to let that get to you more so than being in the hole. Wherever you’re at, I feel like it’s just important to have the same mindset, whether you’re in the hole or whether your plus 30 or minus 30, the same things need to happen. It’s just about running a clean race and getting the most out of your day. Without practice, and throwing darts at a board without even looking at it and hoping you’re going to get a bullseye. Nine times out of 10, it’s not going to work; especially in the Cup Series. So, to win these races, being consistent and being close to the front all day and hitting on all the details are important. And I don’t think running fifth and winning, there’s a bit difference in how you approach those things. It’s just a matter of did you do your homework perfectly, where all the little details add up. Was there a difference? Was there not? I don’t feel like we’re in a must win situation. We had a little bit of a stumble, a trip-up, if you will. But thankfully, our team is ready for the challenge on Saturday night.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Brands Chevrolet Camaro at Bristol Motor Speedway… Snider has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, recording a fifth-place finish for Richard Childress Racing in June 2020. The 26-year-old has also competed in one NASCAR Truck Series race at the World’s Fastest Half Mile.

About Crosley Brands… For over 30 years, Crosley Brands has been a leader in the nostalgic electronics category. From their beginning in the premium incentive industry, Crosley Brands developed their own exclusive product lines and built solid relationships with some of the most well-known catalogers and retailers in the business. Today, Crosley Brands is known for two brands – Crosley Radio and Crosley Furniture. At the front lines of the Vinyl Revolution, Crosley Radio seeks to bring new life to a classic medium, with its revolutionary line of turntables to its new series of high-fidelity units. Building on a legacy of entrepreneurship, Crosley Furniture delivers quality products at competitive prices, without sacrificing style. From the patio to the kitchen, bath, entryway and beyond, Crosley Furniture offers over 1,800 indoor and outdoor furniture items in a variety of categories and designs. For more information, please visit www.crosleybrands.com.

MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:
There is one race left in the regular season for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. What do you hope to accomplish in Bristol to carry over to Vegas in Round 1 of the Playoffs?
“The main thing is to have a good, solid finish. I’m confident our Crosley Brands team has prepared a fast Chevrolet Camaro and we are going to give it everything we have as a team to finish the regular season on a high note. Every week when we show up to the track, our goal is to compete for the win, but if it’s not in the cards for that day, we need to get the best finish possible. If we do that on Friday night, our team will have a lot of momentum heading into Las Vegas. It’s always a blast racing under the lights at Bristol. I’m excited for the fast-paced action on the high banks and to be back at another short track.”

GMS Racing ARCA Bristol Motor Speedway Recap

By
Official Release
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Daniel Dye, No. 21 Heise LED, AFT Chevrolet

START: 3rd
FINISH: 12th

  • Daniel Dye made his first ARCA Menards Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway while in contention for the ARCA Menards Series East championship. Dye entered the East finale 24 points behind the championship points leader in the series finale.
  • Dye qualified an impressive third place to start the night at Bristol and drove a strong race all night, running a consistent third place in the first run of the race during the daytime.
  • The No. 21 Heise LED / American Flat Track Chevrolet fought handling issues through the middle of the race, prompting Dye to fight his way back through the field before the second scheduled race break on lap 125.
  • Crew Chief Chad Bryant went to work on fixing the adjustments to position Dye back inside the Top 5 for the final run of the 200 lap race, showing strength in Daniel’s ability to pass in traffic.
  • Towards the closing stages of the race, Dye found himself trapped on the high side of the track, losing track position as the competition drove by on the bottom lane. Ultimately, Daniel drove home with a disappointing 12th place finish after a solid night in Thunder Valley.

Quote: “Man, we had such a good race car there for most of the race, but just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time on some late restarts. Getting stuck on the top and being shuffled back cost us a ton, but I have to thank everyone at GMS for bringing such a fast Chevrolet again. The result doesn’t show it but to qualify third and run at the front most all race is good. Thankful to have American Flat Track Charlotte Half-Mile, and Heise LED on our race car and represent them at one of the coolest tracks in racing. I can’t wait for Phoenix!”

Jack Wood, No. 22 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet

START: 8th
FINISH: 13th

  • Jack Wood also made his first ever laps around Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 22 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet, running as Dye’s teammate in a second GMS Racing ARCA Menards Series entry.
  • Wood qualified in the eighth position and learned how to race in the PJ1 traction compound, something that he had not experienced in any of his previous ARCA races. The rookie raced inside the Top 10 for a large portion of the Bush’s Beans 200 and continued to gain speed throughout the night as Crew Chief Chad Walter made changes to help loosen his car up.
  • Nearing the end of the second run of the night, Wood’s left front tire began to lose air pressure rapidly, causing him to fade through the pack and eventually lose a lap before the second scheduled race break. Luckily for Wood, however, his car remained in one piece as he limped to the attention of the crew on pit road.
  • The No. 22 team fought hard to get back on the lead lap in the final run of the race, positioning himself just outside the Top 10 with less than 50 laps to go. As luck would have it, Wood’s right rear tire would be cut due to debris on the track, sending him to the back once again.
  • Without many laps left to run, Wood found himself running last on the lead lap, eyeing an opportunity to drive to the front once again. As the race came to a close, Wood maneuvered to a hard-fought 13th place finish.

Quote: “Wow, what a roller coaster of a race tonight. I’m proud of my No. 22 GMS Racing team and the fight that they put up as we overcame adversity towards the last half of the race. Racing at Bristol was a challenge no doubt, but I felt more confident as the night went on. I’m looking forward to returning to the Camping World Truck Series for the last four races of the season, hoping to continue to learn ahead of next year.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Jack Wood. The team also competes in the ARCA Menards Series with Daniel Dye and Jack Wood. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

GMS Racing NCWTS Bristol Motor Speedway II Recap

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Official Release
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Sheldon Creed, No. 2 LiftKits4Less Chevrolet Silverado

START: 1st
FINISH: 19th
POINTS: 2nd

  • Having locked himself into the Round of 8 with two victories to open the Playoffs, Sheldon Creed raced into Bristol looking to grow his bonus points total with additional stage wins and a fourth win of the season.
  • Creed started on pole with his No. 2 Lift Kits 4 Less Silverado and ran away with the early lead, dominating and winning Stage 1 in Thunder Valley. Crew Chief Jeff Stankiewicz elected to keep Creed out on track for Stage 2, in which he led every single lap to win the stage.
  • It appeared as if Creed was able to cruise to his fourth win of the season, leading 189 laps of 200, but with five laps to go, contact from the No. 18 truck sent him to the wall, eventually cutting down a tire and forcing Sheldon to limp home with a disappointing 19th place finish. A heartbreaking loss, but thankfully the finish did not affect his Playoffs picture.

Back2Back: Sheldon Creed is moving on to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, a round that will feature Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Martinsville Speedway. After the points reset, Creed finds himself sitting second in the standings, 20 points above the cutline heading into Las Vegas.

Quote: “I knew I was going to get hit at some point, but it hurts nonetheless. We’ve had three really fast trucks to open up the Playoffs and and it’s been really fun to go out there and dominate races. I’m having a lot of fun right now and I’m looking forward to heading to Vegas and setting our team up to make it to Phoenix.”

Zane Smith, No. 21 Karl Chevrolet Chevrolet Silverado

START: 9th
FINISH: 8th
POINTS: 4th

  • Zane Smith had to fight his hardest under the lights in Tennessee, as the 22-year-old approached the final race of the Round of 10 below the cutline. Smith needed to rally back and earn as many points as possible, as he entered five points out with his No. 21 Karl Chevrolet Silverado.
  • Smith passed numerous trucks to gain valuable points with a fourth place finish in Stage 1, and backed it up with a fourth place finish in Stage 2 after staying out with teammate Sheldon Creed. These stage finishes were crucial to Smith’s points tally at the end of the night.
  • In a chaotic turn of events, NASCAR officials handed the No. 21 team a safety violation penalty during his pit stop at the end of Stage 2. This would force Smith into a corner where he would have to scratch and claw his way back through the field in order to advance. Zane was able to fight his way up through the field, narrowly advancing by two points.

21in21: Zane Smith enters the Round of 8 reseeded fourth in the championship standings. Though admittedly this first round was not the team’s best, don’t ever count out a group of fighters. Smith and the No. 21 team look to make a statement during the Round of 8 opener in Las Vegas, the track that is close to his hometown of Huntington Beach, CA.

Quote: “What a tough night having to go to the back. I wish I could have been up there to help my teammate, because man I hate it when other teammates do stuff like that. I can’t wait till we finally have one of these races without a penalty, it should be a whole lot easier.”

Chase Purdy, No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado

START: 19th
FINISH: 30th
POINTS: 19th

  • Chase Purdy was in his comfort zone at Bristol Motor Speedway as he returned to a much-anticipated short track. The rookie had competed on the half-mile in previous seasons with NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and Super Late Model competition, but Thursday night was his first start with a truck on the pavement at the facility.
  • Purdy stayed consistent in Stage 1 and Stage 2, both starting and finishing in the 19th position. As the race continued to play out however, the No. 23 Bama Buggies Silverado began to move up the leaderboard. A few key adjustments in the pits vaulted Purdy up inside the Top 15, where he began to gain more track position during the final stage of the race.
  • Just as it appeared that all was going right for Chase, he was collected in a crash with multiple trucks on lap 155. The sustained damage was enough to end Purdy’s night early, knocking him down to a disappointing 30th place finish.

Quote: “I thought we had a really fast truck tonight. We started off pretty loose, but Jeff Hensley made some great adjustments to tighten our truck up. We started to make our way through the field and I thought we were able to contend for a Top 10 run, but got involved with a mess on the front stretch and hated to see our night end like that. Onto Las Vegas.”

Doug Coby, No. 24 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet Silverado

START: 30th
FINISH: 12th

  • Doug Coby made his long-awaited NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway driving the GMS Racing No. 24 Mayhew Tools Silverado. This marked Coby’s first NASCAR National Series start as a twenty year veteran of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
  • Due to the qualifying metric, Coby started all the way down in 30th at the Last Great Colosseum. With no previous laps in a truck before Thursday night, Doug knew that he needed to adapt quickly. Stage 1 scored the No. 24 in 29th as he learned the vehicle characteristics, but by the time Stage 2 rolled around it was evident that he was confident in his equipment, moving up to 20th.
  • Remarkable wreck avoidance on lap 155 kept Coby in the game, and from that point it was game on. The veteran put his previous Bristol experience to the test and began to pick his way through the Top 15 one truck at a time. At the end of the night, Coby was able to come home with a 12th place finish, very respectable for the Northeasterner’s first ever attempt in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Quote: “All of the people at GMS Racing, from top to bottom, were awesome to work with. It’s great exposure for Mayhew Tools and myself, as we are a team. The biggest thing was completing all 200 laps and getting the experience, doing the pit stops, and not getting sucked into a wreck. I think we had a truck that could have competed in the top-five or the top-10, if we were there. With the flow of the race, with all of the cautions, and a few mistakes on restarts… any time we lost spots, we were able to make them back up.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado

START: 18th
FINISH: 32nd
POINTS: 14th

  • Tyler Ankrum looked to turn his luck around at Bristol Motor Speedway after the No. 26 LiUNA! team experienced two disappointing finishes in a row at Gateway and Darlington. Heading into Bristol, Crew Chief Charles Denike knew how to prepare a fast truck, as he was the defending race winner with the GMS Racing No. 24 team last season.
  • Ankrum’s speed was clearly shown early on, as he drove all the way from 18th to finish ninth in Stage 1. In Stage 2, The No. 26 continued to surprise many, as he pulled off an impressive second place finish. Without a doubt, Ankrum was running his best race of the season on an oval.
  • Just as it appeared that Ankrum would have a legitimate shot at contending for the race win, a costly speeding penalty heading into the final stage of the race dropped him back in the pack. On the ensuing restart, Ankrum was involved with a heavy crash, ending his night immediately. What looked to be a fairytale night resulted in a heartbreaking 32nd place finish.

Quote: “What an unfortunate way to end our night. We had a great truck with lots of speed, but that speeding penalty on pit road put us in the back where we shouldn’t have been. It sucks that we weren’t able to get a good finish after our awesome night, but we will race it out in Las Vegas.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Jack Wood. The team also competes in the ARCA Menards Series with Daniel Dye. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net

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