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Kaulig Racing Announces ‘Best Kept Secret’

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Jeb Burton to Pilot the No. 10 Alsco Uniforms Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

LEXINGTON, N.C. (March 3, 2021) – Kaulig Racing announced today the addition of uniform rental company, Alsco Uniforms, as a partner on its No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Jeb Burton at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Alsco Uniforms, the leading supplier of employee uniforms, towels, first aid kits, floor mats and mops, has been a long-time partner of both Kaulig Racing and Burton, having supplied many of its products and services to the team. Kaulig Racing is now excited to take their relationship to the next level and welcome the uniform industry’s best kept secret onboard the No. 10 Chevrolet.

“Alsco Uniforms couldn’t be more thrilled for our new alignment with Kaulig Racing and driver Jeb Burton as a supplier and sponsor” said Ben Fox, director of sales and marketing at Alsco. “In addition to our sponsorship, we provide uniforms, towels, floor mats, sanitizers and first aid to the team.”

“Having Alsco on the No. 10 car is really exciting for Kaulig Racing, as they have been a valued partner of ours for a couple years now,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “We’re so happy Alsco has partnered with us as a sponsor and supplier, so we can help showcase their products to the motorsports industry.”

In addition to their primary race, Alsco also serves as an associate partner on the No. 10 for the entire 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season.

“I’m really looking forward to having Alsco on our No. 10 Chevrolet in Las Vegas,” said Burton. “They’ve been a great partner of mine the last couple years. This is the first time they will be a primary partner for me so I’m excited about that. Hopefully we can keep up the momentum we’ve had the last three weeks and make Alsco proud.”

Not only will Alsco act as the primary partner on the No. 10 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it will also serve as the title sponsor for the NXS event, the Alsco Uniforms 300 on Saturday, March 6 at 4:30PM ET on FS1.

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round for the first time in 2020. Kaulig Racing fields three full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Jeb Burton, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned five wins in 2020 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team will make its second NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) start in the 2021 Daytona 500 with Kaz Grala, as well as a limited NCS schedule this season. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About Alsco
Alsco is a fifth-generation family-owned and -operated uniform company founded in 1889 and recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the uniform rental industry. Celebrating over 130 years of business, Alsco provides uniform laundry services and other products that keep businesses clean and safe to all kinds of customers in the healthcare, automotive, industrial and hospitality industries. With more than 180 locations and 20,000 employees, Alsco provides laundry rental services to more than 355,000 customers in 14 countries, which makes Alsco Uniforms the largest uniform company in the world. Visit www.alsco.com to learn more about how Alsco Uniforms is the industry’s best-kept secret.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Las Vegas I

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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Las Vegas

Week four of the NASCAR Cup Series slate heads west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway where Jack Roush has 16 wins all-time, including seven in the NCS. Chris Buescher makes his ninth Cup start at Las Vegas, while Ryan Newman makes his 23rd.

Pennzoil 400
Sunday, March 7 | 3:30 p.m. ET
FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Homestead Recap, Las Vegas Preview

  • Newman maneuvered his way to a seventh-place run Sunday at Homestead, his first top-10 of the young 2021 season. After starting 23rd, he powered his way inside the top-10 early and battled back into the fray late. The finish marked his first top-10 on a non-Superspeedway track since the 2019 season finale at Homestead when he ran seventh, one of his 14 top-10s that season.
  • Wyndham Rewards returns to Newman’s Ford this weekend for its 2021 debut.
  • Buescher was the talk of the afternoon Sunday in Homestead, ultimately finishing 19th after winning the opening stage, earning a playoff point and leading 57 laps. He passed 11 cars in the opening 53 laps before taking the lead, one he would hold for the most laps he’s led in any prior season. It also marked his second stage win, earning a career-high 15 stage points.
  • Fastenal is back on Buescher’s machine in Las Vegas as the primary.

Early JACKpot

Roush Fenway hit the Vegas jackpot right off the bat, winning the inaugural Cup event at Las Vegas in 1998. Mark Martin led 82 laps in the victory that served as a banner day for Roush Fenway.

Inaugural Sweep

Roush Fenway placed all five of its Cup entries inside the top 10 of that inaugural Las Vegas Cup race in 1998, including three inside the top five, four inside the top six, one in the winners circle and the runner up (6 – 1st, 99 – 2nd, 26 – 4th, 16 – 6th and 97 – 10th).

Continued Success

Roush Fenway Racing won the first three Cup races at LVMS from ‘98-’00, with Jeff Burton winning back-to-back events in ’99 and ’00. Roush Fenway also took three of the first nine Xfinity Series events at LVMS.

Victory Lane at Vegas

In addition to the first three Cup races at LVMS, Roush Fenway again found the winners’ circle in 2003 and 2004 at the 1.5-mile track with Matt Kenseth. Carl Edwards took the checkered flag at the 2008 and 2011 events to give RFR seven Cup wins at Las Vegas with four different drivers.

Back to Back at Vegas

Roush Fenway has won back-to-back Cup races at LVMS on two separate occasions in ’99-’00 and ’03-04’ and once in the Xfinity Series in ‘99 and ‘00.

Across the Board at Vegas

All in all, Roush Fenway Racing has tallied 16 total NASCAR wins, while turning 37,000+ laps in NASCAR action at LVMS for 56,000+ miles, while leading over 2,600 laps at the track in NASCAR’s top three divisions. At the same time the organization has finished inside the top 10 in 50 percent of its 178 NASCAR starts at LVMS.

Roush Fenway Las Vegas Wins
1998 Martin Cup
1999 Burton Cup
2000 Burton Cup
2003 Kenseth Cup
2004 Kenseth Cup
2008 Edwards Cup
2011 Edwards Cup
1999 Martin NXS
2000 Burton NXS
2002 Burton NXS
2005 Martin NXS
2009 Biffle NXS
2012 Stenhouse NXS
1997 Ruttman NGOTS
1999 Biffle NGOTS
2007 Kvapil NGOTS

Ford Performance NASCAR: Riley Herbst Las Vegas Media Availability

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Zoom Media Availability | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 South Point  Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, is coming off a season-best 11th-place finish in last weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  He spoke with members of the media this afternoon as he prepares for Saturday’s scheduled event at his hometown track — Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 South Point Ford Mustang — HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO GET BACK TO LAS VEGAS?  “It’s always exciting to go back home and see a few friends and family and get to race in front of them this time around, which is cool.  It’s cool to have fans back in the stands, but just looking forward to hopefully putting a whole race together with our 98 team and running up towards the front.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE THE SOLE FOCUS AND NOT HAVE TEAMMATES?  “It’s a bit different, to be honest with you, but at the plate track at Daytona I had two really good teammates in Austin Cindric and Ryan Sieg, and I felt like me and Austin worked pretty well together to keep our Mustangs up front, but throughout the day-to-day process it is a little bit different without two to three teammates with you every single week on the track.  It’s kind of me just leaning on Richard Boswell than my teammates, but I also have really good Cup teammates as well that have won a lot of races in the XFINITY program at Stewart-Haas Racing in Chase Briscoe and Cole Custer that I can call up and ask them any questions any time, so I feel like we’re handling it pretty well.”

HOW DOES IT FEEL GOING INTO THESE RACES WITH NO PRACTICE AND BEING WITH A NEW TEAM?  “I don’t feel behind at all this year.  Last year was really overwhelming to go to places I’ve never been before without practice and try to go race there and by the time the end of the race rolled around or stage three I was just starting to figure out that racetrack and we were loaded up and headed to the next track next week.  This time around I’ve been to these racetracks before and I’m definitely more confident in myself and the equipment and everything which is coming this season, so I’m really looking forward to this season and I feel like it will definitely be better.”

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE ADJUSTING TO SHR THIS SEASON?  “The culture is quite a bit different.  Both are good cultures, they’re just different.  I’m really liking and I’m really gelling with the new guys over at Stewart-Haas Racing.  I feel like me and Richard have worked really well together these last couple of races, so I think things are going the right direction and, like I said, I’m just looking forward for a whole race to be put together from start to finish and I think we’ll have pretty good speed.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE TRACK AT LAS VEGAS THAT SUITS YOUR DRIVING STYLE?  “I don’t know.  I feel like we’ve had speed there, but we haven’t really got the finishes that we wanted.  I like that mile-and-a-half.  It’s always cool.  It gives you a little bit more confidence running at home in front of friends and family, so hopefully it will pay off this weekend.”

Brett Moffitt – Bucked Up 200 Race Advance

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Bucked Up 200 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race Advance
Team: No. 45 The STRAT Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Brett Moffitt
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Brett_Moffitt

Moffitt on Racing at Las Vegas: “Las Vegas is a track that I really enjoy racing at, so I’m looking forward to getting our season back on track there this week,” said Moffitt. “We’ve had really strong trucks in the first two races of the season, we just don’t have the results to show for it. Phil and the whole Niece Motorsports group have been working hard on our STRAT Chevrolet. I’m confident we will have a strong Chevrolet on Friday night.”

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Moffitt at Las Vegas: Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be Moffitt’s seventh start at the track in the Truck Series. In his previous six starts, Moffitt has two top-five finishes, including a runner-up result in 2019. In addition, Moffitt has three top-10 finishes, five top-15 finishes and has led 58 laps at the track. Moffitt has never finished lower than 16th in Truck Series competition at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, Moffitt has earned two top-15 finishes.

Moffitt also has one NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, coming in 2015.

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet will race with support from The STRAT.

Visible throughout the city, dominating the Las Vegas skyline – the iconic STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod is where the Las Vegas Strip begins and ends. The STRAT reimagined the experience from top to bottom, offering renovated hotel rooms, refreshed casino floor, all-new dining options, award-winning entertainment, and an exhilarating SkyPod experience.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Carson Hocevar – Bucked Up 200 Race Advance

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Bucked Up 200 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 42 CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on Racing at Las Vegas: “Our season has gotten off to a pretty good start, and I’m excited to get back on track again this week,” said Hocevar. “Our CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet looks great – I can’t thank them enough for their support. I am looking forward to racing at Las Vegas for the first time. Our team has worked hard to prepare this truck to race under the lights Friday night.”

Hocevar at Las Vegas: Friday night’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks Hocevar’s first start at the 1.5-mile track.

On the Truck: The No. 42 Chevrolet will carry the CircleBDiecast.com colors at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday night.

Plan B Sales was founded in 2010 with the goal of bringing service to dealers that carry licensed motorsports product. Plan B Sales started as a Lionel diecast and Chase Authentics apparel distributor. Over the last few years Plan B Sales has grown to be the largest account for Lionel servicing the motorsports market and has expanded product offerings.

Plan B Sales has quickly become the choice of dealers for a stocking one-stop distributor. Its product offering also includes Auto World, Greenlight Collectibles, BrandArt and are the exclusive distributor for University of Racing product lines.

In September of 2020, Plan B Sales decided to split its wholesale and retail business into two different websites to better serve each segment of customers, effectively launching CircleBDiecast.com.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Conor Daly – Bucked Up 200 Race Advance

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Bucked Up 200 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 44 Fatheadz Eyewear/ Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Conor Daly
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport, @ConorDaly22

Daly on Racing at Las Vegas: “Ever since the checkered flag fell in Las Vegas last year I was bothering Cody [Efaw] about another chance to get in a truck,” said Daly. “I learned so much during my first experience in the Truck Series, I had to try and come back to put it to good use! Working with everyone at Niece was an incredible experience and I want to go out and be able to deliver for them. It will be a shame not to have Travis Pastrana out there to chase around, but I hope to be able to make him proud. A big thank you to Fatheadz Eyewear and Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts for coming back to support this effort!”

Daly at Las Vegas: In Daly’s debut last season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, without practice or qualifying, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES regular finished 18th.

On the Truck: The No. 44 Chevrolet will race with support from Fatheadz Eyewear and Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts.

Founded in early 2004 under the direction of Rico Elmore, Fatheadz Eyewear started with exclusively catering to men with heads too large to fit in standard width sunglasses comfortably. To solve this issue, Elmore created a product line with four oversized sunglasses available in varying colors. Fatheadz Eyewear has grown to encompass nine distinct lines of eyewear for both, men and women, specifically tailored to serve its client base. With hundreds of unique product offerings, the innovation continues to drive its customer centric business.

Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts is an authorized inTech Trailer, United, Featherlite, ATC, Legend, Alumitech, Haulmark, and EZ Go dealership serving the Warsaw, Indiana area. Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts, values the opportunity to create a long-term relationship with customers, by giving the best customer service available.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Ryan Truex – Bucked Up 200 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Bucked Up 200 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 40 Jacob Companies Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at Las Vegas: “We’ve had two great trucks to start the season and I’m confident that will continue this week at Las Vegas,” said Truex. “Wally, myself and the whole team are working well together. Our Jacob Companies Chevrolet looks great, and we are looking forward to getting it on track on Friday.”

Truex at Las Vegas: Friday night’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks Truex’s third Truck Series start at the track. In his two previous starts, Truex has one pole and two 12th-place finishes.

In addition, Truex has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, with his best finish of eighth coming in 2018.

Truex also has one NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, coming in 2014.

On the Truck: The No. 40 Chevrolet will carry the Jacob Companies at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

JACOB is a nationally certified, WBENC, woman owned, multifaceted construction firm with a focus on construction, design-build services, structural concrete, and technology. Jacob specializes in hotels, stadiums & athletic facilities, parking garages, hospital & healthcare facilities, assisted living facilities, automotive dealerships and high-rise structures.

As a full-service organization, JACOB provides clients with a wide range of design and technical support services for architecture, engineering, technology, land planning and development.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

DiBenedetto Excited About Return to Las Vegas

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With a mostly disappointing month of February behind them, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are anxious to move into the month of March, beginning with this weekend’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Even before the season started I was looking forward to March,” DiBenedetto said. “This is the start of a good stretch of tracks for us.”

The 1.5-mile Las Vegas track has been particularly good for DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team in recent seasons. Last year, he was runner-up in both races at Vegas, and in the six races before he joined the No. 21 team, the Wood Brothers posted four top-10s and no finishes outside the top 15.

“We had a shot to win both races at Las Vegas last year and we still had room for improvement,” DiBenedetto said. “I can’t wait to get there and see how we stack up against the competition. We were strong there last year, and I’m hoping we have the same speed this year.”

But he cautioned that past results are no guarantee of future performance.

“There are a lot of tough teams out there right now,” he said. “A lot of folks are running good.”

DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Mustang will be starting 30th on Sunday. With no qualifying scheduled, the line-up will be set based on recent performances, which have been disappointing for his team. And that’s a big disadvantage, he said.

“It hurts,” he said. “It really does. It messes up your early-race strategy as far as going for Stage points.

“Sometimes it’s well into the second or even the third Stage before you can work your way to the front.

“The [line-up] system puts you behind the Eight Ball, so you just have to go to work and overcome it.”

The 267-lap Pennzoil 400, which will have Stage breaks at Laps 80 and 160, is set to get the green flag just after 12:30 p.m. on Sunday (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time). FOX will carry the TV broadcast.

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.

John Force ready to get back to work

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16-time NHRA champion aiming for more milestones in Chevrolet Funny Car

DETROIT (March 3, 2021) — As John Force waits in the comfortable cab of his Chevrolet Silverado for his appointment to receive the second round of COVID-19 vaccination, the staging area at Gainesville Raceway comes into his mind’s eye.

“I can sit here, feel the throttle of a fuel car, feel the pressure on my body, ready to cut a quick light,” the 16-time National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car champion says. “That will be the easy part. I’ve done it for so many years it’s just built into me. I’m ready to go drag racing. I’m just ready to get back to work.”

Force will check in at the Florida dragstrip March 12-14, returning from a self-imposed 12-month furlough primarily driven by the economic effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic, to compete in the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals.

Teammates Robert Hight, whose shot at defending his Funny Car championship was curtailed after two races in 2020, and Top Fuel driver Brittany Force will also represent John Force Racing at Gainesville Raceway.

“I’m excited because I’m ready; we’re all going to be ready,” says Force, driver of the familiar blue and white PEAK/BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS. “At the end of the day, drag racing is what we do. I need to get back. Like kids need to get back in school, I need to get back to work. I’m going to fight to win another championship; so is Robert and so is Brittany.”

Force, whose NHRA-record 151 Funny Car victories include 20 in a Chevrolet and 53 in other General Motors brands, will reach more career milestones this season. Qualifying for the 16-car Gatornationals field will mark his 200th race day appearance in a Chevrolet.

“I’ve come a long way with Chevy in my career and in my life,” says Force, 71. “My first road car was a ’54 Chevy sedan – six-cylinder and an automatic – and my parents both drove GM products as long as I can remember. My mother drove a Buick Bobcat and my father drove a ’55 Chevy and had Chevy pickup trucks when I was a kid. I’m what you could call a General Motors buff. I now own two of the new mid-engine Corvettes.”

The Bowtie Brand played an important role on the dragstrip, too, early on for the Southern California native. “My first race car was a Chevrolet; it was a Vega that I went to Australia in ’74,” he says.

Back in the U.S., the first 60 starts of Force’s career were behind the wheel of a Chevrolet. From 1978-80 he raced a Corvette before switching to a Citation (1981-82), Camaro (1983-84), Corvette (1985), and then a Cavalier (1986).
“My first (NHRA) start (1977, Pomona1), final (1979, losing to Kenny Bernstein), my first No. 1 (1986) were in a Chevy,” he says. “They stood beside me.”

Force qualified for 64 NHRA Funny Car races before earning his first victory on June 28, 1987, at Montreal in an Oldsmobile. His wins by model — Oldsmobile Cutlass (31), Pontiac Firebird (21), Chevrolet Lumina (10), Chevrolet Camaro (10), Oldsmobile Firenza (1).

Force captured his first win in a Chevrolet in 1994 when he raced a Lumina on the way to his fourth NHRA Funny Car championship with a 50-8 record, 10 wins in 11 finals and 12 No. 1 qualifiers.

After a long hiatus, John Force Racing returned to the Chevrolet fold in 2015. The renewed partnership has produced three championships – by Hight (Funny Car) in 2017 and 2019 and Brittany Force (Top Fuel) in 2017 – along with 43 victories.

Last season, Force was runner-up in the opener at Pomona, California, and was the No. 2 qualifier and semifinalist at Phoenix before the team sat out the final nine races.

“We had a good start to the season. The new Chevrolet Funny Car is so awesome. It will stick to the ground yet it’s slippery. And Brittany was the top qualifier in both races,” Force says. “I can’t wait to get back in my Chevrolet Funny Car.”

Other milestones in view:

  • 800 career races (he is at 788).
  • 1,400 round wins (he is at 1,356).

“I’ve lost 25 pounds and built muscle during the downtime. I worked out nearly every day. I’ve got all my (top personnel) in my machine and chassis shops, I’ve got my crew chiefs (Dan Hood and Tim Fabrisi) and we’re ready to go racing,” Force says.

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 03.03.21

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This Week in Motorsports: March 1-7, 2021

· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – March 5-7

PLANO, Texas (March 3, 2021) – It’s time to roll the dice in Las Vegas as the NASCAR series make their first West Coast stop of the season.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NCWTS

Hamlin continues to lead the points… After an 11th-place finish in Homestead, Denny Hamlin continues to lead the overall point standings in the NASCAR Cup Series. Despite 44 career victories, Hamlin is looking for his first win in Las Vegas. The Virginia-native drove to one of his best results at the track, a third-place finish, last fall in the No. 11 Camry.

Busch returns home… Kyle Busch is back at his home track this weekend where he will compete in two events. The Las Vegas native scored Toyota’s first NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) (2009) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) (2016) wins at the track. Busch is scheduled to run the NCS and Truck Series events this weekend. He has won three of the past six Truck Series races at Las Vegas.

Truex leads Toyota at Vegas… Martin Truex Jr. is the only multi-time winner for Toyota in the NCS at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Truex, who is coming off a season-best third-place finish at Homestead, has two wins at the track (2017, 2019).

Hemric off to a strong start… Daniel Hemric has had a strong run in his first three starts in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra with two top-fives and three top-10 finishes. Hemric was also strong in his last outing in Las Vegas, scoring a third-place finish in September.

Rhodes looking for three straight… Ben Rhodes and ThorSport Racing have gone two-for-two since rejoining Toyota this offseason. The Kentucky-native looks for three straight at a track he already has fond memories at. Rhodes drove to his first career Truck Series win at Las Vegas aboard a Tundra in 2017.

100 for Hill… Austin Hill is making his 100th career Truck Series start at Las Vegas on Friday. It is a perfect track for last year’s regular season champion to be making a milestone start as Hill has won two of the last three races at the track.

Stay Connected

https://www.toyota.com/racing @ToyotaRacing.com @ToyotaRacing

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# # #

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.

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