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Gus Dean scores back-to-back Carolina Pro Late Model victories at Franklin County Speedway

By
Official Release
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Franklin (Va.) County Speedway | Battle of the Commonwealth Race Recap

Team: No. 21D DLP Motorsports Chevrolet

Driver: Gus Dean

Follow on Social Media: For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@GusDean).

For more on MASHONIT Apparel Co., please visit MashOnIt.com, like them on Facebook (MashOnIt Apparel Co.,), follow them on Instagram (MashOnIt_Clothing) and follow them on Twitter (@MashOnIt Apparel Co.).

Practice: Second

Qualified: Fifth

Finish: First; Running (100 | 100 laps completed)

Gus Dean Quote: “I can’t thank the DLP Motorsports team enough for bringing me a great race car. I just could control it when I wanted to, bring it to where I wanted to on the track. They told me to go ahead and take it to the front and I did. I thought it might have been a little early.

“When I heard them catching back up a little bit, I could push it a little harder and open the gap back up.

“We really betted on there not being a caution tonight. As long as I had a big enough gap it was going to be really hard for them to catch me. I don’t know if I saved enough of the tires if there were a caution, they might have had something for me.

“The guys at DLP brought me an awesome car again this weekend. Had a blast running it. Love this track, love this team, love this car. It was a fun night all around.”

Next Up: Orange County (N.C.) Speedway on Sat., Aug. 28, 2021, in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series.

Marco Andretti scores elusive SRX win at Slinger Speedway

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of SRX Racing

In a one-lap dash to the finish, Marco Andretti grabbed his first Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) victory at Slinger Speedway in the fifth of six races for the series.

Andretti, a 16-year veteran of the NTT INDYCAR Series, was thrilled with the win.

“Honestly, I know it’s not a popular win, but I tried to be as clean as possible,” he said. . “I’m so proud of him (Luke Fenhaus). I’m trying to learn from him, to be honest with you. Just delighted to be able to do it without touching him. I know it’s not a popular win, but us old guys have to get it when we can. He’s young, he’s got a lot of time ahead of him. I had so much fun.”

Prior to the race, Andretti was awarded the pole and stayed up front until the caution on Lap 44. The Tennessee native swapped the lead multiple times with the “Local All-Star,” 17-year-old, Fenhaus, who won the 42nd Slinger Nationals Tuesday night.

Following the first caution for the green-flag lap limit, Fenhaus and the Knoxville Raceway winner, Tony Stewart, battled side-by-side for the top spot. But, with the track being a half-mile, Stewart and Fenhaus couldn’t clear each other until the next yellow flew at Lap 92 as Stewart had just cleared Fenhaus for the lead.

After the second green-flag lap limit caution, the restart came with 45 laps to go, but the race was slowed once again. The No. 15 of Michael Waltrip had trouble off Turn 2 and brought his car behind the wall.

Two more cautions flags were flown with 15 laps and 12 laps to go. Following the Lap 138 caution for the contact between Greg Biffle and Helio Castroneves, Fenhaus was a man on a mission. It appeared as though he was on his way to winning once more at the famous track in Wisconsin.

Unfortunately for the local favorite, Fenhaus would have to wait one more time, as the final yellow came out with one lap to go when Hailie Deegan turned Paul Tracy in Turn 4. Tracy, Waltrip, Castroneves, and Willy T. Ribbs were also involved in the melee.

The yellow flag set up a green-white-checkered finish with two laps to go with Fenhaus and Andretti on the front row. Andretti got the advantage on Fenhaus going into Turn 1 and went on to win the SRX race in his fifth start.

Fenhaus, who was strong throughout most of the night, leading 18 times for 92 laps, came home in second place.

“I think he (Marco) jumped it a little bit, which didn’t help me at all,” said Fenhaus, who earned his spot in the 12-driver field by winning Tuesday night’s Slinger Nationals. “I was better on the top. I felt like we could roll on the outside. I was just worried that he’d shove me up the racetrack if I went to the outside. I probably would’ve lost either way. He would’ve run us hard. It is what it is. Second place, I can’t complain.”

“We talked about it Monday before the Slinger Nationals and decided that if we won the Slinger Nationals, it was kind of a no-brainer to run SRX,” said Fenhaus, a rising senior at Wausau East High School. “I’m glad we came here, for sure. Just to come here and enjoy the experience and to soak it all in – it’s crazy and surreal, to say the least. I loved every minute of it. If I could do it again, I would. Hopefully, it leads in the right direction for my career.

“It was an insane race. The race against Tony (Stewart) for that long, side-by-side, I’m glad we put on a show for the fans. I hope they all enjoyed it. It’s unreal to race against these guys. They’re so good at what they do. It’s hard to beat them.”

Stewart, the championship points leader, rounded out the podium finishing in third.

“My buddy Marco winning the race and us having another podium finish and gaining some more points in the standings with one race to go is a big deal to me,” said Stewart, a two-time winner already in the Camping World SRX Series. “The first five weeks of this series have been awesome. To go to three totally different racetracks – the three paved tracks are totally different from each other, and then two totally different dirt tracks – it’s been a lot of fun. To sit there each weekend and see how much fun everybody is having, that’s the payoff for all this. It’s payoff for all of us as drivers.

“To get ready for this race, I watched some YouTube videos and Luke Fenhaus was the star of a lot of them. Getting to spend the day with that kid has been the highlight of my day, to be honest. He’s the most composed 17-year-old I’ve ever seen. There are kids in the (NASCAR) Truck Series and Xfinity Series who don’t have the composure that this guy’s got. I hope somebody will give him a shot, even if it’s a one-race deal to give him a crack at it and make himself a name.”

Official Results following the SRX event at Slinger Speedway:

  1. Marco Andretti
  2. Luke Fenhaus
  3. Tony Stewart
  4. Hailie Deegan
  5. Bobby Labonte
  6. Ernie Francis Jr
  7. Willy T. Ribbs
  8. Greg Biffle
  9. Bill Elliott
  10. Helio Castroneves
  11. Paul Tracy
  12. Michael Waltrip

Tony Stewart continues to lead the SRX Championship Points over Francis Jr. by 38 points.

Up Next: The SRX Racing Series will head into their final race of the season at the Nashville Fairgrounds Saturday, July 17 at 8 p.m. ET live on CBS.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Atlanta

By
Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race: Credit Karma Money 250
Date: July 10, 2021

No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 4th
Stage 1: 30th
Stage 2: 11th
Finish: 10th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 164/164
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+74)

Notes:

  • Austin Cindric scored a 10th-place finish in the Credit Karma Money 250 Saturday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Cindric claimed his 14th top-10 effort in 18 races this season and grabbed his third top-10 in five starts at Atlanta. The driver of the No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang remains the leader in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings, 74 markers ahead of ahead of second-place AJ Allmendinger.
  • The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rulebook, which gave Cindric the fourth-place starting position. He slipped back to seventh position during the opening laps of the race, battling a loose handling Mustang. Crew chief Brian Wilson called his driver to pit road during the first caution on lap 22 for a track bar adjustment and packer to aid the handling but received no fresh tires or fuel during the stop. Cindric was one of just a few cars to pit and he restarted 33rd on lap 24. The handling woes continued for the young driver, and he was left with a 30th-place finish when Stage 1 ended on lap 40. Wilson called his driver to pit road during the stage caution on lap 43 for four tires, fuel, and major adjustments to the CarShop Ford. The team was hit with a penalty for a crewmember over the wall too soon which shuffled Cindric back to 36th when the race went green on lap 46.
  • Stage 2 saw Cindric and the team fight their way back through the field. He reported that his Mustang’s handling condition improved, and he was able to race his way to the 11th position when the segment concluded on lap 80. Once again Wilson made the call for his driver to pit during the stage caution, opting once more for major chassis adjustments, four tires, and fuel. The reigning Xfinity Series Champion restarted the final stage eighth on lap 86.
  • Throughout the remainder of the race, Cindric maintained track position inside the top-10. The final stage was punctuated by five cautions, the last of which on lap 159 pushed the race into NASCAR Overtime. Cindric made his final stop on lap 148 and did a solid job managing the each of the chaotic restarts that closed the race and was rewarded with a top-10 finish.

Quote: “We came here with a new setup and tried to make things work today and we found ourselves in about the same position. I know there’s a lot we’ll learn from today and I’ll definitely do a lot of self-reflecting to make sure I can create a better environment. I think we minimized damage there at the end. Probably the highlight of my day was the middle of five on the restart by my doing and gaining spots from it, so we’ll move on. I think we were only going to go forward from where we started in the race, so I appreciate Brian and the guys on the CarShop team sticking with me.”

Kyle Busch caps off potential Xfinity Series career with a dominant victory at Atlanta

By
Andrew Kim
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HAMPTON, GEORGIA - JULY 10: Kyle Busch, driver of the #54 Extra Gum Toyota,celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 10, 2021 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images).

In what could be his final NASCAR Xfinity Series start of his illustrious racing career, Kyle Busch walked off as a winner after dominating and fending off the field in overtime to claim the inaugural Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 10. The victory made Busch five-for-five ini this year’s Xfinity season as he also claimed his 102nd career win in his 362nd series start.

The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Xfinity event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Xfinity race. With that, Kyle Busch, winner of last weekend’s Xfinity event at Road America, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with teammate Daniel Hemric.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Kyle Busch rocketed away with the lead from the inside lane, where he led the first lap followed by AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton and Justin Haley while Hemric, who started on the outside lane, slipped out of the top five through the first two turns.

Following the first five laps of the event, Kyle Busch was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Allmendinger, with Haley, Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson running in the top five. Jeremy Clements was in sixth followed by Hemric, Austin Cindric and Jeb Burton while Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones were battling for 10th.

Five laps later, Kyle Busch’s advantage grew to nearly two seconds over Allmendinger wile Haley, Harrison Burton and Gragson continued to run in the top five. By then, Austin Dillon, who filled in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in place of Michael Annett with Annett absent due to a leg injury, was battling for a top-25 spot after starting at the rear of the field.

When the competition caution flew on Lap 20, Kyle Busch was out in front by nearly seven-tenths of a second over Allmendinger. Meanwhile, Harrison Burton was up in third followed by Gragson, Haley and Hemric.

Under the competition caution, some led by Austin Cindric pitted while the rest led by Kyle Busch remained on the track.

On Lap 24, the race restarted and Kyle Busch received another strong start to retain the lead while the field behind fanned out to three lanes. While Haley and Hemric struggled to launch on the outside lane, Allmendinger moved up to second followed by Harrison Burton and Gragson.

By Lap 30, the No. 54 Extra Gum Toyota Supra driven by Kyle Busch was leading by six-tenths of a second over the No. 16 Hyperice Chevrolet Camaro piloted by Allmendinger. Harrison Burton, racing in the No. 20 Offerpad Toyota Supra, was in third followed by teammate Hemric, Gragson, Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier, Brett Moffitt, Haley and Alex Labbe.

With a clear, early advantage, Kyle Busch was able to cruise to the first stage victory on Lap 40. Allmendinger settled in second followed by Harrison Burton, Hemric, Gragson, Moffitt, Labbe, Haley, Brandon Jones and Austin Dillon.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Harrison Burton emerged with the lead followed by Hemric, Allmendinger, Gragson and Kyle Busch, who lost the lead following his service. 

The second stage started on Lap 46 with Harrison Burton and Gragson starting on the front row. At the start, Gragson and Harrison Burton battled for the lead through the backstretch before Gragson pulled out ahead. Behind, Kyle Busch marched his way to third place behind teammate Harrison Burton before taking over the runner-up spot.

By Lap 49, Kyle Busch returned to the lead after overtaking Gragson on the outside lane in Turn 3. Shortly after, the caution flew due to an incident on the frontstretch involving Matt Mills and veteran David Starr. 

When the race restarted on Lap 55, Kyle Busch launched ahead with the lead followed by Gragson while Harrison Burton, Allmendinger and Hemric engaged in a three-wide battle for third in Turn 1. Through the backstretch, Hemric was able to prevail ahead over teammate Harrison Burton with Allgaier moving up to fifth over Allmendinger.

By Lap 60, Kyle Busch continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Gragson. Behind, Harrison Burton moved back into third place followed by Allmendinger and Hemric, who was being pressured by Allgaier and Moffitt for more. 

Nearly three laps later, the caution returned when Josh Berry spun off of Turn 4, though he was dodged by the incoming traffic.

On Lap 66, the race restarted and Kyle Busch was able to clear AJ Allmendinger entering Turn 2 to retain the lead while the field behind battled through multiple lanes for positioning.

Through the first 70 laps of the event, Kyle Busch remained out in front by more than a second over Allmendinger, with Gragson, Allgaier and Hemric in the top five. Harrison Burton was back in sixth followed by Moffitt, Brandon Jones, Ty Dillon and Austin Dillon.

Like he did in the first stage, Kyle Busch was able to muscle away from the field with a comfortable advantage and claim the second stage victory on Lap 80 by eight-tenths of a second over Allmendinger. Gragson, Allgaier, Hemric, Harrison Burton, Moffitt, Ty Dillon, Haley and Austin Dillon settled in the top 10.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and this time, Kyle Busch exited pit road with the lead over Allmendinger, Gragson, Hemric and the field. Following the pit stops, Allmendinger was assessed a pit road speeding penalty. In addition, Harrison Burton pitted for a second time to have the lug nuts on his car tightened.

With 77 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch and Hemric started on the front row. At the start, Kyle Busch received another start on the inside lane to retain the lead followed by Gragson while Hemric slipped back to third.

Seven laps later, Kyle Busch stretched his advantage to more than a second over Gragson, with Moffitt running in third place ahead of Hemric and Allgaier. Running in the top 10 were Haley, rookie Sam Mayer, Austin Dillon, Cindric and Ty Dillon. Allmendinger, meanwhile, was in 16th behind teammate Jeb Burton while Harrison Burton was in 19th in front of Gray Gaulding.

Not long after, the caution returned for an incident involving Gray Gaulding, who spun and hit the backstretch wall. Under caution, some led by teammates Gragson and Allgaier remained on the track while the rest led by Kyle Busch pitted.

With 62 laps remaining, the race restarted. By then, Gragson surrendered his spot near the front to pit and have a flat tire addressed. At the start, Allgaier retained the lead over Haley while the field behind fanned out to multiple lanes between competitors on fresh tires over those with none.

A few laps later, Allgaier was leading by nearly six-tenths of a second over Hemric, with Haley, Jeb Burton and Ty Dillon in the top five. By then, Kyle Busch was in ninth in between Cindric and Allmendinger while Harrison Burton was in 11th ahead of Moffitt.

With 58 laps remaining, Hemric muscled his No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra into the lead over Allgaier. By then, Kyle Busch worked his way back into the top five. Another few laps later, Busch was up into second place and trailing teammate Hemric by more than a second.

Down to the final 50 laps of the event, Hemric was still leading, but his advantage decreased to a second over his hard-charging teammate Kyle Busch. Allmendinger, meanwhile, trailed by more than two seconds while the Dillon brothers rounded out the top five ahead of Moffitt, Allgaier, Harrison Burton, Cindric and Haley.

Five laps later, the caution returned for an incident involving Brandon Jones and Ryan Sieg in the backstretch, with Jones making hard contact against the outside wall. Under caution, names like Ty Dillon, Myatt Snider, Tommy Joe Martins and Gragson remained on the track while the rest led by Hemric and Kyle Busch pitted. Prior to the restart, Allgaier was sent to the rear of the field due to a commitment line violation,

With 39 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, the front-runners fanned out to three lanes before Hemric muscled to the lead followed by Kyle Busch on the outside lane. With Busch close behind, Hemric was leading while seeking his elusive first victory in NASCAR.

With 30 laps remaining, Hemric continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over teammate Kyle Busch. Behind, Allmendinger and Moffitt battled for third followed by Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon, Haley, Cindric, Sieg and Clements. Allgaier, following his commitment line penalty, was in 12th while teammate Gragson was in 14th.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event and with the leaders catching lapped traffic, Hemric stabilized his advantage to nearly six-tenths of a second over teammate Kyle Busch, who was unable to close in for the lead despite keeping his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate within sight.

Three laps later, the caution flew when Carson Ware spun on the backstretch. By then, Hemric stretched his advantage to nearly a second over Busch.

Under caution, nearly all of the leaders pitted and Hemric exited pit road ahead of teammate Kyle Busch by a nose. Back on the track, Kyle Weatherman did not pit and assumed the lead.

With 11 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Hemric moved himself quickly back to the front followed by Kyle Busch and the competitors on the inside lane. For Weatherman, however, his time at the front did not last long after a transmission issue while restarting resulted with him getting hit by Brandon Brown and Harrison Burton before spinning, thus bringing back the caution flag.

Under caution, few like Harrison Burton, Myatt Snider and Tommy Joe Martins pitted while the rest led by Hemric remained on the track.

With six laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Hemric and Allmendinger started on the front row in front of Kyle Busch and Allgaier. At the start, Allmendinger issued a challenge for the lead on Hemric, who had teammate Kyle Busch trying to push him out in front. While trying to maintain the lead, Hemric was then bumped by teammate Busch, who then was turned into Allmendinger and sent sideways while making hard contact with the outside wall in Turn 1. The incident all but spoiled another opportunity for Hemric to achieve his first NASCAR national touring series win.

With Hemric out of contention, Kyle Busch was back out in front followed by Moffitt, Jeb Burton, Haley and Allmendinger. 

Down to a two-lap shootout, the race restarted with Kyle Busch and Jeb Burton starting on the front row. At the start, Busch managed to clear Burton through the backstretch to retain the lead. While Burton kept Busch within his sights, the latter started to pull away and maintain a decent advantage when he started the final lap.

For one final lap, Busch was able to keep Jeb Burton and Gragson at bay as he came back around and claimed the checkered flag for the win.

In addition to winning for the 102nd time in the Xfinity circuit and winning in all five of his scheduled Xfinity starts, Busch also recorded his third series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway and his 222nd NASCAR national touring series career victory.

While celebrating on the frontstretch in front of the grandstands, Busch took a moment to address his late restart incident involving his teammate Daniel Hemric.

“Yeah, I meant to push [Hemric], and I wanted to hit him, I just wanted to ht him forward and straight but turned him sideways a little bit, and I think he got more help on his right side,” Busch saaid on NBCSN. “Just trying to help a teammate there, and that’s why I restarted behind him. Overall, great day for our 54 car, but [Hemric] was better and deserved this win. So, I’m sorry to Daniel and all those guys. I hate it that all that transpired. That’s why this win is a little more somber than others have been. You don’t take solace in a win like that. But a win’s a win.”

“Yeah, as far as I know, as far as what’s gonna happen right now, it’s never say never,” Busch, when addressing the potential end of his Xfinity Series career, added. “This is it.”

Behind Busch, Jeb Burton claimed his second-best result in the series after finishing in the runner-up spot followed by Gragson. Haley came home in fourth place followed by Ty Dillon.

Moffitt, Allgaier, Clements, Sam Mayer and Cindric finished in the top 10.

Austin Dillon finished 11th wile filling in for Michael Annett. Allmendinger finished 13th, Riley Herbst came home in 19th, Myatt Snider fell back to 21st, Harrison Burton ended up in 24th and Hemric settled in 30th.

“What could’ve been, right?” Hemric said. “That’s all you think about. On the flip side of it, you can’t change it. Obviously, I know it wasn’t intentional by no means…Our day will come.”

There were 16 lead changes for nine different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 43 laps.

Austin Cindric continues to lead the regular-season standings by 74 points over AJ Allmendinger and 112 over Daniel Hemric.

Results.

1. Kyle Busch, 97 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

2. Jeb Burton, one lap led

3. Noah Gragson, five laps led

4. Justin Haley

5. Ty Dillon, four laps led

6. Brett Moffitt

7. Justin Allgaier, four laps led

8. Jeremy Clements

9. Sam Mayer

10. Austin Cindric

11. Austin Dillon

12. Ryan Sieg

13. AJ Allmendinger, two laps led

14. Ryan Vargas

15. Alex Labbe

16. Tommy Joe Martins

17. Jade Buford

18. Josh Williams

19. Riley Herbst

20. Colby Howard

21. Myatt Snider

22. Jeffrey Earnhardt

23. Josh Berry

24. Harrison Burton, three laps led

25. Joe Graf Jr.

26. Matt Mills

27. Ronnie Bassett Jr.

28. Jesse Little

29. Mason Massey

30. Daniel Hemric, 45 laps led

31. Brandon Brown – OUT, Accident

32. Kyle Weatherman – OUT, Accident, three laps led

33. Santino Ferrucci, two laps down

34. Bayley Currey, two laps down

35. Gray Gaulding, four laps down

36. Carson Ware – OUT, Accident

37. CJ McLaughlin, 25 laps down

38. Landon Cassill, 36 laps down

39. Brandon Jones – OUT, Accident

40. David Starr – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway following a one-year absence. The event is scheduled to occur at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Busch-whacked one more time; Kyle Busch claims 102nd career series win at AMS

By
Official Release
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HAMPTON, Ga. (July 10, 2021) – Kyle Busch went out on top in the Credit Karma Money 250, though it wasn’t as vigorously celebrated as some of his 101 others in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Coming out of caution with six laps to go Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch lined up behind leader and teammate Daniel Hemric. Busch gave Hemric a bump as they went to green. The move went sideways, as did Hemric.

“(I’m feeling) what could have been, I guess,” said Hemric, who was bidding for his first NASCAR win after nine runner-up finishes. “As soon as he touched me, it just steered me off the left rear and right into the fence and that was it. I tried to hang on to the Poppy Bank Toyota Supra, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

After Hemric’s No. 18 hit the wall, the race ended with a caution-filled finish and a familiar sight. Busch won his 102nd Xfinity race — Mark Martin is second with 49 — and became one of just a handful of drivers to win five in a row on the series.

“I meant to push him,” Busch said. “I wanted to hit him. I just wanted to hit him more forward and straight. But I turned him sideways a little bit. I was just trying to help a teammate. That’s why I restarted behind him.

“It was a great day for the 54 car, but the 18 was better and deserved this win. So I’m sorry to Daniel and those guys. I hate it that all that transpired. That’s why this win is a little more somber than some because you don’t take solace in a win like that.”

Busch had stated he’d hang up his helmet in the Xfinity Series once he reached triple-digit wins. He didn’t waiver on that stance after his victory.

“Never say never, but yeah, this is it,” the 36-year-old said.

Busch led 97 laps and held off a furious charge from Jeb Burton in the final two laps. Burton languished in the back half of the field for the first two stages, both of which were won by Busch, but hounded the No. 54 on the final restart searching for a path to victory. He ultimately finished .550 seconds behind Busch.

Noah Gragson was third after battling up front for much of the race. Justin Haley was fourth and Ty Dillon was fifth. Brett Moffitt, Justin Allgaier, Jeremy Clements, 18-year-old Sam Mayer and Austin Cindric rounded out the top 10.

Austin Dillon was 11th after jumping into Michael Annett’s No. 1 car minutes before the race started to sub for the injured driver.

The NASCAR Cup Series is next up in Atlanta with Sunday’s Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart. Tickets for Sunday’s race (3:30 p.m. ET) are available online at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

About the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart:

New for 2021 the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart headlines the summer slate of NASCAR racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart will be the first NASCAR Cup Series race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the month of July since 1974. The 400-mile race is sure to be one of the most challenging races of the summer for NASCAR’s best.

More information on the July 10-11, 2021 Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 877-9-AMS-TIX.

Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Atlanta NXS Race Report

By
Official Release
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Riley Herbst Finishes 19th at Atlanta
Monster Energy Ford Driver Battles Loose-Handling Racecar

Date: July 10, 2021
Event: Credit Karma Money 250 (Round 18 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)
Start/Finish: 10th / 19th (Running, completed 164 of 164 laps)
Point Standing: 13th (391 points, 357 out of first)
Note: Race extended one lap past its scheduled 163-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford team endured a day of frustrations as they finished 19th in Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Las Vegas native rolled off 10th when the green flag waved on the 1.54-mile oval in Hampton, Georgia. A loose-handling racecar caused Herbst’s Ford Mustang to fall back in the field during the first stage. After restarting 12th on lap 25, Herbst reported that he might have had a throttle issue. The team opted to keep the Monster Energy driver out until the Stage 1 break, when a longer pit stop for four tires, fuel, a wedge adjustment, and to check the engine put him one lap down. When the second stage went green, Herbst used the car’s adjustments to his advantage and quickly raced his way into the Lucky Dog position just before a lap-50 caution enabled him to get back on the lead lap. By the time the race got back underway on lap 56, the 22-year-old driver wasted no time in his march through the field after restarting 35th. He broke into the top-20 by lap 76 and ended the second stage in that position. With a little help from his Monster Energy pit crew, Herbst was able to gain eight spots on pit road during the break to restart the final stage 12th. When the race went green on lap 87, Herbst was fighting for a spot in the top-12 while his racecar developed a loose condition as the stage progressed. When the caution flag waved on lap 146, the team called its driver to pit road for fuel, four scuffed tires, and a slight wedge adjustment. Unfortunately, a speeding penalty sent Herbst to the end of the longest line. A flurry of late-race cautions hindered the team’s forward progress, and it ultimately had to settle for its 11th top-20 finish of the season.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“That definitely wasn’t the day we were hoping for in Atlanta. Our Monster Energy Ford Mustang was loose for most of the race, and I just needed help with the balance. That caution with 17 laps to go hit us at the wrong time, and then we just made a mistake. I wish I could’ve gotten a better finish for my team. We’ll move on to New Hampshire.”

Notes:

● Kyle Busch won the Credit Karma Money 250 to earn his 102nd career victory, his fifth of the season and his third at Atlanta. His margin over second-place Jeb Burton was .550 of a second.

● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 43 laps.

● Thirty of the 40 drivers in the Credit Karma Money 250 finished on the lead lap.

● Austin Cindric remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 74-point advantage over second-place A.J. Allmendinger.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 on Saturday, July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RCR Post Race Report – Atlanta 250

By
Official Release
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Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Team Battle Through Challenging Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Finish: 21st
Start: 15th
Points: 12th

“We really had to fight hard for every spot today with the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Camaro. We tried a lot of different lines today, but I couldn’t get through the corners like I really wanted to. It was almost like the car was numb entering the corners, so I couldn’t run the bottom lane well, which is always really important at Atlanta. My team worked really hard today on making adjustments that would help, but it was just a tough day and we never really caught a break. We saved a set of tires longer than pretty much anyone else in the field, and that paid off when the caution came out with 11 laps to go. Unfortunately, we never really got a long enough green flag run after that during those final laps with the multiple cautions that came out to really put the tires to good use. You’ll have these days at the track, but our team will come out stronger on the other side. We’ll regroup together and see where we can continue to improve as we prepare for New Hampshire next week.” -Myatt Snider

Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric Nabs Top 10 Finish in Atlanta NXS Race

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Credit Karma Money 250
Atlanta Motor Speedway | Saturday, July 10, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
10th – Austin Cindric
12th – Ryan Sieg
19th – Riley Herbst

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang –NOT A BAD BOUNCE BACK FROM HOW YOU STARTED. “Between being the last one on old tires and everything we went through for today — not even close on our Car Shop Ford Mustang. Unfortunately, that was the position we were in last time we were here and came with a new setup and tried to make things work today and we found ourselves in about the same position or maybe worse. I know there’s a lot we’ll learn from today and definitely do a lot of self-reflecting to make sure I can create a better environment affect like this, but just really unfortunate. Like I said, I think we minimized damage there at the end. Probably the highlight of my day was the middle of five on the restart by my doing and gaining spots from it, so we’ll move on.”

THE ADJUSTMENTS YOU MADE ON YOUR FIRST STOP SEEMED TO WORK IN STAGE 2, GOING FROM P36 TO P11. HOW CRITICAL WAS THAT? “I think we were only going to go forward from where we started in the race, so I appreciate Brian and the guys sticking with me. I did the same for them and probably got a maximized result out of it.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 CMR Construction and Roofing/A-Game Ford Mustang — “It was just that mistake that cost our day. We had fresh tires compared to some, but just got mixed up on that choose rule. It sucks we had to go to the rear. We probably would have finished right there, somewhere in the top five I feel like with the car as good as we had it. That’s just the way it is. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Austin Hill wins inaugural Truck Series race at Knoxville

By
Briar Starr
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Austin Hill celebrates after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers at Knoxville Raceway on July 09, 2021 in Knoxville, Iowa. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Two hours, three minutes and four overtime restarts after the race began, Austin Hill fended off Chandler Smith to win the first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Knoxville Raceway.

“I kind of thought we were out of it (winning the race) there for a little bit,” Austin Hill said to Fox Sports 1.

“I had that restart on the outside of the 38 (Todd Gilliland) and I fell all the way back to 20th (in the running order). I didn’t think we were going to make it back up, track position was huge. It was really hard to get around people. I just kept my head down.

“This team at HRE (Hattori Racing Enterprises) never quit. That’s the thing I like about this group. We never stop, we never quit. Even when we think we’re down and down, we just keep coming back. If you would have told me we would win a dirt race this year, I would have told you, you’re lying.”

The Georgia driver didn’t become a contender for the win until the final stage when Hill restarted in the top three. Yellow after yellow, Hill stayed in contention and did not let the 18 of Chandler Smith pull away. Eventually, right before the final yellow on Lap 172, Hill pulled slightly ahead of Smith at the previous timing/scoring loop, putting him in the lead. Despite Smith having the most dominant truck during the final 10 laps, he came up short, finishing second to Hill, and will have to wait another week for a chance at his first career victory.

“First of all, just have to thank Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 18 JBL Toyota Tundra team. They worked their tails off on this thing and we got it really good in practice. We fell back there in the race, and I couldn’t run the top, but we were able to make it work on the bottom. We needed track position, but we were able to lead a bunch of laps. I don’t think the call was right (at the end with regard to line-up) that they (NASCAR) made to be honest, but it is what it is and that’s part of it.”

Prior to the main event feature, there were four 15-lap qualifying heat races to set the field. The driver who gained the most points in the heats would start on the pole. Josh Berry, Kyle Strickler, Tyler Ankrum, and Carson Hocevar all won their heat races. However, the pole position went to Derek Kraus who gained the most points of 17.

Throughout the first stage, there three cautions that slowed the event. The yellow flag was brought out when Johnny Sauter was spun by Chase Briscoe in Turn 4 and again when dirt regular, Brian Brown, was spun by Chase Purdy in Turn 3. The final caution of the stage occurred when Jessica Friesen spun on Lap 37.

NASCAR ended Stage 1 under yellow and Kraus took home the stage victory. Todd Gilliland, Josh Berry, Carson Hocevar, Tyler Ankrum, Sheldon Creed, Stewart Friesen, Brett Moffitt, Chandler Smith and Austin Hill rounded out the top 10 finishers.

There were only a couple of incidents in Stage 2. Jessica Friesen brought out the yellow for the second time on Lap 66 after getting spun by Kraus and collected by Morgan Alexander in Turn 3. Another caution resulted when the No. 51 of Brown spun in Turn 4.

Prior to the yellow, Gilliland had led the majority of the stage before being passed by Kraus for the Stage 2 victory.

The action really heated up in the third and final stage of the night. There were nine cautions and a 14-minute red flag during the stage. The major incident included a big pileup on Lap 155 when most of the field wrecked in Turn 1. The drivers involved included Rohrbaugh, Gray, Deegan, Benning, Berry, Ankrum, Zane Smith, Purdy, Erickson, Briscoe, Jake Griffin, Schatz, Creed and Windom, creating the red flag situation.

There were two more overtime restarts as more yellows flags were flown for incidents in Turn 1.

After the multiple cautions, the final restart came at Lap 177 with Austin Hill and Chandler Smith battling it out for the win. However, on Lap 179 (29 laps over the scheduled race distance), Austin Hill scored his first victory of the 2021 Truck Series season.

Chandler Smith, Grant Enfinger, Gilliland, Kraus, Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, Brian Brown, Tate Fogleman and Danny Bohn completed the Top 10.

There were 14 cautions for 80 laps and seven leaders among 20 lead changes. Hill led twice for 11 laps en route to his seventh career Truck Series victory.

Playoff Points Standings with one race to go until the Playoffs begin:

  1. John Hunter Nemechek, five wins, 34 playoff points
  2. Ben Rhodes, two wins, 11 playoff points
  3. Todd Gilliland, one win, 7 playoff points
  4. Sheldon Creed, one win, 6 playoff points
  5. Austin Hill, one win, 5 playoff points
  6. Zane Smith (clinched playoff spot), +140
  7. Matt Crafton (clinched playoff spot), +119
  8. Stewart Friesen, +61
  9. Carson Hocevar, +53
  10. Chandler Smith, +40

    Below the cut line
  11. Johnny Sauter, -40
  12. Austin Wayne Self, -44
  13. Tyler Ankrum, -51
  14. Derek Kraus, -71

Official Results following the Corn Belt 150 at Knoxville Raceway:

  1. Austin Hill, led 11 laps
  2. Chandler Smith, led 71 laps
  3. Grant Enfinger
  4. Todd Gilliland, led 61 laps
  5. Derek Kraus, won both stages, led 10 laps
  6. Matt Crafton, led one lap
  7. Ben Rhodes
  8. Brian Brown
  9. Tate Fogleman
  10. Danny Bohn
  11. John Hunter Nemechek
  12. Jake Griffin
  13. Ryan Truex
  14. Zane Smith
  15. Chris Windom
  16. Carson Hocevar, led 17 laps
  17. Tyler Ankrum
  18. Devon Rouse
  19. Norm Benning
  20. Johnny Sauter, led eight laps
  21. Hailie Deegan
  22. Cody Erickson, 2 laps down
  23. Kyle Strickler, 2 laps down
  24. Andrew Gordon, 2 laps down
  25. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 3 laps down
  26. Jessica Friesen, 4 laps down
  27. Stewart Friesen 9 laps down
  28. Josh Berry, OUT, Accident
  29. Parker Price-Miller, 19 laps down
  30. Austin Wayne Self, OUT, Accident
  31. Tanner Gray, OUT, Accident
  32. Donny Schatz, OUT, Accident
  33. Chase Purdy, OUT, Accident
  34. Codie Rohrbaugh, OUT, Accident
  35. Sheldon Creed, OUT, Accident
  36. Chase Briscoe, OUT, Accident
  37. Jett Noland, OUT, Accident
  38. Brett Moffitt, OUT, Accident
  39. Jack Wood, OUT, Accident
  40. Morgan Alexander, OUT, Accident

Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take nearly a month off before heading to Watkins Glen International Raceway on Saturday, August 7, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 12:30 p.m./ET.

SS GreenLight Racing | Joe Graf Jr. Atlanta Motor Speedway Event Preview

By
Official Release
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SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway | Credit Karma Money 250

Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): G-Coin
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Joe Williams
Credit Karma Money 250 Starting Position: 33rd (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 31st | Owner Points Position: 36th
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Notes of Interest:

Welcome Back: This weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. welcome back Z Grills as the primary partner of the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday afternoon’s Credit Karma Money 250.

Atlanta marks the fourth of a multi-race deal where Z Grills, one of the most respected names in pellet grills will be the primary partner.

About Z Grills: As an industry-leading manufacturer for more than 30 years, Z Grills manufactured grills, kitchen equipment and outdoor products for several top brands in the industry.

Five years ago, Z Grills launched its own brand. With more than 500% yearly sales growth, Z Grills has quickly become the best pellet grills in the market and received tons of great reviews among mass media sites, BBQ influencers and Z Grills customers.

Now, Z Grills has grown into one of the most respected brands in the pellet grill industry.

Z Grills 8 in 1 pellet grills can grill, smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbecue or char-grill.

See how Joe Graf Jr. cooks with Z Grills by clicking here.

Saving You Some Money: As summer kicks off, Joe Graf Jr.’s other marketing partner Z Grills wants to help the NASCAR community save money – but also enjoy the perfect barbecue.

In preparation of their upcoming partner at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway this weekend, Z Grills Racing (ZGrillsRacing.com) is offering a 10 percent discount off your TOTAL purchase, using the code NASCAR at checkout.

Z Grills Racing Tip of the Week: In this weekend’s Z Grills Racing tip of the week: Season your new pellet grill according to the manufacturer’s directions (a process that usually takes 45 minutes to one hour). This burns off any residual oils from the manufacturing process.

New Leadership: SS GreenLight Racing announced this week that Joe Williams will take over crew chief duties for Joe Graf Jr. beginning with this weekend’s race at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

Williams joins SS GreenLight Racing after a tenure at Our Motorsports. Additionally, Danny Johnson joins the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as car chief.

VIP Exclusive: Thanks to partner G-Coin, a product that brings gold into the digital age – race fans have an opportunity to win a VIP passes for a NASCAR Xfinity Series race of their choice.

To enter, follow @JoeGrafJr and @The_GCoin on Twitter, tag two friends and simply download the G Coin app to your mobile device. A winner will be chosen at the end of the month.

Welding Another Partnership: Recently, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. announced that PowerWeld will serve as the primary marketing partner of the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for the upcoming New Holland 250 at Michigan International Speedway in August.

PowerWeld is a leading brand in the industrial welding products market across North America. Its core areas of focus include welding filler metals, arc, MIG and TIG welding accessories and equipment, gas welding and cutting accessories and equipment, and welding safety.

PowerWeld products are designed to withstand the daily rigors of industrial applications, including manufacturing, metalworking, oil and gas, construction, fabrication, shipyards, automotive repair and more.

PowerWeld products are available at quality distributors and retailers in the United States and Canada.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Atlanta Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Credit Karma Money 250 will mark Graf’s third NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the fast 1.54-mile quad-oval.

Earlier this year, Graf started 24th in his No. 07 HAZHEART.com Chevrolet Camaro but battled handling issues that relegated the team to a 29th place result.

In his track debut last June, he finished 26th.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Intermediate Nuggets: At tracks greater than 1.0-mile in size, Graf has competed in 26 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 25.0 and an average result of 24.2

Put Me In Coach: In an effort to strengthen his physique, Joe Graf Jr. began working with new trainer and former NASCAR Cup Series Josh Wise during the offseason.

In addition to Wise, Graf has also been working with former NASCAR driver and open-wheel driver Scott Speed on being more discipline behind the wheel of his No. 07 G-Coin Chevrolet Camaro.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $90,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will crew chief his 50th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his third race at Atlanta.

In his previous 49 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Rookie Carson Ware will drive the No. 17 JACOB Construction Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday afternoon.

Ware is poised to make his fifth career Xfinity Series start and second of the 2021 season but first at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Atlanta Motor Speedway: “Atlanta is a very unique race track, especially since the pavement is the oldest of any track that we race on throughout the year. It is going to be hot this weekend in Atlanta, which means the track will be slick, hopefully, we can use that to our advantage.

“I’m glad to have Z Grills back on the car this weekend and hopefully we can give them their best finish of the season on Saturday afternoon.”

On New Leadership: “I have a positive outlook on the second half of the season even though the results were not what we were hoping for to start the year.

“I will continue to work hard and give everything both on and off the track to enhance the overall presence and performance of our team and partners for the rest of the 2021 season.”

On Recent Performances: “Most of the first half of the season has been tough, however, it is during times like this that all your mental discipline and training really come to the forefront.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of mental toughness in overcoming obstacles you don’t control.

“When I look at the speed and balance of our cars this year, they are much better than last year. That isn’t from luck. That is from the hard work and grind it out mental toughness of this team.

“It’s such a shame that we have had such a rough stretch, but this is no different than life. We all experience highs and lows in life. Like anyone at a low point, we are going to remain mentally tough and keep moving forward. We embrace the suck. We know it can’t last.

“Going forward we are going to focus on what we can control and continue to execute at our highest level during the second half of the year. There are a ton of races left in the season and hopefully, we have shaken the bad luck. I would be worried if our cars lacked competitiveness, but they don’t. We have a lot of racing left and we are due for some good luck.”
Race Information:

The Credit Karma Money 250 (163 laps | 251.02 miles) is the 18th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The race will take the green flag on Sat., Jul. 10, 2021, shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).
About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter has been a mainstay in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.

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