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Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: DAYTONA Road Course

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Official Release
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DAYTONA Road Course
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021
3.56-Mile Road Course
3:00 PM EST
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
TV: Fox logo
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (2 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM logo PRN logo

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 28 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 7th

No. 5 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

DEBUT PERFORMANCE: In his first start for Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson drove the No. 5 NationsGuard Chevrolet to a 10th-place finish in the season-opening DAYTONA 500. Larson led one lap during the 500-mile event and battled for a top-five finish on the final lap before being collected in a multi-car incident in turn three.

ALL FOUR: Larson had four opportunities to score championship points at Daytona International Speedway last week, and he collected each time – one of only four drivers to do so. On Thursday in the Duel qualifying races, points were awarded for the top-10 finishers in each, and he crossed under the checkered flag in seventh in his race. Points are also awarded to the top-10 finishers in each stage during the NASCAR Cup Series season, and the Elk Grove, California, native posted results of fourth and eighth in the two DAYTONA 500 stages, respectively. With his top-10 finish at the end of the 500-mile race, Larson now sits seventh in the point standings.

NEW BUT KNOWN: Larson did not compete in last year’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race on the DAYTONA Road Course, but he has experience driving on the similar sports car layout at the Florida track. The 28-year-old driver competed in the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA for Chip Ganassi Racing from 2014 through 2016 and was victorious in 2015. The NASCAR layout has a chicane approaching the start/finish line that is not utilized during sports car events.

RC RACING: Larson, the driver of the No. 5 Camaro ZL1 1LE, has 14 starts on road courses in the Cup Series, posting one top-five finish – fourth at Watkins Glen International in 2014 – and four top-10s. Larson has three pole positions – all at Sonoma Raceway – and two stage victories in those starts.

DAYTONA TOP-FIVE: Crew chief Cliff Daniels was atop the pit box for Jimmie Johnson during the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s final season of full-time NASCAR competition in 2020. While Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott led 34 laps en route to victory in the inaugural DAYTONA Road Course event, the Daniels-led No. 48 Chevrolet finished a strong fourth.

NOTABLE START: Sunday’s event will mark Larson’s 225th start in NASCAR’s premier series. He has six wins, 56 top-five finishes and 102 top-10s since entering the Cup Series in 2013. Larson earned rookie of the year honors in 2014.

UNITED NATIONS: NationsGuard, a program that gives car dealers control of their F&I products and customer experience, will adorn the No. 5 Chevrolet again this weekend at Daytona. It will also appear as the primary sponsor at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Feb. 28. For more information about NationsGuard, click here.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 4th

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2020 DAYTONA Road Course winner Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Friday, Feb. 19, at 11 a.m. ET. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.

500 REWIND: Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team started 12th in the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway and battled inside the top 10 for the majority of the rain-delayed event. Elliott narrowly missed a last-lap accident and brought home a runner-up finish – his career best in “The Great American Race.”

WORLD CENTER OF (ROAD) RACING: This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series will return to the DAYTONA Road Course. During the inaugural event last season, Elliott dominated the race, winning the first stage and leading a race-high 34 laps en route to his second victory of the year. More recently, he started from the rear of the field in the Clash at DAYTONA and battled his way to a runner-up finish in the exhibition race.

NEW SEASON, SAME CHASE: As the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into 2021, Elliott carried over his championship momentum by finishing second at Daytona for his third consecutive top-two result dating back to last season. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet has won three of the last six races and is the only driver to collect multiple victories in that time frame. Elliott has also led 720 laps in the last 11 Cup events, which is 289 more than any other driver.

NAPA KNOW HOW: On Sunday at the DAYTONA Road Course, the No. 9 Chevrolet will feature the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for 25 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

ROAD COURSE WARRIOR: Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, is set to make his 13th Cup Series start on a road course this weekend. In his previous 12 races, he has collected the most wins (five) and stage wins (five) of active drivers. Elliott has garnered six top-five finishes, eight top-10s and a total of 240 laps led. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native holds the best average finish (8.92) on road courses of active drivers and sixth-best all-time average. Last season, Elliott swept both races on road courses (DAYTONA Road Course and Charlotte ROVAL). The 25-year-old driver also led the most laps (61) on these tracks in 2020.

WINNING RECORD: Elliott continues to prove his road-course prowess after winning four consecutive races on road courses and five of the last seven. Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon holds the record for most consecutive road-course wins with six (1997-2000). Elliott is also the youngest driver to win a road course race (22 years, 8 months, 8 days) and holds the overall second-best win percentage (41.7 %) behind only Dan Gurney (55.6 %).

HOMETOWN WIN: Last season’s win at the inaugural DAYTONA Road Course race was crew chief Alan Gustafson’s first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at his home track. He hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. Gustafson is in his 17th full-time season as a crew chief and sixth year with Elliott. He has called the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Gordon, Mark Martin, Casey Mears and Kyle Busch).

GUSTAFSON ON ROAD COURSES: Gustafson will call his 35th road-course race from atop the pit box this Sunday at Daytona. In his previous 34 starts, the Florida native has garnered five wins, the most of active crew chiefs, 10 top-five finishes, 16 top-10s and 297 laps led.

FIT FOR THE CHAMP: Last week at Daytona, Elliott was outfitted with his very own WWE title. WWE Superstars Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford, better known as the Street Profits, presented the reigning champion with a WWE title that features customized side plates. Elliott is the first NASCAR Cup Series champion to receive this honor. Click here to see the presentation.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 26th

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

ONE DOWN, 35 TO GO: Kicking off the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season at Daytona International Speedway, driver William Byron showed speed all week in his No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. He opened Speedweeks with a top-five finish in the Clash at DAYTONA, which was run on the facility’s road course. Byron followed it up with the second-fastest lap in qualifying for the DAYTONA 500, just behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman. Starting from the pole Thursday night in the second qualifying race, Byron led 34 laps in the 60-lap event but was caught in an on-track incident that forced the team into a backup car. Having to start at the tail end of the field for “The Great American Race,” Byron was maneuvering through the field when he was collected in a multi-car incident on lap 14. After a weather delay, the No. 24 team was able to repair Byron’s machine to complete the race and salvage a 26th-place finish.

ALL ABOUT AXALTA: After its first appearance on track last week, Byron will once again pilot the newly designed No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Sunday’s race at the DAYTONA Road Course. While the No. 24 Chevrolet has been synonymous with the iconic flames paint scheme, 2021 brings a new look for Byron’s Axalta machine. Keeping an old-school flair with a twist, Axalta Coating Systems unveiled its new colors for the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in January. Utilizing a matte black base, Byron’s Chevy features bright stripes in an array of colors that are hard to miss on the track. Now in its 29th year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta returns as primary partner on Byron’s No. 24 for 14 races in 2021. For a better look at the new No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, click here.

MAKING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS: Byron got his first taste of the DAYTONA Road Course last season, and he’s confident about Sunday’s race. Last year, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native scored points in both stages before earning an eighth-place finish. Most recently, Byron ran the Clash at DAYTONA last Tuesday, which was held on the road course for the first time. In the non-points exhibition race, Byron started and finished fifth despite suffering a late-race flat tire.

RINGER IN THE MAKING: Even with a limited background in road-course racing, Byron has become accustomed to it quickly. In 2019, he recorded his first career Cup Series stage win at Sonoma Raceway in June after qualifying second. Since then, the 23-year-old driver has finished in the top 10 in the last three road-course events. Byron has also led more than 20 laps in three of the last five road-course races and led the second-most laps (27) on road courses in 2020, just behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who led 61.

‘ROOKIE’ RUDY: Crew chief Rudy Fugle made his Hendrick Motorsports and Cup Series debut atop the pit box for Byron during Speedweeks last week. While the results may not reflect it, the pair lodged small victories along the way. Now, the Fugle-Byron duo will make a return trip to the 3.56-mile DAYTONA Road Course for Sunday’s race after competing there last week in the 35-lap Clash exhibition that kicked off 2021. Fugle also has one other DAYTONA Road Course start under his belt, coming last season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with driver Christian Eckes, who started second and raced to a 12th-place result.

AXALTA ELECTROLIGHT: Last week, Axalta unveiled the newest addition to the Axalta Injector at Daytona International Speedway – a newly painted No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that will be on display for fans to see all year long. The car on display combines Axalta’s new solventbourne basecoat, Cromax XP, with its 2021 Color of the Year, Electrolight. The refreshing green-yellow hue has been formulated with mobility-technology while utilizing the easy-to-use solventborne basecoat that delivers a high-quality finish. Axalta and Byron recently announced that the No. 24 team will run a 2021 Color of the Year Electrolight paint scheme for the Pocono Raceway doubleheader in June.

48 ALEX BOWMAN
Age: 27 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 36th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

FRONT-ROW SUCCESS: In his four DAYTONA 500 qualifying efforts with Hendrick Motorsports, Alex Bowman has sat on the front row each season. The Tucson, Arizona, native is the only driver in history to sit on the front row of “The Great American Race” in four consecutive starts. Bowman captured the pole award in 2018 and 2021 and started second in 2019 and 2020. Crew chief Greg Ives is the only crew chief in DAYTONA 500 history to earn a front row starting position in five consecutive seasons. Ives’ drivers have sat on the front row since Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified second for the 2017 event.

DAYTONA 500 RECAP: After starting on the pole for the 63rd running of the DAYTONA 500, Bowman was running in fourth place on lap 10 and sat in third one lap later. While running the high line, the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet was collected in an incident, which ended Bowman’s day on lap 14. The team was scored with a 35th-place finish at the conclusion of the event.

ROAD-COURSE STATS: Bowman has 12 starts on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series, which includes two top-five finishes and four top-10s. The driver of the No. 48 Camaro finished inside the top 15 in all eight of his road-course starts while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman’s average finish of 9.6 at these venues while driving for the 13-time championship organization is fourth-best among active drivers since 2018. His two top-five results came in 2018 and 2019 on the Charlotte ROVAL where he has an average finish of 4.6. Last year at the DAYTONA Road Course, Bowman rolled off 27th and finished 12th even after suffering a flat tire early in the 65-lap event. During the Clash at DAYTONA last week, the No. 48 Ally team started second following a random draw and finished seventh after 35 laps.

IVES ON A ROAD COURSE: Crew chief Ives has 14 starts on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series. The Bark River, Michigan, native has two top-five results and six top-10s at road courses in the series. Under Ives’ leadership, Bowman has two events on the DAYTONA Road Course under his belt since last year, with the most recent outing coming last week during the Clash.

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK: Ally Racing revamped its website for the 2021 season, giving fans a place to learn more about the No. 48 team’s pit crew members and driver Bowman. A digital hero card is available for download for fans not able to visit the track this year. Learn more about Bowman’s famous four-legged sidekicks, as well as his No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE specs. Visit the new website to learn more about the team and to purchase your 2021 gear.

KINGS OF THE ROAD: Hendrick Motorsports has won an all-time record 20 points-paying races on road courses in NASCAR Cup Series competition, which is eight more than any other organization. Six different drivers have contributed to the team’s victory total: Jeff Gordon (9), Chase Elliott (5), Tim Richmond (3), Jimmie Johnson, Geoff Bodine and Ricky Rudd.

AS OF LATE: Since 2019, Hendrick Motorsports has won five of the seven Cup Series road-course races, all courtesy of Elliott. In that span, the team has won five of 10 stages, led 252 of 463 laps (54%) and earned the pole for two of the three events in which qualifying was held.

LAST SEASON: In 2020, Hendrick Motorsports led 90 laps on road courses, nearly three times the total of the next-best team (31). It led the Cup Series in wins (two), top-five finishes (three; tie) and top-10s (six). Last season, the organization’s average finish of 6.63 on road courses ranked as the best of all teams – by nearly six positions.

AT THIS STAGE: Although Hendrick Motorsports has the youngest driver lineup in the series in 2021, three of them have won at least one stage in Cup road-course action. Elliott has five stage wins, Kyle Larson two and William Byron one.

POLE STREAK: Alex Bowman’s performance in last Wednesday night’s DAYTONA 500 qualifying session secured Hendrick Motorsports’ record-extending 227th Cup Series pole position and stretched the team’s run of consecutive seasons with at least one pole to 38. The streak dates back to Hendrick Motorsports’ first year in NASCAR when Bodine delivered three poles starting with Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 25, 1984.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his first DAYTONA Road Course race: “It’ll be a challenge since I haven’t turned a lap on the road course at Daytona in a Cup car yet, although I have run a couple sports car races there. Those are two very different type cars, but at least I have some laps on the track. (Crew chief) Cliff (Daniels) has some experience with Jimmie (Johnson) there last year and they had a good run, so that gives me confidence. I was able to watch last year’s race, watch some onboard footage to get an idea of shifting and braking points and look at some data. Last week during the Clash, Cliff and I were able to watch it together and discuss some things. I think we’ll have a good starting spot, too, but it’ll be a challenge definitely.”

Larson on his DAYTONA 500 finish: “I wish we could have finished a little bit better in the DAYTONA 500, but we were able to score some points in the Duel, score points in each stage and come out with a top-10 finish even after being collected in the last-lap crash. I hope we can build on that this weekend.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on his approach to DAYTONA Road Course race: “We’re going with a realistic approach. I know the success of our (Hendrick Motorsports) cars and I know how our cars are built. Chase has won the ROVAL (at Charlotte Motor Speedway) a couple times, he won the DAYTONA Road Course event last year and we ran up front with the 48 (car driven by Jimmie Johnson). We have decent idea of how race strategy will play out and we have covered a lot of different scenarios – although every situation is unique. But we are taking a very realistic approach of how to put ourselves in position. There are calls you can make that are too conservative and calls that are too aggressive. We have discussed a lot of scenarios in our strategy meetings to prepare us to make the right call when needed.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on 2021 road courses: “Road courses have been good to us the past few trips, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to go good every time. There has not been one part of me that watched the schedule change, saw seven road courses and thought, ‘Yeah, we’ve got it now.’ That’s just not how I am. At the end of the day, you have to be good everywhere and I want to be good everywhere. We as a team want to get to the point where we can win on any given week: road course, circle track, intermediate, dirt…whatever it is, we want to be able to win at any time. The great teams and the great drivers are capable of doing that, and I think we are capable doing that. So that’s where my head’s at – trying to be good everywhere.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on what the team learned from the Clash: “I didn’t feel like we were as good as we needed to be during the Clash. We did have a lot of circumstances that prohibited us from kind of working our way up – some of our own doing, some not. The windshield was one certainly, our strategy and execution was also pretty poor. We had to come back from those things and ultimately we were headed towards the front and I think we were probably in our best position until Martin (Truex) crashed. We didn’t need that caution because we were out of tires. We weren’t as good as we wanted to be, for sure. We are going to try and improve a little bit and give Chase a better car so we are focused on trying to do that for this weekend.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on gaining road course racing knowledge: “I don’t have a ton of experience on road courses, but I have gotten much more comfortable with them the last couple years and I think our most recent races show that. We haven’t had a ton of track time at the DAYTONA Road Course but running the Clash last week helped us dial things in a bit better. Starting position is a big factor as well and, unfortunately, we won’t have the best starting spot based off the scoring metric. There are ways to make up positions on road courses, depending on the strategy you use. We’ll take the notes we have and do what we need to do to get a good finish.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to the DAYTONA Road Course: “We definitely have confidence for this Sunday’s race, especially after running there last week. The handling wasn’t where we wanted it when the race started but we made good adjustments throughout the race and were able to really learn about what we can expect when we go back. Tire fall off was pretty high, and we can expect conditions to be pretty similar Sunday. We fought through adversity during the Clash but if we can execute like we need to this weekend, I think there a very good chance we’ll be in contention for the win.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to the DAYTONA Road Course: “Coming back to the DAYTONA Road Course this week will, hopefully, be good for our team since we just ran this course last week in the Clash. During the Clash, we were in contention for win a couple times. We had some speeding penalties but thankfully worked those out later in the week. There is a lot that we learned last week that we can definitely apply to Sunday’s race. Getting taken out of the 500 early last week, I think this Ally team needs some redemption on Sunday.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on using the Clash as a road-course blueprint: “We are fortunate to have the experience of running the Clash. We know we have a good road-course car and can fine tune some details to get it better for Alex. The Clash really gave us a better understanding of what we are needing to do to improve the car. I am dreading seeing what calculation decides where we will start, since our DAYTONA 500 finish was not where we needed to finish. All in all, we have a good car and we have to be smart.”

Trans Am’s TA2® Class Returns to Sebring with Deep Field of Talent

By
Official Release
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SEBRING, FLA. (17 FEBRUARY 2021)- The thunderous roar of American muscle returns to Sebring International Raceway this weekend as the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli headlines the Sebring SpeedTour Feb. 19-21. Fans are welcomed back to the former airfield for the three-day event. (TICKETS)

The roster of contenders in TA2® continues to get more crowded with IndyCar veterans, NASCAR legends, IMSA greats and youthful rookies filling out the entry list with a strong 30-car field for the stand-alone 100-mile TA2® race on Sunday.

“Last season the TA2® field gave us some of the closest races and dramatic finishes all year,” said John Clagett, President of the Trans Am Race Company. “As the field continues to grow with talented drivers, this championship will be even more competitive than its been in the past, and that is saying something!”

The full SpeedTour event, including Trans Am qualifying sessions, will be live streamed starting Saturday on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App.

As the new season is ready to launch there are a number of key storylines that are set to develop in 2021.

Champions Return

Reigning TA2® champion Mike Skeen returns to defend his title, wheeling the Liqui-Moly/Turn14Distribution Chevrolet Camaro under a new number, No. 1 – the position he ended with in 2020.

Skeen opened his championship-winning season with a victory (his first of six for the year) at Sebring last year, grabbing the lead following a restart with less than two laps remaining. Skeen claimed his first checkered flag of 2020 only .489-seconds ahead of second place, which set the tone for the TA2® class the rest of the season.

“The 2021 TA2 Championship is shaping up to be a great season with many new and returning contenders,” said Skeen. “Having Liqui Moly and Turn 14 back on our Howe Racing Camaro from Stevens-Miller Racing will ensure that we can continue to fight at the front and defend our championship.”

Challenging Skeen’s bid for a second championship is 2018 TA2® champion Rafa Matos. Matos opened 2019 with a win at Sebring, and last year edged himself onto the podium in the final seconds of the TA2® race with a third-place finish.

“Sebring is a track that I love and we have won there in 2019, so we have a good reference and data to make sure we are on the right path as far setup is concerned,” explained Matos. “Winning races and staying consistent throughout the season will be the key to winning the championship.”

After racing with another team in 2020, Matos is back with his championship-winning 3 Dimensional team in the yellow and red No. 88 3 Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang for a full-time championship effort in 2021.

“I’m extremely excited to be back with Peterson Racing,” said Matos. “I had the chance to test the car and I was really happy the way the No. 88 3 Dimensional Services car felt and also the confidence of the team on the car’s preparation.”

Doug Peterson (No. 87 3 Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang) and Maurice Hull (No. 57 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro) were co-champions last season in the TA2® Masters Class. The team owners turned drivers return this season for another bout at the top step in the championship.

Chasing Titles
TA2® continues to attract a deep roster of talented drivers backed by strong teams, and the rise to championship glory will be even harder this season with several drivers looking to stake their claim to the title.

Last season, Thomas Merrill led 25 of the 27-lap feature at Sebring. Following the late-race restart Merrill spun out of the lead to finish 14th. But, the California native is looking to put the 2020 heartbreaking finish behind him as he makes his full-season campaign with Mike Cope Racing in the No. 81 HPTuners/MikeCopeRaceCars Ford Mustang. As a driver and road racing expert, Merrill will also take on double duty as he expands his role as team driver coach for the rest of the Mike Cope Racing stable. Last season, Merrill was always a front-running factor, finishing fourth overall in the championship with one victory, two podiums and six top-10 finishes in his eight starts.

Scott Lagasse Jr. has more than 115 starts across the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series. While Lagasse Jr. has been a contender in TA2® since 2016, 2021 will mark his first full-season campaign with TeamSLR in the No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro.

“The level of competition in Trans Am increases each year and it’s one of the best in racing,” said Lagasse Jr. “This will be the first year we run the entire schedule and compete for a championship. There are a lot of great competitors and it takes a lot to win each race. The cars are some of the most fun racecars I’ve driven in my career. You can hustle these cars for the entire race, just like qualifying laps. It’s been a good training tool for me. I’ve seen improvements in my road-racing ability and it’s a great series.”

As road-course racing becomes more prominent in NASCAR’s national touring series, TeamSLR will give more seat time to aspiring NASCAR drivers, using Lagasse Jr.’s veteran experience in both series to coach racers like ARCA Late Model driver Connor Mosack (No. 28 NicTailor/IFS M1-SLR/Fields Chevrolet Camaro). After a starting in select races in 2020, Mosack will join Trans Am for a full season of racing.

NASCAR Xfinity Series pilot Michael Self will climb into a TA2® car this season outfitted in a familiar green Sinclair Oil color scheme featuring the red dinosaur on the side of the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro. Self has coached drivers in the TA2® class since 2015, and was recently hired by Silver Hare Racing as General Manager where, in addition to driving, he will oversee operations. Having come up through the ranks of karting, open wheel and sports cars, Self is shifting focus from full-time oval racing back to his roots.

“I’ve always had a passion for road course racing and would always circle those events on the ARCA or K&N schedules as races I looked forward to,” said Self on his transition back to road racing. “The partnership I’ve been fortunate enough to build and grow with Sinclair has really led to all of these opportunities being opened up for me. They took a chance on me with the oval racing a few years ago, and I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished over there together, now I’m anxious to see what kind of splash we can make in the road-racing world. I can’t wait to have Dino on the side of our SHR TA2 car.”

Entering the 100-start club last season, Tom Sheehan set the record for the most starts ever in the TA2® class with 104. Sheehan returns for his 10th season of TA2® racing in the No. 87 LTK Insulation Ford Mustang.

The 2020 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli West Coast TA2® champion Jim Gallaugher hopes to retain his Iron Man status, making a bid on both the West Coast and National TA2® title.

New Drivers, New Teams, New Cars
Four drivers, Ike Keeler (No. 15 Keeler Racing Ford Mustang), Al Prieto (No. 01 Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang), Bruce Raymond (No. 54 Ford Mustang) and Ty Young (No. 26 Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang), will make their Trans Am debut at Sebring in the TA2® class.

Young is one of four drivers fielding cars for Mike Cope Race Cars this season who will be making his introduction to TA2® after claiming multiple championships in the SCCA and NASA ranks.

“TA2 looks like a ton of fun,” said Young. “I’m looking forward to drive the higher HP cars at some of the most iconic tracks in the world.”

But, the new drivers will have to get through some heavy hitters who are also looking to claim Rookie of the Year status.

After a successful run in the Trans Am by Pirelli Esports Championship, Tyler Kicera suited up for two in-person racing events in 2020, driving from pole to claim his first Trans Am national win at Virginia International Raceway. This season, the Esports Vice Champion signed a full-season deal with Silver Hare Racing to drive the No. 5 Ford Mustang.

“It’s been a long off season since our win at VIR last September and I’m excited to get to work with the Silver Hare Racing crew in our Waukegan Farms, Sabelt No. 5,” said Kicera. “Despite this being my first full-season campaign in TA2® competing for a championship, I think my approach remains the same. Trust in myself, focus on consistency, staying out of trouble and being there at the end of the to maximize the result. If we can do that, I have no doubt we’ll be a championship contender come November.”

Adrian Wlostowski took the SuperGT title chase down to the last race in 2020, taking second in the championship in his first full season of Trans Am racing. This season, Wlostowski is stepping out of his SGT Mustang into a F.A.S.T Racing Team prepared Chevrolet Camaro with the help of Hawk Performance.

“I could not be more excited about joining the ultra-competitive TA2 category and having Hawk Performance as our primary sponsor,” Wlostowski said. “It’s a big jump from SuperGT to TA2® but I’m really looking forward to the new challenge. There’s always a large field in a TA2 race so you’re always in a battle with someone and I’m excited to be able to go wheel to wheel with these great drivers. We had a great year in Super GT and hope to keep the momentum going in TA2®.”

Although it will be his first year competing in TA2®, Wlostowski’s F.A.S.T. Racing Team fielded Doug Winston alongside Wlostowski’s SGT efforts last year. The F.A.S.T. Racing Team will expand to a two-car TA2® effort when Winston returns to action at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in March.

Trans Am ProAm Challenge
Indiana-native Raymond will field the first Trans Am ProAm Challenge TA2® car in the No. 54 Ford Mustang.

Partnering with SCCA, Trans Am launched the crossover program during the off season. Making an easy path for road racing teams to crossover to Trans Am is the primary focus of the new ProAm Challenge, with the 2021 schedule and rules package providing flexibility for teams and drivers to chase both their ProAm Challenge and their SCCA Road Racing goals in the same year.

Raymond has spent most of his racing career driving in the Ultimate Street Car Association.

Canadian Charge
After COVID-19 put a hold on its 2020 season plans, Canadian-based BC Race Cars returns with a two-car TA2® effort for Sebring, bringing a new TA2® Camaro to debut this weekend alongside Misha Goikhberg (No. 10 BC Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro) on the notoriously bumpy circuit.

Built during the pandemic lock-down, the new Camaro features many deviations from BRC’s previous builds, as most of the work was brought in-house. With BCR custom interior, re-packaging of components, hanging brake pedal assembly and X-bracing, among other updates, the result is a car with lower center of gravity and reduced polar moment.

Sebring Schedule
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli will join the SVRA Sebring SpeedTour in a thrilling weekend, mixing great race cars from the past and present.

Each of the four Trans Am classes will have testing sessions on Friday to open on-track activities. Saturday begins with practice at 11:00 a.m. ET, followed by qualifying for each of the classes beginning at 4:10 p.m. Sunday features two 60-minute races with a massive TA2® field taking the green at 11:15 a.m. ET followed by the mixed class of TA/XGT/SGT/GT taking the green at 1:35 p.m. The full weekend will stream on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App.

Bobby Labonte Foundation’s Annual Fundraiser Becomes Roubaix-Style Charity Bike Ride at Bowman Gray Stadium

By
Official Release
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Bobby Labonte (left), his wife, Kristin (right), and former pro cyclist "Fast Freddie" Rodriguez (center) leading the 2019 Bobby Labonte Foundation Charity Bike Ride

2021 Event Unites Hall of Famer’s Passion for Racing and Cycling

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – (February 17, 2021) – In an exciting move that will bring fans of cycling and motorsports together, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Labonte will be hosting the 2021 Labonte Roubaix at Bowman Gray Stadium this year, for the first time. The charity bike ride is scheduled for August 21, 2021, and it’s set to become the only cycling event in the South where riders finish by taking a lap on a racetrack.

The annual Bobby Labonte Foundation charity bike ride began in 2011, with the goal of supporting children and families in the Triad area by supplying grants to local charities. After a hiatus due to COVID-19 in 2020, the ride is moving from High Point, N.C. to Winston-Salem’s storied racetrack, where participants will be able to start and finish their ride on the famed Bowman Gray Stadium racetrack.

“Hosting my foundation’s annual charity bike ride at Bowman Gray Stadium is a natural fit for us, and such an exciting one, too,” said Labonte. “I drove in my first modified race there in 2019 and couldn’t wait to return. Now, we get to welcome a new community to our effort, and we know both casual and serious cyclists will really enjoy the Roubaix-style finishing lap we have planned.”

“We are proud to work with Bobby on this charity event to help raise money for children and families in our area,” said Gray Garrison, Bowman Gray Stadium promoter. “He is a legend and a true champion. Bringing the cyclists here to Bowman Gray will be fun for our drivers and race fans, and we are working on plans to make sure the cyclists have a great experience, too.”

Sponsorships are available now at varying levels and the grant application period will open this week. To be eligible, non-profit organizations must be based in Davidson, Randolph, Guilford or Forsyth counties and be seeking grant funding for programs or other efforts designed to empower parents and families to build strong foundations for children’s future success.

In 2019, High Point LEAP, Millis Regional Health Education Center, and Ready for School, Ready for Life, shared more than $50,000 in grant money. Special awards were also presented to the High Point Boys & Girls Club and the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club.

A silent auction, with a thrilling, big-ticket item to be announced at a later date, will also be held to help fund this year’s charitable grants.

To find out more about the 2021 Labonte Roubaix, applying for a grant, becoming a sponsor, or to register to ride, visit bobbylabontefoundation.org.

About Bobby Labonte Foundation
The Bobby Labonte Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by NASCAR champion, Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductee and businessman Bobby Labonte in 2003. The Bobby Labonte Foundation vision is a cohesive community in which parents and families are empowered to fulfill children’s needs and together find joy, love and happiness. The Bobby Labonte Foundation works in partnership with the local community and community organizations to empower parents, families and children to build a strong foundation for children’s futures. For more information, visit www.bobbylabontefoundation.org or follow the Bobby Labonte Foundation on Facebook.

DGR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Advance: Daytona Road Course

By
Official Release
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Friday, February 19
Track: Daytona (Fla.) Road Course, 14-turn, 3.61-mile road course
Race: 2 of 22
Event: BrakeBest Pads 159 at Daytona Presented by O’Reilly (44 laps, 159 miles)

Schedule
Friday, February 19
Race: 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150

  • Deegan makes her second start of the season in the No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150 on Friday night at the 14-turn Daytona Road Course. The young driver will start in the 23rd position.
  • Deegan has one career start on the NASCAR Daytona Road Course layout. Last year, she competed on the road course in the ARCA Series. After starting seventh, Deegan completed all 28 possible laps and finished sixth.
  • Last weekend at the Daytona superspeedway, the 19-year-old started in the ninth position and ran as high as the top-five before a late-race spin put her three laps down in the event and ultimately finished 24th.
  • The Ford driver has one start on the sports car road course at Daytona in the IMSA Series. In January 2020, Deegan was paired with fellow Ford driver Chase Briscoe. The duo raced the No. 22 Ford Mustang GT4 in a four hour event leading into the annual Rolex 24.
    Click here for Deegan’s career statistics.

Deegan on Daytona:

How was your first Truck Series start at Daytona last weekend?

“Daytona was so much fun. Being able to race there is such a blessing and not many drivers get to say that they’ve raced at Daytona in their lifetime. There’s a lot of drivers out there that have a goal of just getting the opportunity to race at Daytona, so being able to race there was a cool experience.”

You raced on the Daytona road course last year in the ARCA Series, do you think any of that will translate over to the Truck Series this weekend?

“Having done the race in ARCA on the road course is so helpful because it’s not going to take as much time for me to learn the track. I’m going to be able to take more time to learn about the truck and work on the setup throughout the race. The ARCA race on the road course was a lot of fun, but it was a little bit wet because it was raining before the race. That will probably be the biggest difference in the track from ARCA to the trucks, a wet track versus a dry one. But if it rains before the truck race, I’ll definitely have an idea of what it’s going to feel like.”

Earlier this week, Deegan participated in a Twitter Q&A with Daytona International Speedway. She covered everything from her favorite kind of food, the track she’s most looking forward to this season and how she’ll tackle the Daytona road course this weekend. Click the image to read the full thread.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

  • Gray has one career start at the Daytona Road Course coming in 2020 when the iconic facility played host to all three national series on the 14-turn course for the first time in history. He brought the the No. 15 F-150 home with a 15th-place finish.
  • Last year’s event marked the first ever start on a road course for the 21-year-old. His only previous road start came in the ARCA Menards Series East at Watkins Glen International in 2019 where he finished 11th.
  • The No. 15 Ford Performance team will look to complete their first competitive laps this weekend after a mechanical failure prior to taking the green flag kept them from turning a single lap at speed during the season opener on the superspeedway.
  • Click here for Gray’s career statistics.

Gray on Daytona:

You have very limited road course racing experience. What were you able learn last year that will be key for this weekend?

“The only road course race I had ever run before last year was at Watkins Glen in the ARCA car, so that was tough heading into this race last August. I would say the Daytona course is the most challenging one I have run, but it was also a lot fun. The biggest thing I learned was just to be patient and not abuse the tires. It looks like it might rain on Friday night and that is an element I have never experienced before, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Riley Herbst, No. 17 Factory Canopies/Lincoln Welders Ford F-150

  • Riley Herbst has joined DGR for a one-race deal at the Daytona Road Course. Herbst competes full-time for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and will look to gain valuable experience on the road course Friday evening.
  • The Las Vegas native will start 25th in Friday night’s road course event.
  • The 21-year-old driver showed speed on the road courses in the Xfinity Series last season with a best finish of seventh at Daytona in August.
  • Herbst has eight career NCWTS starts dating back to 2018 with the most recent start coming at the Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 14, 2020. He has one top-five, three top-10s and one pole award during that span.
  • Click here for Herbst’s career statistics.

Herbst on Daytona:

What are you hoping to learn/get out of driving the truck this weekend?

“I’m hoping to get more repetition and to make my lap times better in preparation for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. I’m excited for these extra laps on the Daytona road course since I’ve only been able to run it once so far in my career.”

It has been just over year since you’ve driven a truck. Any nerves? Especially since you’re going into this weekend without any practice?

“I wouldn’t say nervous. I’m more excited to compete in the truck series which is so competitive. Since we don’t have practice, the truck race will be another chance for me to prepare for Saturday’s race and hopefully get a win for DGR.”

CHEVY NCS AT DAYTONA ROAD COURSE: Ryan Preece Teleconference Transcript

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA ROAD COURSE
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 253 AT DAYTONA
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 17, 2021

RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER/COCA-COLA CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript:

DO YOU FEEL THAT MAYBE YOUR LUCK HAS NOW CHANGED AFTER ONE WEEK?
“Well, I knew 2021 was going to be different when Kyle Busch won the Clash. So, 2020 is officially over and the bad luck is officially over. It was a good week for us. We qualified in on time and had no pressure going into the Duels, but we executed regardless, to make sure that we got as many points as we felt like we could get. And, we had a flawless car. The Cottonelle Chevrolet at Daytona was probably by far the best car I’ve ever driven. And I’m really proud of the hard work that went into it during the off-season. There was a lot of pressure on everybody going into that. But everyone executed the way they needed to, and we had a great day.”

WITH THE CHANGES TO THE BACKSTRETCH CHICANE AND THAT THEY MIGHT ADD SOME HUMPS BEHIND THE RUMBLE STRIPS, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE WAY YOU DRIVE THAT AREA?
“To be honest with you, if they’d left it alone it wouldn’t have bothered me either way because if we hit the dirt, it’s our own fault; I mean, sometimes. So, it’s going to be the same race track regardless; and now we just have a little bit more runoff and I guess they added some turtles, so that’s just another thing to worry about.”

GOING BACK TO DAYTONA, HOW BIG WAS THE PERFORMANCE ALL WEEK FOR YOU AND WHAT MIGHT THAT DO FOR SPONSORSHIP AND ATTRACTING INTEREST?
“When it comes to those things, (co-owners) Tad and Jodi Geschickter do a phenomenal job when it comes to our partners. We’ve got Natural Light and Hershey’s and Reece’s all sitting here. But obviously, I think it helps. But that’s something that Tad really excels at. My job is to go out and execute on Sundays and that’s what we did this weekend. Working with (crew chief) Trent (Owens) for a second year; you know last year was a very odd year. Most people, when they start with a crew chief, they have the opportunity to work through practices and qualifying and the whole thing. We didn’t have that opportunity every week when the practice dropped. So I really felt we started to excel the final 10 races and I think that’s carried over into Daytona and I’m looking forward to going to the road course and just keep executing and having solid days.”

WHEN IT COMES TO PARTNERS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU’VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AT THE CUP LEVEL? DO YOU TRY TO HELP TAD AND JODI OR DO YOU FOCUS STRICTLY ON THE RACE CAR?
“My focus is whatever they need done. If they ask me to do something, I’m going to do it. It’s the same thing I’ve told everybody. Whatever needs to be done, that’s my job. I’m going to make sure that whatever I need to do, I do it.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BIG CHALLENGES OF THE ROAD COURSE AT DAYTONA? WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU?
“Well, I haven’t done a whole lot of it in my career, and I’ve tended to be okay at it which, I’m pretty proud of. JTG was lucky enough to have a guy like AJ Allmendinger, who is a road course racer, just as much as I was a short track racer, right? Those are high expectations to live up to but every time I get in that race car when I go to a road course, I study. I was just watching the Clash before I got on here (teleconference) and I try to excel at it. The one thing I do have going for me is short tracks are pretty similar when it comes to road course racing with a lot of heavy braking, a lot of on-throttle, and then it just comes to communication and just keep making the car better.”

HOW DID YOU LOOK AT THE CLASH? NOT THAT YOU GOT SOME PRACTICE FOR THIS UPCOMING ROAD COURSE RACE, BUT TO START OUT THE SEASON WITH A ROAD COURSE RACE, HOW DID YOU LIKE THAT CONCEPT? HOW DO YOU SEE THIS RACE PLAYING OUT IN GENERAL?
“Well, I think us racers, we love tradition. And tradition was on the superspeedway. But at the same time, trying new things is always good. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. And it was exciting. Anybody who said coming to the finish line going into that last little chicane, if they weren’t jumping up and down because they were mad or happy or whatever it was, then I don’t know what they want. I think the final few laps of that race was exciting to watch. And I’m for whatever fans want because at the end of the day, our jobs as drivers is to execute and to put a show on for the fans. Whatever it takes to do that, to make sure we’re all showing up to the race track week-in and week-out, and people have something to watch.”

WAS IT ENTERTAINING TO RE-WATCH IT?
“Yeah, it’s certainly entertaining.”

TAD GESCHICKTER DOES A GREAT JOB OF MARKETING AND ALWAYS HAS. HIS PROCTER AND GAMBLE BACKGROUND MAKE HIM WELL-SUITED FOR THAT. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM HIM FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF BETTER BEHIND THE WHEEL AND WHEN YOU’RE OUT, AWAY FROM THE RACE TRACK?
“Well, I think a lot of it comes to relationships. Tad is really good at building relationships and making people feel like family. I think that’s what they (plus wife, Jodi) are really good at, because they’re genuine people. At the end of the day, I’ve definitely learned quite a bit from him, but it takes a special person to be able to do what he does. It’s just like it takes a breed of racer to be able to get to this level and capitalize on everything. Not many people can do what Tad does. I definitely applaud him for what he does and hopefully we can keep on working toward our goal, Trent and I; I feel really good working with him and doing everything we’ve been doing. We’ve definitely been on the same page, so it’s exciting stuff. As long as we keep doing our job; we’ll hopefully be able to sell some sponsors and finish out the year.”

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU JUST MISSED THAT EARLY WRECK IN THE DAYTONA 500 BEFORE THE RAIN DELAY. WHAT DID YOU SEE THERE AND HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT IN BEING THERE AT THE END AND RUNNING FOR POINTS?
“I saw the No. 48 (Alex Bowman) right in front of my face; you know a lot of those situations are just circumstantial and luck and I was lucky enough. The No. 99 (Daniel Suarez) was pushing from behind and I was lucky enough to get clear of the No. 1 (Kurt Busch), which gave me the opportunity to get down, and the No. 48 just didn’t come in and clip me in the right rear. So, we were lucky to be able to skirt through that wreck. It’s fate. Everything was meant to be that day to have a good run. There was the complete opposite last year. If there was something happening, I just happened to be in it. So, I’ll take the good days and just keep moving forward.”

(INAUDIBLE) – QUESTION REGARDING GETTING THROUGH THE LAST LAP OF THE DAYTONA 500
“Actually, I was a lot further behind. Four or five, maybe eight laps prior, we were coming up to lap a car and it put me in a bad spot and I actually lost some track position when that happened. I think if we didn’t, we would have been in contention to possibly win that race or be right there. But all I saw was the No. 18 (Kyle Busch), the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski), and the No. 22 (Joey Logano); everybody was kind of going everywhere and smoke. I just aimed for where I thought cars weren’t and just clipped the No. 18. So ultimately, when stuff like that happens and chaos happens, you tend to try and go wherever you think is the right place to go. Sometimes that’s right and sometimes it’s wrong. And when we shot if off the fence and wrecked the car, I just popped it in high gear and got to the line. That was the goal from there on out was to not drop minimum speed and continue on.”

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME BIG CRASHES AT THE END OF THESE RACES FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. AS A DRIVER, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT JUST HOPING TO AVOID A BIG ACCIDENT?
“Well, that’s in our control, to be honest with you. We’re all driving. We’re all in control of our race cars. When somebody pushes a little hard too early or is trying to get a little more than they need to, that’s when the accidents occur. I remember early-on in that race, I saw guys start dancing around and they’re pushing hard and getting aggressive, and that’s when those accidents happen. I almost bailed out of the pack a lap prior because I thought people were getting a little too aggressive too early. But at the same time, I didn’t want to give up the track position. At the end of the day, we’re in control of our race cars. We’re paid to take these risks and to put ourselves in position to win these races. So, that’s the name of the game. It comes down to who is willing to risk it all, I guess.”

THE VIEWERSHIP FOR THE DAYTONA 500 WAS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. SOME FANS HAVE SAID THEY’D LIKE TO SEE THE START TIMES MOVED UP TO AROUND NOON OR 1PM ET. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
“I think those viewership numbers can be a little skewed, right? We had a five and a half-hour rain delay, along with many other factors. I had more people texting me than I’ve ever had that watched the race. So that seems interesting to me. But at the end of the day, my job is driving the race car and to entertain fans. So, I think that last lap was pretty entertaining for fans. I think Michael McDowell winning that race created a lot of hype, and a lot of people are pretty excited about that. Early-on, that race was pretty exciting too. I don’t really know what people would complain about in the end.”

TRACK POSITION IS PRETTY IMPORTANT ON ROAD COURSES AND YOU’LL HAVE THAT AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE RACE WITH A SIXTH STARTING SPOT. HOW BIG IS THAT FOR THE TEAM AND HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU CAN STAY UP THERE FOR THE WHOLE RACE?
“I think that’s definitely extremely important. It sets us up for a great Stage 1 at least. I think Stage points are so critical now that we’ll see what our strategy is. I plan on executing and having a great start at that race. The first lap or two are so extremely important because you can put so much time on everybody behind you. We’re just going to go into it and try to have ourselves a really good Stage 1; and see where we are at Stage 2 and try to set this up for the final Stage. Just trying to get as many points as we can. I already know that we left Daytona with more points this past weekend than we did after the first five or six races last year. So that’s put us in a really good spot.”

WITH MORE ROAD COURSE RACES ON THE SCHEDULE THIS SEASON, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO PREP FOR THAT?
“I’m lucky enough that we have a Go Kart track not too far from my house and I do own at Go Kart. So, just log laps. That’s all you can do. Like I said, I’ve never been somebody who has had the opportunity to do much road racing. I go to my local Go Kart track and log laps and I feel like you kind of learn the basics from there; and you show-up and race.”
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.

Jeremy Bullins to call 200th Cup race as crew chief at Daytona road course event

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Tammyrae Benscoter for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Following a productive 2020 season with former NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, crew chief Jeremy Bullins is set to achieve a milestone start in his sixth full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series. By calling the shots atop the pit box for this weekend’s event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Bullins will call his 200th Cup race as a crew chief.

A native of Walnut Cove, North Carolina, Bullins grew up working with his father on dirt late model cars from the race shop to the tracks. After graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, Bullins’ career in NASCAR commenced with Wood Brothers Racing in 1999.

He went on to work for organizations like ST Motorsports, Robert Yates Racing and Richard Childress Racing, where he was an engineer.

Prior to the 2012 NASCAR season, Bullins departed RCR and joined Team Penske to serve as crew chief for the No. 22 Dodge team competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with names like Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Sam Hornish Jr., Parker Kligerman and Jacques Villeneuve. In his first season as a crew chief, Bullins achieved his first three Xfinity career victories with Keselowski. In addition, the No. 22 team achieved a pole, 12 top-five results, 23 top-10 results and a sixth-place result in the final owner’s standings.

In 2013, Bullins achieved 12 Xfinity wins with Keselowski, Blaney, Joey Logano and A.J. Allmendinger, all of whom shared Penske’s No. 22 Ford Mustang throughout the season. The victories along with three poles, 20 top-five results and 25 top-10 results were enough for the No. 22 team to capture the first NASCAR Xfinity Series’ owner’s championship for team owner Roger Penske by a single point over Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team.

The following season, Bullins, who remained as a full-time Xfinity Series crew chief for Team Penske, made his NASCAR Cup Series debut as a crew chief at Kansas Speedway in May for Ryan Blaney, who was also making his debut in the sport’s premier series. Starting 21st, Blaney finished 27th. The duo returned at Talladega Superspeedway in October, where Blaney finished 22nd of the 43-car field. Bullins went on to lead Penske’s No. 22 Ford team to its second consecutive owner’s championship while also winning six races between Blaney and Keselowski. Bullins also worked with Logano, Michael McDowell and Alex Tagliani throughout the 2014 Xfinity Series season.

In 2015, Bullins moved up to the Cup Series to serve as a crew chief for Blaney and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford team, which competed in 16 of the 36-race schedule. Together, Bullins and Blaney achieved a season-best result of fourth place at Talladega in May along with two top-10 results.

In 2016, Bullins embarked on his first full-time season in the Cup Series as a crew chief with Blaney and the Wood Brothers Racing. At the conclusion of the season, Blaney achieved three top-five results, nine top-10 results and a 20th-place result in the final standings.

The following season, Bullins achieved his first career win in the Cup Series as a crew chief at Pocono Raceway in June, which also marked Blaney’s first Cup career victory following a late battle against names like Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. Together, they recorded the 99th Cup victory for the Wood Brothers Racing. Bullins and Blaney went on to capture two poles, four top-five results and 14 top-10 results throughout the season. They also made the 2017 Cup Playoffs and all the way to the Round of 8 before finishing in ninth place in the final standings.

In 2018, Bullins and Blaney departed the Wood Brothers Racing and moved back to Team Penske in the Cup circuit. Together, Bullins and Blaney recorded a thrilling win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in September during the Playoffs. They also achieved three poles, eight top-five results and 16 top-10 results. Though they qualified for the Playoffs, Bullins and Blaney were eliminated from title contention following the Round of 12 and went on to finish in 10th place in the final standings. By then, Bullins surpassed 100 career starts in the Cup Series.

The following season, Bullins and Blaney recorded another thrilling victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October during the Playoffs. To go along with a pole, 11 top-five results, 18 top-10 results and a third consecutive appearance in the Playoffs, the duo made it all the way to the Round of 8 before being eliminated from championship contention. Nonetheless, they ended up with a seventh-place result in the final standings.

Despite a productive 2019 season, Team Penske decided to reshuffle its entire Cup driver-crew chief pairing for the 2020 season. The move ended up with Bullins being paired with Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Ford Mustang team while Todd Gordon took over as Blaney’s new crew chief.

Seven races into the 2020 season and amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bullins achieved his first Cup victory with Keselowski in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway following a late restart. Two races later, the duo won again at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Keselowski dodged a late incident involving teammate Joey Logano and Chase Elliott.

Bullins and Keselowski went on to claim dominating victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in August and at Richmond Raceway in September during the Playoffs. They made it all the way to the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway, but ended up finishing in the runner-up spot on the track and in the final standings behind Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson.

This season, Bullins and Keselowski are coming off a 13th-place result in the Daytona 500 following a vicious multi-car accident on the final lap, where Keselowski was in prime position of winning his first 500 title.

In 199 previous starts in the Cup Series, Bullins has achieved seven career victories, six poles, 40 top-five results and 83 top-10 results, all while working with Blaney and Keselowski.

Catch Bullins’ milestone start in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Sunday, February 21, at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.

Toyota Racing – NCWTS Daytona Quotes – John Hunter Nemechek – 02.17.21

By
Official Release
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Toyota Racing – John Hunter Nemechek
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH (February 17, 2021) – Kyle Busch Motorsports driver John Hunter Nemechek was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Daytona Road Course event today:

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Mobil1 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

What is it like to be one of the veteran drivers at Kyle Busch Motorsports?

“It’s kind of crazy being called the experienced guy at only 23 years old. But I feel like the path through the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has definitely broadened the spectrum of younger drivers coming up through. Being able to run, I think it’s nine or 10 races now a year when you’re 16 years old. It kind of makes that a stepping stone as you’ve seen Chandler Smith do that with Kyle Busch Motorsports over the last year or so and now running full time for Kyle Busch Motorsports alongside myself. It’s been fun. There’s definitely been a lot of questions that have been asked, but at the same time I feel like Kyle (Busch) has kind of mentioned it a few times about trying to bring in a Matt Crafton type of guy, so it’s nice to be kind of labeled as that in a sense. Hopefully, we can go out and win more races and more championships than Matt has. But still to this day still being able to ask Kyle questions and kind of lean on him. He has a lot of experience and that’s something that we all have to kind of look into and try and pick his brain about and it’s only something that can help myself and the younger drivers as well.”

Are you looking forward to running some Xfinity Series with Sam Hunt Racing?

“Being able to go and run a few Xfinity Series races this year with Sam Hunt is definitely going to be something that I’m looking forward to. Sam is probably one of the youngest owners in the garage and someone that has had a lot of passion and a lot of dedication to the sport. I feel like he is kind of running his team the same way that I was brought up – just limited number of people, grinding it out and very small team. It’s been amazing to see what he’s been able to do with his team in such a short period of time. I look forward to going and running a few races with him and just going and turning laps and trying to get more experience under my belt and hopefully we can put forth a full fledge effort to be able to go and try to win a race or two – more or less just go and try to perform the best that we can.”

What is your outlook for the Daytona Road Course race on Friday?

“I’m definitely looking forward to the road course this weekend. I feel like the biggest thing for us is we came out of Daytona with a solid points day, and we want to continue to do the same. It would be awesome to be able to go there and get a win and lock ourselves into the Playoffs in the Truck Series. Overall, we just want to run the best that we can every single week and just have a shot to contend for the win. I feel like my team and everyone at Kyle Busch Motorsports has been prepping for this for a while and them being able to run it last year and have some decent notes to go back on and look at from the drivers that were there last year. Hopefully we can kind of tune that to what we want in a truck. Overall, I feel like the experience from running the Cup race last year, it being so much longer, is definitely going to change part of the outlook on how we look at this race and how we can manage ourselves through stage one and stage two and the final stage of the race to put us in contention.”

How will competing in the Xfinity Series help your Truck Series effort?

“It definitely can’t hurt I don’t think. The more laps the better. The more laps that you’re turning, the more experience and the more time that you’re in the seat – it all helps.”

How many races will you be running with Sam Hunt Racing and do you have input on which tracks you will race at?

“I think the first two races definitely off the bat I believe are Dover and Richmond for us. I’m not sure what other races that we’re possibly looking at running, but I know that those two are the first ones on the list for us. I like short tracks. I like Dover. I like Richmond. I feel like that’s where Sam (Hunt) and his team can definitely excel and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in the No. 26 Supra.”

When were you introduced to Sam Hunt and when did you know this was a possibility?

“I feel like Sam (Hunt) and I have known about each other for a long time through mutual friends or whatever it may be. I know he was running back in the K&N East Series there for a while as I was coming up and we had talked about running races before and really nothing ever happened. I feel like we’ve known each other for a while, and I feel like this whole deal came about earlier this year when I made the swap back to Toyota with Kyle Busch Motorsports. It’s something that I feel like has been on our radar and been on Sam’s radar. We want to help each other the best that we can. He wants to provide a great car that can go and win races and I want to give him the best feedback that I know how to try and help him grow his team to where he wants it to be. I feel like it’s going to be a mutual effort and a mutual sense where we can both help each other a lot.”

Did this opportunity come about organically, or did you know you wanted to race in the Xfinity Series as well?

“It kind of came about organically. I as a driver want to race everything that I possibly can whether it’s sports cars, NASCAR, whatever it may be. I’m all for driving whatever I can and racing whatever I can. The more laps and the more that you’re in contention to win races the better and you’re always learning. Every time that you’re turning laps you’re always learning and putting knowledge and information into your notebook. Something you can hold onto and put into your bank for a long time.”

Do you feel like Kyle Busch Motorsports can go out and take the early season by storm?

“I definitely hope so. I feel like the team that I have around me from Kyle (Busch), all of the Toyota staff to Eric Phillips, my crew chief, to Jimmy (Villeneuve), my car chief to everyone on my team who is putting in effort, building trucks and everyone back at Kyle Busch Motorsports. I feel like they are giving us the equipment that we need to be able to go out and be in contention to win races every single week. Honestly, I hope that I would be able to go and win every single week, but also that’s not reality. We want to do everything that we can and everything in our power to be able to go and just show up and contend. I definitely feel like everyone involved is going to be able to do that and I feel like our team is very strong and very capable of doing that as well.”

Has it been refreshing in a sense to not have to be at the shop working on the Trucks every week just to get to the race track?

“I definitely still like turning wrenches and working on things. I definitely feel like that’s a part of my blood and a part of my life and something that I love to do. But it is nice being able to focus on studying and everything you need to do as a driver to try and maintain your maximum performance and optimize your opportunity every single weekend that you’re at the race track.”

What are some of Sam Hunt’s expectations for your performance?

“I definitely feel like Sam (Hunt) is pushing his team in the right direction. I feel like Toyota is definitely helping Sam as well, trying to help him grow his program. It’s nice to be able to see a young owner like Sam kind of start a Xfinity team from owning a NASCAR K&N East team back in the day and being able to kind of come up through. It’s nice being able to have a young owner, I feel like that’s definitely what this sport needs at this time. I feel like that’s going to be the next wave of owners in our sport as well. Hopefully, we can have some really strong runs and we can help each other and just have the best performance that we can week in and week out.”

What are some of the differences between owners Kyle Busch and Sam Hunt?

“I feel like it’s two different spectrums there. I feel like Kyle’s (Busch) organization is definitely established at Kyle Busch Motorsports. They’ve proven time and time again that they have winning drivers and they’ve produced champions that are now in the Cup Series. I feel like with Sam’s (Hunt) program, he wants to get there, he wants to be established, he wants to be able to give back to the racing world and have drivers that are capable of winning races and championships and grow his organization into that. It’s in the very early stages for Sam and it’s been amazing to see what he’s been able to accomplish with who he’s had behind the wheel so far I guess in the last year – not even a year.”

What was your reaction to your former teammate Michael McDowell winning the Daytona 500?

“I stayed up for the race. It was definitely really, really neat to be able to see Michael (McDowell) go out there and win the Daytona 500. Congrats to Front Row Motorsports and everyone involved. I know how much work went into all their cars last year and Michael was right about every quote that he had said. He kept grinding it out. He’s been one of those guys that has been in this sport for a long time. I think one of his quotes was, ‘It’s hard knowing that you could be in the way every single week, but when the opportunity comes you have to capitalize on it,’ and Michael was able to do that. He’s definitely a student of the sport and works really hard for everything that he’s been able to have and definitely his relationship with God is up there as well. It’s amazing to see what he was able to do with that team this past weekend. Even last year we knew that superspeedways were our shot to be able to go out and try to win races. Huge congrats to Michael. I’m happy for him and happy for everyone at Front Row Motorsports who was involved in that team and organization.”

# # #

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.

Nemechek joins Sam Hunt Racing for part-time Xfinity campaign

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Sam Hunt Racing announced that John Hunter Nemechek will be competing in select NASCAR Xfinity Series races for the organization this season, beginning at Dover International Speedway in May.

The 23-year-old native from Mooresville, North Carolina, is currently competing on a full-time basis in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He is coming off a seventh-place result in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.

Nemechek, the son of NASCAR veteran Joe Nemechek, will be making his first start in the Xfinity Series since 2019, where he competed as a full-time competitor for GMS Racing. Through 51 career starts in the Xfinity Series, he has recorded one victory, which occurred at Kansas Speedway in October 2018 while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. He has also recorded a pole, 12 top-five results and 30 top-10 results. He made the Xfinity Playoffs in 2019 and went on to finish in seventh place in the final standings.

“I’m so excited for the opportunity to be able to run some races for [team owner] Sam Hunt,” Nemechek said. “It’s awesome to see what he’s done in such a short time, being such a young team owner in the sport. I think my experience and this team can accomplish a lot and I’m excited to see what happens! I can’t thank Sam, Toyota, and all of our partners enough for this opportunity and helping us put this together.”

Sam Hunt Racing, which started as DRIVE Technology and competed in several seasons in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, made its first appearance in the Xfinity Series in the 2019 season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Colin Garrett behind the wheel of the team’s No. 26 Toyota and Brian Keselowski serving as crew chief. Starting 15th, Garrett went on to finish 21st of the 38-car field.

In 2020, SHR moved up to the Xfinity Series on a part-time basis, fielding the No. 26 Toyota Supra. Garrett returned and competed in five Xfinity races for the team, Brandon Gdovic competed in two and Mason Diaz campaigned in the final two races of the season. The team’s best results were 12th place with Gdovic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and 14th with Garrett at Homestead-Miami Speedway during the series’ doubleheader feature in Miami.

This season, SHR is coming off its first top-10 career result in the Xfinity Series, which was an eighth-place result in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway accomplished by Gdovic.

Nemechek is set to join names like Gdovic, Kris Wright and Santino Ferrucci as competitors slated to drive for SHR throughout this year’s Xfinity Series season.

“I’m excited to have John Hunter come back to his roots and drive for our young team in 2021,” Hunt added. “He’s always been a mutual friend of mine, always been extremely friendly, and has always shown that he can maximize his equipment and represent his sponsors. Working with so many rookies this year, his experience and feedback will be invaluable to our program’s growth. I know he can help us just as much as we can help him, and I think it’s cool to see a guy like him so excited about joining our small team with intentions to improve it as a whole. The entire shop is extremely excited about it and I know he’ll be able to help us improve our cars throughout the year.”

With Nemechek’s return to the series three months away, Sam Hunt Racing is set to compete in the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course with Kris Wright. The event will occur on Saturday, February 20, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

John Hunter Nemechek- No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra Camping World Trucks Daytona Road Course Preview

By
Official Release
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John Hunter: Driver, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159, Race 2 of 22, 44 Laps – 12/13/19; 158.85 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course (3.61-mile, 14-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 19, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’check’ the Facts:

  • John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team return to Daytona International Speedway to tackle the 3.61-mile, 14-turn road course. In the season-opening event on the oval at Daytona, the No. 4 team finished led 14 laps, won Stage Two and finished seventh. After the first race of the season, Nemechek is tied for second in the Camping World Trucks driver standings with Sheldon Creed, four tallies behind points leader Ben Rhodes.
  • Nemechek is a six-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 103 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 623 laps led, 28 top-five and 51 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. 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 second-generation driver has made five starts in Camping World Truck Series action on road courses, scoring a win at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 2016 and overall, he has earned two top-five and three-top 10 finishes. In last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the Daytona road course, Nemechek finished 35th after being involved in an incident. In the NASCAR XFINITY Series, Nemechek has four starts on road courses with a best finish of seventh on the ROVAL™ at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
  • 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 37 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 27 of those coming while at KBM. Owner-driver Kyle Busch collected his organization’s lone Truck Series victory at Daytona with Phillips atop the pit box in 2014. On road courses in the Camping World Trucks, Phillips has one start, where he finished third with then-KBM driver Erik Jones in 2014.
  • The world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1, will adorn the hood of Nemechek’s No. 4 Tundra for the next four races on the Camping World Truck Series schedule beginning with the Daytona Road Course.

John Hunter Nemechek | Daytona Road Course Preview
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
You had a strong run at Daytona. How important was it for you and tour team to get off to a fast start this season?
“Having a really strong run to start the year at Daytona was very important for our team. There’s a lot of things that could go wrong at Daytona, especially on the oval. I feel like our team did a really good job competing at the very start from unloading at practice with a couple new faces including the crew chief and others in different roles within the team. As well as myself trying to figure out communication, the flow of everything going back to the Truck series from Cup, and everything of that sort. I definitely thought it was smooth. We won a stage. We got some stage points. We sit tied for second in points. I feel like getting the year kicked off on a strong note is definitely very good for us compared to losing a lot of points or not having a very good day.

Do you enjoy road course racing? What do you think about having a few more road courses on the Truck schedule this season?
“I really enjoy road course racing as a driver. It’s a lot of fun for me being able to go left and right. It takes a lot of discipline, a lot of learning, a lot of homework, and a lot of studying among other things you have to do as a driver to be prepared. I really enjoy going to different racetrack and learning them. It gives you something different to do. The diversity with going to a road course compared to a short track or a mile-and-a-half is a lot of fun. It changes it up.”

The race Friday at the Daytona Road Course is almost 20 laps shorter than the Cup race you were in last year. How will that affect how you and Eric Phillips attack/strategize Friday’s race?
“The truck race will be shorter than the Cup race last year, it’s quite a bit shorter. Being able to change up our strategy, understanding exactly what we need to do, how to execute that, what plays or moves we are going to make for strategy calls, I think it is relying on what happened last year and the knowledge of doing it from the Cup and XFINITY Series. From watching The Clash the other night, there is a lot of information that we can cipher through to figure out what we want to do as a team to put us in the best position for a great points day and trying to get our Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra a win this weekend.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

  • Six-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 103 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 623 laps led, 28 top-five and 51 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. 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 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-61: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-61 for the road course event at Daytona. This chassis has been raced twice with a best finish of second at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park by Alex Tagliani in 2019. The chassis was raced last season on the Daytona road course by Tagliani, where he scored a 22nd-place finish.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers earned an average finish of 12.3 in last year’s event at the Daytona Road Course. Raphael Lessard’s third-place result was the organization’s best finish.
  • Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). 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 11 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Brett Moffitt – BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly | Daytona Road Course Race Advance

Team: No. 45 Niece Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Brett Moffitt

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Brett_Moffitt

Moffitt on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “We had a strong truck last weekend but didn’t get the result to show for it,” said Moffitt. “I am excited to move on to the road course this week. I really enjoy road course racing and am confident that this Niece Motorsports team will give me a truck capable of running up front and contending for the win.”

Moffitt at the Daytona Road Course: In Truck Series’ first trip to the Daytona Road Course last season, Moffitt started third and finished second, leading 13 laps.

Moffitt has also experienced road course success in the Truck Series at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, earning a win from the pole in 2019, after leading 44 of 64 laps.

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet will race with support from Niece Equipment and MG Machinery at the Daytona Road Course on Friday night.

Niece Equipment 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.

MG Machinery offers construction, heavy equipment, and mining equipment. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, MG Machinery is more than a heavy equipment dealer. We go beyond the sale to make sure all clients are 100% satisfied with the service.

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.

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