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Shore Lunch Returns to Sponsor ARCA Menards Series Race at Iowa Speedway

By
Official Release
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NEWTON, Iowa (June 17, 2021) –Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America and Iowa Speedway today announced that Shore Lunch will return as title sponsor of the ARCA Menards Series race on Saturday, July 24. The 150-lap race will be the ARCA Menards Series’ 15th visit to Iowa Speedway dating back to the track’s opening weekend in 2006.

“The ARCA Menards Series has a long history at Iowa Speedway,” said ARCA President Ron Drager. “ARCA was the first racing series to ever race at Iowa. It’s a great track, a blend of fender-to-fender action and high speeds and it has hosted some of the most exciting ARCA races in our history.”

The Shore Lunch 150 will be the fifth race of the Sioux Chief Showdown, a 10-race series set to attract the top teams in the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, in addition to the stars from the ARCA Menards Series. Past ARCA winners at Iowa include current NASCAR Cup Series drivers Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman, along with drivers like ARCA’s all-time race winner Frank Kimmel, former ARCA Menards Series champions and current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship contenders Grant Enfinger and Sheldon Creed. Local favorite Mason Mitchell was victorious in 2015, and Steve Wallace, son of Cup Series champion and track designer Rusty Wallace, won the inaugural race at the track in 2006.

“We’re sure glad to have the ARCA Menards Series racing at Iowa Speedway this summer,” said Jeff Abbott, Spokesperson for Menards. “Iowa Speedway is an incredible facility and we’re lucky it’s located right in the heart of Menards Country. We know that the great Iowa Speedway race fans are also customers of Menards. We look forward to seeing them at the track in July for another great ARCA Menards Series short track race.”

Shore Lunch soups, breading and batters first partnered with ARCA series sponsor Menards in 2016. The business-to-business relationship between Menards, the country’s third largest home improvement retail chain, and Summit Hill Foods, a leading food company with brands such as Better Than Bouillon, The Original Louisiana Hot Sauce and Southeastern Mills Gravy and Baking Mixes, along with Shore Lunch, brings opportunities for Summit Hill Foods to showcase our brands to Iowa’s Menards customer base.

“Summit Hill Foods is excited to again partner with ARCA and Menards for the Shore Lunch 150.  It is great to see racing back with strong fan participation and we look forward to a very successful and fun event at Iowa Speedway” said Steve Goodyear, Senior Vice President-Sales & Marketing for Summit Hill Foods.

The day’s track activity will start with a 45-minute practice session at 5:15 pm ET/4:15 pm local, with General Tire Pole Qualifying next at 7 pm ET/6 pm local with the Shore Lunch 150 to follow at 9 pm ET/8 pm local. Advance discounted tickets are available by visiting any one of the 13 central Iowa-area Menards locations. The Shore Lunch 150 will be televised live on MAVTV and streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

About ARCA

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly racing all across the country, the organization is scheduled to administer more than 100 events in multiple racing series in 2020, including the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.  For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing).

About Menards

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro! 

Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

About Iowa Speedway

Iowa Speedway, The Fastest Short Track on the Planet, is a state-of-the-art 7/8-mile asphalt paved tri-oval racetrack and motorsports facility located in Newton, Iowa. For tickets, call 1.866.787.8946. To learn more, visit www.IowaSpeedway.com, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

About Summit Hill Foods

Summit Hill Foods is headquartered in Rome, Georgia. The company’s core strength is the development and manufacture of ingredient systems used to deliver superior flavor. Key customers include global and regional food manufacturers, restaurants, and foodservice distributors. The company also markets nationally distributed retail brands including Better Than Bouillon, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Southeastern Mills, Shore Lunch, and Better Than Gravy. Summit Hill Foods operates manufacturing facilities located in Rome, Georgia, Salt Lake City, Utah and New Iberia, Louisiana. www.shfoods.com

GMS Racing to Compete in NASCAR Cup Series in 2022

By
Official Release
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STATESVILLE, N.C. (June 17, 2021) – GMS Racing announced today it is anticipating the team’s NASCAR Cup Series debut in the upcoming 2022 season.

“GMS is always looking forward and I believe this is the next step for the team in that process,” said team owner Maury Gallagher. “We have the goal to be a championship caliber team in any series in which we compete, and I am excited to watch the team grow in the coming years.”

Since its formation in 2014, GMS Racing has won 61 races across the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. GMS also took home the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship as well as the ARCA East championship in 2019 and 2020.

“GMS has always risen to the occasion and proven that we are a team capable of competing at every level of this sport,” said Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing. “We have been preparing to make this step and with the addition of the Next Gen car in 2020, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the move.”

As the team actively seeks partnership opportunities for the 2022 Cup Series season, GMS Racing expects further announcements regarding driver and event schedule to come at a later date.

About GMS Racing – GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Jack Wood. The team also competes in the ARCA Menards Series with Daniel Dye. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship and 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https:/gmsracing.net

Brandon Davis Music and KickinTheTires.net Join Brandonbilt Motorsports for NASCAR’s Return to the Music City

By
Official Release
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Brandon Davis Music and KickinTheTires.net Join Brandonbilt Motorsports for NASCAR’s Return to the Music City

Track: Nashville Superspeedway | 1.33 Mile D-Shaped Oval
Race: 16 of 33
Event: Tennessee Lottery 250
Practice: Friday, June 18 | 4:05 p.m. ET | NBCSN
Qualifying: Saturday, June 19 | 12:35 p.m. ET | NBCSN
Race: Saturday, June 19 | 3:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN & MRN
Stages: 45 / 90 / 188

Brown on Nashville:

“I’m excited to be racing at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend for the first time in my career. I feel like our team has shown some great success at Dover, which is also a concrete race track, so hopefully we can transition that same type of performance into Nashville (Superspeedway) this weekend.

“There are definitely a lot of unknown’s as we head into the busy weekend in the Music City, but one thing that’s for certain is how great our No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro looks; I think that the acoustic guitar running down the side of our race car really plays into the country music theme of Nashville.

“This weekend, I’m proud to welcome both Jerry Jordan and kickinthetires.net as well as Brandon Davis Music to our team for Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250.

“Kickinthetires.net is a multi-platform media company that is primarily focused on covering our great sport of NASCAR. They’ve been in the industry for almost 20-years and have always done an outstanding job of promoting the drivers, teams and their stories.

“Brandon Davis is a rising country singer-songwriter that has had some real breakout success over the last year. It’s really cool to be able to represent him and his music on our No. 68 this weekend and it’s going to be even more special to host Brandon and his family at the track for the race on Saturday.

“I know that I speak for our entire Brandonbilt Motorsports organization when I say that we’re ready to put our No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro in Victory Lane. We’ve been close a handful of times this year and we’re looking at Nashville to be the great equalizer with the inexperience that most of us in the Xfinity Series have at this track; so hopefully we can come away with a strong run.”
About KickinTheTires.net

Kickin’ the Tires is a multi-platform media company primarily focused on NASCAR coverage. Our popularity and successful staff of talented writers and photographers have helped us grow our coverage to include IndyCar, IMSA, ARCA, iRacing, SuperCross, Motocross and local grassroots racing. Stay informed and up-to-date on what happens in, and around, the garage by visiting our website KickinTheTires.net or by logging onto our Facebook Fan Page. You can even watch The Kickin’ Show each week on YouTube or listen to it on multiple podcast networks.

To learn more about Kickin’ The Tires, visit www.kickinthetires.net.

Facebook: Kickin’ the Tires
Instagram: @kickinthetires
Twitter: @KicknTheTires

About Brandon Davis
Brandon Davis is a rising Tennessee singer-songwriter and social media sensation, whose single, “Step by Step,” recently reached #1 on the iTunes Country chart. A few other notable singles include: “What Cowboys Are For” and “Ice Cold.”

Facebook: Brandon Davis Music
Instagram: @brandondavis_music
Twitter: @brandondavis_bd
TikTok: @brandondavis_music

To learn more about Brandon Davis and find a tour stop closest to you, visit www.brandondavismusic.com.

About Brandonbilt Motorsports

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

Ford Performance NASCAR VIDEO: Next Gen Mustang Takes on Charlotte Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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NASCAR NEXT GEN MUSTANG TAKES ON CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Ford’s new 2022 NASCAR Next Gen Mustang recently took to the track for the first time since being unveiled publicly last month as part of a two-day test at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  The car, which was driven by David Ragan, is preparing for its on-track debut during Daytona Speedweeks in February.  This Mustang is all-new with many technological advancements, including independent rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, 18-inch aluminum forged wheels, and a symmetric body.

Exclusive: Interview with Tony Pedregon- The Force Years

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of Tony Pedregon Racing

In this week’s interview, Speedway Media catches up with two-time Funny Car champion and current NHRA on FOX commentator, Tony Pedregon.

We picked up with Pedregon as he discussed his years with John Force Racing, close finishes, racing with Force, making a name for himself and numerous other topics regarding his 1997 to 2002 years in NHRA Drag Racing.

SM: In our last interview we talked about your 1996 season when you were hired by John Force to drive for his Funny Car team and how you got your first win that year at the Southern Nationals in Atlanta, out-racing Force in the final round. You recalled telling him after the win that he had “created another winner,” but also said that it created some awkwardness. When the 1997 season rolled around, had the awkwardness worn off enough that the two of you were comfortable having conversations about anything or was your relationship strictly racing related?

TP: “No, I think after I won that first race (Atlanta, 1996), it (me winning) was a little bit of a shock (to John Force),” Pedregon said. “I don’t know if anyone would have anticipated the feeling when I won. The feeling for me was great. That was the opportunity of a lifetime for me. For John (Force, Pedregon’s former Team Owner), it was a matter of him just having a better understanding of what he was building, adding another driver, etc. The idea was to build an R&D program to help him win and be more successful.”

“I don’t know if he (Force) understood all the things that came with it. After the ego fell off, he was able to leverage that. He was able to go back and say ‘Look, I built another program, this is a winner.” I was younger, somewhat marketable. I just wish he would have known that at dinner that night.”

SM: Did you think it was hard for Force to realize that he had something with you that he could build on?

TP: “Yeah, I don’t think it had set in,” he added. “It was not the most pleasant dinner, to be honest with you. (The) dinner was in Atlanta and there used to be this steakhouse called BT Bones. There were so many of us and I kept looking over, his close friend he grew up with, I was sitting next to him and he said ‘Boy, he’s not happy.’ I was young and I was thinking at least I won the race. Those are the things you go through. It was the start of something good, kind of broke the ice.”

SM: Entering the 1997 season, I recall us talking about you finishing second in points in 1996. As you entered the ’97 season, were there any discussions with your team about how to finish one spot better? I assume that a championship was the goal for you in ’97.

TP: “Not really,” Pedregon said. “It (winning the championship) took a few years. I think I understood my role with John. To be honest with you, John had the stronger car. We grew into a team that could win two to three races. John’s car was just more consistent. When we would race, they would set John’s car up to win under any circumstance.”

“I remember in those early years, that was the kind of position I accepted when I worked for him. I think I was a good teammate, good player. I understood my role, but what happens over time is that changes. Just like anything else, people change. John would tell me if you guys get out there, I’m going to let you go. Whether he really meant it or was telling me to keep me mentally in the game, I think it was a little bit of both.”

SM: Do you think him saying that was an intimidation factor?

TP: “No, I don’t think so,” he said. “John always wanted to get to know people and one of the ways he would do that is going to bars. When we would race, we would always stay at a motel with a bar where we raced. I was a little frustrated with John, because if he hired someone to work on the car, he wanted to get to know him and hang out with him.” 

“It was frustrating for him because I wouldn’t drink. He asked ‘Can I at least get you some milk?’ I said ‘John, what you see is what you get. I’m quiet and put the work in, I’m here and committed. I don’t think he ever thought it was that simple.” 

SM: You opened that season up hot racing to a final round at the Winternationals against Force. Unfortunately, you came up a bit short after smoking the tires and moving toward the guardrail. When you look back on that, how tough was it losing in the Winternationals? Was it more disappointing to lose to Force than another competitor or did you look at it as a great finish for the team?

TP: “I used to play it off, like at least I lost to John,” Pedregon said. “To be honest, the feeling of (losing to John) wasn’t any different. It (losing to him) was a bummer. I almost never looked forward to racing John, because we were teammates. I thought if there is a built-in advantage, then he has it (the advantage).” 

“I intentionally didn’t really ask questions. I’m just going to get in the car and do what I can. I would always do things I wouldn’t typically do. I thought well, if they’re going to make my car lose traction. We tried that a couple of times, but it didn’t happen. That was always the funny part, if we tried to pull something like that.” 

SM: The Slick 50 Nationals was the site of your first win that season and under special circumstances. You defeated your brother Cruz in what was the first ever round between brothers in NHRA history. What were the days like leading up to that event and what transpired afterward? You almost got the win yourself as you got close to the wall.

TP: “I’ll never forget that race,” he said. “I’ll always remember we had a good car. I remember in the semi-finals and watching Cruz (Pedregon’s brother) win and thought that it would be cool if we could race each other in the final and I’ll never forget the feeling.” 

“When the race was over, for me, it felt like a mission accomplished. Whatever happened after that was icing on the cake. Cruz and I come from humble beginnings, we were at the right place and right time. I didn’t really feel a lot of pressure racing in the finals. Whatever I do is going to be fine, whether I win or lose.” 

“I remember at half track, the car started to drift toward the right. I had the steering wheel cranked to the left. Just before I got to the finish line, I thought if I don’t get off the throttle, I’m going to hit the wall. I was looking over to see if Cruz would blow by me and he never did, so that was a pleasant surprise.” 

“It was emotional to me, not necessarily after getting out of the car but Rick Stewart (former NHRA starter) walked to me and he had raced with my dad (Frank Pedregon Sr.) in the 60s and told me when you guys were backing up, he looked up, and that was emotional to me.” 

SM: 1997 was definitely a stepping stone for you as you earned two victories. Were you by that point more comfortable with the car and horsepower of the Funny Car and not on a learning curve anymore?

TP: “Not as much,” Pedregon said about the learning curve. “I remember after the first win, John was in the parking lot and he pulled up and I saw him. He was on the phone with someone, and said, you’ll be happy to hear, I got a full-year (1997) for you. I thought wow, that’s pretty good. That took a lot of questions out of it.” 

SM: In 1998, you and Force ran similar cars. Force ran the famous Castrol GTX while you drove the Castrol Syntec machine. Talk about how the sponsorship from Castrol came about and were there ever any moments where there was confusion since you both had the same sponsor? 

TP: “When the Syntec sponsorship rolled around, it gave me my own identity,” he said. “I was no longer in the shadow of John. Just because the car was black, we had our own identity. As far as the mentality of the driver being able to be successful, from that perspective, it (sponsorship) was a good thing.”

SM: During that year, you met Force in the second round of eliminations for the first time in a match-up between the Castrol cars at the Gatornationals. You had the jump on him but unfortunately you lost traction and Force went by you for the win. How tough was that since it was the first match-up between the Castrol schemes?

TP: “It’s definitely not the preferred match-up,” Pedregon said about the Force-Pedregon race. “It doesn’t make for the most pleasant Saturday afterward. I remember thinking if we were on the ladder in the second round, he’ll (John) get beat. Maybe, I won’t have to race him. At least we lost to him. At times, I had to force myself to stay positive. I had to make an effort to do it because competitively, it wasn’t the best feeling.”

SM: Just a few races later at the Fram Nationals, you were in a first-round match-up with Ron Capps. Your reaction time was .02 but Capps rocked it to the finish line for the round one win. It seemed as though in 1998, you and the team were on fire and gelling really well but losing in close races. Was that starting to get frustrating for you? 

TP: “It always was frustrating,” he said about losing close races. “I remember most of those losses because you never get over it. I never kept track of reaction times and how many holeshots I won, lost. I do know anytime I lost in a close race, I told myself ‘don’t forget that.’ If you race long enough, you’re going to get beat. I just always knew that wasn’t going to happen. I thought, ‘I can’t give them that (win) next time.” 

SM: Jumping ahead to 1999, you recorded what was at that time, the quickest Funny Car pass in history, with a pass of 4.799 seconds. Can you remember what it was like going that fast? What were your feelings afterward?

TP: “I remember breaking into the 70s mark,” Pedregon said. “I remember getting off the throttle in those quick runs, because the body started to move around. I just remember I would get out of the car, I was glad to stay on the throttle. There again, we continued to get better as a team as the season wore on.” 

SM: 1999 seemed to be a breakout year for you. You finished second in the standings once again. In addition, you earned three wins with seven final-round appearances, qualified for all the races and had four No. 1 qualifiers. What made 1999 so special for you and the team?

TP: “Just chemistry,” he said. “I got better as a driver and more consistent. I think John Medlen (Pedregon’s former Crew Chief) would always tell me the most important part of the car is the fuel pump and the other was a supercharger. If we had a good one or two (supercharger), John’s team would take it. There again, we were the R&D car.” 

“After a while, I could see things change. We became more competitive. He would have to pick and choose which supercharger to put on because we had the best. Out of those superchargers, John (Force) would pick the best and we would get leftovers, but we would make it work.”

SM: In 2000, you won your first ever career race at Topeka defeating none other than John Force. In the post-race interview, you said “If you have to beat John to make a living, you’re not going to do very well.” How special was that first win at Topeka? Was it a bucket list item?

TP: “Topeka, if the conditions were right, the track would be known for quick and fast,” Pedregon said. “I remember some of the post-race interviews, especially if John was in the final and thought ‘oh. They want both of us, it’s not just me having the freedom to say what I want.’ However, I had that respect for John.” 

“John and I’s relationship was good. Things could get a little tough, I think we were always really solid as far as our relationship goes.” 

SM: After the runner-up finish at the Winternationals, you were victorious at the Englishtown Nationals when you were the No. 1 qualifier for the first time in your career and you won against Force. What do you remember about that win and the event? I’m sure Englishtown remains very special in your career.

TP: “Englishtown always was (for me),” he said. “In ‘01, things started to change. The competition was really good. It was just Englishtown. The good races were Gatornationals, Winternationals, and Englishtown. Englishtown is one of those (tracks) that has so much history. I go ‘Wow, we won Englishtown.’ If you could win those A races, those are the best ones.” 

SM: 2002 was another breakout year for you. You won six races out of eight final rounds and once again finished second in the standings in two consecutive years to Force and for the fourth time in your career.  Was not winning a championship started to get frustrating for you? 

TP: “I wouldn’t say frustrating,” Pedregon said. “In 2002, that’s when the game changed for me, because I don’t remember specifically what races we won but I do remember we won two in a row, they were past the halfway point in the season. When we won two in a row, he (Force) missed a couple of beats and we got close to him in the points.” 

“When we got close to him in the points, that’s where it really came for me. I think we got close to 11 points. And when I got close, they (Force’s team) would call me back into the shop and it was Force, Austin (Coil, Force’s former crew chief) and Medlen and Bernie. They sat me down in Bernie’s office before California. It was Bernie who was always talking.” 

“I’ll give you the short version. I know John told you, you had the chance, but you don’t have a chance (of winning the championship).” That to me was when it all changed for me. I didn’t say anything in the meeting, because I just listened to everything they said and I thought we were done in those meetings and John asked if I had anything to say and I said ‘anything I say will not change the outcome.’ If you’re asking me if I like it, I said ‘no.’ 

“I said ‘John you gotta understand. When I wake up in the morning, what drives me to be good is if you think you had a chance.’ I would have been better off if you guys didn’t tell me. I walked out of that meeting and thought there’s nothing more I could do. We raced in the finals at Pomona and he beat me on a holeshot. I remember thinking if I beat him, they’re going to make my car smoke the tires, because the caveat for John that year was (winning) 10 championships in a row. Everyone was prepared for that, so therefore, I was never going to win if I made it to the final. I remember leaving the track that day, I just have to deal with it.” 

SM: Obviously, winning the Gatornationals was special for you. A few days earlier, your grandma had died and you mentioned her in victory lane. I’m sure Gatornationals 2002 was a very emotional day for you.

TP: “Yeah, yeah,” Pedregon said about the emotional win. “We weren’t as close to some of our family members as we would have liked, because we were racing. We spend so much time on the road. I think back on it and say ‘Why couldn’t we have carved out a little more time?’ I think they knew this is the path we chose.” 

SM: Wrapping part two up, what would you say are your favorite memories from 1997 to 2002 as you began to come into your own? 

TP: “We had some good times,” the two-time Funny Car champion said. “We had some not-so-good times that we haven’t talked about yet. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I think there are periods of time where guys that drive race cars live like rockstars. Not particularly at that level, but for us it was. You know, the circus comes to town, you roll in with these big trailers with names on them, suit up and put a helmet on, it’s almost like you’re different. I really enjoyed being around John (Force). The challenging times are far overshadowed from the good times he and I had. I could never blame him for wanting the control that he had because the business was his. I always understood that. That part of our relationship was good.” 

Special thanks to Tony Pedregon for taking time out of his busy schedule to conduct this interview.

Fans of Tony Pedregon can follow him on Twitter here.

Notes Package for Camping World SRX Series Event No. 2 at Knoxville

By
Official Release
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Camping World SRX Series at Knoxville
Round 2 of 6 – Knoxville Raceway – June 19 LIVE on CBS

WHAT: Camping World SRX Series (Round 2 of 6)
WHERE: Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa
WHEN: 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 19
DISTANCE: Feature consists of 50 laps (preceded by two 12-minute heat races, which sets starting lineup)
CARS: Purpose-built SRX racecars
TV: LIVE on the CBS Television Network with streaming on Paramount+ Premium at 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 19

● Host: Lindsay Czarniak

● Booth: Allen Bestwick (play-by-play) and Danica Patrick (driver analyst)

● Pit Reporter: Matt Yocum

● Roaming Analyst: Brad Daugherty

● Producer: Pam Miller

● Director: Jim Cornell

THE TRACK: Knoxville Raceway (half-mile, semi-banked dirt oval)

● Banking: 8 degrees in the turns; 4 degrees on the straightaways

● Width: 80 feet on frontstretch; 60 feet on backstretch; 70 feet in corners

● Frontstretch Length: 600 feet

● Backstretch Length: 600 feet

SPOTTER GUIDE: Car color, car number, driver and series they represent

● Black: No. 98 of Marco Andretti (INDYCAR)

● Teal: No. 18 of Bobby Labonte (NASCAR)

● Yellow: No. 2 of Ernie Francis Jr.(TRANS AM)

● Red: No. 3 of Helio Castroneves (INDYCAR and IMSA)

● Lime Green: No. 13 of Paul Tracy (INDYCAR)

● Purple: No. 9 of Bill Elliott (NASCAR)

● Magenta: No. 1 of Hailie Deegan (NASCAR)

● Gold: No. 00 of Scott Bloomquist (DIRT LATE MODEL)

● Indigo: No. 17 of Willy T. Ribbs (TRANS AM, IMSA and INDYCAR)

● Patriotic: No. 21 of Brian Brown (KNOXVILLE ALL-STAR)

● Orange: No. 14 of Tony Stewart (NASCAR, INDYCAR and USAC)

● Blue: No. 15 of Michael Waltrip (NASCAR)

LAST WEEK: Round 1 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut

● Feature Winner: Doug Coby (Local All-Star)

● Heat Race No 1 Winner: Greg Biffle (Ringer)

● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Doug Coby

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: After Round 1 of 6

  1. Tony Stewart (36 points)
  2. Bobby Labonte (32 points, -4)
  3. Ernie Francis Jr. (31 points, -5)
  4. Helio Castroneves (30 points, -6)
  5. Tony Kanaan (26 points, -10)
  6. Michael Waltrip (18 points, -18)
  7. Paul Tracy (16 points, -20)
  8. Marco Andretti (15 points, -21)
  9. Willy T. Ribbs (15 points, -21)
  10. Bill Elliott (15 points, -21)

THE LOCAL ALL-STAR: BRIAN BROWN

Hometown: Grain Valley, Missouri, United States

Social: IG: @brianbrownracing / Twitter: @brianbrown21

● A driver-owner with 180 career feature victories, including five in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.

● Four-time and reigning 410 Sprint Car champion at Knoxville (2007, 2010, 2019 and 2020), where his 53 wins place him fifth on the all-time list at the historic track.

● Owns 17 wins in 360 Sprint Car competition at Knoxville, seventh-best all-time.

● Was the 360 Sprint Car class champion in 2002 and won the 360 Knoxville Nationals in 2014.

● Had a streak of three consecutive runner-up finishes in the 410 Knoxville Nationals from 2012 through 2014.

● Named Owner of the Year at Knoxville after the 2009 and 2019 seasons.

THE RINGER: SCOTT BLOOMQUIST

Hometown: Mooresburg, Tennessee, United States

Social: Twitter: @bloomquist_0

● Has accumulated more than 600 wins in a career spanning over 40 years.

● Four-time Hav-A-Tampa Late Model champion (1994, 1995, 1998 and 2000).

● Winner of the 2004 World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship.

● Three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion (2009, 2010 and 2016).

● Inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2002.

● Builds Dirt Late Model chassis for select buyers.

THE REPLACEMENT: HAILIE DEEGAN

Hometown: Temecula, California, United States

Social: IG: @HailieDeegan / Twitter: @HailieDeegan / Facebook: @ HailieDeegan4 / TikTok: @HailieDeegan

● Substituting for Tony Kannan at Knoxville and July 10 at Slinger (Wis.) Speedway as Kanaan has schedule conflicts that prevent him from competing in SRX on those two dates.

● Three-time winner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, and was the first female to win a race in the series.

● Currently competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

● At just 19 years old, leads all NASCAR drivers – male and female – in fan engagement on social media.

● Daughter of Brian Deegan, a championship-winning motocross rider, off-road racer and Gold medal-winning X-Games athlete.

THE CREW CHIEFS: ONE LOCAL ALL-STAR and THREE VETERANS

Guy Forbrook is the local all-star crew chief. Forbrook is a second-generation racer from Minnesota and a 2017 inductee into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. His promising driving career was cut short by a passenger car accident at a young age that relegated him to a wheelchair. Though it ended his driving career after double-digit wins throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, Forbrook went on to achieve great success as a mechanic, crew chief and team owner over the past three decades. He put together his first sprint car team with the help of Ron Kohls in 1988 that in its first two years alone claimed 54 feature wins with drivers Jerry Richert Jr., and Danny Lasoski. Forbrook is best known for his success at Knoxville, where he has 87 victories and 11 track championships. His career numbers include more than 288 feature wins at 69 different racetracks in 23 states while working with a virtual who’s who of short-track drivers that includes Lasoski, Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Jac Haudenschild, Terry McCarl, Tim Kaeding and Jeff Shepard.

With a combined 77 NASCAR Cup Series victories between them, Mike Beam, Jeff Hammond and Todd Parrott bring decades of race-winning experience to the Camping World SRX Series. All have won some of the biggest races in NASCAR, from Beam winning the 1994 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway with Bill Elliott, to Hammond helping score Darrell Waltrip’s long-coveted victory in the 1989 Daytona 500, to Parrott’s powerhouse 1996 performance that saw Dale Jarrett win three of NASCAR’s biggest races – the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Brickyard 400.

Beam is a veteran of more than 600 NASCAR Cup Series races over 22 seasons, a run that began with Kyle Petty’s first fulltime season in 1981. Beam scored his maiden Cup Series victory with Elliott in the fall 1990 race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, one of the duo’s 12 top-five finishes en route to fourth in the season championship. The two were victorious again in the 1994 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, and Beam’s most recent Cup Series victory came with driver Ricky Craven in the fall 2001 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. After working his last Cup Series race in 2004, the Hickory, North Carolina-native continued as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series through 2014, highlighted by 10 Xfinity Series victories with Carl Edwards in more than 39 races together at Roush Fenway Racing in 2010 and 2011. In the Truck Series, Beam scored six wins in 14 races with Mark Martin in 2006, and four wins with driver Travis Kvapil in 2007.

Hammond is perhaps best known over the past two decades for his work as a NASCAR television commentator, but he is one of the winningest crew chiefs in Cup Series history. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and former cornerback at East Carolina University under coach Pat Dye, Hammond broke into NASCAR in 1974 as a tire changer and then a jackman at Junior Johnson & Associates and played a role in driver Cale Yarborough’s three consecutive Cup Series titles from 1976 to 1978 before Waltrip’s 1981 championship. Hammond was promoted to crew chief in 1982 at the encouragement of Waltrip, and the duo quickly rose to prominence, winning the series title in their first year together and becoming one of the most prolific driver-crew chief combinations of the 1980s. They scored 43 wins together, added the 1985 championship, and finished runner-up in the 1983 and 1986 title chases. In 1987, Hammond joined Waltrip midseason at Hendrick Motorsports and were winners once again in September at Martinsville. Eight more wins followed, a run that included the 1989 Daytona 500.

Parrott, another Charlotte native, embarked on a remarkable seven-year run with Jarrett in 1996 that featured 26 wins and culminated with the 1999 Cup Series championship while at Robert Yates Racing. This combination finished in the top-three in the title chase for four consecutive seasons from 1996 through 1999 and added a fourth-place finish in 2000 and another top-five in 2001. The duo was victorious one last time at the fall 2005 race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. In his 14-year tenure at Yates, Parrott also worked with drivers Ernie Irvan, Elliott Sadler and David Gilliland, scoring a pair of wins with Sadler in 2004. Parrott began a three-season run at Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010, where he was reunited with Sadler before joining forces with Marcus Ambrose for a run that included back-to-back wins at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in 2011 and 2012.

THE REGULARS:

MARCO ANDRETTI

Hometown: Nazareth, Pennsylvania, United States

Social: IG: @marcoandretti / Twitter: @marcoandretti

● Third-generation racer, son of INDYCAR champion Michael Andretti and grandson of the legendary Mario Andretti.

● Racing select NTT INDYCAR Series races in 2021 (which included the Indianapolis 500).

● Winner of the 2006 INDYCAR Series Rookie of the Year.

● Tested for Honda Racing’s Formula One program in 2006 and 2007.

● Purchased childhood home in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and runs a successful real-estate business.

● Prepared to run the 2020 New York Marathon before the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the event.

HELIO CASTRONEVES

Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil

Social: IG: @heliocastroneves / Twitter: @h3lio / Facebook: @h3lio

● Four-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner (2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021).

● Winner of the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona with co-drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Alexander Rossi.

● Credited with beginning the tradition of climbing the fence after a race win, which he did after scoring his first career INDYCAR victory at the 2000 Detroit Grand Prix.

● Mirror Ball Trophy winner on Season 5 of Dancing With The Stars in 2007, alongside partner Julianne Hough.

BILL ELLIOTT

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia, United States

Social: Twitter: @billelliott9 / Facebook: @billelliott

● Affectionately known as “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”.

● Won the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series championship and is a two-time Daytona 500 winner (1985 and 1987).

● Still holds the track qualifying records at Daytona International Speedway (210.364 mph) and Talladega Superspeedway (212.809 mph), both set in 1987.

● Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

● Voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver by fans a record 16 times.

● Father of reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott. They are the third father-son duo to win NASCAR championships, joining Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and Dale Jarrett.

ERNIE FRANCIS JR.

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Social: IG: @erniefrancisjr / Twitter: @erniefrancisjr

● Winningest driver in the 55-year history of the SCCA Trans Am Series, all while being just 23 years old.

● At 16, became the youngest champion in Trans Am history and is the youngest professional driver to win seven consecutive championships.

● One of his most impressive performances came in the 2018 Trans Am race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He had to miss qualifying because of a NASCAR commitment, but still won the race from the back of the grid.

● Has made select starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR K&N Series.

● Grandfather immigrated to New York City from Haiti five decades ago.

● Counts Willy T. Ribbs as a mentor and, like Ribbs, making a name for himself in Trans Am.

TONY KANAAN

Hometown: Salvador, Brazil

Social: IG: @tkanaan / Twitter: @tonykanaan / Facebook: @tonykanaan

● Won the 2004 INDYCAR championship.

● Winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500.

● Splitting 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series season with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 48 entry, competing in all of the series’ oval races.

● Lebanese ancestry but grew up in Brazil; member of racing “Brat Pack” with Dario Franchitti, Max Papis and the late Greg Moore.

● Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and English.

● Avid triathlete and has completed Ironman event in Hawaii.

BOBBY LABONTE

Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas, United States

Social: IG: @bobby_labonte44 / Twitter: @bobby_labonte

● Won the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series championship and 1991 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

● Won 2001 International Race of Champions (IROC) title, which was the precursor to SRX.

● Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.

● Is a television analyst for FOX, specifically FS1’s RaceDay.

● Competes in the Southern Modified Auto Racing Tour (SMART).

● Founded Longhorn Chassis in 2010 with his brother, Terry, building dirt late model racecars. (Terry is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, earning titles in 1984 and 1996.)

● Owns a Red Mango yogurt shop on the campus of Duke University.

WILLY T. RIBBS

Hometown: San Jose, California, United States

Social: Twitter: @willyribbs

● First African-American to compete in the Indianapolis 500 (1991 and 1993) and the first African-American to test a Formula One car (1986 with Brabham in Estoril, Portugal).

● Winner of the 1977 Dunlop/Autosport Star of Tomorrow Formula Ford 1600 championship.

● A 17-race winner in the SCCA Trans Am Series. Was the 1983 Trans Am Rookie of the Year on the strength of five wins and finished second in the series championship to teammate David Hobbs.

● Won 10 IMSA GTO races driving for the legendary Dan Gurney.

● Showed versatility by competing in Trans Am, IMSA, INDYCAR and various NASCAR divisions, including the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.

● Made 46 INDYCAR starts between 1990-1994.

● After retiring from racing, became a professional shooter in the National Sporting Clays Association. Ribbs’ son, Theodore, is also a professional shooter.

● In the Disney Channel cartoon The Proud Family, character Penny proud and her friends attend Willy T. Ribbs Middle School, where the mascot is “Racer.”

● Ribbs was the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary, Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story.

TONY STEWART

Hometown: Columbus, Indiana, United States

Social: IG: @tsrsmoke / Twitter: @tonystewart / Facebook: @tonystewart / YouTube: @tonystewart14

● Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (2002, 2005 and 2011), 1997 INDYCAR Series champion and four-time USAC champion.

● Stewart is the first and only driver to win championships in stock cars, Indy cars and open-wheel Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown cars.

● Co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, winner of two NASCAR Cup Series championships (2011 and 2014).

● Owner of Tony Stewart Racing, winner of 26 championships – 14 in USAC, nine in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and three in the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets.

● Inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2020), the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame (2020), the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2019), the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2019), the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame (2019), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame (2018), the USAC Hall of Fame (2016) and the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame (2001).

● Formed the Tony Stewart Foundation in 2003.The 501(c)(3) organization’s goal is to raise funds primarily distributed to serving three specific groups – chronically ill and physically disabled children, animals that are endangered or at-risk, and drivers injured in the sport of motor racing. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly $7 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 150 well-qualified organizations throughout the United States.

PAUL TRACY

Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

Social: IG: @paultracyofficial

● Current NBC TV commentator for its INDYCAR broadcasts.

● Won the 2003 INDYCAR championship.

● Finished second to Helio Castroneves in the 2002 Indianapolis 500.

● Has competed in NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, and dabbled in professional downhill mountain bike racing.

MICHAEL WALTRIP

Hometown: Owensboro, Kentucky, United States

Social: IG: @mwr55 / Twitter: @mw55 / Facebook: @michaelcwaltrip

● Two-time Daytona 500 winner (2001 and 2003).

● Younger brother of three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip.

● Color commentator for FOX’s broadcasts of NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, as well as pre-race commentator for FOX’s broadcast of NASCAR Cup Series races.

● Author of a New York Times best-seller in 2011, In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything. A documentary film adaptation was released in 2019.

● An avid runner, competed in the 2000 Boston Marathon.

● Participated in season 19 of Dancing With The Stars in 2014.

About Camping World SRX Series:

The Camping World SRX Series was created by a team consisting of Sandy Montag and The Montag Group, George Pyne, NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham, and legendary driver Tony Stewart. The Montag Group leads business operations and Evernham oversees all racing operations. Pyne is a member of the Board and serves as an advisor. For more information, please visit us online at www.SRXracing.com, on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance – Nashville

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Official Release
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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Nashville

Nashville heads to Music City this weekend, at a track that last hosted the league a decade ago. Despite no Cup races visiting Nashville Superspeedway, Roush Fenway does have quite the list of accomplishments at the all concrete facility including six Xfinity Series wins.

NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, June 20 | 3:30 p.m. ET
NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

  • Ryan Newman, No. 6 Planters Ford Mustang
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang

All-Star Recap, Nashville Preview

  • Buescher came up just short of advancing to Sunday night’s All-Star Race, after getting spun out early in the action and finishing third overall in the final stage.
  • Newman finished 20th in the All-Star Race, his 20th start in the annual exhibition event.
  • Fifth Third Bank rides along with Buescher on the No. 17 Ford this weekend.
  • Planters, the 115-year old snack brand, and the iconic Mr. Peanut will ride along Newman’s machine this weekend. Planters served as an associate on the four races leading up to Nashville (COTA, Charlotte, Sonoma, Texas).

Nashville Superspeedway Hosts Halfway Point, New Look in Cup Schedule

This weekend marks week 18 of the NASCAR Cup Series season, the halfway point of the 36-race schedule, and with it comes a new facility in Nashville, Tennessee, along with TV coverage switching from the FOX networks to NBC.
Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval in Lebanon, Tennessee, will host the NCS for the first time in its history. The facility – about a 40-minute drive from Nashville – once hosted NASCAR, ARCA and IndyCar events during its operation from 2001-11. The new event is one of many changes on the revamped 2021 schedule, and one of three tracks the series will visit for the first time.
NBC’s portion of the schedule gets underway with this weekend’s action on NBCSN. In total, 12 races are planned on that network, with eight slated for the network NBC channel.

Practice and Qualifying Back for Nashville!
With another new track on tap this weekend, the schedule again includes both practice and qualifying, a theme not all too common in the 2021 schedule. The NCS will practice for just under an hour Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. ET, and it will be live on NBCSN and MRN. Qualifying will take place Sunday morning at 11:05 a.m. ET, and will also be televised on NBCSN and MRN.

Roush Responsible for Very First, Very Last NASCAR Events at Nashville Superspeedway

NASCAR’s tenure at Nashville lasted around a decade, and Jack Roush not only opened but closed out the run the Xfinity Series had there with victories. In the very first NXS race back in 2001, Greg Biffle led 133 of the 225 laps to capture one of his five series wins that season. Carl Edwards, responsible for five NXS wins at Nashville Superspeedway, won the very last NASCAR race there, leading 124 of the 225 laps in July of 2011.

Cousin Carl Dominates in Music City

Edwards dominated in his 13 starts at Nashville, finishing top-10 in all but once race, and top five in all but two. He averaged a finish of 3.5 with five overall wins, including three-straight from 2006-07, and the final two in 2011. Driving the No. 60 entry in all 13 events, Edwards led a combined 247 laps in the first three wins, then went on to lead a combined 272 laps in the 2011 races, which stands as the last time NASCAR visited the facility.

Tale of the Tape
Overall at Nashville SS, 13 different drivers drove for Jack Roush at the 1.33-mile track, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., as the lone driver among that list still active. Roush has 28 top-10s in 46 starts, 17 of which were inside the top five, with an average finish of 12th and 813 laps led.

Roush Fenway Nashville Wins
2001 Biffle
2006 Edwards
2007 Edwards
2011 Edwards
2011 Edwards
2007 Edwards

Rackley W.A.R.’s Team Report: Nashville Superspeedway

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Official Release
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Team Report
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: Rackley Roofing 200
Date: Friday, June 18, 2021
Venue: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
Track Description: 1.333 mile(s)
Race: 150 laps / 199.5 miles

Rackley W.A.R.’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2021, the Centerville, Tenn.,-based organization has logged 11 starts with two drivers, Timothy Peters and Josh Berry, resulting in an average starting position of 22.6 and an average finishing position of 24.4.

Locally Sourced … Rackley Roofing, Tennessee’s top commercial roofing contractor, will adorn both of the Rackley W.A.R. entries at the Nashville Superspeedway as the primary partner. Established in 1974, Rackley Roofing has become one of the leading industrial and commercial roofing contractors in Tennessee. The mission of Rackley Roofing, based in Nashville, Tenn., is to transform the roofing industry through unmatched customer service, documentation, and safety.

Music City Veteran: Willie Allen … Rackley W.A.R. co-owner Willie Allen, who spent seven years as a driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), has experience at the Nashville Superspeedway. The 2007 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts (2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011) at the Lebanon, Tenn.,-facility. Allen, a Bon Aqua, Tenn.,-native, has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts (2007, 2008, and 2010) at the Nashville Superspeedway.

Catch the Action … The Rackley Roofing 200 at the Nashville Superspeedway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Friday, June 18, starting with NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS Nashville at 7:00 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the 12th event of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Friday at 5:00 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Josh Berry
No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado

Smashville Debut … This weekend marks Josh Berry’s debut at the Nashville Superspeedway with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Speedway Stats: Josh Berry has three combined NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on speedways (tracks 1 to 2-miles in length). The Hendersonville, Tenn.,-native has collected one top-10 finish (Texas) and an average finish of 15.00.

Pit Stall Selections … Pit Stall 26, towards Turn 4.

Atop the Pit Box: Chad Kendrick … Chad Kendrick, crew chief for the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado, has one top-five finish and two top-ten finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the 1.333-mile concrete track in six starts, and collected the pole award in 2009. In addition, he is credited with leading 33 laps at the Nashville Superspeedway as a crew chief. Kendrick’s average finish is 11.7 among four different drivers.

In the Rearview Mirror: Texas Motor Speedway … Josh Berry, driver of the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley W.A.R., finished in the 10th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 220 at the Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 12, in Fort Worth, Texas. Berry started in the 33rd-place in the 36-truck field, and at the end of Stage 1 on Lap 35 he was in the 10th-place. By the end of Stage 2 on Lap 70, Berry was scored in the sixthplace. He was scored as high as the second-place at the Texas Motor Speedway. Although Berry crossed the finish-line in the 11th-place, he ultimately collected a top ten finish due to the disqualification of the third-place finisher.

William Byron
No. 27 Cruisin Sports / Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado

Preparation … William Byron will return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the first time since 2016 when he competes with Rackley W.A.R. By entering the Rackley Roofing 200, the 23-year-old will get additional seat time to prepare
for the NASCAR Cup Series event on Sunday, June 20.

Music City Premiere … This weekend marks William Byron’s debut at the Nashville Superspeedway with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) driver has two starts at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway located in Nashville, Tenn.
Speedway Stats: William Byron has 14 combined NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on speedways (tracks 1 to
2-miles in length). The Charlotte, N.C.,-native has collected five victories, six top-five finishes, and eight top-10 finishes,
with an average finish of 4.4 and two pole awards.

Atop the Pit Box: Willie Allen … Willie Allen, crew chief for the No. 27 Cruisin Sports / Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado, will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series crew chief debut at the Nashville Superspeedway.

QUOTE WORTHY

Josh Berry, driver of the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley W.A.R.

“This weekend at the Nashville Superspeedway is going to be exciting for Rackley W.A.R. and Rackley Roofing, racing in their hometown. We had a great run at the Texas Motor Speedway, and we are going to do our best to continue to build on that momentum and bring home another solid finish in the Rackley Roofing 200.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 27 Cruisin Sports / Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley W.A.R.

“I am excited to get back in a truck this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. It’s been a while since I have been in one, but thankfully there is practice to get readjusted, especially at a track I don’t know. That’s going to be the biggest thing about racing at Nashville – no one knows what to expect. Even those that have raced there before, it has been so long since then, and so many things have changed. I think that while it’s labeled a ‘superspeedway,’ it’s going to race closer to running Dover (International Speedway) because of the tight corners and the concrete surface. There are still a lot of unknowns though.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to race with Rackley W.A.R. This weekend, I am looking to win two guitars and that starts
with the Rackley Roofing 200 on Friday night.”

Follow Rackley W.A.R. on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit Rackley W.A.R.’s Twitter page – @Rackley_WAR, and on Instagram at @rackley_war. “Like” Rackley W.A.R. on the official Facebook page at facebook.com/RackleyWAR.

Natalie Decker will have sponsorship from Red Street Records this weekend in Nashville

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Official Release
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“NATALIE DECKER WILL MAKE ‘records spin round’ NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY WITH RED STREET RECORDS AND OUR MOTORSPORTS IN THE NO. 23””

Statesville, NC (June 15, 2021) – The NASCAR Xfinity Tennessee Lottery 250 will take the green June 19th at 3:30pm ET on NBCSN. For those fans in attendance, there will be a full day filled with much entertainment leading up to the race that you won’t want to miss.

“Nashville Superspeedway will be a first for me and for other young drivers. “I’m so thankful I have the opportunity to make this debut opening of the track, it means a lot to me! Especially because my partner Red Street Records is from Nashville and they all will be here cheering my team on.” Natalie Decker explained.

In 2021 for the NXS Red Street Records has partnered with Decker at Daytona Road Course and Talladega with the artists Jason Crabb and Cade Thompson on the hoods. “It has been an honor to represent Christian song writers and I have made life long friends with everyone at Red Street Records. It’s so inspiring to spend time with this group.” Natalie Decker stated.

“I am really looking forward to getting back with Our Motorsports Team No. 23 and learning the Nashville Track. Our Motorsports is a very strong team and they give me a lot of support on and off the track.” Natalie Decker explained.

Our motorsports is excited to work with Natalie again to get another great finish at Nashville,” said team owner Chris Our.

“We are incredibly proud to be sponsoring Natalie Decker for NASCAR Nashville. She is a powerful example within the sport and it’s exciting to be hosting her and No. 23 in our hometown Music City,” said Mark Lusk, President/GM Red Street Record.

Catch the action this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway on June 19th at 3:30 PM E.T. Coverage will be held on NBCSC and MRN.

Spencer Davis Motorsports returns to competition at Nashville Superspeedway

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Official Release
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NASHVILLE, Tenn.: After sitting idle for the last two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway respectively, Spencer Davis Motorsports (SDM) with driver Spencer Davis return to competition for Friday night’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

Sitting on the sidelines wasn’t an easy decision, but personal matters off the race track kept the family-owned team from partaking in races over the last three weeks.

The brief sabbatical, however, also allowed the Mooresville, N.C.-based team to dive into their equipment and inspect it with a fine-tooth comb hoping their diligent work will pay dividends in the highly anticipated return to Trucks at the fast 1.333-mile superspeedway.

“We’re glad to be back this weekend at Nashville,” said Spencer Davis. “As we mentioned at Charlotte, we had a private family matter that we had to deal with. Thankfully, that is behind us and we’re focusing forward beginning with Nashville on Friday night.”

Davis, 22, has never been to Nashville Superspeedway, but he’ll be joined by much of the Truck Series field who haven’t turned a single lap at the Lebanon, Tenn.-based track either.

The Dawsonville, Ga. native thinks the inexperience of the field at the concrete facility will pay dividends for both the drivers and fans on Friday.

“You think of Nashville a little like COTA,” added Davis. “I think all but five drivers entered for this weekend have competed in previous races at Nashville and even those that have raced at Nashville haven’t in almost a decade so I feel like the playing field should be level for at least practice.

“We need to have a strong practice session with our No. 11 INOX Lubricants Toyota. It’s going to be extremely hot during the day in practice and qualifying and cool off significantly when the sun sets heading into the race, so keeping our truck adjusted for the conditions will be pivotal. It should be a great race for the fans too.

“My last race was Darlington and that seems like forever ago, so I just want to get ourselves in a good place and be working at a steady pace for qualifying. It’s one of the biggest fields of the season and we are going to have to qualify in – so there’s that pressure too.”

Davis didn’t hide around the fact that he expects to deliver even while dealing with volatile circumstances.

“I have to nail that lap in qualifying, but I’m used to being put in a position like that,” sounded Davis. “My guys have built a great truck for Nashville and I’m confident we can go out there and perform from start to finish.”

In February, SDM announced that INOX Supreme Lubricants will serve as the team’s primary partner this season.

INOX product range was first released in 1989 with the Original INOX MX3 Lubricant. The original MX3 product was in development stages for two years prior to release with testing and focus on creating the right product for the
market.

The INOX product range continues to grow with 12 products on the market, each with their own many specialized qualities used in all different industries. All their products are tested and trialed before hitting the market to ensure the best of quality is maintained in the INOX name. INOX products are available at all major industrial, electrical, automotive, hardware, bearing and mining, marine, fishing and tackle outlets, plus many more locations.

A wholly owned Australian company Candan Industries is now exporting to over 25 countries including the United States of America, Canada, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Excited to have a long-time friendship turn into a season-long partnership with INOX Supreme Lubricants,” said Davis. “I can’t thank Angel and James at INOX enough for their continued support and partnership with our small team and working through all the positives and negatives that go into any race season.

“We use their products day to day on our race team and in our machines at our business. A quality product and amazing people helped bring this all together.”

Entering Nashville, Davis, 22, has 27 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts to his credit with a career-best finish of seventh at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in Feb. 2018, with additional top-10s at Texas Motor Speedway (June 2018) and Kentucky Speedway (July 2019).

For more on Spencer Davis, please like him on Facebook (Spencer Davis Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@spencerdavis_29) and Twitter (@spencerdavis_29).

Stay connected with Spencer Davis Motorsports on Instagram (@teamsdm11) and Twitter (@teamSDM11).

The Rackley Roofing 200 (150 laps | 199.5 miles) is the 12th of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Jun. 18, 2021, from 10:05 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. Qualifying is set for later in the day at 4:05 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag that night shortly after 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET) with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

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