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John Hunter Nemechek – No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra Camping World Trucks WWTR Preview

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John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Toyota 200, Race 16 of 22 (Race 1 in the Round of 10), 160 Laps – 55/55/50; 200 Miles
Location: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill. (1.25-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Aug. 20, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ The Facts:

  • John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team head into the first race in the Round of 10 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) at Gateway as the top seed in the three round, elimination-style format. The 24-year-old driver accumulated 49 playoff points heading into the playoffs on the strength of a series-leading five race wins, a series-leading nine stage wins and an additional 15-point bonus for capturing the regular season championship. He enters Friday’s race at WWTR 48 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Round of 8.
  • The Toyota Racing driver will be competing in the Camping World Truck Series playoffs for the third time in his career. He finished eighth in the championship standings for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, in 2016 and 2017.
  • The second-generation driver has put together a remarkable season thus far in his first season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). In addition to leading the circuit in race wins and stage wins, he leads the Truck Series in top fives (nine), laps led (487), fastest laps run (240), driver rating (117.0), average running position (5.9) and average finish (7.0).
  • Nemechek registered his fifth Truck Series win of 2021 June 26 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. The talented wheelman was able to beat KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch head-to-head for the third time this season. Nemechek also bested his boss at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March and at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. Busch finished second to his pupil in all three of those events. Busch was victorious at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March and Kansas Speedway in May. In addition to beating Busch three times, Nemechek also outdueled reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott to pick up the victory at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in June. So, he holds a four-to-two advantage this season going heads up against the last two Cup Series champions.
  • The North Carolina driver was victorious at WWTR in June of 2017. He led 46 laps, including the final six, to pick up the fourth Truck Series win of his career. Overall, across four career starts at Gateway, he has one win, 100 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.2.
  • Nemechek is an 11-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane this year with KBM. Across 117 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 1096 laps led, 37 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.4.
  • Eric Phillips returned to KBM to lead the No. 4 team this season. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. His 42 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 32 of those coming while at KBM. Phillips’s drivers have earned one win, two top-five and four top-10 finishes across seven Truck Series starts at WWTR. Mike Skinner was victorious with Phillips calling the shots at Gateway in 2009.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:

Evaluate your regular season.
“The regular season went good. Had five wins in the regular season, won a bunch of stages, so overall it was a really solid performance by our KBM No. 4 Toyota Tundra team. Looking forward to the playoffs — hopefully we can keep the momentum rolling, we’ve had some really good runs during the regular season. We’ve been one of the dominant trucks every week, I feel like. We just have to carry that into the playoffs now and go get it.”

You enter the post season with 49 playoff points.
“It’s definitely nice having a lot of points and a big lead over the cutoff line for an insurance policy. At the same time, we don’t want to have to use that. We’ve seen instances in the past with Kevin Harvick having the most playoff points last year and didn’t make the Final 4. A lot goes into it, we’ve just got to keep our head down, stay focused and go out and win races. That’s what we are here to do, #Here4Wins.”

Does having a Truck Series win at Gateway give you confidence going into Friday’s race?
“Gateway is unique. They repaved it not long ago, so it has quite a bit of grip now. Definitely a little bit different with the spec motor compared to the built motors that we used to run, but overall, the same race track. I really enjoy going to Gateway, you use quite a bit of break there, you shift some and I would call it a big short track. We start second, so we have to try and get the lead early and try to lead every lap and win the race. That’s what we are set out to do and with no pit stops this week and being stage breaks like we’ve done on the dirt side of things, we are going to have to go and race your way to our front. There is no pit strategy, you have to go and have the fastest truck and I believe that we can do that out of Kyle Busch Motorsports.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

  • Eleven-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 117 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,094 laps led, 37 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.4.
  • Qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017.
  • Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
  • Across 52 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled one win (Kansas Speedway, 10/20/18), one pole, 225 laps led, 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.0.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-58: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-58 for Friday’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway. So far in 2021, KBM-058 has collected three wins (Charlotte Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway) with Nemechek behind the wheel. Overall, the chassis has collected four wins across 12 career starts. The other win came with Kyle Busch behind the wheel at Charlotte in 2019. KBM-58 finished 11th in its most recent outing as a backup truck at Knoxville (Tenn.) Raceway.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected two wins, 363 laps led, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.6 across 23 starts at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
  • Christopher Bell was victorious at the 1.25-mile track in 2016 and Darrell Wallace Jr., won the 2014 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).
  • The No. 4 has 16 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Baby Doge Coin Returns to Brandonbilt Motorsports at Michigan International Speedway

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#68: Brandon Brown, Brandonbilt Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Baby Doge Coin

Track: Michigan International Speedway | 2 Mile Oval
Race: 22 of 33
Event: New Holland 250
Race: Saturday, August 21 | 3:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN & MRN
Stages: 30 / 60 / 125 = 250 Miles

Brandon Brown | Michigan International Speedway | Stats
Starts: 2
Best Start: 25
Best Finish: 26
Brown on Michigan:

“I’m looking forward to heading back to Michigan this weekend after what feels like a lifetime, since the Xfinity Series hasn’t raced there since 2019. Hopefully we can turn our luck around this weekend after the unfortunate race that we had in Indianapolis and rebound for a strong performance on Saturday.

“This weekend, I’m proud to welcome Baby Doge Coin back on board for their second race as a primary partner of our No. 68. Their paint scheme really stands out on the race track and they have an extremely passionate fanbase, so hopefully we can give the whole Baby Doge Coin community a great run and something to be excited about.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the pressure was starting to sink in as we get closer and closer to the end of the regular season. I know that if we want to have a shot at making it into this year’s playoffs, we’ll need to be aggressive and maximize our stage points, while also trying to be smart and not put ourselves in a risky situation, so it’s going to be a fine line to walk, but I’m ready for the challenge and I know that my team at BMS (Brandonbilt Motorsports) is too.”

About Baby Doge Coin
Baby Doge Coin was born June 1st , 2021. The mission was simple: save dogs. Birthed by fans & members of the Doge Coin online community, Baby Doge is being labeled as the world’s 1st dog-charity cryptocurrency. Having quickly ammased over 368,000 holders & 100,000 followers on Twitter, even Elon Musk recently tweeted about Baby Doge. Baby Doge has already donated over $75,000 to help save dogs & has plans to donate much more.

To learn more about Baby Doge Coin, visit www.babydogecoin.com.

Facebook: @BabyDogeCoin
Instagram: @thebabydogecoin
Twitter: @BabyDogeCoin

About Brandonbilt Motorsports
Brandonbilt Motorsports is a family-owned, professional stock car team competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS). Owned and operated by Woodbridge, Virginia native, Jerry Brown, Brandonbilt Motorsports has quickly become a household name in the NASCAR Xfinity Series through hard work and determination. As a smaller team in the NXS, Brandonbilt Motorsports’ goal has always been to do the most with less, while also becoming a contending organization in every race that it enters. Brandonbilt Motorsports shocked the racing world in 2020 as driver, Brandon Brown, secured the team’s first playoff berth in only its second, full-time season in the NXS, before going on to finish the year 11th in the overall points standings. On the horizon in 2021, Brandonbilt Motorsports looks to pick up where it left off as a playoff-caliber team at each event it enters. To learn more, visit bmsraceteam.com.

BC39 Attracts Top Drivers from USAC, NASCAR, INDYCAR in Race for Glory

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INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021) – There will be serious star power Aug. 17-18 at The Dirt Track at IMS, as top drivers from the United States Auto Club, NASCAR and INDYCAR will compete in the third Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Championship race.

This year’s entry list includes 72 drivers aiming to earn $15,000 and heaps of prestige for winning the 39-lap feature race Thursday night on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of the famed IMS oval. The popular event, which resumes after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, starts Wednesday, Aug. 17 with hot laps, heat races and the 25-lap Stoops Pursuit race.

Among the drivers who will compete are reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, 2013 Brickyard 400 winner Ryan Newman, 2020 Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard winner Chase Briscoe and the dominant Kyle Larson, arguably the hottest driver today in America.

Larson won the prestigious Knoxville Nationals last Saturday night and finished third in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on Sunday on the IMS road course, and he will attempt to repeat as Stoops Pursuit champion and take the checkered flag in the feature of this event for the first time.

Popular INDYCAR and Indianapolis 500 veteran Conor Daly returns, as does NASCAR and Indy 500 veteran and USAC Triple Crown winner J.J. Yeley.

Those drivers will take on a lineup of USAC’s best, including 2018 BC39 winner Brady Bacon and 2019 winner Zeb Wise, who also won the Stoops Pursuit in the inaugural event in 2018.

There are eight USAC National Midget season champions vying for a spot in the feature: Reigning champ Chris Windom, Russ Gamester, Yeley, Jerry Coons Jr., Tanner Thorson, Spencer Bayston, Logan Seavey and Tyler Courtney.

The BC39 also has drawn two drivers from New Zealand, Glenn Waterland and Hayden Williams.

USAC National Midget Championship leader Buddy Kofoid will race in the BC39 for the first time, trying to pad his points lead. This also will be the first BC39 for 2016 Midget national champion Thorson, who has six victories this season.

Elliott and Newman bring varying levels of USAC experience into their first respective attempts at the event. Elliott has competed in three USAC National Midget events this season as he embraces dirt racing more and more, while 1999 USAC Silver Crown champion and Indiana native Newman will return to his roots, as he was a 13-time USAC National Midget feature winner in his illustrious short-track career before he climbed to NASCAR.

The BC39 event on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS will continue to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increase awareness of and participation in the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.

On-track action for the BC39 begins Wednesday, Aug. 18, starting with practice at 5 p.m. (ET) and opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Heat races begin at 7:15 p.m., with the exciting Stoops Pursuit feature race concluding the night’s action at 8 p.m.

NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and five-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon will serve as honorary starter Wednesday.

As a part of his duties, Gordon will wave the green flag for the Stoops Pursuit. He also will turn exhibition laps in a Clauson Marshall Racing USAC Midget car in front of the crowd, something he hasn’t done in nearly 30 years.

Thursday’s action starts with practice at 4:30 p.m., with qualifying races at 5:30 p.m. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 7 p.m., immediately followed by the main feature events, starting with multiple 12-lap D-Mains, the 15-lap C-Main, the 20-lap semi-feature and the 39-lap main event.

Tickets are still available for both nights at IMS.com.

Cindric, Gragson, Haley, Allmendinger and Allgaier Set to Join Q&A Session at Daytona Int’l Speedway’s UNOH Fanzone Prior to the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, Aug. 27

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Austin Cindric, who won the season-opening Beef. Its What’s For Dinner. 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway, will participate in the UNOH Fanzone Question & Answer Sessions on Friday, Aug. 27, prior to the start of the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at the World Center of Racing.

Pre-Race Fan Q&A Part of the UNOH Fanzone Experience!

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 17, 2021) – Four Daytona International Speedway Champions, three in NASCAR and one in the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, along with one of the NASCAR Xfinity Series best, are ready to answer fans burning questions before the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola on Friday, Aug. 27.

The group of four consists of Austin Cindric (2021 Beef. Its What’s For Dinner. 300 Champion), Noah Gragson (2020 Beef. Its What’s For Dinner. 300 Champion), Justin Haley (defending Wawa 250 Champion), AJ Allmendinger (the 2012 Rolex 24 Champion), the NASCAR Cup Series’ most recent winner, and Justin Allgaier, who will seek his first Daytona triumph.

Anyone who has access to the UNOH Fanzone can ask these drivers their questions and get a personal experience with the potential victor of the 2021 Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola. Friday Admission is $25 for adults and FREE for kids 12 and under. Here fans will also have access to pre-race ceremonies, driver introductions, access to the large grass ballfield and the start/finish line through the middle of the 18-degree, banked trioval. Fans can also get photos with the winning trophies of the weekend in Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane.

Below gives more detail on the group of drivers scheduled to be a part of the UNOH Fanzone on Friday, Aug. 27:

Cindric (driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford) is the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion. Carrying on with last season’s success, Cindric has already won five races this season, one of those races being the season opener Beef. Its What’s For Dinner. 300, and has clinched a playoff spot. Cindric, who won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race over the weekend in Indy, also captured the first-ever NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Daytona Road Course in 2020.

Gragson (driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) is the 2020 Beef. Its What’s For Dinner. 300 Champion. While Gragson is above the playoff cut line in eighth and ha two stage wins this season but needs a win to guarantee a playoff position.

Haley (driver of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) is the defending champion of the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola. Like Gragson, he is above the playoff cut line thanks to four stage wins but is in need of a victory to cement his spot in the playoffs. Haley is also the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.

Allmendinger (driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy) is a 2012 Rolex 24 winner, showcasing his skill on the Daytona Road Course. Allmendinger has already clinched a playoff spot with two wins this season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Allmendinger surprised the racing world this past weekend by winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Allgaier (driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) sits fourth in the title standings, winning two races this year. Over the last 10 years, he has finished in the top five of the NASCAR Xfinity Series final standings on seven occasions, including runner-up last season. Always a constant frontrunner at Daytona, he will be looking for his first win at the 2.5-mile trioval.

Driver availability for the DIS Pre-Race Fan Question & Answer session is subject to change and without notice. Neither NASCAR nor any of its affiliates are responsible for this event

For UNOH Fanzone access the day after, for the Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400, admission is $60 for adults and FREE for kids 12 and under if they are accompanied by a paid adult. Another lineup of drivers will be doing a Q&A before the Saturday race as well. If fans would like to visit the UNOH Fanzone before both the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, they have the option of the Two-Day Pass, where access to the pre-race events for both days will be only $75.

Tickets for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway and see the latest speedway news on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Todd Gilliland Ready for Truck Series Playoff Opener

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
Tuesday, August 17, 2021

EVENT: Playoff Media Day

TODD GILLILAND, No. 38 Crosley Ford F-150 – DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A FAVORITE IN THESE PLAYOFFS? “I definitely don’t think we can say we’re a favorite, but I really do think over the last two or three months we’ve been a top two or three type guy week in and week out. That gives me a lot of confidence. This is definitely the most confident I’ve ever been going to the playoffs. Last year was my first year. This year we have a little bit of a buffer to start and then just how we’ve been running recently I definitely think we can be a top two or three guy.”

WHAT WOULD BE IN YOUR PLAYOFF PLAYBOOK OF THINGS YOU MUST DO AND THINGS YOU CAN’T DO? “I think under the things you absolutely can’t do is make bad mistakes. You have to have good restarts. I think that could be the two things that could get you in trouble, but things you have to do, I think with the way we’ve been running you just have to keep doing the same things. You can’t really look at it too much different, except maybe kick it up another notch and just go racing, and really keep having fun with it.”

HOW IS YOUR TEAM BETTER THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST? “Really, I don’t know if this has been a big part, but last year we were working out of the DGR shop and then this year we’ve been at Front Row Motorsports, just right beside the Cup cars, and having two really good Cup teams just walking by your trucks, just looking at them every chance they can get makes a difference. I think another year of truck experience for my crew chief. Building notes. Last year it was really hard to have your first truck season as a crew chief when you can’t go to the racetrack and really learn from practice. I think going back we’ve really stepped it up at the racetracks we struggled at last year, and then also continue to run good at the ones that we did run good at last year, so I think that’s the biggest thing for me – crew chief setup-wise, having a much better idea after going to these places once.”

YOU HAD THE TRUCK TO BEAT AT GATEWAY LAST YEAR, BUT IT DIDN’T END THE WAY YOU HOPED. IS THAT MOTIVATION FOR THIS YEAR? “Yeah, absolutely. Just it being the first race of the playoffs, to start off on a good foot. Last year, we went out and won both stages and then I’d say I had a top five truck at the end of the race and got wrecked, but just overall to have that confidence going into the first race of the playoffs. I think even if we came out of here with a really solid run that would definitely set our playoffs on the right track.”

IS CONSISTENCY THE NEXT SEVEN RACES GOING TO BE ENOUGH OR WILL YOU NEED TO WIN? “Really, the greedy side of you obviously wants to win, but I’d say with the way we’ve been running and we’ve been getting really good stage points, I mean you still have to be super consistent, but you also have to go for wins. Hopefully, our consistency can keep ratcheting up a notch every so often. I think we’ve been doing that. We were just inside the top 10 and now we’ve been top 5 every week. Now if we can go to top three for the whole playoffs, then obviously that will put you in a good spot to be one of the top four to go to Phoenix, and then once you get there you’ve got to go for broke and go all-out for the win. It would be nice to get an early win in one of these rounds, but being smart and being consistent can get your (rest of answer is unclear).”

DO YOU FORGET SOMETIMES THIS IS ONLY YOUR SECOND YEAR AS A TEAM? “Yeah, I definitely do think of that. Even last year to make the playoffs, I think we all kind of expected it and honestly probably expected a little bit more than we did last year. We wanted to kind of go out and get a win or two or three, but to make the playoffs in our first year was pretty cool, and then this year we started off the season pretty rough and even the progress this year has been awesome for me to see because really everyone was down pretty bad. We started off wrecking at Daytona and then just had a lot of bad runs at the beginning of the season, where the guys could have definitely given up, but that was one thing I think has really helped my team is that everyone races go-karts with each other at Millbridge and just the camaraderie on our team is like one I’ve never been on and it’s a great thing.”

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT SEASON? “Honestly, I haven’t talked about it much, just kind of focusing on winning a championship and really put myself in the best spot come November.”

IS THERE A PATH TO RUN XFINITY NEXT YEAR? “I don’t know. I haven’t talked about that, but certainly as a driver I would love to move up to the Xfinity Series. I’ve been in the truck series for four or five seasons now and it’s a lot of fun. This has been by far my best season and moving up to the Xfinity Series would be amazing, but honestly I have not talked to anyone about it.”

WHAT IS THE MOOD LIKE AT FRONT ROW THESE DAYS? “It’s really good. Even starting off the year with the Daytona 500 win, like I said earlier, this is our first year in the shop, but really those guys take a lot of pride in watching the truck compete for wins and top fives every single week. That does raise the spirit and like I said too those guys just being the Cup Series team trying to be a part of it is a huge benefit to us. I think the two have lived in there really well together and probably benefitted each other quite a bit.”

WHICH TRACK IN THE PLAYOFFS DO YOU FEEL IS YOUR BEST CHANCE TO WIN? “I’m really excited for all of them. I think Gateway, last year we ran really well. Darlington, this year we won a stage and got caught up in a big wreck. Bristol can be a little bit of a wild card for us. We didn’t run great there last year, but I definitely feel confident going back there and Martinsville is going to be a wild one. It’s a cut off race, but I’ve won there before and then Phoenix is a lot like Gateway, so I feel really confident going there.”

HOW DO THE UPS-AND-DOWNS YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH MAKE YOU APPRECIATE HOW WELL THINGS ARE GOING NOW? “It’s crazy. When I came into the Truck Series I expected to win and when we didn’t it really took the fun out of it and the pressure was just crazy on me at the time. It probably shouldn’t have been, but I made it worse than it was, and that’s the biggest thing. This year racing we’ve just been having a lot of fun and that’s been so refreshing to me and my whole team. I really feel like we’ve had a great group of guys, but this year bringing the fun back into it and having a great time at the racetrack is ultimately what it’s all about.”

IT’S ALLOWED YOU TO RELAX AND BE BETTER IN THE SEAT AND EVERY OTHER FACET OR NOT? “Absolutely. I think just the team beyond my actual team, the pit crew has done a great job for us the last two years, but this year especially. Just knowing you don’t have to take that extra chance to get past someone on the last lap because you know your pit crew is gonna pick up a spot or two every time you come down pit road. That takes a little bit of pressure off. Knowing that my crew chief is gonna understand what I’m saying and make the right adjustments for the next run that you also don’t have to make a dumb move the run before. All the little things take an ounce of pressure off and then soon everything is just clicking right. It’s been a lot of fun too just to be a part of the growing of the Front Row Motorsports truck team and bringing the fun into it.”

CAN YOUR STRONG ROAD COURSE PERFORMANCES THIS YEAR EXTEND INTO THE PLAYOFFS? “Yeah, I think we’ve been really good at the weird racetracks this year. When we went to the road courses we ran really well. The dirt tracks we ran really well, so it’s been fun. Really, the Truck Series schedule has been hard to get a good flow or read on how you are because you’re going to dirt one weekend, road course and then you might have one or two mile-and-a-halves scattered through there, but I think that’s been great that we’ve been good at those places. I definitely think our mile-and-a-half program has gotten head and shoulders better from the beginning of the year. We had a couple rough runs there at Atlanta and Vegas, so just to turn that around was huge, but I think we’ll be in a much better place at the asphalt and more cookie-cutter, normal racetracks also.”

HOW IS IT TO YOU TO LOOK AT THE PROGRESSION YOU’VE MADE AS A DRIVER? “I think you always have to look back and really appreciate how far you’ve come. I definitely can see that in myself. I’ve made a lot of just weird mistakes, like going in the K&N Series you don’t have live pit stops, where in the Truck Series you can make it past the first pit stop, let your team work on it. If you don’t, you never really know how good that race you could have been because you don’t give them a chance to work on the truck, so I think I’ve become a lot more patient as we’ve gotten our trucks better. That allows a driver to be more under control driving the truck, so that’s helped a lot and I’ve definitely grown a lot as a driver.”

ARCA Menards Series Race Advance: Michigan & Springfield

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Friday, August 20
Track: Michigan International Speedway, 2-mile oval
Race: 14 of 20
Event: Henry Ford Health System 200 (100 laps, 200 miles)

Schedule
Practice/Qualifying: 4:00 p.m. ET
Race: 6:00 p.m. ET (MAVTV)

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Clean Harbors Ford Fusion

  • Thad Moffitt enters his 14th race of the ARCA Menards Series season on Friday evening at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
  • Last time out at Watkins Glen International, the 20-year-old driver started 15th and finished 11th in his Clean Harbors Fusion.
  • Moffitt and crew chief Derek Smith have one previous start at the 2-mile Michigan oval together. Last season they started eighth and finished ninth.
  • The Ford driver has five top-fives and 10 top-10s in 13 starts with the ARCA Menards Series. He remains third in the series point standings.

Sunday, August 22
Track: Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, 1-mile dirt oval
Race: 15 of 20
Event: Allen Crowe 100 (100 laps, 100 miles)

Schedule
Practice: 11:00 a.m. ET
Qualifying: 12:30 p.m. ET
Race: 2:30 p.m. ET (MAVTV)

Taylor Gray, No. 46 Ford Fusion

  • After a week off, Taylor Gray will enter the ARCA Menards Series event at the Springfield Mile in the No. 46 Fusion for DGR.
  • The 16-year-old driver qualified ninth and finished fourth last season at the Illinois State Fairgrounds with David Gilliland atop the pit box.
  • Through 18 career races with the ARCA Menards Series, Gray has 12 top-fives and 17 top-10s with an average finish of 5.6.
  • It will be the second race of the weekend for Gray and Chad Johnston after they run their second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois on Friday night.

Charred Flag Factory to support Chris Hacker in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C.: fgrACCEL and Reaume Brothers Racing jointly announced today that Charred Flag Factory has leaped aboard for Chris Hacker’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut in Friday night’s Toyota 200 presented by CK Power at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) at Gateway.

The Charred Flag Factory was formed in Rochester, New York in 2017 by Paul Cummings after a cherry tree was cut down on his property.

After a few years of making flags around the holidays, he started customizing them and turned the Charred Flag Factory into his full-time passion.

The Charred Flag Factory only offers flags of the highest quality. They only use solid hardwoods and hand-pick each slab. They won’t let anything leave their shop that they wouldn’t be proud to display in their own homes.

They have built a few thousand flags for just about every industry imaginable including the military, corporations, fire departments, law enforcement, sports teams and more.

Because they send digital layouts before they start each flag, their customers can alter their designs and change things around before they start production. They can verify their flags’ appearance before they buy it!

They take a lot of pride in our work and love what we do. This helps give peace of mind.

“I’m honored to play a small part in Chris’s journey and his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race,” said Charred Flag Factory owner Paul Cummings. “His story has inspired me. He’s a proven fighter, a hard worker, and exactly the kind of person I like to be around and work with.

“Chris strikes me as someone who dreams about excellence and won’t stop working to improve each and every day. I can’t wait to see where this road takes him.”

Hacker has been overwhelmed by the support of his upcoming NASCAR national series debut, especially from Cummings and Charred Flag Factory.

“I will forever be thankful to Paul and everyone at Charred Flag Factory for being a part of my journey and this incredible opportunity at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Friday night,” offered Hacker.

“I’ve set some personal goals for my debut and that includes representing my partners with the best finish possible. What the Charred Flag Factory has done for so many is amazing, and I hope we’re able to bring them some new business with their reach into the NASCAR world at Gateway.”

For more on The Charred Flag Factory, please visit charredflags.com.

For more on Chris Hacker, please like him on Facebook (Chris Hacker Motorsports), follow him on Twitter (@chrishacker_) and Instagram (@chris_hacker).

The Toyota 200 presented by CK Power (160 laps | 200 miles) is the 16th of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-truck field will take the green flag on Fri., Aug. 20, 2021, shortly after 9:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90.

About Reaume Brothers Racing:

Reaume Brothers Racing (RBR) began in 1997 when John Reaume got his sons, Jonathan and Joshua into competitive kart racing. From these humble beginnings, the brothers have chased the racing dream, competing in events all around the world, studying mechanical engineering at university, and building a successful racing business specializing in karting and oval track racing.

Since 2018, RBR has fielded at least one full-time entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. With a culture focused on innovation, RBR will utilize cutting-edge technologies to improve on and off-track performance.

Driven with passion and fueled with engineering, RBR is looking to make its mark in NASCAR.

In 2021, the team will continue its presence in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, while also planning to expand its focus to the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Chris Buescher – Michigan Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 17 Castrol Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400 miles, 200 laps, Stages: 60-60-80
FireKeepers Casino 400 – Sunday, August 22 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher at Michigan International Speedway

· Buescher makes his 11th Cup start at Michigan on Sunday where he is coming off two-straight finishes of 20th at the 2-mile track.

· His best finish came in 2017 when he ran sixth, and has finished no worse than 20th in five-straight events. He started on the pole in the second race of last season’s doubleheader.

· Buescher also has three Xfinity starts at Michigan with three top-10s. He finished seventh in the No. 16 in 2013, and followed that with a 10th-place effort in 2014, and fourth in 2015.

Luke Lambert at Michigan International Speedway

· Lambert will call his 17th Cup event at Michigan on Sunday with four top-10s and a best finish of fourth (2017). He also ran eighth twice, once with Jeff Burton and once with Newman.

· He also called one Xfinity event with Elliott Sadler in 2012 finishing 11th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Michigan:
“Going to Michigan always has extra eyeballs for our camp in a lot of ways, with a huge presence from Ford and Jack’s folks up in Michigan. It’s a place that he’s had a ton of success at over the years, and tends to be a place that makes for interesting movement with so many different factors playing into the car and the strategy of the race. We’re looking forward to the challenge in our Castrol Ford and another opportunity at trying to win to get into the playoffs.”

Last Time Out
Buescher survived the late chaos in the inaugural Cup race at the Indy road course to finish 12th in the Castrol Ford Mustang.

Where They Rank
Buescher is 19th in the playoff picture, needing a win to insert himself into the playoffs that start at Darlington the first weekend of September.

On the Car

Castrol, the official oil partner of Roush Fenway Racing, makes its second-straight appearance on the No. 17.

About Castrol
Castrol, a global leader in lubricant technology, serves consumers in over 140 countries. Our leadership brands include Castrol® GTX® — a premium conventional motor oil; Castrol® GTX® High–Mileage™ – a premium synthetic blend designed for vehicles with over 75,000 miles; the Castrol® EDGE ® line of advanced full-synthetic super premium motor oils that offer unsurpassed strength and performance; as well as our range of commercial transport lubricants. To find out more about Castrol products and programs, please call 1–888–CASTROL or visit www.castrol.com/us

Ryan Newman – Michigan Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 6 ITsavvy Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 400 miles, 200 laps, Stages: 60-60-80
FireKeepers Casino 400 – Sunday, August 22 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Michigan International Speedway

  • Newman makes his 40th Cup start at MIS this weekend where he has an average finish of 16.3 with two wins and 10 top-10s.
  • Newman’s wins came in back-to-back events in 2003 and 2004. He led 32 laps in his fifth of eight wins in 2003, then led 22 laps after starting fourth the following season.
  • He has one career pole at the 2-mile track, which came in 2005, and an average starting position of 14.1. Overall he’s started inside the top-10 on 16 occasions.
  • Dating back eight events at MIS, Newman has sixth top-15 runs including finishes of fourth (2017) and eighth (2019). Most recently he finished 13th in the second race of a doubleheader last summer.
  • Newman also made four Xfinity starts at MIS, winning his first two events (2001, 2005) with a combined 126 laps led.

Scott Graves at Michigan International Speedway

  • Graves will call his 11th Cup event at Michigan on Sunday, a place he carries a 19.8 average finish. Graves led Newman to an eighth-place run in their first race there together in 2019, and backed that up with a 12th-place finish in the second race, and most recently 13th last season.
  • Graves won an Xfinity event at the 2-mile track in 2016 with Daniel Suarez, topping Kyle Busch to lead the final two laps en route to one of his three wins with Suarez.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Michigan:
“Michigan is always a big weekend for more than one reason. It’s a place that’s pretty close to home and will always be a favorite place of mine to visit. The track and race always makes for an interesting finish as you have to manage fuel mileage, but also have the perfect amount of balance, speed, and drag on the car. Lot of different scenarios can play out at Michigan, so being in the hunt at the end is pivotal and we’re looking forward to doing just that in the ITsavvy Ford.”

Last Time Out
Newman survived one of the wildest finishes in recent history last weekend at the Indy road course to finish 10th in the Oscar Mayer Ford, his fourth top-10 of 2021.

Where They Rank
Newman is 26th in points through 24 events.

On the Car

ITsavvy makes its Roush Fenway debut this weekend in Michigan. The brand has been on the No. 6 Ford as an associate in select races this season.

About ITsavvy
ITsavvy is a leader in tailored, end-to-end IT product and service solutions. ITsavvy built its reputation as a value-added reseller with industry-leading product availability, design and implementation, client support and delivery speed through 46 distribution centers across the U.S. ITsavvy also has data center locations in Cedar Knolls, N.J. and Oak Brook, Ill. The company’s user-friendly website provides concise, leading-edge IT decision-making resources, including an e-commerce site with real-time pricing and availability. ITsavvy is headquartered in Addison, Ill., with offices in Chicago’s Loop; Hauppauge, N.Y.; New York, N.Y.; Naples, Fla.; Miami; Warren, N.J.; Hayward, Calif.; Beavercreek, Ohio and Raleigh, N.C. Call 855.ITsavvy (855.487.2889), email info@ITsavvy.com, visit www.ITsavvy.com.

Landen Lewis to make ARCA Menards Series debut at Springfield with Rette Jones Racing Development

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Official Release
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill.: Rette Jones Racing Development (RJRD) and Austin Theriault Racing Development jointly announced today that 15-year-old Landen Lewis will make his ARCA Menard Series debut in the highly anticipated Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield) this Sun., Aug. 22.

Lewis will drive the No. 2 L&A South | Lou Lou’s Waterfront Restaurant Toyota Camry prepared by RJR Development with several racing icons who have offered their advice to the Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. native.

Lewis graduates to the ARCA Menards Series on the strength of a successful career in Legends Cars, Super Trucks and Dirt Modified competition.

In Legend Car competition, the teenager has roared to 22 series victories while mastering 51 top-five finishes overall.

He is also the most recent Winter Heat champion winning a jaw-dropping nine of the 10 races.

Advancing to Dirt Modifieds driving for four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) champion Ron Hornaday Jr. Under his leadership, Lewis has mastered five poles, six wins, eight-second place runs and 27 top-fives.

Lewis is banking on his experience in Dirt Modifieds to help ease his transition to stock cars on dirt at the historic 1.0-mile Illinois State Fairgrounds with advice not only from Hornaday but racing icon Ken Schrader, a former ARCA Menards Series winner at Springfield and close friend of Hornaday.

“This is such an unbelievable opportunity,” said Lewis. “I can’t thank Rette Jones Racing, Austin (Theriault), the Hornaday family, Mr. Ken Schrader and everyone who has been incredibly helpful and instrumental in helping make my ARCA Menards Series debut possible.

“I don’t know what to expect on Sunday, but I have a ton of confidence thanks to all the advice from everyone around me. My goal is to have a smooth practice and an even better qualifying session and make progress during the 100-lap race.

“I know Mark (Rette) and the entire Rette Jones Racing Development team has been working hard on our No. 2 L&A South Toyota Camry and I think a top-10 finish or better is definitely in our potential.”

Hornaday, a former winner in ARCA Menards Series competition says Lewis is ready for the opportunity that awaits him at the Springfield mile.

“I have been working with Landen since he was 12 and he reminds me a lot of myself when I was that young,” explained Hornaday. “He’s ambitious and eager to learn and always excels when given a new challenge. It’s awesome to work with Landen.

“I’m a true believer in order to be the best you must be hands-on and understand everything about your car and Landen is always one of the first to jump in and help on his car and his teammates’ cars and always appreciates the things that people do for him.

“This is going to be awesome for Landen getting experience in a heavier car and continue his development to be a more well-rounded driver.”

Theriault who has taken on a management role with Lewis is a former ARCA champion and earned a pole at Springfield in 2017 before finishing second to fellow ARCA champion Grant Enfinger.

“Landen is an aggressive, but smart driver who I know can be successful at this level,” explained the eight-time ARCA winner. “Despite it being a big step for him, his previous dirt experience combined with the people who have mentored him along the way will allow him to adapt quickly to the opportunity that is before him.”

Team owner and former ARCA championship crew chief Rette is no stranger to working with a flow of young drivers and hopes to guide Lewis to Victory Lane.

“I enjoy giving young drivers the chance to showcase their talents,” sounded Rette. “When Austin (Theriault) and Ron (Hornaday) spoke highly of Landen and what he has accomplished at his age, I knew that we needed to put something together to allow him to make his debut with us.

“We look forward to the opportunity to put Rette Jones Racing in Victory Lane for the second time in 2021.”

In addition to L&A South and LouLou’s Waterfront Restaurant, Calabash Seafood Hut, CARQUEST Auto Parts, Crystal Babson Century 21, Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Joe Ryan Race Cars, Jones Group Demolition and Abatement, L & A Auto North, Quality Auto Body & Collision, Reeves Complete Auto Center Inc., Simpson, Skyline Sign and Team Hornaday join the team as partners this weekend.

RJR Development is co-owned by Canadian entrepreneur and former race car driver Terry Jones.
For more on Landen Lewis, please visit, like him on Facebook (Landen Lewis Motorsports) and follow him on Instagram (@lrlewis99).

For more on Rette Jones Racing Development, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing) or follow them on Twitter (@RetteJones30).

The Allen Crowe 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 14th of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. A half-hour practice is set from 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. General Tire pole qualifying is slated for an hour later at 11:30 a.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

About Rette Jones Racing:

Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never give up attitude.

Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plan to field a full-time entry in 2021 in the ARCA Menards Series East, while also hopeful to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).

The winning ARCA East team also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.

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