Rockingham, NC — The Drag Racing Leadership Team (DRLT), a group of drag strip owners and leaders across the United States, has announced a new joint partnership with eBay Motors, one of the world’s largest marketplaces for all things racing and automotive. eBay Motors will be one of the first companies in decades to provide such a wide-spanning sponsorship to support some of America’s greatest drag racing facilities. Each participating racetrack will provide special offers and promotions through eBay Motors that will focus on supporting grassroots racers and fans.
“It is really something special to see this many tracks come together and agree on a joint-sponsorship program,” said Steve Earwood, Owner of Rockingham Dragway and Vice Chairman of the DRLT. “We appreciate eBay Motors wanting to support the grassroots racers and fans, which is the heart and soul of our racetracks. eBay Motors has provided a much-needed positive light to our facilities, as we emerge from the pandemic and the struggles many of our tracks have been through. We look forward to serving eBay Motors and growing the partnership into the future.”
With over 85-million new and used parts online, eBay Motors has every part you need to build, fix, prepare, race, and win. Many racers who compete at the DRLT tracks have already begun using eBay Motors to clear out parts they don’t need and use those profits to power new racing ventures. Fuel your passion with the parts you need at eBayMotors.com
About eBay Motors
eBay Motors (www.ebaymotors.com), a part of eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY), one of the world’s largest marketplaces for buying and selling all things racing and automotive. The site offers everyday cars for everyday drivers, as well as collector cars, motorcycles, auto parts, racing-related performance products, and accessories.
About Drag Racing Leadership Team (DRLT)
The Drag Racing Leadership Team operates under the banner of the U.S. Motorsports Association and brings together drag racing’s top talent, experience, and most passionate track operators and ownership. The DRLT focuses on networking among industry leaders and taking unified action in the best interest of the sport. The DRLT currently consists of 10 tracks, which include: Summit Motorsports Park, Rockingham Dragway, Houston Raceway, Bandimere Speedway, Gateway Motorsports Park, Famoso Raceway, Firebird Raceway, Virginia Motorsports Park, US 131 Motorsports Park, and Tulsa Raceway Park.
NASCAR’s Cup Series is returning to Nashville, Tenn., for its first race there since 1984, and the Wood Brothers are back Cup racing in Music City for the first time since 1958 when team founder Glenn Wood ran 12th at the first-ever Cup race at the city’s Fairgrounds track.
That .596-mile oval is still hosting short-track races and is the oldest continuously operating track in America, but Sunday’s Ally 400 will be contested at Nashville Superspeedway, a relatively new 1.33-mile concrete oval in the suburb of Gladeville.
The superspeedway, which hosted IndyCar events as well as NASCAR’s Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series from 2001 to 2011 but has been closed since then, will reopen to a packed house on Sunday as all available tickets already have been sold.
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will have a bit of an advantage over some of their competitors as DiBenedetto ran an Xfinity race there in 2010 and finished 10th. It was his second career start in NASCAR’s No. 2 series, the first coming the year before at Memphis.
DiBenedetto said he’s happy to be returning to the site of his first top-10 finish in a major NASCAR division.
“I’m excited to go there,” he said, adding that the current horsepower and handling package is another allure for him. “Any races we add to the schedule that are low downforce and high horsepower races are my favorite.”
There will be a 50-minute practice session on Saturday afternoon for the Cup Series, and qualifying for the Ally 400 is set for Sunday at 10:05 a.m. (11:05 Eastern Time). The green flag for the 300-lap race is set to fly just after 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be Stage breaks at Laps 90 and 185.
This is the first race of the season for the NBC broadcast crew, which has taken over from FOX, and the race will be shown on NBCSN.
About Motorcraft:
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Omnicraft:
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.
· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Nashville Superspeedway – June 18-20
PLANO, Texas (June 16, 2021) – NASCAR is back in Nashville, and for the first time since 1984, the NASCAR Cup Series competes at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. They will be joined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, which will make their return to Nashville Superspeedway for the first time since 2011.
NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NCWTS
Hamlin has Nashville experience… Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin heads to Nashville and is one of very few drivers with track experience at the superspeedway. Hamlin earned his second career Xfinity Series pole position at the track in 2006 and drove to a third-place finish. The Virginia-native added a fourth-place finish the following year.
Busch looking for a milestone… Kyle Busch is looking for a big milestone this weekend – 100 Xfinity Series victories – at a track that he has already had much success at in his career. Busch went two-for-two in his Xfinity Series starts this season with his second win of the season at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday and looks to add to that run of success with his third Xfinity Series win this season at Nashville. Although NASCAR has not competed in Nashville since 2011, Busch has scored victories at the track in both the Xfinity Series (2009) and Truck Series (2010, 2011).
Hemric plans to deliver… Daniel Hemric continued to run up front in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as he led laps for the sixth time in the past eight events on his way to his sixth top-five result of the season. With the fourth-place finish, Hemric is only 14 points from the runner-up position in the NXS point standings.
Nemechek continues to lead… John Hunter Nemechek continued with his stellar return to the Truck Series with his fourth victory in the first 11 events of the 2021 season at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. With the victory, Nemechek extended his series points lead to 78 with four races remaining in the regular season.
Double-duty for Hill… After a tough start to the season, Austin Hill has scored top-10 finishes in eight of the last nine Truck Series events to move into third in the overall standings. Hill will return to his No. 16 Toyota Tundra for Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE) this weekend, but also will be behind the wheel of the No. 61 Toyota Supra for the first time this season. Hill, who is scheduled to make several Xfinity Series starts this season, drove to a top-five finish at Kansas Speedway last fall to score his best Xfinity Series result.
facebook.com/ToyotaRacing Camera With Flash on Apple iOS 11.3 ToyotaRacingMedia.com
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.
Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Denny Hamlin 11 FedEx Express Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info: Race: Ally 400 Date/Time: Sunday, June 20/3:30 p.m. ET Distance: 300 laps/399 miles Track Shape: Oval Track Length: 1.333 miles 2020 Winner: N/A
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2021 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.
All-Star Recap: Following a random draw, Hamlin started the multi-segment non-points paying event from the 16th position, and after a handful of laps, reported he was battling an extremely loose FedEx Camry. However, the unique format would give crew chief Chris Gabehart plenty of opportunities to make necessary adjustments to improve the handling. As the race progressed and adjustments were made, Hamlin became more comfortable with the handling and worked his way up to third during the fourth segment. Hamlin managed to stay in the top 10 during the fifth segment, which included a mandatory pit stop. The FedEx crew changed four tires during the stop but realized there was a good possibility that some of the lug nuts might not be tight. The team was hopeful there would be a well-timed caution that would allow them to remedy the situation, but the caution never came and Hamlin had to pit prior to the end of the race, relegating him to the 21st finishing position.
Nashville Preview: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Music City for the first ever running of the Ally 400 Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway. Drivers will try to conquer the 1.333-mile concrete oval in front of a sold-out crowd. Hamlin and his team will look to use their past success at superspeedways in an attempt to capture their first win of the season.
Hamlin Conversation – Nashville:
What are you looking forward to and what will be the struggle going to a track where no one really has much experience?
“It’s been 15 years since I’ve raced there, and I can remember how difficult it is to pass there, but we’ll have practice and that will be really helpful to get to know the track to find the lanes that we want to be in. I think it’s going to be a fun race, and it’s always interesting when you’re racing at a new track.”
What do you think about NASCAR adding this new destination to the Cup schedule?
“I know a lot of work has gone into getting the track ready for this event. Nashville is a great town, and there’s a lot for fans to do – at the track and in the surrounding area. It’s not just the race; there’s a whole family atmosphere and there’s a lot of fun things to do.”
FedEx Express Along for the Ride at Nashville: The #11 FedEx Express Toyota will carry the letters FYMA on the B-post in recognition of the FYMA Station in Columbia, Tenn. During the past year, the 36 team members at FYMA dealt with personal tragedies, with three employees losing loved ones – two sons and a brother – in the space of one month. The FYMA team pulled together and covered the open shifts and showed uplifting support for their fellow team members during trying times.
JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW: TRACK: Nashville Superspeedway RACE: Tennessee Lottery 250 (188 laps / 250.04 miles) DATE: Saturday, June 19, 2021
Broadcast Information – TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 3 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Michael Annett No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet • Michael Annett has made six starts on the 1.33-mile concrete oval at Nashville Superspeedway, with a best finish of ninth in 2010. In 2007, Annett finished eighth in an ARCA Menards Series event at Nashville, and also has a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start there. • In eight starts on tracks measuring 1-2 miles this season, Annett has earned five top-10 finishes, the best being a sixth-place effort at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the fourth race of the season. • In his last five starts, Annett has earned three top-10 finishes, at Dover, Mid-Ohio and Texas. He has seven top10s to date in 2021.
Josh Berry No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet • Josh Berry, a native of nearby Hendersonville, Tenn., will make his first start at his home track of Nashville this weekend in the No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet. • Throughout the 2021 NXS season, Berry has accumulated one win, three top fives and six top 10s. • Berry is in new colors with iRacing’s red, white and blue livery on the No. 8. The design is a nod to the original Papyrus scheme run by Fred Jones (AKA The Player), the fictional driver in the popular NASCAR Racing 2003 Season PC game. • It’s a double duty weekend for Berry as he is also scheduled to race in the Truck Series on Friday.
Noah Gragson No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet • Noah Gragson will make his first career start on the 1.33- mile concrete oval of Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. • On tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length so far this season, the young Las Vegas native has three top-five and four top10 finishes, his best coming at both Darlington ad Atlanta where he finished fourth. • At Dover and Bristol, the only other concrete ovals on the schedule, Gragson has found success. In 10 starts, he’s earned one win, two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. • Throughout the 2021 season, Gragson has tallied four top five and six top-10 finishes while leading 94 laps.
Justin Allgaier No. 7 Dollar General Literacy Foundation Men’s Grooming Chevrolet • Justin Allgaier will make his first NXS start at Nashville since July 2011 on Saturday afternoon. • In six previous starts in Music City, Allgaier has scored a best finish of fourth on three separate occasions, including his most recent start at the concrete oval. • This weekend, the No. 7 will be carrying the colors of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation helps individuals of all ages pursue their educational goals and achieve their dreams by investing in literacy programs that help students learn to read, prepare for the high school equivalency or learn English. Visit dgliteracy.org to learn more
Driver Quotes “Heading back to Nashville is going to be good for our No. 1 Pilot Flying J team. It’s been a while since I’ve run there, but we have a good record at Dover on the concrete. Over the past few races, we’ve been putting our weekends together by earning stage points and getting good finishes, and that’s what we need to do at Nashville. Not many drivers in the field have ever raced at Nashville, and we do have some experience there.” – Michael Annett
“I always enjoyed racing at Nashville and am really looking forward to getting back there this weekend with our Dollar General Literacy Foundation Chevrolet. I had some good runs there in the past when we used to race there every year, but with this being our first race back in a number of years, we are definitely going to be relying on our notebooks heading into the weekend. Thankfully, we have practice on Friday and I know that Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and all the guys on this No. 7 team will get our car dialed in so we can battle for one of those awesome guitars on Saturday.” – Justin Allgaier
“It’s going to be nice racing close to home. I plan on heading over there early to see some family and friends before the race this weekend. I got my start in Sim Racing and that’s how Dale and I became such good of friends, so it’s really cool to have iRacing on our car. This scheme looks so good. Hopefully we can put this iRacing Chevrolet in Victory Lane. Nothing would be better than to cap off my first Xfinity season with another victory with this team.” – Josh Berry
“Nashville is a really cool city and I am glad that we get to go back. I’ve never raced at the superspeedway but we’ve spent some time in the sim and luckily we get a little bit of practice this weekend to learn the track and to make the right adjustments for the race. A part of me wishes we went straight into the race, but I know Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and this entire No. 9 team will bring a fast Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro and hopefully we can compete for the win.” – Noah Gragson
JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at Nashville: JR Motorsports has competed at Nashville Superspeedway a combined 18 times in the NXS, with the last coming during the 2011 season. Over the course of these 18 starts, JRM has tallied one win (Brad Keselowski, 2008), five top fives and 10 top 10s. • Dollar General Literacy Foundation: Words are powerful. Reading can help us learn new words. With the turn of a page, we can visit far-away lands, take amazing adventures, learn incredible new things or even read the words to one of your favorite songs. Join us in shining a light on the importance of literacy, one pair of sunglasses at a time. Every pair of the Dollar General Yellow Glasses helps support the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. They’re stylish and just $2. Plus, they help improve lives by promoting literacy. Serving others never looked so good. Pick yours up at Dollar General today. Visit dgliteracy.org to learn more. • Pilot Flying J Summer is a Go!: Pilot Flying J kicked off its Summer Is a Go! campaign over the Memorial Day weekend, traditionally the time that travelers get back on the road, with its third annual National Road Trip Day on May 28. Pilot Flying J road trippers, professional drivers and Pilot Flying J guests are encouraged to share their road trip adventures on its Facebook page or post their best trip photos on Instagram and Twitter with the #SummerIsAGoGiveaway hashtag and tagging @PilotFlyingJ. Participants who share a photo with any Pilot branded cup will receive an additional entry, provided they use the hashtag, and will be eligible for a drawing that will award three monthly $250 Pilot Flying J gift cards and $5,000 in free fuel to the Grand Prize winner.
Team recognized for excellence in creative marketing and communications with team partners Castrol and Kohler
CONCORD, N.C. (June 16, 2021) — Roush Fenway Racing has been recognized for outstanding achievement by the prestigious Hermes Creative Awards, taking home four Platinum and two Gold Awards along with one Honorable Mention for its marketing efforts over the past year. The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition that recognizes excellence in concept, writing and design of traditional and emerging media while promoting the philanthropic power of marketing and communication.
The team garnered a trio of awards for its creative marketing efforts designed to overcome pandemic induced obstacles. The fan-facing Roush Madness platform in March 2020 won Platinum in the Social Media Campaign category. The robust Virtual Hospitality Partner program that the team implemented with partners earned a pair of Gold Awards, one for the 2020 efforts in the Pandemic Response category and another for the virtual Daytona Live event for the 2021 Daytona 500 in the Virtual Event category.
“We are very proud of the efforts of our team over the last year,” said Roush Fenway Racing vice president of marketing operations and communicaitons Kevin Woods. “This has been a difficult year for everyone, and our team’s ability to adapt and develop innovative platforms for our partners has been extremely rewarding. We also appreciate the trust from our partners to allow us to continue pushing the envelope in promoting their brands and developing engaging marketing solutions.”
In addition, the team received Platinum Award recognition in two categories for its work with team partner Castrol. The campaign promoting the Garage Life platform with driver Ryan Newman during the early weeks of the Covid-19 shutdown won in the Social Content Campaign category, while the Driving for Change program to promote the team’s carbon neutral mission won in the Corporate Social Responsibility Program.
The team also received Platinum Award recognition for the unveil of the Kohler Generators partnership, with the program launch winning in the Strategic Communication/Marketing Plan category.
Finally, the team’s expanded prerace video productions took home an Honorable Mention in the Interactive Sports Video category.
Roush Fenway Racing has also won a total of 26 MarCom Platinum Awards since 2011, when it took home its first Platinum for the famed ‘Ricky vs. Trevor’ campaign. In addition, Roush Fenway has also taken home top honors from the PR News Platinum Awards, NASCAR Marketing and Communications Awards and Social Media Icon Awards.
Hermes Creative Awards is administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, digital media production, and freelance professionals. AMCP oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges, and awards outstanding achievement and service to the profession.
Judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. There are expected to be about 6,000 entries from throughout the United States and dozens of other countries in the Hermes Creative Awards 2021 competition.
Being a Platinum or Gold Winner is a tremendous achievement symbolized by the intricately detailed Hermes Platinum and Gold awards. The name Hermes (Greek messenger) and the idea for the award were chosen to represent our roles as the messengers and creators of marketing and communication materials and programs.
BATAVIA, Ohio. (June 16, 2021) – Heading into the fifth event of the IMSA season, Wright Motorsports has announced changes to the driver lineup of the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Trent Hindman will replace full-season driver Ryan Hardwick to race alongside Patrick Long in the GTD-class championship while Hardwick continues his championship efforts in the Michelin Pilot Challenge with Jan Heylen in the No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport in the GS class.
Hindman first joined the team’s GTD effort in January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, where the team earned its second consecutive fourth-place finish at the famed endurance event. He reprised his role for the Twelve Hours of Sebring, racing alongside Patrick Long and Jan Heylen, earning a second-place result. Hardwick returned for the third event of the year, the team’s home race at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course. The No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R was showing an impressive run for a podium finish when contact from another car took the team out of contention. Hindman’s return to the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche will provide the young American with the opportunity to again vie for the championship, after taking the GTD class title in 2019.
In Michelin Pilot Challenge, the team has made big strides to make up for lost time after missing the first race of the season, securing two pole positions and two second-place finishes in its two races. In Hardwick’s first Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, he secured the pole position, finishing second with co-driver Jan Heylen in the No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. With the strong momentum fully in stride, the pair are working their way up to the points leaders to contend for the 2021 championship.
The new changes will take effect beginning with next week’s race events, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen and the Tioga Downs Casino Resort 240 at the Glen and continue to the remainder of the season. Details for the upcoming races will follow in the team’s event release next week.
Wright Motorsports Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. The 2020 season will see the team return to IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com
KEVIN HARVICK Nashville Advance No. 4 Monster Jam/Grave Digger Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
Event Overview
Event: Inaugural Ally 400 (Round 17 of 36)
Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 20
Location: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
Layout: 1.333-mile, concrete oval
Laps/Miles: 300 laps/399.9 miles
Stage Lengths: Stages 1: 90 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 115 laps
TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● Introducing Grrraaaaaaaave Digger! That’s right, one of the most decorated Monster Jam trucks in the world will be represented in the inaugural Ally 400 NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway… and we have Keelan Harvick to thank for it. Keelan wanted to give his dad, Kevin, the most awesome Father’s Day gift ever, so the eight-year-old organized a surprise for his dad – a Grave Digger paint scheme on Kevin’s No. 4 Ford Mustang. It turns out the iconic paint scheme featured on the 12,000-pound, larger-than-life truck that rides on enormous 66-inch BKT tires transfers well to a sleek and fast Stewart-Haas Racing-built Ford Mustang. The No. 4 Monster Jam/Grave Digger Ford Mustang is sure to turn heads this Father’s Day weekend – in the stands and on the track as drivers do a double-take when they see Grave Digger looming large in their rearview mirror.
● Fans in Nashville who want to see the real Grave Digger only need to wait a month. Monster Jam visits Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville July 17-18. There are three events – two on Saturday at 1 p.m. CDT and 6:30 p.m., and one on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased by clicking here.
● It’s been 10 years since NASCAR last competed at Nashville Superspeedway, and it was an Xfinity Series race on July 23, 2011 that was won by Carl Edwards. The NASCAR Cup Series has never competed on the 1.333-mile oval, but Cup teams tested there extensively back in the day when it was fashionable to race on Sunday, test somewhere on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then fly to the next Cup race on Thursday. Harvick, now in his 21st year of Cup Series competition, has logged many laps in a Cup car at Nashville Superspeedway despite the track never hosting a Cup race until this Sunday’s inaugural Ally 400.
● Harvick has, however, raced at Nashville Superspeedway and performed incredibly well. In four career Xfinity Series starts at the track, Harvick has two wins – April 15, 2006 and April 3, 2010. He finished third on June 10, 2006 and recorded his worst finish, seventh, in his first Xfinity Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on April 14, 2001. It all gave Harvick an average finish of third. He also had a lap completion rate of 100 percent, running all 900 laps available to him, and he led 123 of those laps.
● Harvick also made one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Nashville Superspeedway. It was on April 2, 2010 when he finished second to Kyle Busch.
Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Monster Jam/Grave Digger Ford Mustang
So how does a Monster Jam truck – and not just any Monster Jam truck, but the Monster Jam truck of Monster Jam trucks – rank as a cool Father’s Day gift, and a surprise Father’s Day gift from your son, Keelan?
“It’s THE monster truck. Loud noises, big engines, big wheels, big tires, fast racecars, and to have that be a surprise, it’s surprising to me because of the fact that it’s with Grave Digger and everything, the history, that goes with that truck. But it doesn’t surprise me that it’s something related to a car and tying it in to what we do. This one caught me off guard, though, because I had no idea that any of this was happening and, to have my 8-year-old son be able to pull that off and know more about it than I do makes me feel like I’m a little bit left out. So we’re going to have to talk to somebody.”
How many times have you been to Monster Jam and what is it about those events that resonates with you and Keelan?
“We have been to Monster Jam. We went to Charlotte. We went to Atlanta several years ago. We’ve been to a few of them. For Keelan and I, racing is a legacy, you pass it on from one generation to the next. And the same thing has happened with Grave Digger and the drivers of that truck. What we do, you see generations of families that have had their fathers, their sons and their sons move on through the ranks of racing. It’s something that you grow up around and are a part of and you learn to love the sport. And when you’re around it, you understand it’s a family sport and, for me, that’s the best part of it – that it’s something we can do together.”
When Dennis Anderson, the patriarch of Grave Digger, was behind the wheel of his Monster Jam truck, he was crushing cars. That doesn’t typically work too well in a stock car. How are you going to live up to Grave Digger’s legacy?
“You’ve got to set yourself apart from everybody else, right? The best way to do that for us is to run faster than everybody else, so hopefully we can have this No. 4 Monster Jam/Grave Digger Ford Mustang doing what it’s supposed to do and running fast – scare them right off the track. They’re all going to be jealous because I get to drive Grave Digger’s car.”
You last competed at Nashville in 2010 during a NASCAR Xfinity Series race. What are your expectations when you roll back in there in 2021?
“I didn’t ever go to Nashville without the expectation of winning. It was one of our best racetracks throughout the years and we’ve always had good success there and always enjoyed the racetrack itself. I’m looking forward to Cup finally going there. I know that facility was built to entertain having a Cup date and I can’t believe it’s taken this long because Nashville is such a great area for us as a sport. I’m excited to be there because we have just a ton of fans. Obviously, it’s the home of Hunt Brothers Pizza, as well. So there’s just a lot of good things that are happening when we go back to Nashville.”
In addition to Xfinity Series racing at Nashville, that track was the go-to track back when you had unlimited testing. Outside of the Xfinity Series, how many testing miles do you think you have at Nashville?
“Not many in the last little bit, but there was a period of time that we spent a lot of time at Nashville. We developed a lot of the coil binding in the front and rear springs there and at Milwaukee. When Nashville was built, I actually was part of the very first tire test – the first time that anybody was on the racetrack. Obviously, I’ve had a little bit of a layoff there, but from the very first moment I’ve been a part of that racetrack.”
Talk about those days of unlimited testing, where after a three-day race weekend, you’d go test for two or three days somewhere, oftentimes at Nashville.
“Really, we can go back to 2000. I did all the testing for Dale Earnhardt as we went through the year. So, we would go race and then we would go to a racetrack, whatever racetrack that would be, and I also did my own testing. We probably did four or five tests – I think at that point they could only do seven tests in the Cup Series – and then I had all my tests that you could do in the Xfinity Series. But you could also go to any racetrack that wasn’t on the schedule, and at that particular point, Kentucky wasn’t on the schedule, so we spent a lot of time at Kentucky developing stuff for Dale and the Cup program. But for the most part, we did, midweek, probably 20-25 tests a year as we went through the season, and most of them would be two-day tests. And that’s what you did. You were never home. You tested all the time. When you had a problem, you just went somewhere and tested. Whether it be Greenville-Pickens or Caraway or VIR, Milwaukee, it didn’t matter, you could go to any racetrack if it wasn’t on the schedule. Through the years they just changed that because we would spend so much time at the racetrack. We would test on different brands of tires and different series of cars, and we would do whatever it took. But, for the most part, you probably spent 20-25 two-day tests away from what you did on those three-day weekends.”
Do veterans like yourself who have actual, on-the-ground experience at Nashville have a leg up on those who have only driven Nashville on a simulator?
“I don’t think so. Some of the younger guys haven’t been there before, but with all the information and all the technology that we have in today’s world with the tire test already happening there, the information is already spread through all the manufacturers. They’ll have all that stuff plugged into their simulators and have the track measured and do all the things that they do. I think there are a lot of guys who grew up even after I started a decade later, they were still racing there, so a lot of guys have experience at Nashville and I don’t think there will be a huge advantage.”
Technology advances quickly. Can you just go out onto the track there at Nashville and start ripping around, or do you need to see what’s it’s like after a 10-year absence?
“The good news is it’s concrete, so it’s always had what I always called the sidewalk hop, like if you’re riding your bike or your skateboard over the sidewalk. And I think as you go through the weekend, a lot of those little cracks and things start to fill in with rubber, so hopefully the tire will actually lay some rubber on the racetrack because that was always the biggest thing there, getting the racetrack rubbered up. Once the racetrack rubbers up, it becomes much better to race on because the groove just becomes so much wider. It’ll be interesting to see if we race on the track as it is, or if we race on the track with PJ1 sprayed on it somewhere.”
No. 4 Monster Jam/Grave Digger Team Roster
Primary Team Members Driver: Kevin HarvickHometown: Bakersfield, California Crew Chief: Rodney ChildersHometown: Mooresville, North Carolina Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” SmithHometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin Engineer: Dax GerringerHometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina Engineer: Stephen DoranHometown: Butler, Pennsylvania Spotter: Tim FedewaHometown: Holt, Michigan Over-The-Wall Members Front Tire Changer: Shayne PipalaHometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois Rear Tire Changer: Daniel SmithHometown: Concord, North Carolina Tire Carrier: Jeremy HowardHometown: Delhart, Texas Jack Man: Stan DoolittleHometown: Ninety Six, South Carolina Fuel Man: Evan MarchalHometown: Westfield, Indiana Road Crew Members Mechanic: Richie BeanHometown: Bradford, Vermont Tire Specialist: Jamie TurskiHometown: Trumbull, Connecticut Engine Tuner: Robert BrandtHometown: Mobile, Alabama Transporter Co-Driver: Rick HodgesHometown: Raleigh, North Carolina Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen MitchellHometown: Woodville, Ohio
So many statistics students ask the question, how can improve statistics skills? The main reason for such a question is that they do not like handling numerical work. In short, anything related to statistics can be tough on students. Most of the students testify that the subject can be confusing; it is a common perception. It is because they give up before even trying it out. The best approach to understand statistics is to improve on the skills.
Another helpful tip would be to work hard and practice more. Statistics is simply a collection of ideas and practice. The same ideas help create better statistical data to offer simpler forms like graphs, charts, and tables. You can also consult online statistics tutors who are always ready to help you understand the concepts. When you know the statistical methods, you will be able to make informed choices and decisions.
See below some of the ways to improve statistics skills.
Understand the Basics
To improve your statistics skills, you’ll need to understand the basics. With that knowledge, it will be easy to be successful. When you do not understand the basics, it will be hectic to be good at statistics. It is one of the subjects that need basic understanding and always trying to get a solution.
For instance, when you are in lower grades, you use study tables. And the same is applicable when you get to higher grades. You’ll need to know is that it is a step-by-step process that requires hard work and consistency. To understand the subject and get good grades, you’ll need to learn the basics o what happened at the previous school level. It is one way to get solutions, and when it is not clear, you can always review the basics.
Practice Each Day
The top-notch secret to improving statistics skills is by improving and growing the skills you have gained. The proper way to do that is by daily practice. Always remember that consistency is critical, and the same method is applicable to help learn new problems and solutions. Most people believe that the skills come by nature.
And others think that you need an intelligent environment to develop your abilities. The truth is that the skills are not developed naturally or in the surrounding; you need to exercise regularly. You may think it is hard but remember the muscle memory plays a vital role when studying statistics. When you practice, daily you will enhance your muscle memory. Even though it is challenging, do it regularly to start enjoying how you solve the new problems. Start with about 2 hours per day and keep adding the hours.
Start Helping Others in Solving their Statistics Problems
It is one of the best secrets to improving your statistics skills. Most people have a problem sharing information with other people. Unfortunately, people help others when they need help from them. What they miss is that the more you share with others, the more you learn. Avoid such a mistake, and you’ll understand the basics of statistics. When someone asks you a question, you’ll learn more since you do not know the question they will ask. You’ll be surprised by the questions asked since there are others you do not know about. It will give you a chance to understand their problems and investigate more. Offering a solution will leave you with more information.
Always Try to Solve the Problem by Yourself
If you want to solve math problems, you should start with complicated ones. When you start, do not get frustrated with the first attempts. You need to keep trying since there are various ways to solve a single problem; all you need is to find the way to do so. However, when solving the problem, ensure you have a methodological approach to see how things break down. When you know how things are happening, you’ll know where the problem will be.
Avoid Memorizing the Formula
It is one of the significant problems that most statistics students face. They tend to memorize the formulas, which is not a great way to improve your statistics skills. No instructor will ever ask you to cram a formula. It is advisable to remember the concepts taught and refer to the textbook when you need more information.
When you are struggling with statistics, ensure that you do not memorize any of the formulas. These skills do not come easily, and you need hard work and consistency. Look for all the proper strategies to learn and acquire valuable skills. All you need to know is that statistics tools involve collecting, analyzing, organizing, and presenting data. The raw data offers actionable conclusions, hence understanding the basics and not memorizing the concepts.
Look for Help From Online Tutors
The good thing about online and modern studies is that you can get ready and affordable help. Some experienced tutors are ready to help with statistics skills. You can access their knowledge and information any time and anywhere around the world. Their wealth of experience is incredible. They have different ways of delivering their information so that you can understand. The tutors can enhance your statistics skills and determine how you handle the problems, and offer solutions. Use this approach to improve your academic grades, and in the end, you will enhance your skills.
The methods mentioned above will help when you need to improve your statistics skills. Always learn about the basics and practice each day. Statistics need to know and understand the essential information. The best solution is to always look for answers to the problems you have. The same info you use now is what you’ll need in the upper grades. Hence, ensure you understand all the fundamental concepts. When you have a complicated assignment, you can ask your colleagues or your tutors. They are always ready to help; likewise, you can get more help online from other statistics experts. You will get relevant data for the homework and all the statistics queries. Follow the approaches to enhance your knowledge on the subject and improve on statistics skills.
John Hunter Nemechek Camping World Trucks Nashville Preview (printable) John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview: Event: Rackley Roofing 200, Race 12 of 22, 150 Laps – 45/50/55; 199.5 Miles Location: Nashville Superspeedway (1.33-mile concrete oval) Date/Broadcast: June 18, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
Neme’chek’ The Facts:
Entering the second half of the season, John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team roll into Nashville Superspeedway riding momentum after capturing the team’s fourth win of the 2021 season at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. So far in 2021, Nemechek leads the series in wins (four), stage wins (eight), top fives (seven), and laps led (473). Nemechek continues to lead Ben Rhodes by 78 points in the driver point standings with four races remaining in the regular season.
Friday’s race will mark the first time that the Camping World Truck Series has raced at Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile concrete oval since July 2011. Across five starts, KBM has collected two wins (Kyle Busch: 2010 & 2011), two top fives, three top tens, 271 laps led and an average finish of 9.2. Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) earned its first-ever Camping World Truck Series victory at the Tennessee track in April 2010 with owner-driver Kyle Busch behind the wheel and Nemechek’s crew chief Eric Phillips on the pit box. Busch also was victorious there in April 2011 with Phillips.
While Nemechek has never made a start at Nashville Superspeedway, he was a fixture in the prestigious All-American 400 weekend held at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway, a half-mile oval, from 2013 to 2015. In 2014, Nemechek dominated the All-American 400 by leading 294 out of 300 laps en route to his sole victory.
Nemechek is a 10-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane this year with KBM. Across 113 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 1082 laps led, 35 top-five and 59 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.6. The North Carolina native qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017. He was voted the series most popular driver in 2015.
Eric Phillips returns to KBM to lead the No. 4 team this season. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. His 41 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 31 of those coming while at KBM. Across 10 starts at Nashville, Phillips has collected two wins, two top fives, three top 10s, and an average finish of 15.8. Phillips won with Kyle Busch in 2010 and 2011.
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
We’re halfway through the season. How would you evaluate the first half? “I feel like our season is going pretty good so far. We have four wins at this point. I wish we had more, but at the same time, having four is a great ordeal for our No. 4 team. I’m excited to see what the next 11 races bring. Hopefully we can score quite a few more.”
With a handful of drivers having experience at Nashville and the success of Eric Phillips there, will it help to have someone that knows what’s going on? “I think having Eric as a crew chief that knows what to expect when going to Nashville having won there twice, I’m very thankful for that. I can pick his brain. He’s been a huge help to me as well as Kyle. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can. He’s always been super successful and super fast there. I’m trying to pick his brain and learn as much as I possibly can and soak it up like a sponge. The more information the better. Sadly, I was too young to race there before they shut it down, but I’m glad to be going back.”
Nashville gives out the Gibson Guitar trophy. Do you have any trophies that stand out? “I wouldn’t say that there is one that stands out. I feel like everyone is cool. I will say from Nashville and having won the All American 400 and bringing a guitar home from the Nashville Fairgrounds is awesome. Hopefully we can bring another guitar home to hang from Nashville Superspeedway. Hopefully we can get that done.”
Nashville is the home of country music. If you could trade spots with a country music star or band, who would it be? “I would say I would have to swap spots with Eric Church, Kenny Chesney or Jason Aldean. I think that those three guys have a lot of fun. Their concerts are packed. Kenny Chesney is always somewhere on a beach so that’d be a lot of fun. It would just be a fun experience. It’s all about just having fun, smiling and enjoying life.”
John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:
Ten-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 113 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,082 laps led, 35 top-five and 59 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.6.
Qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017.
Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
Across 52 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled one win (Kansas Speedway, 10/20/18), one pole, 225 laps led, 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.0.
John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-068: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-068 Friday at Nashville for its 2021 debut. Last season, Christian Eckes ran the chassis three times with a best finish of fourth in the season finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
KBM Notes of Interest:
KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 271 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.8 across five starts in the Music City.
Owner-driver Kyle Busch’s earned his organization its first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in April of 2010 and also was victorious there in April of 2011.
KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (87) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Martin Truex Jr. became the 16th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
The No. 4 has 15 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.
