Home Blog Page 2459

Richard Boswell to call 100th Xfinity race as crew chief at New Hampshire

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

A significant milestone start is in the making for Richard Boswell, crew chief for Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By participating in this weekend’s Xfinity event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Boswell will call his 100th Xfinity race as a crew chief.

A native of Friendship, Maryland, Boswell, whose father, Dickie, was a successful late model competitor, grew up competing in racing, where he won multiple World Karting Association national titles in 1998 before competing in late models in 2001. In 2006, Boswell joined JR Motorsports and competed in the Hooters Pro Cup Series. As part of JRM’s racing program, Boswell made his lone NASCAR national touring series start at Memphis International Raceway in the Xfinity Series in October 2009. Driving the No. 5 JRM Chevrolet, Boswell started third and finished 23rd.

Due to sponsorship issues, Boswell’s racing career as a driver came to an early close. Boswell, though, worked on becoming a crew chief in NASCAR by earning his mechanical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He continued to work for JR Motorsports and eventually joined Hendrick Motorsports, where he was a part of the No. 48 Chevrolet team piloted by Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

In 2016, Boswell made his debut as a NASCAR crew chief in November 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the final Xfinity Series event of the season, for Cole Custer and the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. During the event, Custer started 18th and finished 17th.

The following season, Boswell was selected to crew chief one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s two newly formed Xfinity Series entries, which competed in six events while being piloted by Kevin Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion. During the six-race schedule, Boswell and Harvick finished in the top 10 in all of their appearances, with their best result being a runner-up finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

Boswell returned as crew chief for Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 98 Ford Mustang for 12 Xfinity Series events in 2018, where the ride was shared between Harvick, veteran Aric Almirola and rookie Chase Briscoe. By then, SHR formed a partnership with Biagi-DenBeste Racing. Throughout the part-time season, Boswell earned his first two career victories as a crew chief, the first with Harvick at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February and the second with Briscoe at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October. The team also earned four top-five results and five top-10 results between Almirola, Briscoe and Harvick.

Following two part-time seasons, Boswell was named crew chief for Briscoe and the No. 98 SHR Ford Mustang team for the entire 33-race Xfinity Series schedule in 2019. Throughout the season, Boswell and Briscoe achieved a win at Iowa Speedway in July. They also achieved two poles, 13 top-five results, 26 top-10 results, an average-finishing result of 8.2 and a spot in the 2019 Xfinity Playoffs, where Briscoe remained in title contention before being eliminated prior to the Championship Round. Despite finishing in fifth place in the final standings, Briscoe locked up the 2019 Xfinity Rookie-of-the-Year title.

Remaining as an Xfinity crew chief for Briscoe and SHR in 2020, it only took two races into the season for Boswell and Briscoe to earn their first victory of the season, which occurred at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in February. At Darlington Raceway in May, Boswell and Briscoe achieved their second victory of the season when Briscoe fended off Kyle Busch in a thrilling finish.

Following the first of a Homestead-Miami Speedway doubleheader weekend feature in June, Boswell was suspended from the following four Xfinity races due to a safety violation involving dropped ballast from Briscoe’s car prior to the event. Also suspended with Boswell were car chief Nick Hutchins and engineer DJ Vanderley. With Boswell suspended, Greg Zipadelli, competition director at Stewart-Haas Racing and a former championship-winning crew chief, filled in as Briscoe’s interim crew chief, where they won in three out of four races.

Returning at Kentucky Speedway in July, the momentum for Boswell, Briscoe and the No. 98 SHR Ford team continued as Briscoe went on to win at Dover International Speedway in August and at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. 

When the 2020 Xfinity Playoffs commenced, Boswell and Briscoe notched a dominating victory at Las Vegas in September. They went on to win at Kansas Speedway in October, a victory that secured the driver, crew chief and the team a spot in the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway in November. During the finale, however, Briscoe ended up in ninth place on the track and behind his three fellow title contenders in the final standings. Overall, Boswell achieved six victories, 13 top-five results and 19 top-10 results in 29 races with Briscoe.

For the 2021 season, Boswell remained in the Xfinity Series and as crew chief for SHR’s No. 98 Ford team. While Briscoe moved up to the Cup Series with SHR, however, Riley Herbst joined the team to pilot the No. 98 car as a full-time Xfinity driver. Through the first 18 Xfinity events of this season, Boswell and Herbst have achieved a pole, two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 18.7. They are ranked in 13th place in the regular-season standings.

Through 99 previous Xfinity events, Boswell has achieved nine victories, three poles, 37 top-five results and 61 top-10 results with five different competitors. 

Boswell is set to call his 100th Xfinity Series career race as a crew chief at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 17, with the event scheduled to occur at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

HENDRICKCARS.COM BECOMES 35-RACE MAJORITY SPONSOR OF NASCAR WINS LEADER KYLE LARSON

By
Official Release
-

TEAM EXTENDS DRIVER’S CONTRACT THROUGH 2023

CONCORD, N.C. (July 14, 2021) – Hendrick Automotive Group, via its HendrickCars.com brand, will become the 35-race majority sponsor of Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team in both the 2022 and 2023 NASCAR Cup Series seasons. In addition, Hendrick Motorsports has extended the driver’s contract for one year through 2023.

As part of the agreement, HendrickCars.com will also sponsor Larson in all non-NASCAR events in which he competes, including branding on the driver’s helmets, gloves and firesuits. The 28-year-old native of Elk Grove, California, is a prolific dirt racer who has won 56 times since January 2020 in a variety of cars and series outside of NASCAR. In addition to Larson, HendrickCars.com is the primary sponsor of four-time NHRA champion Greg Anderson.

“When we perform on the track on Sunday, we can feel the impact on Monday,” said Rick Hendrick, chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group and owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “With the chance to plan for the next two years, the program is only going to help Hendrick Automotive Group sell more cars, book more service appointments and ultimately do more business. It will also allow our company to recruit talented people and support our internal recognition and incentive programs. The more we followed the data, the easier the decision became. We are seeing clear results.”

Five of HendrickCars.com’s six highest-traffic days of the year have been attributed to its sponsorship of the No. 5 team, including four Cup Series race days when Larson led the most laps or won. In February, the reveal of the HendrickCars.com paint scheme drove the site’s highest one-day visitor count in more than 12 months. Since then, it has seen significant increases in overall traffic (up 27%), vehicle sales leads (up 18%), digital retail leads (up 37%) and trade evaluations (up 61%).

“More website traffic generates more sales leads, which ultimately help us sell more cars,” said Darryl Jackson, vice president of financial services for Hendrick Automotive Group. “Kyle’s performance on the track has delivered a measurable business return for us. The company is on pace for a record year in 2021, and we certainly see our motor sports programs contributing to that success. Racing is in our DNA, and tapping into the passionate fanbases of NASCAR, the NHRA and now Kyle’s grassroots program is both very effective and a perfect fit for who we are.”

HendrickCars.com, which will also be Larson’s primary sponsor in 10 of the 15 remaining Cup Series races of 2021, is the easiest way to shop thousands of new and pre-owned cars, trucks and SUVs. Customers can use the site to locate the nearest Hendrick Automotive Group dealership, schedule maintenance and learn about Hendrick Autoguard, the company’s industry-leading vehicle protection program. Visitors can also learn about career opportunities at Hendrick Automotive Group, which is currently in need of more than 300 service technicians.

“The chance to extend my contract with Hendrick Motorsports and have such an awesome sponsor in HendrickCars.com are things I don’t take for granted,” Larson said. “I feel like I’m driving for the best team and the best sponsors in the sport. To know that our on-track performance is having positive business influence off the track is very important because I want to return the incredible support they’ve given me. Everyone at Hendrick Automotive Group has made me feel like part of their team, and it’s exciting to be able to represent a company that loves racing like I do. I feel like we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”

In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins (four) and is currently the projected No. 1 seed for the 2021 playoffs. After just 21 of 36 races, the driver has already set personal single-season records for laps led (1,441) and stage wins (12). He won the June 13 NASCAR All-Star Race and has finished first or second in nine points races this year. In addition, the driver launched the non-profit Kyle Larson Foundation in March while keeping a busy racing schedule at short tracks across the country with 10 non-NASCAR victories.

“It’s been a big year for Kyle,” Hendrick said. “His talent inside the race car has been on full display, and he’s doing amazing things through his foundation and with our partners. I’m proud of his hard work and look forward to having him on our team for many years to come.”

HendrickCars.com joins Valvoline, which has three primary sponsorship races with the No. 5 team, to fill out Larson’s full 38-event NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2022. Valvoline is the Official Lubricants Partner of Hendrick Motorsports.

ABOUT HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP:
Representing 130 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 93 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. Visit HendrickCars.com.

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (13), points-paying race victories (273) and laps led (more than 72,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 37 different seasons, including an active streak of 36 in a row (1986-2021). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Headquartered on more than 100 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | New Hampshire

By
Official Release
-

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Loudon

Roush Fenway heads north to New Hampshire for a semi-short track race Sunday afternoon where Jack Roush has nine wins all-time, including seven in the Cup Series.

Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Sunday, July 18 at 3 p.m. ET

NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Atlanta Recap, Loudon Preview

· Buescher finished 16th in Sunday’s race at Atlanta.
· Newman ran 28th in the 400-mile race in Georgia.
· Fastenal returns to Buescher’s Ford for Sunday’s action from Loudon.
· Guaranteed Rate is back on board Newman’s machine, the site where they made their debut a season ago.

Patriot’s Day
This weekend’s NCS event at New Hampshire is in the home territory of Roush Fenway Racing’s co-owners the Fenway Sports Group. FSG is based out of Boston, Massachusetts and is located just 82 miles from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Niner Niner
Roush Fenway has won in all three of NASCAR’s major touring series at New Hampshire, including seven times in the NCS and once each in Xfinity and the Truck Series. Jeff Burton drove the No. 99 to RFR’s first NCS win at Loudon back in 1997, while Greg Biffle earned the most recent win in 2008. Kurt Busch went to victory lane in 2000 in the trucks while Carl Edwards picked up the win in 2006 in Xfinity series action.

Four in a Row

Roush Fenway won at least one NCS race at New Hampshire in four consecutive seasons from 1997-2000, with former driver Burton taking the checkered flag on each occasion. In addition, Roush Fenway swept both races at New Hampshire in 2004 with former driver Busch.

Wicked Good Domination

Former Roush Fenway driver Burton posted one of the most dominating wins in NASCAR history at New Hampshire on Sept. 17, 2000, with Burton qualifying on the front row (second) and leading all 300 laps of the event en route to his fourth victory at the New England track. Roush Fenway has led over 100 laps in NCS action at New Hampshire on six different occasions, including leading over 150 laps four times and over 190 laps three times. All-in-all, Roush Fenway has led 1,557 laps at New Hampshire in the NCS.

Xfinity in ‘The Granite State’

Roush Fenway has started 45 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at New Hampshire, earning one win, nine top-fives and 19 top-10s. Roush Fenway’s lone victory came with former driver Edwards in the July 2006 event after starting ninth and leading 58 laps en route to the win.

Roush Fenway Loudon Wins
1997-1 Burton Cup
1998-1 Burton Cup
1999-1 Burton Cup
2000-2 Burton Cup
2004-1 Busch Cup
2004-2 Busch Cup
2008-2 Biffle Cup
2006 Edwards NXS
2000 Busch Truck

Atlanta Speedwerks Heads To Lime Rock With Momentum From Back to Back IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Wins

By
Official Release
-
Shalen's 120 at The Glen - IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge - Watkins Glen International - Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR - Photo credit Daylon Barr Photography

Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker in the No. 84 Pagid/Sabelt Honda Civic TCR and Ryan Eversley and Scott Smithson in the No. 94 Qelo/Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR Try To Keep Two Race Win Streak Alive

LAKEVILLE, Connecticut (July 14, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks’ two-car IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR effort brings a two-race winning streak to Lime Rock Park this week, July 16 – 17, for the Lime Rock Park 120. The two-hour race is round six of the 10-race championship.

Saturday’s race, which begins at 11:05 a.m. EDT, can be seen live via TrackPass on the NBC Sports app. The race will be re-aired on Tuesday, August 10 at 1 p.m. EDT on NBCSN.

The team won back-to-back races at Watkins Glen International, with the No. 94 Qelo/Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR driven by Ryan Eversley and Todd Lamb capturing the four-hour win, and the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR driven by Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker capturing the second of the back-to-back races in upstate New York.

Scott Smithson, who co-drove with Ryan Eversley in the second Watkins Glen round, returns for Lime Rock Park with Eversley, while Henderson and Noaker continue their season-long run. Smithson and Eversley crossed the finish line second behind the sister car in the Watkins Glen finale before a weight issue in post-race technical inspection saw that result demoted.

Eversley and the No. 94 car enter the Lime Rock Park race second in the Drivers’ and Team championship race, respectively. Henderson and Noaker share sixth-place in the Drivers’ championship and the Team championship, while the two cars have combined to boost Honda to the lead in the Manufacturers’ championship standings.

The Honda Civic TCRs will be dramatically different at Lime Rock Park than they were going into back-to-back weeks at Watkins Glen, due to IMSA Balance of Performance adjustments. The cars will carry an additional 60 kg of weight (approximately 132 pounds) as compared to the weight of Eversley and Lamb’s win, and three-liter reduction in fuel capacity.

The last visit to Lime Rock for the Michelin Pilot Challenge came in 2019, where Henderson and Lamb teamed for a fourth-place finish. Though not driving for Atlanta Speedwerks, Eversley finished fifth in the same race in a Honda Civic TCR. This will be the first IMSA race at Lime Rock for Noaker, and the first visit to the track for Smithson.

Two-day event begins on Friday, July 16 with a pair of one-hour practice sessions at 10:05 a.m. and 1:25 p.m. EDT, followed by qualifying at 4:20 p.m. EDT. That qualifying session sets the grid for Saturday’s race, which takes the green flag at 11:05 a.m. EDT. The two-hour race can be seen live on the NBC Sports app.

Todd Lamb, Team Owner: “Lime Rock is situated in a picturesque area. It’s a very physically demanding track because of the high g-loads and constant turning. There’s very little opportunity to rest on the very short straightaway. You lose a lap putting under green so the crew has to be spot on, and any time saved in the pit usually leads to positions being gained which is critical since it can be hard to pass on the track. The TCR cars aren’t much slower than the GS cars so managing faster and slower traffic is very much a key to success in the race.”

Ryan Everlsey, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “We’re headed to Lime Rock looking for a little redemption after a disappointing result at Watkins Glen. It’ll be nice to return to Lakeville after missing a year due to the pandemic, but it’s another first-time track for Scott so we have our work cut out for us. Fortunately he was very fast at Watkins Glen, which was also new to him so I’m confident we will be strong come race time.”

Robert Noaker, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “This will be my second time visiting Lime Rock, the first time being in a Mazda MX-5. On paper this track doesn’t seem too difficult, but that’s far from the truth. This track is very unique with the elevation changes, difficulty to pass, and just how short the track is. The speed difference between TCR and GS are going to be a lot closer here with the TCR cars being so quick in the turns. With Lime Rock consisting of mostly turns, GS traffic will definitely be a factor.

Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “I am excited to get back to Lime Rock because I do not get to race there often! It is such a fast-paced track, so there is always a lot of action. GS traffic will definitely come into play later in the race. I know we will have a fast Honda Civic Type R thanks to the guys at Atlanta Speedwerks. Coming off our first win just two weeks ago I am more pumped than ever going into this one!”

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

Rebel Rock Racing Looking to Rebound in Return to Lime Rock Park

By
Official Release
-

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (14 July 2021) – Rebel Rock Racing will be looking to bounce back from two disappointing weekends at Watkins Glen International when the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge visits scenic Lime Rock Park during the annual Northeast Grand Prix Weekend.

Frank DePew and Robin Liddell will co-drive the No. 71 Urban Grid Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R in the two-hour Lime Rock 120, set to take the green flag at 11:05 a.m. on Saturday.

This will be DePew’s first race at the seven-turn, 1.478-mile classic circuit. He missed the event two years ago due to a schedule conflict, when Liddell set the fastest lap and joined Andrew Davis in a fifth-place finish. Last year’s race was cancelled due to the pandemic.

“We’re heading to Lime Rock on Wednesday to get ready to get going again,” Liddell said. “Watkins Glen was very unfortunate – end of story. We have to move forward and we’re looking forward to Lime Rock. I think we’ll fare better there.”

Liddell has enjoyed success at Lime Rock in all the different variations of the Camaro that has competed in IMSA and Grand-Am, with his most recent victory in 2017 with Stevenson Motorsports with the GT4.R, in addition to a pair of Grand-Am Rolex Series GT triumphs in 2011 and 2012.

“I personally enjoy Lime Rock,” Liddell said. “I like that part of the world. It’s a very nice place and the track’s good fun. We’ve done quite well there in the past, and we’ve had great success with all of the Camaros I’ve driven – the GT4 car and the Z-28. The car’s always done quite well there.”

Also a rules adjustment to the Balance of Performance should help the team this weekend.

“We’ve had a slight BOP break for this event,” he explained. “They took 20 kilos off the car for this weekend, so we will have a slight improvement in performance. I think that will definitely help us. I’m excited for this weekend.”

Since DePew has yet to race at the circuit, he joined Liddell for a recent Lime Rock track day.

“Lime Rock is definitely a flowing track, and you have to get into a rhythm,” DePew said. “I’m happy to have had the opportunity with the track day to understand it a little bit better before I get there with the race car for the first time in the race car. It’s critical to get up to speed there and get on pace as quickly as possible. With a really short lap from a time perspective – running laps in the high 40-second range – that’s going to be a lot of laps in a short period of time.”

The Michelin Pilot Challenge recently raced on back-to-back weekends at Watkins Glen, with the move necessitated by the cancellation of the event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The car was badly damaged in an accident very early in the June 26 event, when DePew swerved to avoid a misplaced sponsor sign in Turn 8 on the seventh lap.

That incident requiring a massive rebuild at the circuit for the second race on Friday, July 2. However, the steering rack failed in the early laps of the event, sending the car for a lengthy trip to the paddock. Fortunately for the team, no major repairs were required following the second race.

“The only thing we needed after the second race at the Glen to do was to replace the steering components,” Liddell said. “We believe we picked up some debris in one of the lines in the first accident, and that was what compromised the steering rack. We put a replacement steering rack and steering pump on the car after the accident, but we think there must have been some contamination in one of the lines. But other than that, the car was good to go.”

The Lime Rock round opens the second half of the 10-race Michelin Pilot Challenge season, and DePew is looking forward to getting back on the podium.

“It’s pretty important for us to bounce back from Watkins Glen,” DePew said. “I hate to follow Watkins Glen with a track like Lime Rock, where I have never raced before. I was really confident at Watkins Glen, and I felt really good about the car and our overall chances. It didn’t work out, though, but hopefully we can turn it around this weekend.”

Lime Rock will host a pair of practice sessions on Friday at 10:05 a.m. and 1:25 p.m. (all times ET), followed by GS qualifying at 4:40 p.m.

JR Motorsports — NXS New Hampshire Preview

By
Official Release
-

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
RACE: Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, July 17, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Josh Berry
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Spicy Chicken Sandwich Chevrolet
• Josh Berry will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet at New Hampshire, filling in for the injured Michael Annett, who is expected to return for the Aug. 7 race at Watkins Glen.
• This is Berry’s first appearance on the 1.058-mile oval.
• In six starts on tracks measuring 1 mile or less in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Berry has earned one victory (at Martinsville Speedway), a second-place finish (Dover International Speedway) and two more top-10 results at Richmond Raceway in 2015 and Iowa Speedway in 2016.
• In 15 starts this season, Berry has the victory at Martinsville, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes and has led a total of 151 laps.

Sam Mayer
No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his first NXS start at New Hampshire this weekend in the No. 8 Chevrolet.
• Mayer has competed at tracks measuring 1-mile in length in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series a combined five times with one win coming at Dover in 2020.
• The 18-year-old Franklin, Wis. native comes into New Hampshire after earning his best finish of ninth at Atlanta in only his third NXS start.
• To date in the 2021 season, the No. 8 team has earned one win (Martinsville Speedway), four top fives and eight top 10s while pacing the field for 151 laps.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• With his third-place run at Atlanta last weekend, Noah Gragson earned his second top-five finish in the last three races and his fifth straight top 10.
• In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Gragson won the pole and led 40 laps at New Hampshire in 2017 before an accident derailed his bid for victory. He finished 15th in that event.
• In 12 starts on 1-mile tracks over his NXS career, Gragson has a second-place run in the 2020 season finale at Phoenix as his best finish, along with another top five at Dover and eight top-10 results.
• Gragson will celebrate his 23rd birthday on July 15th.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier will be making his 10th career NXS start at New Hampshire this weekend.
• In nine previous starts in Loudon, Allgaier has scored one top five, six top 10s and a best finish of third in 2019.
• Overall, Allgaier has recorded four victories on tracks 1-mile in length in the NXS, with two victories coming at both Phoenix Raceway and Dover International Speedway.
• Allgaier currently sits third in the NXS Playoff Grid with eight races remaining in the regular season by virtue of victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

Driver Quotes

“I can’t thank this Pilot Flying J team for giving me the opportunity to fill in while Michael heals. I hope everything goes as planned and Michael recovers quickly. Going to another track I’ve never seen isn’t that big of a deal anymore to me. I’ve had some good runs at places I’ve never raced on this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing what New Hampshire is like. I know that JR Motorsports and Mike Bumgarner prepare excellent Chevrolets every week, and I am eager to see how fast this Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will be.” – Josh Berry

“Loudon should be interesting this weekend. It’s the last race before we hit the two-week Olympic break and hopefully we can enter this break with a lot of momentum on our side. We had a strong run the last time we got to race here back in 2019 and I feel confident that we can take what we learned in that race and apply it to Saturday to have another solid day and be in contention for the win when it counts with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet.” – Justin Allgaier

“It felt good to put a complete race together last week and get our first top-10 finish together. This will be my first time at New Hampshire but I know Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and this entire No. 8 team will unload a fast Chevrolet for me this weekend. It will take a few laps to figure out how it drives, but once we figure that out I think we will have another shot at a great finish this weekend.” – Sam Mayer

“I’ve only run New Hampshire once since we didn’t get a chance to come up here last season during the pandemic, but we finished 10th and had a fast car that weekend. We’ve had a fast Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro as of late and I know this weekend will be no different. We’re going to go out and try to lock ourselves into the playoffs and earn a couple playoff points to help us out.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at New Hampshire: JR Motorsports has competed at New Hampshire a combined 34 times in the NXS. Over the course of these 34 starts at the 1-mile oval, JRM has tallied five top fives and 19 top 10s. JRM has a best finish of third – on four different occasions – with the most recent being Justin Allgaier’s third-place effort during the 2019 season.
• Pilot Flying J Chicken Sandwich: The No. 1 Chevrolet will carry a special paint scheme for the debut of two delicious new chicken sandwiches at more than 300 Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the country. As race fans continue to hit the road to follow their favorite sport, they can visit Pilot Flying J to refuel and fill up with a satisfyingly Spicy or classic Southern chicken sandwich.
• Ride with Dale Jr: Are you ready for the ride of your life? We have the perfect bucket-list item that we know won’t disappoint! Get ready to buckle up and ride shotgun with Dale Jr. for three full-speed laps around Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 8 Good Humor car. This once-in-a-lifetime experience also includes two tickets to the Xfinity race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a private tour of JR Motorsports and private lunch hosted by Kelley Earnhardt Miller, a five-night hotel stay, two tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and more! Join us in helping fulfill our mission to give back and spread hope to children all across the country. Get your $10 raffle ticket today before this opportunity speeds by you!

Ford Performance NASCAR: Ford Seeking Fourth Straight Cup Win at New Hampshire on Sunday

By
Official Release
-

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: NEW HAMPSHIRE ADVANCE

The NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series will each take to the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. Ford has won the last three Cup events at the Magic Mile while the NXS drivers return for the first time after last year’s scheduled event was moved to Kentucky Speedway.

This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, July 17 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3 p.m. (NBCSN)
Sunday, July 18 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. (NBCSN)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

· Ford has 16 all-time series wins at New Hampshire
· Ford is going for its fourth straight series win at New Hampshire
· Ford’s all-time winningest NCS driver at New Hampshire is Jeff Burton (4 wins)

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

· Ford has 8 series wins by 8 different drivers at New Hampshire.
· The last Ford winner was Brad Keselowski in 2014.
· Ford has 3 MENCS/NXS season sweeps at NHMS (1994, 2004 and 2014).

BLUE OVAL GOING FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT CUP WIN AT NHMS

Ford comes into this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway looking to run its win streak to four after Brad Keselowski went to victory lane last season. Keselowski led a race-high 184 laps and won the last two stages as he and Denny Hamlin waged a one-on-one battle for most of the afternoon. Keselowski’s win came on the heels of back-to-back wins by Kevin Harvick in 2018-19.

HARVICK HANGS ON

Kevin Harvick survived a last-lap bump from behind by Denny Hamlin to win last year’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, giving him his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season and second straight at the Magic Mile. Harvick played the track position game all day long and when Kyle Larson brought out the caution on lap 266 of the 301-lap event, crew chief Rodney Childers’ decision to keep Harvick on the track made all the difference as the top three of Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski pitted. When the race restarted with 39 laps to go, Harvick had to contend with Hamlin, who led 113 laps on the afternoon and reached his bumper on the final lap. The resulting nudge made Harvick wiggle, but he was able to keep his foot in the gas and retain the lead for what became his 46th career victory.

BUMP-AND-RUN PROPELS HARVICK IN 2018

Kevin Harvick used the bump-and-run on Kyle Busch, passing him with seven laps to go, to take the checkered flag and register his series-leading sixth win of the season in last year’s NASCAR Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Harvick broke a tie with Busch for the most individual wins as the race came down to the final laps following a restart with 40 laps to go. Harvick steadily gained ground on Busch and made his move in the middle of turns one and two. He led a group of five Fords that finished in the top 10 as Aric Almirola was third, Ryan Blaney seventh, Kurt Busch eighth and Joey Logano ninth.

FOUR OVER TWO

A pit call by crew chief Todd Gordon with 53 laps to go proved to be the key decision in helping Joey Logano win the playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2014. With Logano running inside the top-five for most of the race, Gordon called for four tires while most of the other teams opted for two. That put Logano 16th on the ensuing restart, but he quickly moved up to sixth 10 laps later when another caution slowed the field. Logano endured three more cautions, including a green-white-checker restart, over the final 30 laps to post the seventh win of his NASCAR Cup Series career.

WEEKEND SWEEP

Brad Keselowski had a weekend to remember as he became the first driver to sweep a NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, achieving the feat on July 12-13, 2014. Keselowski led 138 of 305 laps, including the final two under a green-white-checkered finish, to beat Kyle Busch to the finish line. The win was Ford’s fourth straight series win, marking the first time that had happened since 2001.

300-FOR-300

Jeff Burton is the last driver to lead every lap of a NASCAR Cup Series race when he did it on Sept. 17, 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte started from the pole, but Burton grabbed the lead after starting on the outside of the front row. Even though Labonte and Dale Earnhardt challenged him throughout the day, Burton never gave up the lead, becoming the first driver to lead every lap of a series race since Cale Yarborough did it in the Music City USA 420 at Nashville Speedway on June 3, 1978. The race, which was run with the use of restrictor plates, ended under caution after Sterling Marlin was involved in an accident with three laps remaining. It was Burton’s fourth win at the speedway and concluded a stretch that saw him win four consecutive seasons at the Magic Mile.

OWNER/DRIVER FIRST

Ford’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came in the track’s second year of hosting events in 1994. That’s when Ricky Rudd outdueled Dale Earnhardt in the closing laps to post his 15th career win. Rudd led 55 laps on the day, but won it after a memorable side-by-side battle with seven laps to go in which he passed Earnhardt on the inside, only to see the black No. 3 crossover and pull alongside for the next lap. Rudd eventually pulled in front and held on to take the Slick 50 300 on July 10, 1994. Rudd went on to post 23 NSCS wins in his career and had at least one victory in 16 consecutive seasons (1983-98), but none may have been as satisfying as this one because it marked his first triumph as an owner/driver.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT NHMS
1994 – Ricky Rudd
1996 – Ernie Irvan
1997 – Jeff Burton (1)
1998 – Jeff Burton (1)
1999 – Jeff Burton (1)
2000 – Jeff Burton (2)
2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2002 – Ryan Newman (2)
2004 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)
2008 – Greg Biffle (2)
2014 – Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano
2018 – Kevin Harvick
2019 – Kevin Harvick
2020 – Brad Keselowski

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT NHMS
1994 – Derrike Cope
1995 – Chad Little
1999 – Elton Sawyer
2001 – Jason Keller
2002 – Bobby Hamilton Jr.
2004 – Matt Kenseth
2006 – Carl Edwards
2014 – Brad Keselowski

ARCA Menards Series Race Advance: Berlin Raceway

By
Official Release
-

Saturday, July 17
Track: Berlin Raceway, 7/16-mile oval
Race: 10 of 20
Event: Zinsser SmartCoat 200 (200 laps, 88 miles)

Schedule
Practice: 4:15 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 6:00 p.m. ET
Race: 8:00 p.m. ET (MAVTV)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ripper Coffee Ford Fusion

  • Gray made his return to the seat of the No. 17 Fusion last Saturday night at Elko (Minn.) Speedway. After spending the majority of the 250-lap event in the top-three, he was forced out of the racing groove exiting turn two on the final lap and had to settle for a fifth-place finish.
  • The 16-year-old driver will make his third ARCA Menards Series start of the season and fifth start overall in 2021 at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway on Saturday evening.
  • The 7/16-mile oval will mark another new track for both Gray and crew chief Chad Johnston.
  • In 14 career ARCA Menards races, the Ford driver has nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. His only finish outside the top-10 was an 11th-place effort at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway last season.
  • The yellow and black colors of Ripper Coffee Company will adorn Gray’s Fusion at Berlin. They were also on the car at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in March.

Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Clean Harbors Ford Fusion

  • Moffitt enters his tenth race of the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season on Saturday evening at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway.
  • This will be Moffitt’s first visit to the unique Berlin race track in his 38th career ARCA Menards Series race.
  • The Trinity, North Carolina driver extended his streak of top-10s to eight with his ninth-place finish at Elko. He was battling for the sixth position coming to the white flag and was spun out entering turn one. It was the 21st top-10 of his ARCA career.
  • With his four top-fives and eight top-10s, the No. 46 Clean Harbors Fusion remains third in the series standings for the ARCA Menards Series.

Willie Mullins Finishes Eighth In Elko ARCA Race

By
Official Release
-
Willie Mullins (10) during the Menards 250 at Elko Speedway in Elko, Minnesota.

ELKO, Minn. – Willie Mullins enjoyed one of the best races of his life Saturday night at Elko Speedway.

Mullins, driving the No. 10 Ford in a partnership between Mullins Racing and Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing, scored an eighth-place finish in the ARCA Menards Series Menards 250 at Elko Speedway in front of a large gathering of family and friends.

The finish Mullins’ best effort in ARCA competition on a short-track and also bettered the team’s best ARCA-sanctioned short-track finish, which was previously a ninth-place finish by Davey Callihan at Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C., earlier this year.

“It was the best short-track weekend we’ve ever had,” Mullins said. “We worked really hard to have a car that worked that good. We were finally able to put all the pieces together last weekend at Elko.

“It was one of the highlights of my racing career,” Mullins continued. “After Southern National and Davey showing us our equipment was good, I was able to go to Elko and show everybody our equipment is just as good with me in it and prove that I can drive a race car and prove to myself I can be competitive with the top half of the field.”

Mullins started the day by setting a strong pace in practice, where he was 10th fastest. That was followed by an 11th-place qualifying effort for the 250-lap event.

“Once we went out for practice I was able to be in the top-10 and be very competitive,” Mullins said. “We knew we were really good for everything we’ve had in the past. We qualified really good, qualified 11th, but we picked up another tenth in qualifying.”

Once the race began Mullins’ rode in the back half of the top-10 with the goal of staying on the lead lap throughout the majority of the event. He was able to do this, which put him in position to capitalize when drivers in front of him made mistakes in the final 30 laps of the race, opening the door for his eighth-place finish.

“We stayed on the lead lap. That was our main goal, to stay on the lead lap,” Mullins said. “We were able to capitalize on a couple of peoples mistakes and we were able to get an eighth-place finish out of it.”

Mullins said the finish would not have been possible without Hillenburg and the rest of the ARCA family, with multiple people coming together to help make the program possible.

“A huge thank you to Andy Hillenburg and his crew for taking our car to Elko, crewing it and making sure we had a competitive group working on the car to help support our effort,” Mullins said. “Andy and the rest of our ARCA family really came together to help us at Elko and make sure we were competitive and we can’t thank everyone enough for that.”

The No. 10 Mullins Racing/Fast Track Racing Ford carries sponsorship support from Crow Wing Recycling, CW Metals, Bugsy’s Auto, Snap On by Timmy Brann, Dinah Marie Photography Crawford Sprinkler of Raleigh and CorvetteParts.net.

For more information on Mullins Racing, please visit mullinsracing.net, like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mullinsracing and follow them on Twitter at @mullins_racing.

Round 3 Racing Brings WRL Championship Lead into Road Atlanta Endurance Weekend

By
Official Release
-

Braselton, Ga. (14 July 2021) – Round 3 Racing (R3R) returns to World Racing League (WRL) competition at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for a combined 16-hours of endurance racing this weekend (July 16-18th).

With an entry in three different classes, R3R will bring three Porsche entries to the fifth round of the 2021 WRL season.

Road Atlanta is a fast, flowing circuit with some high speed sections including the first and final corners on the track that have been the setting for drama through the years, as well as a pair of technical, slow sections that can often create passing opportunities.

No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster – GP3

Cole Loftsgard, Carter Pease, Jim Ptak and Dennis Neel lead the GP3 National Championship in the No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster. The team of drivers have dominated their class so far this year, scoring five consecutive podium finishes including two wins at Road America and Daytona International Speedway.

With four events remaining in the 2021 season, the No. 605 Porsche drivers have their focus set on continuing their podium winning run and earning more points towards the championship.

“We have been very competitive this season and will continue pushing ourselves with each outing,” said Loftsgard. “Round 3 Racing gives us a fantastic car and the team’s level of preparation of the No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche has helped us get to this point. Road Atlanta has elevation change with fast sweeping corners that will push us as drivers. We are ready to battle for two more wins this weekend.”

No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman – GP1

The No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman of Loni Unser, Mo Dadkhah and Mike Gilbert return to a site of much success for Dadkhah and Gilbert. During the 2020 edition of the WRL race weekend at the 2.54-mile Georgia course, the duo brought home a GP2 class win.

With the addition of Unser to the 2021 lineup, the Team Cooper Tires drivers return to the No. 701 Porsche Cayman at Road Atlanta with determination to repeat history.

“Transitioning to the Porsche Cayman has been a learning experience,” said Dadkhah. “We have learned so much about the car that only helps us. We got the short end of the stick at Daytona with a mechanical failure that ended our weekend but that only motivated us more to go to Road Atlanta and show how good this car is. Mike (Gilbert) and I have won at Road Atlanta together and it would be an amazing feeling for us and this crew who have worked so hard to give them a GP1 class win.”

No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman – GTO

Sarah Montgomery, Brad McCall and Buz McCall complete the Round 3 Racing entry list in the No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman. They have battled through misfortune this season but after completing all 14-hours of racing at the last WRL outing in Daytona, the Team Hagerty driver trio is primed for the two endurance races this weekend.

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a memorable track for Buz McCall having owned teams in NASCAR and Trans Am, McCall has decades of memories from Road Atlanta, and is eager to add another chapter as he continues to race alongside his son Brad in WRL competition.

The endurance race weekend also serves as a homecoming for Montgomery who has adopted Atlanta as her home.

“Road Atlanta is a special place for all of us at Round 3 Racing,” said Montgomery. “It has become my home track and one of my favorites on the schedule. We have worked through many woes this season and are beginning to make up for lost ground. The R3R crew has worked incredibly hard each weekend to get the No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman to where it is now. Buz (McCall), Brad (McCall) and I have a great chance of getting our best result of the season this weekend.”

The No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster will miss the weekend at Road Atlanta after sustaining damage at the previous round at Daytona International Speedway. The R3R crew will continue preparing the car for the September 17-19th weekend at VIRginia International Raceway.

On-track action at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta begins Friday, July 16th before 16-hours of combined endurance racing on Saturday, July 17th and Sunday, July 18th. Live streaming will be available at Youtube.com/RaceWRL and each R3R entry will have live in-car streaming. Links will be available via the R3R Twitter (twitter.com/round3racing).

1...2,4582,4592,460...6,750Page 2,459 of 6,750