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‘Let Hope Shine’ Event on Sept. 22 to Honor Cancer Fighters

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Official Release
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The Dale Jr. Foundation, Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Host Luminary Lighting Ceremony


MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 3, 2021) – The Dale Jr. Foundation, in conjunction with The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, will present the inaugural ‘Let Hope Shine’ presented by Good Sam event to honor cancer fighters everywhere on Sept. 22 at Cornelius Road Park in Mooresville. The event brings family, friends and neighbors together for a special luminary lighting during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Sponsors and guests will have the opportunity to purchase a luminary dedication in honor of a loved one affected by cancer. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. will make appearances at the event, which begins at 6 p.m. EDT at the park. Food trucks, activities for kids and some Catwalk for a Cause kids in will be on hand for attendees to enjoy.

“We’re excited to partner with The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation to bring the community together to honor, celebrate and remember individuals and families affected by cancer.  ‘Let Hope Shine’ is about gathering families together to shine a light on hope. We encourage you to join us on Sept. 22,” said Regina Smith, director of The Dale Jr. Foundation.

Those interested in attending or supporting ‘Let Hope Shine’ can find further information at www.thedalejrfoundation.org, as well as purchase Luminary Tickets and event T-shirts.

ABOUT THE DALE JR FOUNDATION:
The Dale Jr. Foundation is a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals, having raised more than $10 million since its inception. The Dale Jr. Foundation has made a monumental impact in the local community since its beginning.  Dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to achieve extraordinary goals, TDJF has contributed to more than 300 charities nationally and locally, including The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Blessings in a Backpack, Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, FeedNC, and Mooresville Christian Mission. For more information, visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE MARTIN TRUEX JR. FOUNDATION:
The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation (MTJF) was created in 2007 by NASCAR Series Champion driver Martin Truex Jr. and longtime girlfriend, Sherry Pollex. The foundation exists through the generosity of donors, partners, and corporate sponsors passionate about our mission to help support underfunded cancer initiatives specific to ovarian and childhood cancers, and assist the individuals and families affected by them. In August 2014, Sherry Pollex, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Through their experiences, Martin and Sherry found purpose and focus on their mission to raise awareness, boost advocacy, and generate financial support for ovarian and childhood cancers. Together, we have the power to improve lives, inspire smiles and realize dreams. We will Never Give Up! For more information, visit www.martintruexjrfoudnation.org.

Sheehan Excited for Street Course at Music City Grand Prix Franklin Road Classic

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Official Release
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Nashville, TENNESSEE – August 3, 2021 – The Round 8 of the 2021 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season sees the iconic muscle car roadshow head to the world famous Music City of Nashville, Tennessee for the inaugural running of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Saturday’s TA2 feature race is the Vodka Spiked Coolers presents Franklin Road Classic. Organized in conjunction with the Indycar Series, the Trans Am organizers are to be applauded for such a terrific innovation that will undoubtedly introduce TA2 to a new and wider audience.

Tom Sheehan is making the trip from his New Hampshire base to Nashville Tennessee in good spirits this week with the team prepared for taking on the new course . He currently sits P8 overall in the drivers’ standings. Having made good gains with the setup of the car at Brainerd where he finished in P7, Tom is very upbeat about the weekend ahead in the home of country and western music.

“Nashville is a street course and we’re really looking forward to it,” said Sheehan. He has produced some of his best finishes of recent times on street courses, notably at the Motor City Grand Prix in Detroit. “I always enjoy a concrete bullring! Nobody’s seen the track, nobody really knows the track or driven the track. Practice time will be at a premium.”

After a good finish at Brainerd he added, ”The Series has got to be excited about it. Indycar is a great show, TA2 is a great show. I’m happy for the folks in Nashville and I’m looking forward to not disappointing them. It sounds like a really exciting event down in Nashville.”

We would certainly second that. In addition to the racing, there are some terrific music shows on offer and there will undoubtedly be a carnival-like atmosphere. There is a bumper 39 car TA2 entry for the Music City Grand Prix, so a terrific race is on the cards. The course features a long straight on the road course meaning very high top speeds. At the far end of the track away from the paddock are a series of tight turns and the whole layout is shaped not unlike a giant guitar!

There are two half hour practice sessions for the drivers on Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., while the huge entry and nature of the track mean that qualifying is split into two groups. Saturday morning sees the first group go out at 11:00 a.m. for 15-minutes with the second group dovetailing immediately afterwards. The drivers and teams then duel it out on the streets of Nashville for 46 laps of the circuit and gets underway at 1:25 p.m.

Tickets are available here | Music City Grand Prix (musiccitygp.com)

Keep up with Trans Am driver Tom Sheehan on social media – Facebook page is Damon Racing, Instagram @TomSheehanTA97 and Twitter @TomTA2_97.

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Music City Grand Prix Ahead for Thwaits and Franklin Road Apparel

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Official Release
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Nashville, TENNESSEE – August 3, 2021 – The arrival of the Trans Am roadshow in his home city of Nashville Tennessee has provided Ken Thwaits and Franklin Road Apparel with a true match made in heaven opportunity both to race and to promote the Franklin Road Trans Am merchandise produced this year in conjunction with the Series. Franklin Road are the title Sponsors for Saturday’s TA2 Feature race, which is fully billed as the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers presents the Franklin Road Classic.

“Franklin Road Apparel is pleased to announce that we will be the title sponsor for the Trans Am by Pirelli TA2 race at the Music City Grand Prix,” said Ken in an official statement.

“Having a big presence at the inaugural Music City Grand Prix is fantastic. Our Franklin Road Apparel store located in Franklin has a great opportunity to get in front of our client demographic and let people know where to find the coolest men’s and women’s apparel in Middle Tennessee. If patrons cannot make an in person visit to our store, they can always stop by our virtual store at www.franklinroad.com.”

Ken currently sits in P4 in the TA Championship from 20 starters in the prestigious TA Class of the 2021 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship, a position that would undoubtedly be the envy of any ‘rookie’ in the big league of American Muscle car racing. But the 2020 Trans Am XGT Champion isn’t one to let the grass grow under his feet and he has also been competing in the TA2 Class, principally to gain more track time in the muscle cars.

At the Franklin Road Music City Grand Prix, Ken will be racing around the streets of Nashville in the No. 6 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro. We spoke to Ken ahead of the weekend and his enthusiasm was tangible, “In my earlier years of racing I was able to race in the Long Beach Grand Prix,” said Ken. “Now we get a chance to rocket over the Cumberland River at over 150mph in our own hometown. What an awesome opportunity!”

The Franklin Road Apparel and Trans Am Series by Pirelli branded apparel will be available at a special pop-up store located next to the Trans Am pit area in the main paddock. It will feature high end tee shirts featuring Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Vodka’s TA2 car ripping around the track. Fans are urged to come check out all the TA2 cars getting ready to race in the streets of Nashville and also pick up a one of a kind keepsake for the inaugural Music City Grand Prix!

There is a huge 39 car TA2 entry for the Music City Grand Prix, which is being run in conjunction with the Indycar series. This promises a tremendous spectacle on the road course around the streets of the famous home of country music, something that will delight the fans. There are two half hour practice sessions for the drivers on Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., while the huge entry and nature of the track mean that qualifying is split into two groups.

Saturday morning sees the first group go out at 11:00 a.m. for 15-minutes with the second group dovetailing immediately afterwards. The drivers and teams then hardly have time to gather their breath before the race itself, which is over 46 laps of the circuit and gets underway at 1:25 p.m. The action continues all weekend with – as we would expect – music as well as action packed racing.

Ticket and Event Press Release | Music City Grand Prix (musiccitygp.com)

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

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

About Showtime Motorsports:

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

GMS Racing – Jack Wood – ARCA Watkins Glen Preview

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Official Release
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Jack Wood, No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet
Watkins Glen International Stats

- Jack Wood has no previous ARCA Menards Series starts on a road course.

2021 ARCA Menards Series Stats

  • Starts: 6, Best start: 4th, Best finish: 4th, Laps led: 5, Avg finish: 12.8

Notes:

  • Jack Wood returns to the seat of the No. 21 GMS Racing ARCA Chevrolet for the first time since Pocono Raceway in June after Daniel Dye took over the reigns in the series’ last four races.
  • Wood was promoted to the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the remainder of the 2021 season, but returns to ARCA eyeing additional seat time ahead of this weekend’s truck race at Watkins Glen.

-In six ARCA starts, Wood has a best career ARCA finish of 4th which came at Kansas Speedway in April. The rookie has a best career NCWTS finish of 11th which came at Nashville Superspeedway in June.

  • Driver 21 will celebrate his 21st birthday on Saturday during the NCWTS race at the Glen.
  • The No. 21 Chevrolet will return to its white and black paint scheme from the start of this season and will have backing from Chevy Accessories.
  • The 41-lap, 100-mile ARCA Menards Series Clean Harbors 100 will air live on FS1, beginning at 6:00 PM ET.

Daniel Dye will return to the seat of the No. 21 GMS Racing ARCA entry at the Milwaukee Mile on August 29th.

Quote:

“I’m excited to go to my first road course race with my GMS Racing ARCA team. It will be a great way for me to get some laps around Watkins Glen before the drop of the green flag Saturday for the truck race as well. As long as we keep our nose clean and run a smart race I think we should have ourselves a solid run Friday.”

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 Racing Series with Daniel Dye. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship and 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown 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://www.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.

Carter Langley among a talented group of young Late Model drivers making an impact at South Boston Speedway

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Official Release
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Carter Langley buckles his seat belts as he prepares for the start of a recent NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division event at South Boston Speedway. Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway

By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway

South Boston, Va. *(Aug. 3, 2021) – Racing fans at South Boston Speedway have watched a group young, talented NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division drivers make an impact at the .4-mile oval this season. Jacob Borst, Camden Gullie, Landon Pembelton and Carter Langley are all in the Top-10 in the track point standings.

Langley, 16, scored 11 wins in Limited Late Model competition before moving up to the Late Model Stock Car ranks. Among the four young drivers, Langley has the least amount of experience racing at South Boston Speedway. Despite having raced at “America’s Hometown Track” only once prior to this season, that coming in a Late Model race in 2018, he is in the thick of the chase for a top-five finish in the track point standings.

The Zebulon, North Carolina resident occupies seventh place in the point standings. However, he is only five points out of sixth place and 31 points out of fifth place entering the twin 50-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division races headlining Saturday night’s Davenport Energy Night event at South Boston Speedway.

Langley has posted three Top-Five finishes and six Top-10 finishes in 11 starts, with a pair of fourth-place finishes being his best finishes this season. That is a solid effort for the young driver who was on the fence about racing at South Boston Speedway at the start of the season.

“I was really on the iffy side because I came here in 2018 and raced one race and it was hard on me,” Langley explained. “I really wasn’t in shape for it. I came to South Boston Speedway at the beginning of this year, and it was tough on me to begin with because a lot of tracks don’t have as much grip as this track does. It got even worse throughout the summer.

“I’ve been doing more conditioning,” continued Langley. “I’ve figured out now that racing isn’t just getting in the car and working on it at the shop and working on it at the racetrack. It’s about your mental and physical health too.”

Langley admits it took some time to adapt to racing at South Boston Speedway after having raced at several tracks including Southern National, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Dillon, South Carolina, Caraway Speedway, Ace Speedway and Carteret County Speedway, all of which are low-grip tracks.

“South Boston Speedway has the most grip of any track I have ever been to,” Langley pointed out. “It definitely wears you out more than other tracks, but it’s a lot more fun to drive than the rest of the tracks. South Boston Speedway doesn’t look too difficult, but it’s more difficult than people think it is. If you come here and race and are successful, I believe you can go anywhere and race and be successful.”
Langley says he feels good about what he has accomplished at South Boston Speedway thus far this season.

“I feel like this is a good year for us,” he remarked. “The best-of-the-best racers come to South Boston Speedway, and that’s what we wanted. We came here to South Boston at the start of the season with a knife to a gunfight. We really didn’t have enough motor and not enough car until the past two races. We recently got a new car, and I think it’s going to be really good.

“We really weren’t expecting much (at the start of the season),” he continued, “but now that we have this new car, I have better expectations for the rest of the season. The feel like the best part of the season is coming.”

When asked what he sees in his immediate future Langley says he envisions racing Late Model Stock Cars for the next couple of years.

“Maybe in the future, if I get good enough to do it, I would really like to have a Late Model race team and rent out rides,” Langley said. “I’ve still got a long way to go before I can do that. I really like Late Models and I really like working on these cars too. I’ve always liked short tracks. I feel like I could stay here (in Late Models) for the rest of my life if I wanted to.”

Saturday night’s Davenport Energy Night event at South Boston Speedway will feature the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors in twin 50-lap races. The six-race card also includes twin 25-lap races for the Limited Sportsman Division teams, a 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and a 15-lap race for the Budweiser Hornets Division.

Registration and pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Practice will begin at 3:45 p.m. and grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying begins at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets for Saturday night’s Davenport Energy Night event are priced at $10 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, through Friday night, August 6. Adult general admission tickets online and at the gate on race day are priced at $15 each. Kids ages 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Tickets purchased for the rained-out July 17 event will be honored at any one of South Boston Speedway’s three remaining regular-season events – August 7, August 21 and September 4.
Individuals that purchased tickets online for the rained-out July 17 event have already received vouchers in their online ticket account for the amount of paid tickets they had.
Persons that purchased tickets over the phone or in person can stop by the speedway office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. to exchange those tickets or exchange them at the next event.

Updates and the latest news about South Boston Speedway’s racing events can be found on the South Boston Speedway website and through the speedway’s social media channels.

DXDT Racing Ready to Make Trio of Mercedes Sing on Nashville Streets

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Official Release
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STATESVILLE, N.C., (August 3, 2021) – The streets of Nashville will be singing this weekend as the GT America championship brings sports car racing to the Capital of country music. The Inaugural Music City Grand Prix will be a packed weekend of non-stop racing, as both sports cars and open-wheel cars descend on the city streets. DXDT Racing will enter three Mercedes AMG GT3 cars in the GT America doubleheader, one of four series racing in the event.

After an almost two-month break since rounds five and six at VIRginia International Raceway, the drivers of DXDT will be eager to get back on track behind the wheels of the Mercedes AMG machinery. Full-season GT America entrants CJ Moses and George Kurtz will be joined by teammate, GT World Challenge America driver David Askew in his series debut. For Askew, he’ll go from a two-driver, 90-minute race to being the sole pilot for the pair of the 40-minute races.

As a brand-new street circuit, the temporary downtown course will offer a level playing field of sorts to competitors, as no one has yet to compete on the 2.17-mile, 14-turn route. The track will be unlike any other street course in recent SRO America years, starting on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge and racing a loop around the Nissan Stadium parking before heading back to the bridge to race across the Cumberland River. With the course set with large concrete barriers on either side, street courses leave little room for error. Offering no runoff, the slightest mistake can lead to steep consequences. With two races in one weekend, competitors will need to take great care of their machinery to be able to perform well in both races.

In addition to GT America, the Nashville event will host racing from the NTT IndyCar Series, TransAm, and Stadium Super Trucks. On-track activities begin on Friday, August 6, with racing taking place both on Saturday and Sunday, August 7 and 8. Race one will begin at 7:25 PM CT on Saturday, followed by race two on the proceeding afternoon at 2:45 PM CT. Both races will air live on YouTube.com/GTWorld. Visit musiccitygp.com for all event information.

DRIVER QUOTES

David Askew | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
I’m looking forward to the challenge of racing in the GT America race in Nashville. The championship looks very competitive, as my two teammates George and CJ know all too well. Having two races on a street circuit multiplies that challenge even more. This is something I’ve always wanted to try. Street racing puts a premium on finding the limit of the car, the track, and the driver, and the key is having those all work together in an arena where you can’t make mistakes. I’m personally excited about the opportunity.

George Kurtz | GT America
No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3
It is always exciting to race on a street circuit. That adds to the level of excitement we’re all feeling ahead of this new event in Nashville. On the track, I’m sure it will be a completely different focus with a premium on driving smart and not making mistakes. We have seen that this is a very competitive championship so everyone – driver, crew, and engineers – will have to execute to the best of our abilities in a new environment.

CJ Moses | GT America
No. 58 CrowdStrike/AWS/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3
Street-circuit racing is one of the most exciting aspects of motorsports. I’ve certainly enjoyed the street races I’ve done. The thing I like about it is that everything has to be as close to perfect as possible. There is no margin for error, and I think we are going into Nashville with good momentum from our weekend in Virginia. The circuit should be fantastic and the weekend will be one of the most dynamic of the year. I can’t wait.

SCHEDULE: All Times U.S. Central
Friday, August 6
12:40 PM – 1:10 PM Test Session
1:15 PM – 1:45 PM America Practice 1
6:15 PM – 6:45 PM America Practice 2

Saturday, August 7
2:50 PM – 3:10 PM Qualifying
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Driver Autograph Session
7:25 PM – 8:05 PM Race 1

Sunday, August 9
2:45 PM – 3:25 PM Race 2

All qualifying and race sessions will stream live on YouTube.com/GTWorld.

ABOUT DXDT RACING
DXDT Racing LLC is a high-performance sports car racing team founded by team principal David Askew in 2014 and located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Team’s primary focus is on GT3 and GT4 racing in North America. The team has fielded cars in various racing series such as SRO’s World Challenge GT America Powered by AWS, IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge, and Lamborghini’s Super Trofeo series. Although the team is young, DXDT is comprised of a group of highly experienced professionals with championship winning backgrounds.

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Taylor and Albuquerque Hope to Grab an Elusive Win at Road America in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05

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Official Release
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Brownsburg, Ind. (August 3, 2021) – The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team arrives at Road America as the current 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Championship points leaders in what has become one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory. While the team has not won at Road America in their 15-year history, they will be looking to both hold onto their Championship lead as well as their first victory at the track.

Co-drivers Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will pilot the blue and black No. 10 Konica Minolta DPi machine around the 4.0 mile, 14-turn permanent road course. The No. 10 Konica Minolta team’s history includes four podium finishes, two pole positions and 133 laps led.

Ricky Taylor’s last pursuit at Road America concluded in his sole victory at the track while driving the Acura ARX-05. His success at the track includes three podium finishes and two pole positions.

“So far this season we’ve had some strong runs controlling the points situation,” said Ricky Taylor, coming off two recent poles at the back-to-back races at Watkins Glen. “When we get to Road America that’s somewhere where the Acura really excels. Last year Wayne Taylor Racing finished second and the Acura won, so I think the combination of the two should bode well for us. Road America is always a tough race for managing traffic, but when you’ve got pace it makes everything a little easier. Hopefully we keep building on the momentum of this season. We want to win races and hopefully we can win at Road America.”

This will be Filipe Albuquerque’s third time racing at Elkhart Lake. The Portuguese driver will look to best his top finish of sixth place at the track.

“Road America is a track that everyone really likes,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “It’s a track that suits our car again. We are seeing that strategy is playing a big role with a mix of luck this year too as the competition is so close. We’ve only have had one race where we haven’t been to the podium this season and that shows our performance and execution from the entire team.”

“Now that we have a narrow lead in the championship, we just have to take it race by race,” said team owner Wayne Taylor. “Everyone is just so competitive that it is difficult, so we have to keep our nose clean. Road America is one of our favorite tracks because it’s very much like a European track, but it’s the one race that we have never won at. Ricky and Filipe have both raced there which is great and everyone is upbeat about it. We’re going to have a lot of guests at the track with Konica Minolta and Harrison Contracting, plus we are running the Lamborghini Super Trofeo program. It’s going to be a good weekend. We’ve been off for too long, so I’m looking forward to getting back to racing.”

Practice for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America will begin this Friday at 6:10 p.m. ET. Qualifying for two hour and 40-minute sprint race will begin at 4:05 p.m. ET on Saturday. Green flag for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend race will wave at 2:40 p.m. ET on Sunday with live broadcast coverage beginning at 2:35 p.m. ET on IMSA.TV and TrackPass on IMSA Sports Gold.

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its customers’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), content services, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fourteen consecutive years, and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. Wayne Taylor Racing’s existing lineup of partners that also features Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports , Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

Bridget Continues to Learn and Gain Experience at Colorado

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Official Release
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TOOELE, UT, August 2, 2021 – Bridget Burgess and BMI Racing headed east with the HMH Construction Chevrolet to Colorado National Speedway for round 4 of the ARCA Menards West.

Throughout the day, there was a weather watch with officials warning the teams there may be a change of schedule due to potential rain. Just as Bridget was getting into the car to start practice/qualifying the clouds opened and the rain started to fall. While there was hope that it would ease, unfortunately, it did not, and practice was cancelled with the race being moved up to a 7 pm start time.

The lineup was determined by owners’ points with Bridget starting 10th in the HMH Construction Chevrolet for the NAPA Auto Parts Colorado 150. A stacked field of 18 cars accelerated past the grandstand as the green flag dropped.

Due to the lack of practice ARCA had a planned competition caution at lap 25 to allow the teams to make any changes needed. Bridget chose to stay out commenting over the radio “the car feels good, no changes needed”.

Bridget continued working her lines for the rest of the race, working hard to hold her position at some points, as well as making gains and moving up to 7th during the race. The last 10 laps were a battle and Bridget did her best to hold on to the position but unfortunately couldn’t and finished the race in 9th, her 2nd top 10 of the year in the HMH Construction Chevrolet.

While Bridget was disappointed with her performance over the last 10 laps of the race, she felt it was a good learning experience, knowing what the weaknesses are that she needs to work on.

A replay of Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts Colorado 150 will broadcast on NBCSN on Wednesday, Aug. 11, starting at 3 p.m. ET.

Bridget’s next race will be the ARCA Menards West will return to action on Aug. 21 with a 150-lap race at California’s Irwindale Speedway.

Bridget is powered by these great companies:
HMH Construction, GEARWRENCH, Rugged Radios, Cometic Gasket, Circle Track Warehouse, Ferrea Racing Components, FK Rod Ends, Fragola Performance Systems, GC Cooling Fan, GT Radial, Hawk Performance, Impact Race Products, K&N Filters, Kellerstrass, Konig, Lucas Oil, Miller Electric, ProAm, PSC Motorsports, Streamline Customer Designs, Sunoco Race Fuel, Tilton, XS Power

Facebook page: BridgetBurgess8 | Instagram: BridgetBurgess8 | Twitter: 8BridgetBurgess

Corey Heim – No. 51 JBL Tundra Camping World Trucks Watkins Glen Preview

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Official Release
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Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 JBL® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: United Rentals 176, Race 15 of 22, 72 Laps – 20/25/27; 176.4 Miles
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International Raceway (2.45-mile, seven-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: Aug. 7, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Story on Corey:
Corey Heim will make the second start of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career behind the wheel of the No. 51 JBL Tundra in Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series event at Watkins Glen. Heim was originally slated for a two-race deal with KBM in 2021 but will now make three starts with the addition of Watkins Glen to his schedule. The Toyota Racing Development product will also drive the No. 51 Tundra Oct. 30 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Heim made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway May 7. Despite not getting any practice or qualifying time, The Georgia native was impressive behind the wheel of his Toyota. After starting 13th, he finished the opening stage eighth and by the end of the second stage had moved into the runner-up position behind his KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek. With just under 30 laps remaining, he restarted on the front row next to Nemechek, but as the field exited the restart zone another competitor tapped the bumper of the JBL Tundra sending Heim into Nemechek and a 17-truck pileup ensued. With major damage all around his Toyota, the over-the-wall crew threw feverishly attempted repairs but ended up with a 23rd-place finish when the six-minute clock expired under NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy.

The 19-year-old driver will be pulling double duty this weekend, as he will pilot the No. 20 Camry for Venturini Motorsports in Friday’s 41-lap ARCA Menards Series event. Entering Friday’s event, Heim has raced just once on a road course, he started on the pole, led three laps, and finished seventh at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio in June.

Heim currently ranks second in the ARCA Menards Series standings, seven points behind Ty Gibbs with 12 races completed. He opened the season with a victory at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February and also has victories at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., and Elko (Minnesota) Speedway. He leads the ARCA Menards Series this year with an average finish of 2.5 and 12 top-10 finishes, while he is tied with Gibbs with 11 top-five finishes.

In addition to his four ARCA Menards series wins this season, the Toyota Racing Development driver earned his first victory in the series finale last October at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Across 28 career ARCA Menards Series starts, the talented teenager has recorded five wins, 397 laps led, 21 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes, resulting in an average finish of 4.3.

Heim has also found his way to victory lane in the Late Model Ranks the last few seasons. Most recently, the Georgia driver brought home a victory March 27 in the Super Late Model Georgia Spring Nationals at Crip Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga. It was his second Super Late Model win at his home state track, where he also won CRA SpeedFest at the 3/8-mile track in 2020. On the CARS Tour, Heim has one Super Late Model win at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2018 and one Late Model Stock victory at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2020.

Entering the final race of the regular season, the No. 51 sits fourth in the Camping World Trucks owner standings. Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., and Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, while Martin Truex Jr. got his first-ever Truck Series victory at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track.

Mardy Lindley has guided the No. 51 team to three victories across seven races 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. Across two road course starts as a crew chief in the Truck Series, Parker Chase produced a best result of 12th at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season. In his line ARCA Series event atop the pit box, he finished third with Sam Mayer in the 2020 event at the Daytona Road Course.

Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:

Corey Heim | Watkins Glen Preview
You’ve raced on a road course in ARCA just one time. How do you feel about road course racing?
“I’m really excited because regardless of where we go with KBM I know Mardy and all the guys on the 51 team are going to bring a really good JBL Tundra for me. Like you mentioned, I made one start at Mid-Ohio in ARCA a couple months ago and it went well for the most part. We didn’t get the finish that we wanted but we had a lot of speed, and I learned a lot. Without that it might have been a little bit of a struggle, but I that experience will help me do well this weekend.”

How beneficial will it be getting to run the ARCA Menards Series race on Friday before getting in the truck on Saturday?
“I think it is going to benefit me a lot actually. Me coming into a road course race with no practice in the Truck Series is going to be tough, but I think the ARCA race is going to help me a bunch. Having an entire race under my belt, plus the combined practice and qualifying session as well. I think I’ll have all the experience and all the seat time I’ll need prior to the truck race and I’m excited to get going.”

How do you think racing at Watkins Glen will compare to what experienced Mid-Ohio?
“I don’t know. As far as the sim I’ve done so far, I think Mid-Ohio is a little bit more technical and Watkins Glen is a little more of a high-speed type of race track. Through the bus stop, the carousel and all the way down the backstretch as well, it’s all really high speed, but not quite as technical. It will all come down to me adapting to the race track and getting my braking points right. Of course, just being fast and trying to go win the race.”

Corey Heim Career Highlights:

  • Across 28 career ARCA Menards Series starts has five wins, 397 laps led, 21 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3.
  • Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
  • Brought home a victory March 27, 2020, in the Super Late Model Georgia Spring Nationals at Crip Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga. It was his second Super Late Model win at his home state track, where he also won CRA SpeedFest at the 3/8-mile track in 2020.
  • On the CARS Tour, has collected one Super Late Model win at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2018 and one Late Model Stock victory at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2020
  • Captured the 2017 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Pro Series championship and the 2016 Atlanta Motor Speedway Young Lions Legends Car championship
  • Corey Heim’s No. 51 JBL Tundra:
  • KBM-X134: The No. 51 team will unload X134 for Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen. Parke Chase piloted this Tundra in two road course events for the 51 this year, with a best result of 18th at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course in February. Erik Jones won with the Tundra at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015. Prior to being converted to a road course truck for the 2014 season, KBM-X134 was victorious at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October of 2012 with Denny Hamlin.
  • KBM Notes of Interest:
  • KBM drivers have earned one win, 85 laps led, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 12.4 across 29 starts on road courses. Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
  • 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.

SNICKERS Racing: Kyle Busch Watkins Glen Advance

By
Official Release
-

KYLE BUSCH
Welcome Back

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Aug. 3, 2021) – As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) for Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen, there’s more than one reason to welcome back NASCAR’s top series to Upstate New York.

The series will return to action Sunday after a two-week summer hiatus while its television partner, the NBC family of networks, has been immersed in coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The historic road course at Watkins Glen will also host NASCAR for the first time in two years as last year’s scheduled race there was not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sunday’s race on the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course will be the fifth of seven road-course events on the schedule this season.

For Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 SNICKERS Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), Watkins Glen is one of his favorite road courses on the schedule, as he has brought home two victories, six top-five finishes, and 12 top-10s in 15 starts there.

After Busch’s inaugural Cup Series victory at The Glen in 2008, he nearly won for the second time in his 2011 and 2012 visits there before breaking through again in 2013. A third career victory Sunday in New York’s scenic Finger Lakes Region would continue to solidify Busch and the SNICKERS team as a contender each time the series comes to town.

As far as overall road-course proficiency, Busch is tied with David Pearson and Mark Martin with four Cup Series road-course wins apiece. That’s some pretty good company, already. But with a fifth road-course win, he could tie Darrell Waltrip, Tim Richmond and Dan Gurney on the road-course win list. The top three in all-time road-course wins in the Cup Series includes Chase Elliott and Jeff Gordon with seven apiece, while Tony Stewart is the all-time leader with nine wins.

So as Busch heads to Upstate New York for some road racing this weekend in his SNICKERS Camry, he would like nothing more than to welcome Watkins Glen back to the schedule with a third win there, which would be a timely victory with only four regular-season races remaining before the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin on Labor Day weekend.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 SNICKERS Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

You’ve had some success at Watkins Glen. What makes it challenging and different than some other road courses you race at?

“I like going to Watkins Glen. It’s a road course, but it’s kind of a high-speed road course. The difference in the two road courses, you think of Sonoma as like a Martinsville-type road course and you would think of Watkins Glen like a 2-mile oval, like a California- or Michigan-type road course. Watkins Glen has some speed and has some wide-open spaces a little bit, but there is still a lot of great racing that happens there since you are able to out-brake people getting into the corners, or having a better run through the Bus Stop, or maybe getting by someone in the Carousel. It’s a fun place to race. I really like Watkins Glen and I hope we can have another solid run there with our SNICKERS Camry.”

What are your expectations for Watkins Glen this weekend?

“Watkins Glen has obviously been a really good place for me over the years and a place I really enjoy. We’ve just got to keep coming to the track and executing like we have. There are a lot of factors in strategy that affect a road-course race and hope we can execute like we have been and get another win. Certainly, the extra bonus points any time we can get them could be a big deal in the playoffs.”

What is the most fun part of a lap at Watkins Glen?

“To me, going through turn one and up through the esses is pretty cool and a lot of fun. It’s challenging, yet a lot of fun. As you come down the front straightaway, it’s a downhill braking zone, so you feel like you don’t have to brake as soon as you need to, but you need to in order to get slowed down for turn one. You try to stay out and get a good, hard cut to the right for turn one and accelerate out of there as quickly as you can to get set up for the esses. (You) stay wide on the left and then turn into the right-hander in (turn) two – smooth. You’re getting out of the gas but not using too much brake, just rolling off in there. As the car gets in there and loads, it actually takes a really big set because that’s when you start going back uphill. So the car will load up and that’s when you get back in the gas really wide open. And then you have to turn back to the left and be able to roll back out of it just enough to make the car bend. And then you’re back wide open again to the right-side guardrail and just keeping it tight through the right-hander that we call turn five.”

What is the most challenging part of a lap at Watkins Glen?

“I’d say the most challenging thing is the culmination of the Inner Loop and the Carousel. All of that together is a lot harder to figure out how to make speed through there than just going through there traditionally. That’s an area of the racetrack a lot of guys really try to abuse. They’ll get off on the right side, get off on the left side and throw dirt up on the racetrack and then it just makes for a real mess.”

What does it take to be successful at Watkins Glen?

“At Watkins Glen, the biggest thing is pit strategy. Obviously, you’ve got to pick and choose when you’re going to pit and stick to your plan. Whether or not we can still do it on two stops, I’m unsure of. You definitely have to be good at being able to carry speed there, obviously, through the esses and down the long backstretch. That seems to be the key part of the racetrack.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Go Bowling at The Glen
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 8
● Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
● Layout: 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course
● Laps/Miles: 90 laps, 220.5 miles
● Format: Stage 1: 20 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 50 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Meet the No. 18 SNICKERS / 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

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy
Hometown: Blockville, New York

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 now racked up 14 important playoff points he can carry over through each round. Busch also currently sits fourth in the point standings with 10 top-five finishes and 14 top-10s with just four regular-season races remaining before the playoffs begin.

● Road-Course Ringer: Busch scored his fourth career Cup Series road-course win in June 2015 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, and he heads to Watkins Glen with 13 top-five finishes and 22-top-10s in 38 combined starts at Sonoma, Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road course, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval.

● Alone in Ninth: Busch’s win at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in June was the 59th in the career of the two-time Cup Series champion, moving him past Kevin Harvick into sole possession of ninth on the all-time win list. Next up on the 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 Watkins Glen. In addition to his 59 Cup Series wins, Busch has 102 in the Xfinity Series and 61 in the Camping World Truck Series.

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