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Round 3 Racing Continues Championship Hunt at VIR

Danville, Vir. (13 September 2021) – With just three races remaining in the 2021 World Racing League (WRL) season, Round 3 Racing (R3R) returns to VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) for two eight-hour endurance races on September 18th and 19th.
The 2020 edition of the race weekend was a breakthrough weekend for the R3R squad as they claimed GP2 class wins in both races.

No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster (GP3)

Leading the National GP3 Championship, the driver team of Jim Ptak, Carter Pease, Dennis Neel, and Cole Loftsgard look to continue its dominant run. Since the addition of the No. 605 Porsche to the entry list at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the team has collected a podium result at each of the last seven outings, including four class wins.

Prior to the weekend, Ptak familiarized himself with the ins and outs of VIR during the 24-hour ChampCar endurance race. The extra time in the driver’s seat resulted in a top 10 finish and prepared the veteran driver for the combined 16 hours of racing.

“VIRginia International Raceway is not only a gorgeous track but one that is a fun challenge for drivers,” said Ptak. “The Round 3 Racing Porsche Boxster is well suited for the technical aspects of the course. We all will have to be in the zone and on our toes for every turn, every lap, and every hour. Winning at VIR is a special thing and with my stellar teammates in Cole (Loftsgard), Carter (Pease), and Dennis (Neel) we have a chance at doing just that.”

No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster (GP2)

Returning to the lineup is the No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster of Christian Maloof, James Candelaria, and Hannah Grisham. After suffering terminal damage during the round at Daytona International Speedway, the Porsche Boxster underwent extensive repairs that forced the driver trio to miss the most recent race weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Just like the No. 601 Porsche Boxster, James Candelaria returns to the driver lineup for the first time since April. Candelaria has not been in the driver’s seat for an extended time after an on-track incident during a non-WRL test weekend forced the tech entrepreneur to the sideline.

Primed for a comeback, the Team Sentinel driver trio look to replicate results from 2020 where the No. 601 Porsche Boxster claimed victory in Race 2.

“While it was unfortunate to miss a race, the R3R crew had more time to spend on making the No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster the best it can be,” said Maloof. “We have ground to make up in the way of championship points, but this team is more than capable in doing that this weekend. It is awesome to see James (Candelaria) back and I’m ready to get back out there with my teammates.”

No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman (GP1)

Coming off their best GP1 result of third at Road Atlanta, the Team Cooper Tires lineup of Loni Unser, Mo Dadkhah and Mike Gilbert combine to continue the momentum gained since the introduction of the No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman this season.

VIRginia International Raceway holds a special place in R3R’s team history as it was the site where Unser, Dadkhah and Gilbert secured the 2020 GP2 Eastern Championship – the maiden WRL championship for the Joilet, Illinois-based team.

Repeating history at the 3.27-mile course is the focus for the No. 701 Team Cooper Tires drivers.

“VIR means so much to us and to be back with my teammates makes it a special weekend,” said Unser. “Mo (Dadkhah), Mike (Gilbert) and I have worked each race at bettering the No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman and that dedication that we have and the team has is paying off. We know what we are capable of at VIR and what this car is capable of. It will be a fun weekend that we hope to end by standing on the podium.”

No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman (GTO)

The 2021 WRL season has challenged the No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman of Sarah Montgomery, Brad McCall and Buz McCall. A mechanical failure at Road Atlanta forced an early retirement for the entry after leading a quarter of the 285-lap race.

Never lacking speed, Montgomery has taken over the overall lead on the opening lap in six outings this season in the No. 702 Porsche Cayman while regularly claiming the fastest race lap of the production car entries.

The Hagerty drivers persevere with rejuvenated focus heading into the race weekend at VIR.

“We have been challenged physically and mentally this season but we still have an opportunity for success,” said Montgomery. “Brad (McCall) and Buz (McCall) have built a program and team that sets us up for success. VIR has been good to us in the past and we will do whatever we can to get the No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman to the front of the pack and hopefully on the podium.”

On-track action begins Friday, September 17th with practice and qualifying before two eight-hour endurance races on Saturday, September 18th and Sunday, September 19th. Live streaming will be available at Youtube.com/RaceWRL along with live in-car streams during each race. In-car streaming links can be found at twitter.com/round3racing.

DGR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Advance: Bristol

Thursday, September 16
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway, .533-mile oval
Race: 18 of 22
Event: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (200 laps, 106 miles)

Schedule
Race: 9:00 p.m. ET (FS1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Toter Ford F-150

  • Deegan is making her 19th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start on Thursday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
  • Deegan’s F-150 will carry the Toter livery for Thursday night’s 200-lap race. Additionally, the scheme will have the purple Hodgkins Lymphoma Awareness ribbon on the hood and decklid. September is Hodgkins Lymphoma Awareness month and Wastequip is using its Toter branded partnership with Deegan to bring awareness to the cause.
  • This week marks Deegan’s second truck race at “The Last Great Colosseum.” This week’s surface will be the traditional Bristol concrete track versus the dirt surface in March.
  • At the Bristol dirt track in the spring, Deegan started 22nd and ran in the top-15 but battled quickly changing track conditions and ultimately finished 19th after several late race cautions.
  • Deegan enters the event after racing two weeks ago at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The Ford driver started the race from 14th and recovered from several incidents throughout the event, but a flat tire with less than 10 laps to go, relegated her to a 29th-place finish.
  • The young driver has one ARCA Menards Series start at Bristol. In September 2020, she started eighth and finished the event in sixth.
  • In total, crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. has called 13 truck races at Bristol on the regular surface, and one race with the dirt surface. He’s amassed one pole, four top-five and six top-10 finishes at the Tennessee track.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

  • Gray makes his 18th start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season and 44th of his career on Thursday night.
  • The Ford Performance driver has one career Truck Series start on the .533-mile concrete oval where he finished third last season. He also has two starts at the track with the former K&N Pro Series East with finishes of 10th and sixth. On the dirt configuration earlier this season, he finished 13th.
  • After making contact with the wall on lap 104 while running inside the top-10 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in the series’ last race, Gray was forced to pit and go a lap down. He ultimately finished 24th in the final rundown.
  • Marcus Richmond has called 15 career races at Bristol between the Truck Series, Xfinity Series and K&N Pro Series East. With the Truck Series, he has one top-five and six top-10s. His lone win came in the K&N East race with Todd Gilliland and DGR on April 14, 2018.

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance F-150

  • Taylor Gray makes his third career NCWTS start at Bristol Motor Speedway. In his previous start at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., he brought the Ford Performance F-150 home in 12th.
  • Gray has one career start at the “The Last Great Colosseum” in ARCA Menards Series action last season with a seventh-place finish.
  • Prior to the 200-lap Truck Series race on Thursday evening, the Ford driver will compete in the 200-lap ARCA race in his Ripper Coffee Ford Fusion starting at 6:30pm ET.
  • During his time as a Cup Series crew chief, Chad Johnston accrued 18 starts at Bristol with five top-fives and nine top-10s between Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, Kyle Larson and Matt Kenseth.

Chris Buescher – Bristol II Advance

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 266.5 miles, 500 laps, Stages: 125-125-250

Bass Pro Shops Night Race – Saturday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher at Bristol Motor Speedway

  • Buescher makes his 12th start on the Bristol pavement this Saturday where he ran eighth in the No. 17 last fall. His best finish all-time at BMS came back in 2016 when he finished fifth.
  • Looking back to the spring event on dirt, Buescher ran 14th.
  • In five Xfinity starts at Bristol, Buescher has three top-10 runs with a career-best third in 2015.

Luke Lambert at Bristol Motor Speedway

  • Lambert will be atop the box for his 18th Cup race on the Bristol pavement on Saturday, where he carries an average finish of 15th with six top-10s.
  • Most recently he led Buescher to the eighth-place finish last fall. His best finish at BMS is fifth in the 2015 spring race.
  • Lambert is a former winner in the NXS at Bristol bringing home one of his four career Xfinity wins with Elliott Sadler in 2012.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Bristol:
“I love Bristol and everything it offers both from a driver perspective and from a fan perspective. A night race in an elimination round of the playoffs will be sure to bring some fireworks, but we’ve got nothing to lose with our No. 17 team and look to avoid the chaos and put together a good night come Saturday, something we’re confident in given our past experience there.”

Last Time Out
Buescher finished 24th a week ago at Richmond.

On the Car
Fastenal returns to the fold at Roush Fenway for its 11th season in 2021. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers Norseman, ND – Vibratite, Metabo, StreamLight and ContiTech USA on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalRacing, @Fastenal.

As part of #NationalTruckDriverAppreciationWeek, Fastenal will also highlight 552 names on the hood of the Fastenal Mustang Saturday, putting a spotlight on Fastenal’s hard-working truck drivers.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

Ryan Truex – UNOH 200 Race Advance

Team: No. 40 Marquis Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at Bristol: “I really love racing at Bristol,” said Truex. “It’s definitely a tough track, but I feel like it’s a place where the driver is really able to make a big difference. I’m looking forward to racing under the lights in our Marquis Chevrolet Silverado on Thursday night.”

Truex at Bristol: Thursday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway marks Truex’s second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Bristol in the traditional configuration. He finished 16th at the track in 2017. In addition, Truex raced on dirt at Bristol earlier this season, finishing 20th.

Truex also has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, with a best finish of 10th, coming in 2012 and 2018.

The New Jersey native has three NASCAR Cup Series starts at ‘The World’s Fastest Half Mile’, coming in 2013 and 2014.

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

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

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

Sheehan Maintains P7 in TA2 Championship After Watkins Glen Charge

Watkins Glen, NEW YORK – September 14, 2021 – Tom Sheehan kept his place in the top percentile of TA2 Drivers in the Championship hunt with two clean drives in difficult circumstances on September 11 and 12 at Watkins Glen. The weekend of racing saw the pace car on the track for much of Saturday and Sunday’s races. The Watkins Glen SpeedTour formed Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2021 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season and although spectacular, Sheehan battled with mechanical issues that plagued the team in qualifying and the race.

New Hampshire’s Sheehan, driving the canary yellow No. 97 LTK Insulation Technologies Damon Racing Ford Mustang, was the beneficiary of some over ambitious driving by some of his rivals in Sunday’s race, with numerous incidents causing a slew of retirements, something Tom alluded to when we spoke to him after the race.

However Tom could not disguise his disappointment at the performance of the car itself, “We just never got the handle on the car all weekend. We tried to work on it and make some adjustments but something fundamental is going on and it’s just not working right. We got lucky. A bunch of guys had a bad day and got wrecked up the esses.”

A late race part failure could have spelt disaster for the popular Granite State wheelman, The No. 97 fell back from a top five opportunity when a broken shifter locked the transmission in third gear for the final five laps of the race. Fortunately sheehan was able to manage the car home for a top ten finish, “The shifter broke off and we were stuck in third gear with six laps to go so we were driving around and that was it. We ended up where we ended up!”

Saturday’s race saw Tom climb several places to finish just outside the top ten but again it was a challenge for the 2019 Ironman, “It was a pretty messy race. A lot of of cautions. A lot of guys were overzealous and running out of talent all over the place. The car was tough. We were fighting it really all weekend. We were chasing gremlins of different sorts but we kept it clean and finished but we were a mid-pack car.”

Although a frustrating weekend, Tom nevertheless picked up 31 points over the course of the two races to put him on 139 for the season and keep him in P7 with just two races to go, at Virginia International Raceway September 24 to 26 before the season finale at Circuit of the Americas November 5 to 7.

For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies please visit the website online at https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com/

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M&M’S Racing: Kyle Busch Bristol Night Race Advance

KYLE BUSCH
Eyes on the Prize

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Sept. 14, 2021) – The annual night race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway has long been a staple on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. In fact, many argue that the annual 500-lap race is slowly and steadily evolving into a crown jewel race on the calendar.

Kyle Busch, for one, had this race circled on the calendar even before the season. The driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has at least eight reasons why he’s been looking forward to Bristol and its role in the 2021 Cup Series playoffs. His eight wins at the “Last Great Colosseum” are the most among active drivers, and only his older brother Kurt is close to that Bristol victory tally with six.

A ninth Cup Series victory at Bristol would send the younger Busch brother into a tie with some all-time greats of the sport. Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough and Rusty Wallace all ended their careers at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” with nine victories. If Busch was to achieve nine Bristol wins, the next milestone would be Darrell Waltrip’s all-time record of 12 wins at the Tennessee short track.

A win Saturday night for the M&M’S driver would not only add to his career total at Bristol, but also vault him directly into the Round of 12 of this year’s Cup Series playoffs. Heading into this weekend’s race at the .533-mile concrete oval, Busch sits just eight points above the cutline to advance to the Round of 12, set to start next weekend at Busch’s hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion, holds the distinction of being the only driver in NASCAR history to win all three national series races in a single weekend, which he’s done twice at the Bristol bullring. He captured the “Bristol Triple” in 2010 and 2017, when he swept NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series races. In addition to his eight career Cup Series wins, Busch has 14 top-fives and 19 top-10s in 31 career starts at Northeast Tennessee’s “Thunder Valley.”

While he is a factor any time he travels to Bristol, it’s interesting to note Busch didn’t immediately take to the place. During his rookie year in 2005, he posted finishes of 28th and 33rd. But his record since then has been impressive, to say the least. After bringing home finishes of eighth and second in 2006, Busch captured his first Bristol Cup Series win in March 2007. The track was resurfaced after that race and, from 2008 to 2011, nobody was better at Bristol than Busch. He scored four wins and six top-10s from 2008 until another change to the track surface prior to the August 2012 race weekend. Busch seemed to recapture the magic from his four years of dominance there as Bristol’s new racing grooves have better suited his driving style the past several seasons, leading to three wins, a runner-up finish and just one finish outside the top-five since the 2017 night race.

So, as Busch and the M&M’S team head to Bristol this weekend, a ninth victory there would not only put him alongside NASCAR Hall of Famers Earnhardt, Yarborough, and Wallace, but also send him to the next round of the playoffs so he can take another step toward a third Cup Series championship.

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

What are your thoughts heading to Bristol Saturday?

“I would like to get back to victory lane at Bristol, no doubt. We’ve had some decent runs there the last several years and hope we can do the same there this year. We were obviously there earlier this year but that was a completely different kind of race on the dirt surface. We have not shown the short-run speed at Bristol, but we’ve always kind of been good after about 30 laps or so, and our cars seems to really come in and run strong. It’s always a great racetrack to circle on the calendar and know it’s a time where we can shine. We also have M&M’S on board again this weekend, so hoping we can have a solid finish and get us through to the next round.”

What makes Bristol Motor Speedway so unique?

“Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the best racetracks on the circuit. All the fans love it because of the excitement, the run-ins and the close-quarter action with all the cars being packed on top of one another at a half-mile racetrack with us 40 lunatics running around in a tight circle. With the fans, the atmosphere there always makes for a good time, and sometimes a frustrating time when things don’t always go your way.”

With no practice, does experience and success help give anyone an advantage on Saturday night?

“Obviously, with the success we’ve had there over the years, I feel really good about going there. But we make a lot of adjustments typically when we get there. We go through practice, we are really fine-tuning a lot of different things and being nitpicky about a bunch of it to make sure we get it to where we want it for the race. Bristol is an important place because, if you are going to run the bottom for a while with that traction compound that’s put down there, as that wears, the groove is definitely going to move up around the top toward the end of the race and you have to be ready for a lot of versatility. So you definitely have to understand some of those adjustments during practice is a big deal and we won’t have that, so we just have to get after it right at the start of the race. I know our guys are up to the task and hope we can have a good M&M’S Camry and have it with enough adjustability in it so we can make the right changes and have a shot at the win there.”

What is your first memory of Bristol and what is your best story of success?

“I remember my first time. It was in an Xfinity Series car at a test session for Hendrick Motorsports. I remember I needed about 27 laps before I thought I was going to knock the wall down, with all the optimism and pumped-up feelings I had about going there. But after that, it’s been pretty fun. We’ve had some challenging times there, but also I’ve had some good times there. Looking to continue that on Saturday night with our M&M’S Camry. What’s the highlight? You can’t dismiss the sweeps there. I would say that the first one was really, really awesome and really, really special, and the second one was special, as well.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 18
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps, 266.5 miles
● Format: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN/ MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

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

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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

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

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero
Hometown: Salem, Connecticut

Road Crew Members:

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Tom McCrimmon
Hometown: Spicer, Minnesota

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

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Notes of Interest:

● Playoff Points: Busch has racked up 22 important playoff points he can take with him through each round. He sits 10th on the playoff grid with 11 top-five finishes and 17 top-10s as he is eight points above the top-12 cutline with Bristol serving as the final race in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
● All in the Stats:Busch has eight wins, 14 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s and has led a total of 2,593 laps in 31 career Cup Series starts at the Bristol concrete oval. Busch’s average Bristol finish is 12.8.
● Alone in Ninth: With Busch’s win at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in June, the two-time Cup Series champion scored his 59th career win in NASCAR’s top series as he moved past Kevin Harvick into sole possession of ninth on the all-time win list. Next up on the win list is Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer who won 76 races during his storied career.
● 222 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 222 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Bristol. In addition to his 59 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 61 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

Ryan Newman – Bristol II Advance

Team: No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 266.5 miles, 500 laps, Stages: 125-125-250
Bass Pro Shops Night Race – Saturday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Bristol Motor Speedway

  • Newman makes his 39th Cup start on the Bristol pavement Saturday night, where he has 19 top-10s and a 15.6 average finish.
  • He is coming off a fifth-place run on the Bristol dirt this spring, and three top-15s in his last four outings otherwise as ‘The World’s Fastest Half Mile.’
  • Newman’s best finish at Bristol came in the fall of 2004 when he finished second after starting fourth. He also finished fifth in the 2015 spring event.
  • Newman has an additional nine combined starts in the Xfinity and Truck Series, winning in NXS action in 2005. He earned the Xfinity pole in 2006 and finished 10th or better in five of those starts. He recorded a fourth-place finish in the No. 2 truck in 2009.

Scott Graves at Bristol Motor Speedway

  • Graves will call his 11th Cup race on the Bristol pavement this weekend where he too carries an average finish of 15.6. Since pairing up with Newman in 2019, the duo have finished outside the top-15 just once.
  • Graves also called seven Xfinity events at Bristol dating back to 2012 with one top five with Chris Buescher (2015).

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Bristol:
“Bristol is a great race track and one I have always enjoyed racing at. It offers such a unique challenge as a driver, but from an outsider perspective is one of the great spectacles in our sport. We know what we’re capable of if you look back at our prior races there, and it’s our goal to unload a fast Kohler Ford Saturday night and come away with a solid performance.”

Last Time Out
Newman finished 20th a week ago at Richmond.

On the Car

Kohler Generators returns to the No. 6 Ford Mustang this weekend.

About KOHLER Generators
KOHLER Generators is a leading manufacturer of automatic standby generators, which connect to the electrical system of a home or a business and quickly restore power following an outage to provide security and peace of mind for everyday life. KOHLER whole home generators are permanently installed outside a home, similar to a central air conditioning (AC) unit. The generator operates on natural gas or liquid propane (LP) and is wired into a home’s electrical system. When power is lost from unexpected events such as severe weather storms, the standby generator automatically kicks in – generally within seconds – and can power hard-wired systems and appliances including air conditioning, heat, medical equipment, Internet and Wi-Fi, security systems and lighting. KOHLER Generators is part of privately held Kohler Co., headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company provides complete power systems including portable, residential, industrial, and marine generators; automatic transfer switches; switchgear; monitoring controls; and accessories for emergency, prime power and energy-management applications. Kohler Power Systems has delivered energy solutions for markets worldwide since 1920. Visit KOHLERGenerators.com, facebook.com/KOHLERPower, or Twitter at @KOHLERPower. or more information.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of nearly 35,000 associates. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacturing of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Drew Dollar – No. 51 Sunbelt Rentals Tundra Camping World Trucks Bristol Preview

Drew Dollar: Driver, No. 51 Sunbelt® Rentals Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: UNOH 200, Race 18 of 22 (Race 3 in the Round of 10), 200 Laps – 55/55/90; 106.6 Miles
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway at (0.533-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 16, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Data on Dollar:

  • Drew Dollar will make his fifth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start behind the wheel of the No. 51 Tundra in Thursday’s 200-lap event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway as part of an eight-race schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in 2021. Sunbelt Rentals, the premiere rental company in North America, will serve as the primary sponsor on Dollar’s Tundra Friday and for two more races this season. After Thursday’s event, the remaining three races on Dollar’s schedule in the No. 51 Tundra this season are Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (Sept. 24), Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 2) and the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway (Nov. 5).
  • Dollar has recorded an average finish of 21.8 across the first four starts of his Camping World Truck Series career. His best result was a 10th-place finish in his series debut at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February.
  • Bristol will be the third and final race in the Round of 10 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s playoffs. The No. 51 team qualified for the owner’s portion of the playoffs by finishing the regular season ranked fifth in the point standings. Heading into the final race of the round, they sit 10th on the owner’s playoff grid with 2017 points, 21 points below the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8.
  • In addition to his part-time schedule with KBM in the Truck Series, Dollar is competing in a limited schedule in the ARCA Menards Series this season with Venturini Motorsports. Despite competing in only 10 of the 17 races, the 20-year-old driver ranks seventh in the championship standings behind the strength of an average finish of 7.7 across his 10 starts this year. He will be pulling double duty on Thursday night, piloting the No. 20 Camry for Venturini in the 200-lap ARCA Menards Series race at 6:30 p.m. before the 9 p.m. Truck Series race.
  • The Toyota Racing Development driver finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2020 after recording one win, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes across 20 starts. Dollar led 40 laps en route to his lone series victory at Talladega Superspeedway last June. He also finished inside the top 10 in both of his ARCA Menards Series starts in 2019, including a sixth-place finish in his series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
  • Mardy Lindley is in his first season as a crew chief at KBM. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley
  • The No. 51 team has won three times this season, including earlier this season on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track with Martin Truex Jr. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch collected victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., and Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Lindley’s drivers have scored five victories on the Bristol pavement. Sam Mayer won the ARCA Menards Series event at the half-mile oval in 2020 and in the ARCA Menards Series East, he won two races with Mayer in 2019 and one each with Dylan Kwasniewski (2013), Harrison Burton (2017). He also won the inaugural race on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track with Truex Jr. earlier this season.

Drew Dollar, Driver Q&A:

What can you take away from your first four Truck Series race that will help you as you head into your last four races of the season?
“The first four races are definitely I can learn a lot from. Just getting laps in the truck is something that is going to be very beneficial for these next four races I have. Already knowing what to expect in the trucks, now just going to these tracks that I may or may not have seen before is going to be fun. Having some experience in the trucks and working with the team now my confidence is a lot higher and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Without having truck practice at Bristol, will running the ARCA Menards Series race Thursday be beneficial to you?
“Getting some laps in the Sunbelt Camry before I go and hop in the Sunbelt Rentals Toyota Tundra will be very beneficial to me to already have some laps on the track. I’ll just have to change up what I’m doing when I get in the Tundra. I’m excited for it, Bristol is definitely one of my favorite tracks.”

What is it going to take to have a solid finish at Bristol on Thursday?
“I know we are definitely going to unload with a really fast Toyota Tundra at Bristol. It’s going to be my job to get up to speed quickly. I’ve had sim time already and feel good about it. I’ve been watching film and everything, so it’s just going to be my job to make sure we keep our Tundra out front.”

Drew Dollar Career Highlights:

  • Has one top-10 finish and an average result of 21.8 across four career Camping World Truck Series starts.
  • Across 32 career ARCA Menards Series starts has one win, 98 laps led, nine top-five and 22 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 8.3.
  • Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway June 20, 2020.
  • Finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2020 after recording one win, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes across 20 starts.
  • Recorded two top-five and seven top-10 finishes with 49 laps led across eight NASAR K&N Pro Series East starts in 2019.

Drew Dollar’s No. 51 Sunbelt Rentals Tundra:

KBM-059: The No. 51 Sunbelt Rentals team will unload KBM-59 for Thursday night’s race at Bristol. It will be the first official start for this chassis this Tundra. Dollar was scheduled to race it at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May but had to go to a backup truck after an incident in practice. Raphael Lessard finished fourth with KBM-59 in its most recent outing last October at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The chassis best result was a third-place finish with Chandler Smith in November of 2019 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
Click Here for KBM-059 Performance Profile:

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected three wins, five poles, 534 laps led, nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.7 across 28 starts at Bristol.
  • Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected all three of his organization’s victories at the half-mile oval, winning the Camping World Truck Series race as a part of his historic Bristol Sweeps in 2010 and 2017 and he also won the 2013 event.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (88) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Truex Jr. became the 16th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • With 37 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

Sheldon Creed to Join Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Stable in 2022

Defending NASCAR Truck Series Champion to Compete Fulltime for RCR

WELCOME, NC (September 14, 2021) – Richard Childress Racing announced today that Sheldon Creed will join the organization’s NASCAR Xfinity Series stable in 2022. Creed will compete for RCR’s Championship-winning Xfinity Series program on a fulltime basis, beginning with the 2022 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 19.

Creed currently races for GMS Racing under the Drivers Edge Development Program presented by Chevrolet and has quickly become an accomplished driver with a resume that includes the 2020 NASCAR Truck Series Championship and 2018 ARCA Racing Series Championship.

“Sheldon has proved himself as a talented driver during his short NASCAR Career and we know that he will help contribute to RCR’s competitive NASCAR Xfinity Series program with his drive to succeed,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR. “I am looking forward to watching his career continue to develop as a RCR driver and feel confident that he will represent RCR well both on and off the track.”

Creed, 24, is currently in a close battle for the 2021 NASCAR Truck Series title and has eight career wins in the series. The Alpine, California native grew up competing in short course off road racing, winning championships in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and Stadium Super Trucks.

He joins an impressive list of drivers who have competed and won in the NASCAR Xfinity Series under the Richard Childress Racing banner, including Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon and Tyler Reddick, among others.

“To drive for a legendary team like Richard Childress Racing and have the support of Richard Childress means everything to me,” said Creed. “So many current NASCAR Cup Series stars got their start in RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program, so it is an honor to be able to add my name to that prestigious list. I am grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to 2022.”

Additional details on RCR’s 2022 lineup will be announced at a later date.

For more information, please visit rcrracing.com.

About Richard Childress Racing:
Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2021 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet), along with two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Myatt Snider (No. 2 Chevrolet).

GOODGUYS ROD & CUSTOM INVADE NO LIMITS, TEXAS FOR 28th ANNUAL SUMMIT RACING LONE STAR NATIONALS

· More than 2,000 hot rods and classics on display in speedway infield

FORT WORTH, TX (Sept. 14, 2021) – More than 2,000 hot rods, customs, classics and muscle cars will invade Texas Motor Speedway Sept. 24-25 when the Goodguys Rod & Custom show makes its third and final stop of 2021 at No Limits, Texas for the 28th annual Summit Racing Lone Star Nationals.

Featured events during the Goodguys weekend include the Goodguys Autocross Series (featuring a 16-car “Big Hoss Shootout”, Nitro Thunderfest dragster exhibition, burnout competition, Summit Super Shopping Experience and Swap Meet and Cars 4 Sale Corral.

The Team Texas race car driving school will provide four-lap stock car rides for an additional fee. There’s also a Kids Zone with free arts and crafts, games, prizes and more.

Spectator gates open each day at 8 a.m. and close Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Advance tickets for adults start as low as $18 per day Friday and Saturday, with advance Sunday adult tickets $13. Kids aged 7-12 just $10 per day and free to children six and under.

Visit the Goodguys website at www.Goodguys.com for further information.

For complete information on the GoodGuys Cares health and safety guidelines, please click https://good-guys.com/pdf/cares/GGCares_SLSN21.pdf.

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 weekend begins Saturday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. CT with the 200-lap Andy’s Frozen Custard 335, the fourth race of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs. The green flag to start the 334-lap Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500, the seventh race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, is scheduled to wave Sunday, Oct. 17, shortly after 1 p.m. CT.

TICKETS:
Tickets for the Oct. 16-17 NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 weekend, are on sale now at http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

MORE INFO:
Keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s 25th Season of Speed by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.

About Texas Motor Speedway:
Texas Motor Speedway is among the largest sports stadiums in the United States and features an array of amenities such as the world’s largest TV that make it one of the premier venues in the world of sports. The 1.5-mile superspeedway located in Fort Worth hosts all three NASCAR national series as well as the NTT IndyCar Series among its various races and specialty events throughout the year. Since opening in 1997, Texas Motor Speedway has generated an annual economic impact of approximately $300 million to the North Texas region. Texas Motor Speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, LLC, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit texasmotorspeedway.com.