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Formula 1: Have Aston Martin Launched Into A Nightmare?

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SM
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Attempting to draw any conclusions from the first three races of a Formula 1 season might be foolish. The 2021 season will be long, and teams make adjustments after every race. Even after a long practice and trial period pre-season, there are things about their cars and drivers that an F1 team can only find out on race days. Each year we come out of the trial period under the impression that the gap between Mercedes and Red Bull is closing. Each year, we’re proved wrong. Mercedes – or, to be more specific, Sir Lewis Hamilton – look as indomitable as ever. Hamilton’s victory in Portugal last weekend was nothing short of a masterclass. 

The cars at the front of the grid this season will, in almost every race, belong to the same teams as the cars that were at the front of the grid last season. Mercedes and Red Bull will fight their own battle while everyone else dukes it out for the third place. Based on the early evidence, though, there’s a name missing from that third-place battle this season, and that name is Racing Point. That’s not only down to the fact that Racing Point is now known as Aston Martin. While McLaren continues their rapid improvement and Ferrari slowly recover, Aston Martin has disappeared down the order. It seems that all is not well for Lawrence Stroll’s team. 

Racing Point shocked everybody with their success last season. Sergio Perez claimed a race win for the team, and Lance Stroll found himself on the poll in Turkey. From the first race through to the last, the team was faster and more competitive than anyone expected them to be. As the season progressed, we gained some insight into why that was. The nickname “Pink Mercedes,” given to the cars by the other teams in the paddock, was a telling one. Many of the other teams felt that the 2020 Racing Point car was a carbon copy of the championship-winning 2019 Mercedes car, painted pink in the hope that nobody would notice. The FIA, to an extent, agreed. They penalized the team for illegally copying the Mercedes, docking them fifteen championship points and fining them almost half a million dollars. They also tightened their rules for 2021 to ensure that no such “cloning” would occur in the future. 

The furor around the alleged copying incident and the change in the rules meant that Racing Bull, under their new guise as Aston Martin, had to go back to the drawing board for their 2021 car. Outwardly, they appeared to be confident about its prospects. They chose a beautiful shade of British racing green for their rebranded cars and convinced former four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel, to join them after his ejection from Ferrari. To accommodate Vettel, they released Sergio Perez. Perez now drives for Red Bull and finished a respectable fourth behind Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Valtteri Bottas in Portugal. When Perez crossed the line, both Vettel and Lance Stroll were more than a lap behind his pace. Racing Point has rebranded as Aston Martin, and in the process, it appears to have lost all of the threat that it posed to drivers at the front end of the field last season. 

At the risk of stating the obvious, this is not what Lawrence Stroll would have had in mind when he paid big money to secure Vettel and resurrected the Aston Martin name in the world’s most prestigious motorsport. Aston Martin’s brand managers will expect success. Vettel was promised a competitive car. Lance Stroll, who’s performances last season finally disproved the suggestion that he only had a seat in the sport because of his father, expected to take another step forward in his own career. Stroll, who has poured his heart, soul, and riches into his team, certainly won’t have expected to see his drivers finish outside the points regularly. Lance Stroll has secured only five championship points from the first three races of the season. Vettel, who must feel like he’s living a cursed life in the twilight of his once-glorious F1 career, has none at all. 

Pouring money into a Formula 1 team is not a guarantee of success, as many aspiring team principals have found out to their cost in the past. Money only buys you a chance of success, just as it does on the F1 racing online slots game that’s popular at so many internet casinos. If you were playing that game at one of the top casinos recommended by Sister Site,  you’d know there was no such thing as a guaranteed winner. Even then, though, you can sometimes improve your chances of success at slots by increasing your stake. Lawrence Stroll has done that with Aston Martin but doesn’t appear to be getting any closer to a winner. We can still extend that metaphor a little further. One of the many things that differentiates a good online slots player from a bad player is knowing when to get out if things aren’t going your way. Stroll didn’t become a billionaire by being careless or chasing lost causes. If he feels his team is going backward, this new partnership between Stroll, Aston Martin, and Formula 1 might not last for very long. 

Changing the design of the car was always likely to be a risk, but Stroll must have felt that the same engineers who delivered such fine performances for him in 2020 could do the same in 2021. As it turns out, perhaps they used the 2019 Mercedes as a template even more closely than most of us realized. Racing Point wasn’t a competitive team before 2020. If Aston Martin isn’t a competitive team in 2021, maybe those engineers never made any progress at all. Maybe they copied a more successful team, got found out, and are now unable to replicate that same success on their own merits. We’re not saying that’s definitely what’s happened in the 2021 season thus far, but the sudden and sharp drop-off in performance compared to the end of last season begs a lot of questions. Thus far, the team hasn’t provided much in the way of answers. 

As we said at the beginning of the article, there’s still a very long way to go. Both Vettel and the younger Stroll might find a way onto the podium later in the year. Right now, though, that looks like a very remote possibility. Aston Martin wanted its return to racing to be spectacular. So far, it’s been anything but.

CHEVY NCS AT DARLINGTON 1: Ross Chastain Press Conf. Transcript

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
GOODYEAR 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 4, 2021

ROSS CHASTAIN AND HIS MOTHER, SUSAN CHASTAIN, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE Teleconference Transcript:

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US FOR A SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY EDITION TO OUR WEEKLY MEDIA DAY AVAILABILITY HEADING INTO DARLINGTON. TO START, COULD YOU SHARE WITH US A FAVORITE RACING MEMORY THAT YOU HAVE WITH ROSS; AND MAYBE ONE THAT’S NOT RELATED TO THE CUP SERIES?

SUSAN CHASTAIN:
“There are a million. The first race obviously, was special. Had no idea what we were getting into and no idea where it would go. He was playing soccer and he just came alive at the race track. He loved soccer and loved the racing. So, that was super cool. We just had no idea where that road was going. And then, I think the night he won his first Late Model race was pretty special at our local track. It was just that next level. I have a picture of him and his dad, and the look on his face was just really special. So, just everything was in that one picture.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE SUCH SUPPORTIVE PARENTS, AND ESPECIALLY YOUR MOM, IN YOUR CAREER?

ROSS CHASTAIN:
“Yeah, it’s everything. I didn’t only get my good looks from her I also got a lot of the other good qualities and I don’t (being) a race car driver was supposed to be one of them. But they supported me with everything that I wanted to do or that we were fortunate enough to do. I think like she said, I played soccer growing up and had a lot of friends. We all did it for as long as I can remember. And, I was not a good soccer player, so I didn’t enjoy it. I was competitive. But I never truly understood how competitive I was until I got into racing; something I could compete at and actually compete for wins. So, they supported me, much too, other family members. Her parents, my grandparents, were not fans of the race car at first and I believe they were quite upset. Going racing at 12 years old was not heard of around here or in our family, for sure. But my mom and dad, I was their kid and I wanted to do it and they wanted me to do it, so we did it. So yeah, that support, even when her parents were telling her; now we can laugh about it but they didn’t tell me about it at that time. But I’ve heard about it since, that it wasn’t exactly great for the family. But now, and even after the first race, my grandparents came to my second race, and they fell in love with it. And they honestly didn’t miss another race my whole career of racing in Florida.”

YOU’RE GOING TO BE IN THE MCDONALD’S PAINT SCHEME AT DARLINGTON THAT LAST WON A CUP POINTS RACE. HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS ON YOU GOING INTO SUNDAY’S RACE?

ROSS CHASTAIN:
“To say we’ve never had a bad race, I’d definitely disagree. We should have won a few of these if I did my job right. We would have won at least one of them. Still, no more pressure than any other week. I mean I still get in these race cars and man I get butterflies. I get cotton mouth. I get this feeling walking out on the grid. It’s a little easier with less people and honestly, less family and guests and fans in the stands. There’s less buzz. So, as the competitor inside of me, it’s a little easier to get my nerves in control. Like, my first two Daytona 500’s in 2018 and 2019 were just insane, the buzz going on there for those races. So, it’s a little easier now with less people around.

“But yeah. No more pressure this week than any other one. It’s a really cool car. Getting to talk to Mr. Johnson’s family, his wife and son who is similar to my age, and just get to know them a little bit on a Zoom call makes this paint scheme more special that McDonald’s wanted to throwback to the Junior Johnson legacy and everything that he did and accomplished as a guy larger than life, to me, in the sport and in life; looking at the things he’s done now that I have a reason to really dig in. And I think that’s an important thing about this throwback weekend is to truly understand what live was like for these guys and girls back in the day. And more than just a paint scheme, get to know them a little bit. It’s great for the people that were around. But for a guy like me and my family; we don’t know when Hut Stricklin drove the Junior Johnson McDonald’s car. We had no idea what that means. So, doing the research now and learning about it; to some that were around at the time, it might seem naïve. But I think for a lot of us in the sport, it’s a time and a good excuse to really dig in and look back. But at the end of the day, it’s still just a paint scheme and then I get to go race. So, no more pressure to race than any other weekend.”

WHAT WAS THE COOLEST THING YOU LEARNED FROM THAT ZOOM CALL?

ROSS CHASTAIN:
“I think, from his wife, and listening to her talk, at this point in his life, whenever this car came along, it was a good time. He wasn’t living at the shop and it wasn’t just all racing. He had a family life. For me, there is more to racing, right? There has to be. Right now, I live, sleep, eat, and breathe racing. It’s everything. And so, I think that hearing that and realizing that at some point that’s life, right? I think that’s the biggest thing. He was still fielding winning race cars on the track and doing everything he wanted to do professionally and competitively, but he was also building his family life. I don’t think that was always the case for him. He was a racer and just balancing that. It was good to hear from her that she was able to get through to him a little bit and let him have more of a family life.”

YOU’VE HAD GOOD RACES AT DARLINGTON. THIS IS THE FIRST RACE THAT THE CUP SERIES HAS UTILIZED THE 750 HP, LOW DOWNFORCE PACKAGE SINCE MAKING THE 550 HP, HIGH DOWNFORCE ANNOUNCEMENT. IS THIS YOUR BEST OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR FIRST TOP 10 OF THE SEASON AT A TRACK THAT’S NOT A SUPERSPEEDWAY?

ROSS CHASTAIN:
“Darlington is tough. And the Cup Series is the toughest of all racing series that could ever go to Darlington. The Xfinity cars, we’ve had a few good runs there. I know the driving style for the Xfinity cars and the Cup cars is different. That’s something I’m working through right now, just trying to adapt and be able to hustle these Cup cars in a way that’s efficient. I think I found a pretty good balance of that last year with the Xfinity cars. I thought we had a good shot at running a Top 10 at Kansas if I get a good restart there towards the end. Same with Darlington. We’ll just go do our job.”

IS THERE ANY LEFTOVER DATA FROM 2018 THAT THE SHOP HAS IN LOOKING BACK IN ADVANCE OF THIS WEEKEND?

ROSS CHASTAIN:
“I’m going to say no in two parts. One, that was my first time in a CGR car. We had practice and qualifying, so we had time to get up to speed. But I’ve changed as a driver since then and I’ve evolved, and the set-ups have evolved, and this is a totally different car. In my mental notebook and my personal notebook, I know what mistakes I made that day. I know certain things and just trends of the track. That’s more of what I look at, is how did it take rubber? How were those guys better than me? The second half of my Xfinity races there is where I’ve been the weakest. I’ve been better in the first have and I haven’t necessarily kept up with the track and the adjustments needed. That’s more what we look at versus car set-up. It’s more track trends and how it takes rubber.”

THIS IS FOR SUSAN. CERTAINLY, WITH THE COVID PROTOCOLS IN NASCAR NOT HAVING GUESTS AT THE TRACK, BUT NOW ARE STARTING TO RELAX, WILL YOU BE AT DARLINGTON?

SUSAN CHASTAIN:

“I will not be at Darlington. I will be working. But we have been able to go to quite a few tracks this year with whatever allowances NASCAR has had. We camped at the ones in Florida. We’ve tried to adjust to it. I was at Talladega. So, I kind of had to pick Talladega, Darlington and it just worked to go to that one. So, we’ve been able to do quite a bit and are just grateful that there are some allowances and have just rolled with it and just happy to be wherever we are.”

CAN YOU LOOK AHEAD TO DOVER? YOU’VE HAD SOME SOLID RUNS THERE. TAKE US FOR A LAP AROUND THAT PLACE. IT LOOKS LIKE A GIANT BRISTOL, BUT IT’S BEEN DESCRIBED AS EVERYTHING FROM A ROLLER COASTER TO WHO KNOWS WHAT. WHAT’S IT LIKE BEHIND THE WHEEL?

ROSS CHASTAIN:
“Yeah, it is like a big Bristol and it’s one of my favorite tracks being concrete. The biggest thing is the elevation change. From the straightaways down into the corner, it’s a physical drop and you actually go down. I’ve heard different numbers. But I’m going to say it’s somewhere around 10 feet or eight feet. Something like that, maybe. The sensation at that speed going downhill, and with us running the high horsepower, low downforce, is even better. It means more on-throttle time. We’re lifting. We’re sliding. But a lot of bumps. So, picture going across a concrete bridge right on any interstate in America, you go up, you go over the overpass, you go over the bridge. You get that up and down two or three times. We do that in a split second, and we do it all the way around the track. You hear guys say it felt like the tires were basketballs. It’s true. You feel like you’re just bouncing and bouncing. Having a good spring and shock package and control and attitude of your car there is really key. When they were building that place, they sure had a vision because it is one of a kind.”

THE INDYCAR DRIVERS AT TEXAS LAST WEEKEND TALKED ABOUT THE PJ1 AND THAT THE TRACK WAS SLIPPERY AND IT WAS LIKE WALKING ON ICE. HOW MUCH DOES THAT DIFFER FROM YOUR RACES THERE??

ROSS CHASTAIN:
“Yeah, they’re in a lose situation. I felt for those guys because I know what it’s like. Whenever that spray, whatever you want to call it, when it reacts bad with your tire it is the worst feeling in the world. It’s like driving on black ice, hydroplaning, or whatever. It’s a terrible feeling because you lose control. For me, personally, that is the moment that I dread. I dread the moment I lose control. And that’s usually when you’re crashing, right? You know you’re going to wreck. You know you’re not driving the car anymore. For the INDYCAR guys it was constant. They were constantly on edge. They go around there so fast at Texas anyway I think the previous configuration of the track was perfect for INDYCAR. It was better for us too, right? So, I don’t envy those guys at a doubleheader, too. I don’t think they got much sleep between the races. I wouldn’t have either. I think they’ve got some work to go over there to not get in a situation. I know they want to race at Texas but if we’re spraying the sticky spray on it, it’s sticky for us when we get it activated just right and drag the tires and we apply it, we’ve got it pretty scienced-out for NASCAR. If I was any INDYCAR driver of any kind of status above where I’m at I would be raising my hand like we don’t need to be doing this. I didn’t watch much of the weekend. But from a driver’s point of view, it’s hard to charge and make a pass when there’s a sheet of ice a foot away from you.”

FOR SUSAN, WITH EVERYTHING THAT ROSS HAS BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, IN STRUGGLING TO GET INTO A SOLID AND COMPETITIVE CUP RIDE, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO FIND OUT THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE IN THE NO. 42 CAR FOR CHIP GANASSI RACING?

SUSAN CHASTAIN:
“For me, it was a lot of things. He kept his faith. He fought hard. He did what he had to do and just worked hard like so many other people in the world. You just go do what you’ve got to do and take advantage of whatever opportunity you have. And then to get there, so to speak, made my mom’s heart happy. I was proud of him no matter what, because I watched how hard he worked and all the things he did and all the people that were in his corner along the way and he made some fabulous friends. So it’s like this whole story kept unfolding and unfolding, which is not unlike any other mom watching your kid grow up and just go out in life and fight the fight, but to get this ride, yeah. It was like yes! I was really happy for him because I knew how hard he had worked. I’d seen all the ups and downs and we’ve lived through it. It’s like any other family. It’s your kid and you just want him to be good. And he always was. So that was just icing on the cake, I guess.”

HOW DID HE BREAK THE NEWS TO YOU?

SUSAN CHASTAIN:
“Oh, gosh; I’m trying to think. I guess he called. He was in North Carolina and we’re here. I’m sure it was a phone call. I don’t think it was in person. You know things might be unfolding but you never really know where everything is going. I’m sure it was just a phone call. I should probably remember that moment, but I guess I don’t (laughs).”

DO YOU LIKE HIS WATERMELON SMASH CELEBRATIONS OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT’S A WASTE OF GOOD FAMILY WATERMELONS?

SUSAN CHASTAIN:
“I love it. I love it. I think that’s because it came from his heart. It came from him. It’s Ross. It wasn’t like an orchestrated thing or hey let’s go. And I was at that race. We were there and actually some very good friends of ours that watched Ross grow up. Their son used to race at Punta Gorda. And they ended up coming to Vegas. So, we were there and got to be there for the win. Everything built up to that watermelon smash moment. I love it. I think it’s great. I watch all the kids simulate it or reenact it on the internet or their posts and the kid that introduced him the other day at Talladega, I think it’s fabulous. I love it.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found www.chevrolet.com.

Spencer Davis to pay tribute to Darrell Waltrip at Darlington Raceway

By
Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C.: As NASCAR roars into Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for their annual NASCAR Throwback weekend at the track dubbed “Too Tough To Tame”, Spencer Davis Motorsports and driver Spencer Davis will pay tribute to former NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip.

Davis’s No. 11 Toyota Tundra will adorn the paint scheme utilized by the former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner and driver campaigned during the 2004 NCWTS season at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway Park, respectively.

“Darrell Waltrip has done so much for NASCAR throughout his storied career both on and off the track, I only saw it fitting that we pay tribute to him this weekend at Darlington,” said Davis.
“The truck looks fantastic, and I hope that we’re able to make him and all of his race fans proud carrying this iconic paint scheme on Friday night.”

Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion made 55 career starts at Darlington, collecting five wins, 18 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes at the 1.366-mile oval.

Davis, 22, will make his NCWTS Darlington debut Friday night under the lights in the LiftKits4Less.com 200.

“I’m optimistic about the race this weekend,” added Davis. “I have never been to Darlington, but I feel confident in our ability to go out there this weekend and put out a Darrell Waltrip-like performance in our No. 11 INOX Supreme Lubricants. I appreciate INOX Supreme Lubricants giving us the blessing to change up the paint scheme for this weekend and participate in Darlington’s throwback weekend.”

Entering Darlington, Davis, 22, has 26 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 LiftKits4Less.com 200 (147 laps | 200.1 miles) is the eighth of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-truck field will take the green flag on Fri., May 7, 2021, shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90.

Chris Buescher – Darlington Advance

By
Official Release
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Team:                   No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Luke Lambert
Twitter:                @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Goodyear 400 – Sunday, May 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher at Darlington Raceway

  • Buescher makes his eighth Cup start at Darlington Sunday, where he has an average finish of 20th dating back to 2016.
  • Prior to the 2020 season, Buescher had finished no worse than 17th at ‘The Lady in Black,’ with a career-best result of 12th in the 2019 race. Most recently, Buescher got caught up in a few different incidents in the first race back last year to finish 32nd, and followed that with runs of 23rd and 26th.
  • Buescher finished fifth in the Xfinity Series at Darlington in 2015 in the No. 60 entry, and finished 12th two years prior in the No. 16 for Jack Roush.

Luke Lambert at Darlington Raceway

  • Lambert will call his 11th Cup race at Darlington Sunday. In 10 prior starts he has an average finish of 19.6 with three top-10s, all of which came with Ryan Newman. They ran 10th in 2014, and followed that with finishes of eighth and seventh in 2016-17.
  • Lambert also has one NXS start at Darlington, which came with Elliott Sadler in 2012 finishing 24th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Darlington:
“Darlington is probably my second-favorite track behind only Bristol, so racing there has always been fun for me, even though it does bring its own set of unique challenges. Tire wear is obviously king there, and keeping the car off the wall is key, too, with a long race that requires your best stuff late. We didn’t fare so well last season in Darlington, so our hope is to turn that around and have another good day come Sunday in the Fifth Third Ford.”

Last Time Out
Buescher led 13 laps and battled in the closing moments to finish eighth at Kansas on Sunday for his second top-10 of the season.

Where They Rank
Buescher is in the playoff picture through 11 races, currently 15th in points.

On the Car
Fifth Third Bank makes its second appearance on board Buescher’s Ford Mustang this season. The company is celebrating its 10th season as a partner with Roush Fenway in 2021, as the partnership began back in 2012 with Matt Kenseth at the time.

About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2020, Fifth Third had $203 billion in assets and operated 1,122 full-service banking centers and 2,456 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2020, had $405 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $49 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

Ryan Newman – Darlington Advance

By
Official Release
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Team: No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Goodyear 400 – Sunday, May 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Darlington Raceway

  • Newman makes his 25th Cup start at Darlington on Sunday, with his 12.8 average finish the best in his career among all NASCAR tracks.
  • In 24 prior starts Newman has 13 top-10s, seven of which were inside the top five. He’s led 339 laps at ‘The Lady in Black’ with a best finish of second in his first-ever Southern 500 back in 2002.
  • Most recently at the 1.366-mile track, Newman finished 15th-14th-15th in three events last season, in which NASCAR returned to racing at the South Carolina track following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Newman also made five starts in the Xfinity Series at Darlington, earning the pole in each of his first two events in 2001. He went on to finish fourth in the 2001 fall race and has an average 13.6 finish at the famed track.

Scott Graves at Darlington Raceway

  • Graves will be atop the box for his eighth Cup event at Darlington. In seven prior races his best finish came just last season with Newman, where they ran 14th.
  • In NXS action, Graves led Daniel Suarez to a third-place run in 2016, a year after he and Chris Buescher paired up for a fifth-place result.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Darlington:
“I’m always excited to go back to Darlington, which stands as my favorite track and one that fits my favorite style of racing. We put together three decent finishes there in three tries a season ago, so I think we’re on the right track in figuring out the right setup for 400 miles. Seeing all the different throwbacks for this race is always something different to experience, and we’re proud to carry a unique throwback of our own with Kohler going back to its early roots in racing with a scheme from the 70s.”

Last Time Out
Newman overcame an early penalty Sunday at Kansas and fought back in the closing laps for a 16th-place finish in the Hy-Vee Ford.

Where They Rank
Newman is 20th in points entering the 12th race of the season at Darlington.

On the Car

Kohler Generators is back on board Newman’s ride this weekend at Darlington, and will sport a unique look as the company celebrates #NASCARThrowback weekend with a throwback to themselves.

  • Newman’s No. 6 Ford will match that of a 1976 scheme that Kohler sponsored in the SCCA, competing in D Sports Racing across America.
  • Kohler sponsored Jeff Miller at Wynnfurst Racing, and they won six SCCA National Championships in the D Sports Racer and C Sports Racer classes (starting in 1976) as well as 13 June Sprints victories.
  • The Wynnfurst/Kohler Special was powered by an experimental 850-cc liquid-cooled two-cycle KOHLER engine.

About KOHLER Generators
KOHLER Generators is a leading manufacturer of automatic standby generators, which connect to the electrical system of a home or a business and quickly restore power following an outage to provide security and peace of mind for everyday life. KOHLER whole home generators are permanently installed outside a home, similar to a central air conditioning (AC) unit. The generator operates on natural gas or liquid propane (LP) and is wired into a home’s electrical system. When power is lost from unexpected events such as severe weather storms, the standby generator automatically kicks in – generally within seconds – and can power hard-wired systems and appliances including air conditioning, heat, medical equipment, Internet and Wi-Fi, security systems and lighting. KOHLER Generators is part of privately held Kohler Co., headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company provides complete power systems including portable, residential, industrial, and marine generators; automatic transfer switches; switchgear; monitoring controls; and accessories for emergency, prime power and energy-management applications. Kohler Power Systems has delivered energy solutions for markets worldwide since 1920. Visit KOHLERGenerators.com, facebook.com/KOHLERPower, or Twitter at @KOHLERPower. or more information.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of nearly 35,000 associates. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacturing of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

DGR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Advance: Darlington

By
Official Release
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Friday, May 7
Track: Darlington Raceway, 1.366-mile oval
Race: 8 of 22
Event: LiftKits4Less.com 200 (147 laps, 200 miles)

Schedule
Race: 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Ford Performance F-150

  • Deegan makes her eighth start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season in the No. 1 Ford Performance F-150 on Friday evening at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
  • Deegan’s livery is a nod to the Ford GT’s 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental race win. In recognition of the historic win, Ford has celebrated with the 2021 Ford GT Heritage Edition.
  • Last weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Deegan had her best run of the season. She ran in the top-10 and ultimately finished 13th after several late-race cautions. Kansas is the only track Deegan has raced at more than once in her young Truck Series career.
  • This weekend marks Deegan’s first time at the historic Darlington track.
  • Veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. has called three truck races at Darlington. Hillman has recorded one win in the series with Todd Bodine in 2010.
  • Click here for Deegan’s career statistics.

Crew Chief Mike Hillman Jr. Quotes:

What are your expectations for Darlington this weekend?

“Darlington is so unique in that it doesn’t drive like any of the other tracks we go to. Hailie had a strong run at Kansas, but how you drive at Kansas doesn’t apply at Darlington. We’re going to run Darlington on the simulator on Friday morning and then head straight there. Anytime a rookie goes to Darlington, if you can leave there with a clean truck and a top-15 finish you’ve had a good day.”

How beneficial has it been to have an experienced spotter this year for Hailie?

“You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Having TJ (Majors) on the roof to help guide her and limit as many mistakes as we can is huge. Without practice time, having a spotter who knows how to work traffic and the draft, aero sensitivities, how to enter the corners and all of the variables is very beneficial for Hailie to hear from.”

video

Check out Deegan’s YouTube channel for her vlog which covers her day at Kansas Speedway. She took in the ARCA Menards race, found Deegan fans and recaps the race after her best Truck Series finish.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

  • Gray makes his eighth start of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season on Friday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway carrying his usual Ford Performance colors.
  • The 22-year-old driver has made one career start at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He finished 29th after making contact with the wall while battling for position on lap 124.
  • Although the 18th-place result from last week at Kansas Speedway doesn’t show it, Gray had his best outing of the season hovering around the top-10 for the majority of the race. A speeding penalty when coming to pit road for a green-flag pit stop from the sixth position forced him to serve a passthrough and go one lap down to the leaders.
  • Although he has called 10 Truck Series races and over 70 ARCA races in his career, Seth Smith will call the shots from atop the pit box at Darlington for the first time on Friday evening.
  • Click here for Gray’s career statistics.

Gray on Darlington:

“Darlington is a really tough, technical race track that can be a lot of fun if you are running well. We were decent last year before getting damage late in the race, so hopefully we have the same speed we showed in Kansas at Darlington and we can put together a complete race start to finish.”

David Gilliland, No. 17 Black’s Tire & Auto Service F-150

  • Gilliland makes his third start of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at Darlington. His previous two starts this year came at the season opener in Daytona and the third race of the season at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.
  • The 45-year-old driver has nine career starts at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series with a best finish of 25th in 2012. He has also competed in two career Xfinity Series races at the track.
  • There will be not one, but two Black’s Tire Ford F-150s in the field on Friday evening as Gilliland will pilot the usual Black’s Tire colors and son Todd Gilliland will carry a throwback scheme to Ricky Benton’s 1998 NASCAR Winston Racing Series Atlantic Seaboard LMSC championship.
  • With Seth Smith’s move over to the No. 15 truck, Chad Johnston will serve as crew chief for the No. 17. Johnston has called 10 previous races at the 1.366-mile oval in the NASCAR Cup Series with four top-five and six top-10 finishes.
  • Click here for Gilliland’s career statistics.

Gilliland on Darlington:

“It’s always fun when we get to partner with Ricky (Benton) at the race track. To be representing the Black’s Tire family with Todd in Darlington is special; this is essentially a home game for those guys and we are looking forward to putting on a good show for them.”

Crawford Heading to Barcelona for F3 debut

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BARCELONA, Spain (4 May 2021) – Young American racing phenom Jak Crawford till take another significant step on his road to Formula 1 this weekend as he makes his FIA Formula 3 debut at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Red Bull Junior Team driver will race for Hitech Grand Prix for the 2021 campaign, which will see the F3 championship stage the full season as part of Formula 1 events.

Crawford, who has moved to Europe full time in pursuit of an opportunity at the top level of the sport, will have an intensive weekend schedule with practice, qualifying, and three races to open the season.

As he readies for his F3 competition debut, Crawford will look to make the most of pre-season testing with Hitech, where the Houston-based racer showed impressive form as he prepares for his first full season campaign in F3. It will mark his second competition outing in 2021, having taken a seventh-place finish last Sunday on his 16th-birthday in his Euroformula Open Championship debut at Portimao, Portugal after starting the race from last on the grid.

“I’m feeling good for next weekend already, starting in the F3 series,” Crawford said following Sunday’s race. “I feel good and confident in my ability this year, so it should be good.”

Age restrictions prevented him from competing in the two Saturday races, but his Sunday performance in the No. 52 Motopark Dallara 320 Volkswagen earned Crawford his International B license, which is needed to compete in F3.

“I just had to catch up on some school work and relax between the races,” said Crawford about his post-birthday plans. “I am hoping to get up to speed quickly and start the championship off strong. It is always better to be leading the way than to be trying to catch up in a championship. It will be down to the qualifying and with the reverse grids, just making your way to the front.”

Crawford had the opportunity to test the F3 car in an official session at Barcelona less than two weeks ago. Earlier in the month, he was an impressive fourth and third in the pre-season opening two-day test at Spielberg, Austria’s Red Bull Ring.

Practice for the F3 opener begins Friday with a 45-minute session at 4:05 a.m. (all times ET). Qualifying begins its 30-minute session at 7:35 a.m. Race 1 is on Saturday at 4:35 a.m., followed by Race 2 at 10:45 a.m. The weekend wraps up with Race 3 at 6:05 a.m., which precedes the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

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

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Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 JBL® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: LiftKits4Less.com 200, Race 8 of 22, 147 Laps – 45/45/57; 200.1 Miles
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.336-mile egg-shaped oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 7, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Story on Corey:

  • Corey Heim will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 51 JBL Tundra in Friday night’s Camping World Truck Series event at Darlington Raceway. As part of his two-race deal, Heim will get back behind the wheel of the No. 51 Toyota Oct. 30 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
  • The 18-year-old Georgia native is the current points leader in the ARCA Menards Series standings, sitting 13 tallies ahead of Drew Dollar. Heim opened the season with a victory at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February and also won at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April. He has finished inside the top five in all four events this season, posting an average finish of 1.8.
  • In addition to two ARCA Menards series this season, the Toyota Racing Development driver earned his first victory in the series finale last October at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Across 20 career ARCA Menards Series starts, the talented teenager has recorded three wins, 141 laps led, 14 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes, resulting in an average finish of 4.9.
  • Heim has also found his way to victory lane in the Late Model Ranks the last few seasons. Most recently, the Georgia driver brought home a victory March 27 in the Super Late Model Georgia Spring Nationals at Crip Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga. It was his second Super Late Model win at his home state track, where he also won CRA SpeedFest at the 3/8-mile track in 2020. On the CARS Tour, Heim has one Super Late Model win at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2018 and one Late Model Stock victory at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2020.
  • After seven events, the No. 51 is tied with KBM’s No. 4 team atop the Camping World Trucks owner standings but holds the tiebreaker with three wins on the year compared to the No. 4 team’s two. Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. and in last week’s event at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, while Martin Truex Jr. got his first-ever Truck Series victory at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Combined with John Hunter Nemechek’s victories at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and Richmond (Va.) Raceway, KBM has won the last five races on the schedule. It’s the first time in organization history that they have collected five consecutive victories, they had previously won four straight four different times.
  • The No. 51 team also leads the series with 308 laps led. As an organization, KBM drivers have combined to lead 65.6% (627/956) of the total laps this season. KBM has also combined to win 11 of the 14 stages this season, including five by the No. 51 team.
  • Mardy Lindley has guided the No. 51 team to three victories across seven races is in his first season as a crew chief at KBM. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Friday night will be Lindley’s first race atop the pit box at his home state track.
  • Friday’s race kicks off the Triple Truck Challenge presented by Womply in the Camping World Truck Series. This year’s program will consist of the events at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and concludes at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. An extra $50,000 is on the line for each of those three events. If a driver can win all three races, they will get a $500,000 bonus.

Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:

What does it mean to you to be getting the opportunity to make your Camping World Truck Series debut?
“I’m really excited to get started this weekend in Darlington. My JBL Tundra should be really fast. KBM has been on a hot streak the past couple of weeks. I have everyone behind me. Mardy Lindley is working on the truck and doing his best. Hopefully, I can bring my A game.”

Knowing that you will not have any practice, how have you prepared for Friday?
“It’ll definitely be tough this weekend. Darlington, from what I’ve heard, is a really challenging racetrack. To have no practice or qualifying and making my series debut, it’s going to be tough for sure. I know I have a really good team behind me. I’ve been doing things in the sim and everything I can online, like YouTube and some on board research to do everything I can to possibly research for it.”

Have you set any goals for Friday?
“I’m hoping to do the best I can and hopefully win the race. I think Mardy is going to bring me a fast Tundra. Kyle won this past weekend, so I know that I have the equipment to do so. I have to do everything I can to go out there and win the race. If not, a top five will be great too.”

Corey Heim Career Highlights:

  • Across 20 career ARCA Menards Series starts has three wins, 141 laps led, 14 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.9.
  • Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
  • Brought home a victory March 27, 2020 in the Super Late Model Georgia Spring Nationals at Crip Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga. It was his second Super Late Model win at his home state track, where he also won CRA SpeedFest at the 3/8-mile track in 2020.
  • On the CARS Tour, has collected one Super Late Model win at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2018 and one Late Model Stock victory at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2020
  • Captured the 2017 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Pro Series championship and the 2016 Atlanta Motor Speedway Young Lions Legends Car championship
  • Corey Heim’s No. 51 JBL Tundra:
  • KBM-069: The No. 51 JBL team will unload KBM-69 for Friday night’s event at Darlington Raceway. The Tundra has posted an average finish of 2.5 across its two career starts. Kyle Busch finished second with it earlier this year at Las Vegas (Nev.) Speedway and Chandler Smith drove it to a third-place result at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway last November.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected one win, 95 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.2 across five starts at Darlington. Kasey Kahne led a race-high 95 laps en route to victory in the 2011 event.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (85) 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).
  • With 37 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

John Hunter Nemechek – No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra Camping World Trucks Darlington Preview

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John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: LiftKits4Less.com 200, Race 8 of 22, 147 laps – 45/45/57; 200.8 miles
Location: Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. (1.366-mile egg-shaped oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 7, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ The Facts:

  • John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Pye-Barker team roll into Darlington (S.C.) Raceway after scoring a fifth-place finish at Kansas Speedway last week. After seven races, Nemechek continues to sit at the top of the Camping World Trucks championship standings, 33 tallies ahead of Ben Rhodes. In addition to his lead in the point standings, Nemechek tops Truck Series regulars this season in average finish (3.3), laps led (273), driver rating (118.9), average running position (5.5) and fastest laps (144).
  • Nemechek will be making his first career start at Darlington in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition. In 2020, Nemechek made three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington with a best finish of ninth coming in NASCAR’s return to racing in May following a 10-week shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, Nemechek made his sole NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 1.366-mile facility and finished 21st.
  • KBM enters Friday’s event having won the last five Camping World Truck Series races. Nemechek started the streak at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March and at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. Busch was victorious at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway and captured KBM’s most recent victory at Kansas Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. captured his first Truck Series victory at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track. It’s the first time in the organization’s history that they’ve collected five straight victories.
  • This weekend kicks off the Triple Truck Challenge presented by Womply in the Camping World Truck Series. This year’s program will consist of the events at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and concludes at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. An extra $50,000 is on the line for each of those events. If a driver can win all three races, they will get a $500,000 bonus.
  • Nemechek is an eight-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 109 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 882 laps led, 33 top-five and 56 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.9. 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.
  • The 23-year-old driver 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.
  • 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 39 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 29 of those coming while at KBM. At Darlington, Phillips has three starts with one win coming in 2011 when Kasey Kahne led a race-high 95 laps driving KBM’s No. 18 Tundra.
  • Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, an industry leader in commercial fire protection since 1946, will adorn the hood of Nemechek’s Tundra this weekend at Darlington, at Talladega (Ala) Superspeedway (Oct. 2), and for the season finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway (Nov. 5). Pye-Barker recently acquired Nemechek’s long-time supporter Fire Alarm Services.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:

What does it mean to have Pye-Barker on board this weekend at Darlington?
“It’s very neat to have Fire Alarm Service and Pye-Barker on board this week. It’s a new company that Fire Alarm Services is a part of now. It’s their first race with us, so they are going to have quite a few guests in the grandstands which will be really neat. Hopefully, we can go out and get them their first win in their first start.”

What are your expectations going into Darlington?
“The last racetrack I’d been to that wasn’t in a truck ended up pretty well at Richmond. Hopefully we have the same outcome here at Darlington. It’s one of my better racetracks. It was one of my best runs last year in the Cup series right after the return from the COVID pandemic. I’m looking forward to this weekend. It’s too tough to tame for sure. There are a lot of characteristics with the racetrack. I don’t know how the lines will vary from the Cup car to the truck, but it is something that we will have to figure out. We’re coming off some momentum still after a fifth-place run last weekend and a pretty solid truck. I’m proud of everyone at KBM and look forward to getting going.”

Your crew chief Eric Phillips took a gamble last week at Kansas. As a driver, how does it feel knowing you have a couple of wins under your belt so that you can gamble throughout a race?
“It feels good knowing that we have a couple of wins under our belt and some playoff points. We didn’t feel like we had a truck capable of winning from where we were at during the second-to-last caution. Being able to take a gamble and come down pit road, I have all the faith in Eric and his call to come down and get a little bit of an advantage. It almost worked out. There was a little chaos there at the end. Overall, it was a solid day and solid performance. I’m still gaining on the points lead, so that’s a positive.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

  • Eight-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 109 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 882 laps led, 33 top-five and 56 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.9.
  • 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 51 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 11.6.
  • John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra:
  • KBM-053: The No. 4 Pye-Barker team will unload KBM-053 Friday in Darlington. The chassis was previously run at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway earlier this year, where Nemechek piloted the chassis to a third-place finish. The chassis has been run seven times with an average finish of 5.4.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected one win, 95 laps led, two top-five and three top 10 finishes across five starts at Darlington. Kasey Kahne collected the organization’s sole win at the 1.366-mile facility.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (85) 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 13 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Chandler Smith – No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra Camping World Trucks Darlington Preview

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Official Release
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Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: LiftKits4Less.com 200, Race 8 of 22, 147 Laps – 45/45/57; 200.1 Miles
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.336-mile egg-shaped oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 7, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Throws it Back:

  • Chandler Smith and the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass team head to Darlington Raceway for Friday’s LiftKits4Less.com 200. As part of Darlington’s throwback weekend, Smith will have fresh colors on his Tundra under the lights Friday night. Smith’s normal paint scheme on his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM)’ entry is based off Safelite’s MobileGlassShop vehicles that have been predominately black with silver and red stripes since 2013. This week the No. 18 will throw it back to before 2013 when Safelite’s MobileGlassShop vehicles were predominately white with red and black stripes on the side. Safelite AutoGlass – the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration services – has been a partner of KBM since the 2017 season and will be the primary sponsor on Smith’s Toyota for 15 races this season.
  • Smith will be making his second career Camping World Truck Series start at Darlington. Making just his ninth career Camping World Truck Series start last September, the Georgia native had maneuvered his way up to the sixth position with just under 20 laps remaining when he reported a bad vibration. As the condition worsened, he was forced to pit road and would end the day a lap down in the 23rd position.
  • The Georgia native comes into Saturday’s race 11th in the Camping World Truck Series championship standings. He currently sits 14 points behind Johnny Sauter for the 10th and final spot in the playoffs with eight races remaining in the regular season. Across seven starts this season, Smith has one top-five and two top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.7. He produced a season-best result of fourth at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. He leads the Rookie of the Year standings by two points over Carson Hocevar and his 11th-place result at Kansas last week earned him his fourth rookie of the race award of the season.
  • The Toyota Racing Development driver has finished inside the top five in nine of his 23 career Camping World Truck Series starts, including a career-best runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2019.
  • The talented teenager recorded nine wins, 10 poles and an average finish of 5.3 across 33 ARCA Menards Series starts the last three seasons. He captured the pole in his series debut at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville (Tenn.) in April of 2018 and set an ARCA Menards Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career. He earned his first victory at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in just his fourth series start in June of 2018. Despite running a part-time schedule, he led the series in laps led in both 2018 and 2019.
  • Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team this season. Stockman led the No. 51 team to four wins in his first season atop the pit box at KBM in 2020. He came to the organization with experience as a crew chief in all three national series, including a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s Camping World Truck Series drivers have earned one top-five finish across three starts. Dillon’s fifth-place finish in 2010 was his best result. In Xfinity Series action, his best result across six starts was also a fifth-place result with Dillon in 2012.
  • Friday’s race kicks off the Triple Truck Challenge presented by Womply in the Camping World Truck Series. This year’s program will consist of the events at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and concludes at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. An extra $50,000 is on the line for each of those three events. If a driver can win all three races, they will get a $500,000 bonus.
  • Smith General Contracting and Katerra will be associate partners on the bedtop of the No. 18 Toyota for Friday’s 147-lap event.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:

What is your outlook heading into Friday night’s race at Darlington?
“Overall, I’m just looking for a solid day and get some stage points to have a good weekend. We struggled a little bit at Kansas, but we are looking for a good rebound.”

What does it take to be successful at Darlington?
“Darlington is unique and has its own character to it. Tire conservation in our series is kind of critical but not because the stages are so short. Overall, Danny (Stockman) and the guys are going to give me a good Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra to get it going.”

What does it mean to you as a driver to have bonus program like the Triple Truck Challenge in place?
“It’s really cool to have a partner out there to foot out a bonus for these next three races. I’m really proud to be part of something big and be a small part of it. It’s really cool to be a part of it.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

  • Across 23 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded 139 laps led, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.0.
  • Posted an average finish of 7.7 across his final seven of 12 total Truck Series starts in 2020, including third-place finishes in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway and his first career superspeedway start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October.
  • Produced three top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.2 across his first four career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2019. He led 55 laps and finished eighth in his Gander Trucks debut at Iowa Speedway last July and then posted top-five finishes in his final three starts, including a runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
  • Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1761 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.2 across 33 career ARCA Menards Series starts. Set an ARCA Racing Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career and earned his first victory after leading a race-high 102 laps at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start.
  • Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:
  • KBM-67: The No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass team will unload chassis number KBM-67 for Friday night’s event at Darlington. Smith was relegated to a 35th-place result with this Tundra at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. same Tundra earlier this season after suffering a parts failure. Kyle Busch was victorious with KBM-67 at Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth last July. Smith piloted it three times last year, with a best result of fifth coming at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected one win, 95 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.2 across five starts at Darlington. Kasey Kahne led a race-high 95 laps en route to victory in the 2011 event.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (85) 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. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 21 career victories.
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