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Front Row Motorsports Connects with AGILE for 2021 NASCAR Season

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Official Release
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Interoperable Solution Company Assists FRM with Communications Software

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 24, 2021) – Front Row Motorsports announces today its 2021 partnership with best-in-class interoperable solutions company, AGILE, to provide real-time communication software for use at both the racetrack and the race shop.

AGILE provides interoperable communications solutions that enable public and private organizations to achieve seamless connectivity, even in the most challenging environments. In 2020, the AGILE team had the opportunity to observe and evaluate the communications needs of Front Row Motorsports and worked diligently over the offseason to create a unique communication software that met all of the team’s requirements.

“The multi-element communications solution provided for Front Row Motorsports will provide higher bandwidth data and more flexible voice communications,” said Sheryar Wahid, co-CEO/Chief Technical Officer for AGILE.

In 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, NASCAR instituted safety protocols and procedures to help stop the coronavirus’ spread and allow the sport to continue its season. One of those mandates, which is still in effect today, is a roster limit, which reduces the number of personnel that a team is allowed to bring to the racetrack each weekend.

“When NASCAR implemented the roster limit rule last season, it was challenging for us to decide who we would continue to bring to the racetrack and who would have to stay home,” said Front Row Motorsports General Manager, Jerry Freeze. “We learned of the folks at AGILE and some of the software that they were working on to provide a two-way radio transmission over the internet and decided to explore that avenue over the offseason.”

Freeze continued by saying, “AGILE’s software was a very effective tool for us recently at Daytona [International Speedway], because it allowed us to keep our engineers back at the shop during the race weekend to work the Daytona 500 from there, which in return allowed us the ability to pretty much make use of our full roster again on race day by taking our full allotment of mechanics back to the racetrack to work on the cars, while still abiding by all safety protocols that have been put in place.”

To learn more about AGILE, please visit www.aisinterop.com. You can also follow AGILE on social media: Facebook at Agile Interop, Twitter at @AgileInterop and LinkedIn at Agile.

About AGILE

When wireless, interoperable, mission critical communications are an absolute requirement, business, government, law enforcement, first responders, emergency managers and others turn to Agile, www.aisinterop.com for their solutions.

Agile is the global innovator and leading provider of communications technologies that deliver powerful, solid-state, ruggedized, seamless, lightning-fast speed and the most system flexibility available while offering the broadest range of 4G, 5G and LTE coverage in the industry. Agile’s full line of products support both land and marine applications that work today and will tomorrow because they don’t require hardware changes or full replacement with each new generation like the competition, helping customers meet most budgets for the foreseeable future.

All Agile technologies are built to be mobile and tough, not static like what’s traditionally been offered. Each is an extension of its flagship product, CORE (Common Operating Radio Engine). CORE integrates Landline, Cellular, Radio, Wi-Fi and Satellite communications in a portable, rugged enclosure supporting incident response and command and control functions. CORE represents the state-of-the-art in interoperability and unified incident command systems providing secure communications between multiple parties, agencies, vehicles and IoT enabled devices under the harshest of circumstances.

Agile CORE technologies are now available for operation in all settings. The Mobile CORE communications hub can be located in an office, vehicle, watercraft (Agile Marine), contained in a backpack (CORE Patrol), or ready to go in a portable case (CORE CommsKit). Mobile CORE is a small, ruggedized and durable device that integrates bonded multi-channel cellular LTE, WI-FI, GPS, and Land Mobile Radio extension capabilities. Combined with the industry’s only centralized SIM library (CORE Center Point), secures valuable SIM cards and distributes them to remote devices as required (in use), saving costs and allowing maximum management of SIM’s.

Agile’s mission is to be transformative by taking its customers from the dark ages to the leading edge of communications technology. Agile’s custom tailored solutions help resolve communications challenges while saving time and money. Designing complete communications ecosystems that meet specialized needs, Agile independent products deliver consistent innovation and efficiency.

Being smart is good…Being Agile is mission critical!

About Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

COVID-19 Protocols Sideline Spire Motorsports Crew Members for Homestead

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Official Release
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CONCORD, N.C. (February 24, 2021) – Due to COVID-19 protocols, Ryan Sparks, Crew Chief for Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be unavailable to participate in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 and will not travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway. Additionally, two other members of the No. 7 team will be inactive this weekend in adherence with the same directives.

Veteran NASCAR Cup Series crew chief, NBC Sports analyst and Spire Motorsports consultant Steve Letarte will call the race in Sparks’ absence for the team and driver Corey LaJoie.

The Dixie Vodka 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, February 28 beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The third of 36 races on the 2021 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 and is co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. Spire Motorsports earned an upset victory for the ages in its first full season when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019.

Erik Jones to make 150th Cup start at Homestead

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Kathryn Gaskill for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Entering a new season of racing and joining forces with a new team, Erik Jones is set to achieve a significant start in his fifth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will reach 150 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Byron, Michigan, Jones made his unofficial Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in April 2015. Following an early rain delay, Jones relieved Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry when Hamlin relinquished his seat due to neck spasms. Dropping to the rear of the field, Jones finished in 26th place, though Hamlin was credited for the result since he started the race.

A month later, Jones made his official Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway when he piloted the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry in place of Kyle Busch, who was recovering from injuries sustained following a harrowing late-race accident from the Xfinity Series’ season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. 

During the event at Kansas, Jones was competitive as he led a single lap and ran upfront against the sport’s elite. His race, however, came to an end with 72 laps remaining when he got loose entering Turn 4 and made contact with the outside wall while running in the top five. Limping back to pit road and the garage with damage, Jones settled in 40th place in his series’ debut.

In November, Jones competed in two of the final three Cup Series races of the season when he took over the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR, replacing Matt Kenseth, who was serving a two-race suspension after intentionally wrecking Joey Logano at Martinsville Speedway at the start of the month. At Texas Motor Speedway, Jones recorded a strong 12th-place result. He went on to finish 19th the following race at Phoenix Raceway.

Following the 2016 season, where he finished in fourth place in the final NASCAR Xfinity Series standings with four victories and the series’ Rookie-of-the-Year title, Jones graduated to the Cup Series the following season. For the 2017 season, he joined Furniture Row Racing to drive the No. 77 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry with support from crew chief Chris Gabehart.

Jones’ rookie season in the Cup Series, however, started off on a low note when he was involved in a multi-car wreck past the midway portion of the Daytona 500. He rallied three races later by achieving his first top-10 career finish in the Cup circuit at Phoenix Raceway.

Through the first half of the 2017 Cup season, Jones recorded five top-10 results, including a career-best third-place result at Pocono Raceway in June and was in 14th place in the regular-season standings.

Five races later, Jones recorded another third-place result at Michigan International Speedway, his home track. The following race at Bristol Motor Speedway, he achieved his first Cup career pole position. During the main event, he led a race-high 260 laps before settling in a career-best runner-up result behind Kyle Busch.

Though he finished fifth and sixth in the following two races, Jones fell short in making the 2017 Cup Playoffs. Nonetheless, he went on to post three top-10 results throughout the 10-race Playoffs and concluded his rookie season in 19th place in the final standings. When all was said and done, Jones claimed the 2017 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over names like Daniel Suarez and Ty Dillon. In doing so, he became the first competitor to achieve the Rookie-of-the-Year title across NASCAR’s top three national touring series (Cup, Xfinity and Truck).

In 2018, Jones returned to Joe Gibbs Racing and replaced Matt Kenseth as driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry with continuous support from Chris Gabehart.

Like his rookie season, however, Jones was involved in a multi-car accident during the Daytona 500. Finishing in 36th place with a DNF, he rebounded by finishing in the top 10 in four of the following six events.

Through the first 17 events of the 2018 Cup season, Jones and JGR’s No. 20 team achieved seven top-10 results, a best on-track result of fourth place at Texas Motor Speedway in April and were in 14th place in the regular-season standings.

The following race at Daytona International Speedway, Jones rallied from being involved in a multi-car wreck near the midway point to overtake ex-teammate Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap and score his maiden Cup victory in his 57th series start. In becoming the ninth different competitor to win a Cup race for JGR, Jones secured his spot to the 2018 Cup Playoffs. 

Following his victory at Daytona, Jones went on to finish in the top 10 in six of the remaining eight regular-season events, including a runner-up result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September. 

During the first round of the Playoffs, Jones achieved results of 40th, 11th and 30th, which were enough to eliminate him from title contention along with names like Jimmie Johnson, Austin Dillon and teammate Denny Hamlin. He went on to finish in the top 10 in four of the remaining seven Playoff races before concluding his sophomore Cup season in a career-best 15th place in the standings. He also earned nine top-five results and a career-high 18 top-10 results.

Remaining at JGR, Jones kickstarted the 2019 season on a strong note by finishing in third place in the Daytona 500 while being a part of a JGR 1-2-3 finish with race winner Denny Hamlin and runner-up Kyle Busch.

Through the first 24 events of the 2019 Cup season, Jones achieved 12 top-10 results, a best result of second place at Pocono in and was in 14th place in the regular-season standings.

For the following race at Darlington Raceway, where he made his 100th Cup career start, Jones held off a late challenge from teammate Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson to claim his first elusive Cup victory of the season and second of his career. The Southern 500 victory was enough for him to race his way into the Playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Though he entered the 2019 Cup Playoffs with late momentum, Jones’ title run came to an early end following the first round of the Playoffs, where he recorded results of 36th, 38th and 40th. For his 38th-place result, it occurred at Richmond in September, where initially, he finished in fourth place until he was disqualified due to his car failing post-race inspection.

Following his early exit from title contention, Jones went on to finish in the top 10 in three of the final seven races of the season, including a third-place result in the season-finale event at Homestead, before concluding the season in 16th place in the final standings. While he achieved one victory throughout the entire season, he also achieved a career-high 10 top-five results.

Jones opened the 2020 Cup Series season on a high, bizarre note by winning the non-points Busch Clash at Daytona with a wrecked race car after being involved in three late-race multi-car wrecks but continuing and receiving a late draft from teammate Denny Hamlin, who was a lap behind, to storm away from a downsized field during an overtime restart.

Compared to his previous two Cup seasons, Jones did not record a single victory throughout the 2020 season. He also did not make the Playoffs as he only achieved nine top-five results, a season-best result of second place at Talladega Superspeedway in October, 13 top-10 results and a final points result of 17th place.

Three months prior to the conclusion of the 2020 season, JGR announced that Jones will not be returning to the organization and that Christopher Bell will be replacing him as driver of the No. 20 Toyota. Two months later, nonetheless, Jones was able to secure a ride with Richard Petty Motorsports and pilot the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, replacing Bubba Wallace, for the new season. 

Jones commenced his first run with Richard Petty Motorsports on a low note after being involved in an early multi-car pileup and eliminated from contention. He is coming off a 14th-place result from the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

Through 149 previous starts in the Cup Series, Jones has achieved two career wins and two poles along with 33 top-five results, 62 top-10 results, 647 laps led and an average result of 16.1.

Catch Jones’ 150th Cup career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, February 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Kaulig Racing and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Team Up for 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Season

By
Official Release
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Jeb Burton to Pilot the No. 10 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Daytona International Speedway

LEXINGTON, N.C. (February 24, 2021) – Kaulig Racing announced today they will be teaming up with Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen for two races on the No. 10 Chevrolet, piloted by Jeb Burton, in the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) beginning at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is a homestyle, casual dining restaurant where guests always Get a lot. For not a lot™. The restaurant offers a variety of scratch-made meals and generous portions served up in a warm, welcoming atmosphere – all at an unbelievable price.

“Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is thrilled to be partnering with a dedicated team like Kaulig Racing and driver Jeb Burton for his first full-time Xfinity Series Season,” said John Wilkerson, president of Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. “From my first conversation with Jeb, I have been impressed by his genuine character and strong work ethic. It closely aligns with the way we operate at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen—applying hard work to serve handmade quality food at great prices.”

Burton, who has finished fourth and fifth in his first two races as a full-time NXS driver, is set to drive the No. 10 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet beginning at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Contender Boats 250, followed by the Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway in August.

“I’m really excited about this partnership,” said Burton. “I’ve always enjoyed going to Cheddar’s with my family, whether it’s during a hunting trip or a racing trip, so the opportunity to represent their brand is something that is special to me. I feel at home when I walk into a Cheddar’s. It’s really good home-made food, friendly service and you just can’t beat the prices. Cheddar’s is dedicated to delivering the best quality, much like Kaulig Racing, and I am looking forward to making them proud.”

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen will be the third, new partner Kaulig Racing has added to its portfolio for the 2021 NXS season and when not a primary, will act as an associate partner for the remainder of the season on the No. 10 Chevrolet.

“It’s an honor to have a company like Cheddar’s to come on board with Kaulig Racing and the No. 10 team starting this week at Homestead, said team president, Chris Rice. “Cheddar’s always offers a great meal and value to its customers, and now we get to showcase that with them at the race track!”

The No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, garnished by Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, will make its debut at the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, February 27 at 4:30PM ET with coverage 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 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is the homestyle casual dining restaurant where guests always Get a lot. For not a lot™. The restaurant offers a variety of scratch-made meals and generous portions served up in a warm, welcoming atmosphere – all at an unbelievable price. After being welcomed with a signature Honey Butter Croissant on the house, guests can enjoy signature entrées like hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and Fall-off-the-Plate Baby Back Ribs. Cheddar’s operates more than 170 restaurants in 28 states and employs more than 15,000 friendly and passionate team members. For more information or to locate the nearest restaurant, visit Cheddars.com. Fans can like or follow Cheddar’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Homestead

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Official Release
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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Homestead-Miami

Week three of the NASCAR season heads right back to the Sunshine State, where Homestead-Miami Speedway plays host to a 400-mile race Sunday afternoon for the NASCAR Cup Series. Jack Roush has 11 wins all-time at HMS, including seven in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Dixie Vodka 400
Sunday, Feb. 28 | 3:30 p.m. ET
FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Daytona Road Course Recap, Homestead Preview

· Newman wheeled his Castrol Carbon Neutral Ford Mustang to a 20th-place finish in Sunday’s 70-lap race at the Daytona Road Course.

· Buescher worked his way into the top five on the road course, and was inside the top-10 late before getting sandwiched on the front stretch. Despite the late-race scuffle, he battled back from outside the top-15 to finish 11th.

· Oscar Mayer is back on Newman’s No. 6 Ford this weekend at Homestead-Miami, making its 2021 debut. The brand’s famous hot dogs will don the side of Newman’s machine.

· Fastenal returns to Buescher’s machine in Florida again this weekend.

Welcome to Miami

Roush Fenway has 171 combined starts at HMS, totaling 11 wins (7 NCS, 3 NXS, 1 NCWTS), 50 top-fives, 73 top-10s and eight poles. RFR drivers have led 1,843 laps at the 1.5-mile track over the years, logging more than 55,000 miles.

Chasing the Heat

NASCAR’s season schedule has historically been known to ‘chase the heat’ as various markets throughout the country feature different climates given the months the circuit lands there. In 2021, Florida hosts NASCAR for the first three weeks of the season, culminating this weekend at Homestead. It marks just the second time in the track’s inception (1999) that it will not host the season finale, after Phoenix Raceway was chosen to host the final race beginning last year.

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 85 NCS races at Homestead, recording a total of seven victories, 22 top five finishes, 30 top-10 finishes, four poles and has led 1,110 laps. Former Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards earned the organization’s most recent win at the 1.5-mile oval in 2010.

Five Straight

Roush Fenway earned five consecutive victories in the NCS at Homestead from 2004-2008 with drivers Matt Kenseth (2007), Edwards (2008) and Greg Biffle, who won three consecutive races from 2004-2006.

Miami Nights

In 57 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead, Roush Fenway has earned three wins, 22 top-fives, 32 top-10s and two pole positions. Edwards recorded the most recent victory at Homestead in the 2008 season finale.

Curtain Call

Dating back to 1988, Roush Fenway earned the victory in the final event of the season on nine separate occasions. Former Roush Fenway driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin earned wins in the 1991 and 1994 NCS season finales at Atlanta Motor Speedway to go along with the organization’s seven NCS victories at Homestead.

Roush Fenway Homestead-Miami Wins
1998 Burton NXS
2002 Busch Cup
2004 Biffle Cup
2005 Biffle Cup
2006 Biffle Cup
2006 Kenseth NXS
2006 Martin Truck
2007 Kenseth Cup
2008 Edwards Cup
2008 Edwards NXS
2010 Edwards Cup

Hamlin to start on pole position at Homestead

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Denny Hamlin was awarded the Busch Pole Award for the upcoming Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the third race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, scheduled for Sunday, February 28.

The lineup was based on a metric formula from a previous NASCAR Cup Series event, which weighs the driver’s result from the previous race (25%), the car owner’s result from the previous race (25%), the team owner’s points ranking (35%) and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%).

Based on the formula, Hamlin, who finished in third place last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, will lead the field to the start of this weekend’s event at Homestead with the top starting spot. Hamlin, who has won three stages and currently leads the regular-season standings, also enters this weekend’s event in Miami as the reigning winner as he pursues his fourth victory at the track.

Ironically, this will mark the sixth time in seven consecutive seasons where Hamlin will start on pole position in a Cup event at Homestead.

Joey Logano, who finished in the runner-up spot last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, will start on the front row alongside Hamlin. Christopher Bell, winner of last weekend’s event at the Daytona Road Course and the NASCAR Cup Series recent/newest winner, will start in third place followed by Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch.

Michael McDowell will line up in sixth place while Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, Martin Truex Jr. and Cole Custer will start in the top 10. Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher will start 11th and 12th.

Starting in positions 13-26 are Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, Justin Haley, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Corey LaJoie and Cody Ware.

Starting in positions 27-38 are rookie Anthony Alfredo, Garrett Smithley, James Davison, rookie Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Timmy Hill, B.J. McLeod, Tyler Reddick, Josh Bilicki, Matt DiBenedetto and Quin Houff.

The Dixie Vodka 400 is set to occur on Sunday, February 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 02.24.21

By
Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: February 22-28, 2021

  • NCS/NXS: Homestead-Miami Speedway – February 27-28
  • ARCA EAST: 5 Flags Speedway – February 27

PLANO, Texas (February 24, 2021) – NASCAR completes its tour of Florida to start the 2021 season with a stop at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while the ARCA East Series competes in its second race of the season in Pensacola.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS

Bell is a Cup victor… On Sunday, Christopher Bell became the 35th driver to have wins in NASCAR’s top three series when he passed Joey Logano with two laps to go at the Daytona Road Course to score his first victory in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) in his 38th career start. With the win, Bell has clinched his first Cup Series Playoff berth and is looking for more. Bell drove from a 36th starting spot to finish inside the top-10 in his rookie season at Homestead-Miami.

Hamlin is early points leader… With two top-five finishes to start the 2021 NCS season, Denny Hamlin sits atop the overall point standings. Hamlin has already earned three Playoff points after winning three of the four stages this season and heads into Homestead as the defending race winner. Hamlin was dominant at the track last year, leading over half of the laps en route to his third win of the season.

Wallace back to site of last Toyota win…Bubba Wallace is back with Toyota for the 2021 season, and he returns to the site of his last Toyota victory. Wallace began his NASCAR career with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series and scored five victories, including a win in the season finale at Homestead-Miami in 2014.

Burton looks to repeat… Reigning Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year Harrison Burton is back as the defending winner for the first time as the 20-year-old is racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Burton led just two

laps but had an incredible final restart to steal the second win of his career.

Dillon returns… Ty Dillon is back behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota Supra this weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing. The team is currently inside the top-five in the owners points after Ty Gibbs drove to victory in his Xfinity debut last weekend at the Daytona Road Course.

Ferrucci debuts… Former Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, Santino Ferrucci is scheduled to make his NASCAR debut this weekend aboard the No. 26 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. Ferrucci, who finished fourth in last season’s Indianapolis 500, is scheduled to run the next five races for Sam Hunt Racing, which is off to a strong start in 2021 as the team currently holds a Playoff spot in the Owner’s Championship chase.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA East

Smith ready to be one spot better… Toyota Racing Development driver Sammy Smith returns for his second career ARCA East start this weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing. The 16-year-old Smith nearly won in his debut at New Smyrna Speedway earlier this month, leading 78 laps and finishing second.

Stay Connected

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

facebook.com/ToyotaRacing Camera With Flash on Apple iOS 11.3 ToyotaRacingMedia.com

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Homestead-Miami Advance

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Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI ADVANCE

The NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series will be in action for a third consecutive week in the state of Florida as Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts single races on Saturday and Sunday.  Here’s a breakdown of how Ford has fared at the 1.5-mile facility through the years.

This Week’s Schedule:

Saturday, February 27 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 4:30 p.m. (FS1)
Sunday, February 28 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. (Fox)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT HOMESTEAD

  • Ford has a manufacturer-best eight series wins at Homestead-Miami.
  • Joey Logano (2018) and Kevin Harvick (2014) have NCS wins at HMS.
  • Greg Biffle won three straight years at HMS (2004-06).
  • Roush Fenway posted five consecutive wins at HMS (2004-08).
  • Jack Roush is second for the most owner wins in the series at HMS with seven.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT HOMESTEAD

  • Ford has eight series wins by eight different drivers at Homestead-Miami.
  • Dale Jarrett won the first NASCAR race held at HMS (1995).
  • Chase Briscoe won the second half of last year’s HMS doubleheader.

STATS SAY HOMESTEAD-MIAMI IS TOPS FOR HARVICK

Kevin Harvick is good everywhere on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, but statistically Homestead-Miami Speedway is his best.  Harvick finished fourth or better for six straight seasons, including a win in 2014, before having that streak snapped last year.  In 20 career starts at HMS, Harvick has completed all but two of the 5,346 laps run during that time and has an average finishing position of 7.4.  That includes 17 top-10 and 11 top-5 efforts.

LOGANO LOOKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK

Joey Logano has been leading at the white flag lap in each of the first two races of 2021 but is still looking for his first victory.  That could change on Sunday because Homestead-Miami Speedway has been a good track for Logano, who had a five-year streak of finishing sixth or better snapped in last year’s event.  Logano, who won the 2018 season finale at the track to capture the NASCAR Cup Series championship, has six top-10 finishes in eight starts at HMS with Team Penske and Ford.

CUSTER AND BRISCOE RETURN TO SCENE OF FIRST VICTORIES

Homestead-Miami Speedway is sure to bring back good memories for Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe, who both earned victories on back-to-back days at the track in 2017.  Briscoe won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race to kickoff the weekend, marking the first national series victory in his rookie season while Custer dominated the NASCAR XFINITY Series race the following day, leading 182-of-200 laps, to post his first career series triumph.

FIVE-YEAR WIN STREAK HIGHLIGHTS ROUSH HISTORY AT HMS

Car owner Jack Roush has had his share of success on intermediate speedways, but his streak of winning seven times in nine years at Homestead-Miami is arguably one of the best.  Kurt Busch won the organization’s first Cup race at the track in 2002 before Greg Biffle won three straight from 2004-06.  That was part of a five-year winning streak that saw Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards go to victory lane in ’07 and ’08, respectively.  Edwards eventually capped the run by winning for a second time in 2010.  Since then, Roush has celebrated NASCAR XFINITY Series championships at the track, twice with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2011 and 2012, and once with Chris Buescher in 2015.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT HOMESTEAD

2002 – Kurt Busch

2004 – Greg Biffle

2005 – Greg Biffle

2006 – Greg Biffle

2007 – Matt Kenseth

2008 – Carl Edwards

2010 – Carl Edwards

2018 – Joey Logano

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT HOMESTEAD

1995 – Dale Jarrett

1998 – Jeff Burton

2003 – Kasey Kahne

2006 – Matt Kenseth

2008 – Carl Edwards

2013 – Brad Keselowski

2017 – Cole Custer

2020 – Chase Briscoe (2)

FedEx Racing Express Facts – Homestead Miami Speedway

By
Official Release
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Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Dixie Vodka 400
Date/Time: Sunday, Feb. 28/ 3:30 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Shape: Oval
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Banking: 18-20 degrees
2020 Winner: Denny Hamlin

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2021 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Daytona Road Course Recap: Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team started the 253-mile event from the fourth spot and hung around in the top five for much of the afternoon, finishing Stage 1 in third and moving out front to take the Stage 2 win. The 70-lap race was interrupted by eight caution flags – including one for a brief rain shower – which made pit strategy a significant factor. The team opted to make a final pit stop for fresh tires under caution on Lap 57, putting Hamlin in 18th for the ensuing restart. He used the remaining 12 green-flag laps to pick off spots on the leaderboard, making his way up to third before the checkered flag flew. Ahead of him, Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell passed Joey Logano with two laps to go to earn his first Cup career win.

Homestead-Miami Outlook: The 2021 NASCAR series returns to Homestead, Fla., this weekend for the running of the Dixie Vodka 400. Hamlin and team will look to repeat their success from a year ago as returning race winners. In 16 career races at Homestead, Hamlin has finished in the top-5 five times while capturing three victories.

FedEx Small Business Grant Contest Toyota: For the Homestead race, the #11 team will run a special paint scheme to promote the FedEx Small Business Grant contest. The grant contest awards 12 small businesses with grants to help them grow their business, with the grand prize winner receiving a $50,000 grant. The 2020 grand-prize winner, Access Trax, will be featured as part of the paint scheme for this weekend’s race. The contest entry period is open now through March 9 with more information at fedex.com/grantcontest.

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Races: 16
Wins: 3
Top-5: 5
Top-10: 11
Laps Led: 393
Avg. Start: 17.5
Avg. Finish: 9.9

Hamlin Conversation – Homestead-Miami:

After two strong performances so far this season, how are you feeling heading into Homestead, a track where you won last year?

“We feel good in our efforts through the first two races of the season. Obviously, we wish we could have come out with a victory at either of the Daytona races, but we still had good performances. We’re confident in how we’ll run this weekend and hopefully have a repeat of last year.”

You’re running a special paint scheme this weekend. Can you tell us a little more about it and what it means to you?

“For the Homestead race, we’ll be running a special paint scheme to promote the FedEx Small Business Grant contest. My family has a background in small business, where I grew up working with my dad and that helped kick off my racing career, so I can relate to the small business mentality. I recently got to meet last year’s grand-prize winner, Kelly Twichel of Access Trax, to unveil the new paint scheme together and to hear how the grant helped her business over the last year. We’ll be running with their logo on our car this weekend, and I’ll be racing for all small businesses and hopefully come out with a win.”

JR Motorsports — NXS Homestead-Miami Preview

By
Official Release
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JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Homestead-Miami Speedway
RACE: Contender Boats 250 (167 laps / 250.5 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 4 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J / American Heart Association Chevrolet
• Michael Annett looks to build on last year’s sixth-place finish on the 1.5-mile oval at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The finish was Annett’s best in 11 starts there to date.
• Annett’s No. 1 Pilot Flying J/American Heart Association Chevrolet Camaro will carry a special paint scheme for the third straight week in honor of American Heart Month. Sponsor Pilot Flying J is supporting the AHA’s Life Is Why™ awareness campaign.
• On 1.5-mile tracks in 2020, Annett averaged an eighth place finish over 12 events.
• All three of Annett’s NASCAR Xfinity Series top-10 finishes at Homestead-Miami have come with JR Motorsports.

Josh Berry
No. 8 FilterTime Chevrolet
Josh Berry returns to the No. 8 FilterTime Chevrolet for JRM this weekend in Homestead. Berry started 12th and finished 25th in his lone start at the 1.5-mile oval in 2014.
• In eight career starts in the NXS, Berry has recorded two top 10s with a best result of seventh.
• Berry was running solidly inside the top five during his first start of 2021 at Daytona before being involved in a multicar incident with 16 laps remaining.
• Ahead of Homestead, new customers who sign up for FilterTime’s subscription-based custom air-filter service can get 20 percent off their first order by using the discount code JRM when visiting FilterTime.com/JRM.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle
• In three starts in the NXS at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Noah Gragson has earned an average finish of fourth and has never finished outside of the top five.
• Gragson’s average finish of fourth at Homestead is the third best at tracks where he has made more than one start in the NXS. Homestead only trails the Roval at Charlotte (3.5) and his home track of Las Vegas (3.8).
• During the 2020 Homestead doubleheader, Gragson led 164 of a possible 344 laps en route to third- and fifth-place
finishes.
• At tracks that are between 1-2 miles in length, Gragson has scored 12 top fives, 25 top 10s and has led 508 laps.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier has 12 NXS starts at Homestead-Miami with a best finish of sixth coming in the 2016 season finale. Last year, in the second race of the doubleheader, Allgaier was in position for another top 10 before sustaining a flat tire in the final stage of the event.
• Last season on tracks measuring 1.5-miles in length, the veteran driver finished inside the top 10 eight times. His best effort was a third-place finish at Texas. He also led 197 laps and earned three stage wins at those tracks in 2020.
• Two of Allgaier’s 14 NXS wins have come on 1.5-mile tracks. He visited Victory Lane at Chicagoland in 2011 and
again in 2017.

Driver Quotes

“We were pretty good on 1.5-mile tracks in 2020, and I know we can keep that up this season. We’ve had good Pilot Flying J/American Heart Association Chevrolets the past two weeks, but not a lot of good racing luck to go with them. Last year at Homestead, we had a great car and a chance to win it on the final lap, so that’s what I’m looking for again on Saturday.” – Michael Annett

“Homestead has been a racetrack that has had a lot of highs and a lot of lows for our BRANDT Professional Agriculture team. Growing up, my background was running the top a lot, so running the wall there is exciting and makes for a lot of fun. We’ve had a rough start to 2021, so hopefully we got all the bad luck out of the way and we can go to Homestead and have a good, solid run. We want to put ourselves in a good position to gain some of the points back that we lost the last couple of weeks.” – Justin Allgaier

“It’s great to get back behind the wheel of the FilterTime Chevrolet this weekend in Homestead. I know that Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and this team were really fast here last season and were fighting for the win with Dale (Earnhardt Jr., team owner). Hopefully that notebook can carry over into this year since this will be the first time since 2014 that I have competed at Homestead. I’m really looking forward to getting there and seeing what we can do.” – Josh Berry

“We ran really well at Homestead last year and we were in contention to win both races by large margins until a laterace yellow came out during both races. We’ve struggled this year and this is the weekend we turn it all around and get some redemption for how the races finished last year. This Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro is going to look good banging boards at Homestead this weekend and it’ll look even better in Victory Lane Saturday.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates
• JRM at South Beach: JR Motorsports has scored two victories, nine top fives and 22 top 10s in 46 NXS starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Regan Smith brought home the organization’s first victory in 2012 with Tyler Reddick following suit in 2018. Reddick’s victory also clinched JRM’s third organizational championship in NXS competition.
• 300: This month, Black Rifle Coffee Company is excited to introduce a new Ready to Drink canned coffee: 300. The new 15-ounce 300 comes with 300mg of caffeine per can, in two delicious flavors: Caramel Vanilla, and Rich Mocha. With a functional blend of MCT Oil and amino acids, 300 gives you the lasting energy and focus you need to take on whatever mission lies ahead. Whether you’re on a big hunt or a cross-country road trip, 300 gives you a convenient way to enjoy premium coffee when you don’t have the time or equipment to make your own brew. Click here for more info. #RTD #AMERICASCOFFEE
• Hellmann’s Recipes: Listen up! Mayo can help make nothing into something with ANYTHING! Try it for yourself with Hellmann’s recipes on race day or any day! Click here to find out more.
• Celebrating American Heart Month: The No. 1 Chevrolet is again running a special paint scheme this week at Homestead-Miami Speedway in honor< of American Heart Month. Pilot Flying J is proud to support the American Heart Association’s “Life is Why™” campaign. To find nearby locations to donate, download the Pilot Flying J app. To learn more about the “Life Is Why™” campaign, please click here.

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