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Ben Rhodes Takes Dramatic Overtime Victory in NextEra Energy 250 At DAYTONA

By
Official Release
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Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images

NASCAR Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2021) – With a gaggle of trucks wrecking behind him as the field approached the finish line, Ben Rhodes shot past Cory Roper in the tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway to win Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250, the 2021 season-opener for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

With a decisive push from ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton on the final lap of an overtime shootout, Rhodes had more than enough momentum to charge past Roper in the final 400 yards. Likewise, Jordan Anderson blew past Roper into second place, .036 seconds behind the winner, as Roper held third for a career-best result.

“This is so special—the biggest win of my career,” Rhodes exulted after climbing from his truck. “I can’t even believe this. As a driver, you’re always asked about what your biggest accomplishment is… This is it. This is hands-down it. This is the place to be. I can’t even believe it.”

The win was the first for ThorSport after an offseason switch from Ford to Toyota.

“We came back to Toyota and we won in our first race with them at ThorSport,” Rhodes said. “I can’t thank (owners) Duke and Rhonda Thorson enough for this opportunity. This is special. I’m going to soak it up for as long as I can. I’m going to enjoy this night. Best night of my life right here.”

Without Crafton’s help, Rhodes said, he couldn’t have claimed his first win at Daytona and the fourth of his career.

“Thanks goodness I had my teammate Matt Crafton behind me, because he’s a stud,” Rhodes said. “He’s been around a long time, and he knows what he’s doing.”

Anderson was a close runner-up for the second straight year, matching his career-best finish.

“I’m almost speechless,” said an elated Anderson, who was anything but tongue-tied. “So much energy, so much emotion…”

A multicar wreck on Lap 95 of 100 ended the winning chances of a handful of contenders. Chandler Smith spun into the infield, and behind him, a vicious crash ended the race for Tyler Ankrum and heavily damaged the trucks of Timothy Peters, Austin Hill, and three-time Daytona winner Johnny Sauter. 

The trucks of Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek also were victims of the crash, but they recovered to finish fifth and seventh, respectively. Ryan Truex ran fourth, followed by Hocevar, defending series champion Sheldon Creed, Nemechek, Codie Rohrbaugh, Smith and Drew Dollar.

Crafton, a three-time series champion, was collected in the overtime wreck and finished 15th. Twenty-eight laps earlier, he was part of a wreck that eliminated a pair of strong entries.

With trucks running in a perilous four-wide array on Lap 72, Crafton nosed up the track after a slight tap from Nemechek and bumped the left rear quarter of Todd Gilliland’s Ford. Gilliland spun and collected the trucks of Stewart Friesen and Tate Fogleman behind him, and in the process, Brett Moffitt’s Chevrolet was pinched into the outside wall.

The trucks of Gilliland and Friesen were wrecked too severely to continue.

Racing for the first time in six years, 2012 series champion James Buescher was out of the event before he reached the start/finish line to begin the race. With his No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet destroyed in a four-truck wreck right after the initial start, Buescher exited without completing a lap.

Joining him on the sidelines were Tanner Gray, who spun during the early incident, and Gus Dean, whose truck was damaged too badly to continue. Derek Kraus recovered from a spin in that early crash in what was to become an adventuresome night for the driver of the No. 19 Toyota.

Kraus caused two more cautions with spins and collided with the truck of Sunoco rookie Kris Wright on pit road before taking his truck to the garage in 33rd place.

Tickets for Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events, excluding the DAYTONA 500, are still available as children 12 and under are FREE in the 100 level seating and $10 in all other reserved seating. Tickets start at $49 for adults for Saturday’s doubleheader featuring the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ® 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire for the ARCA Menards Series.

For more information, log onto www.DAYTONA500.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Tickets are also available for the track’s tripleheader weekend on the DAYTONA Road course (Feb. 19-21), featuring NASCAR’s top three national series.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – 22nd Annual NextEra Energy 250

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

Friday, February 12, 2021

               1. (23)  Ben Rhodes, Toyota, 101.

               2. (20)  Jordan Anderson(i), Chevrolet, 101.

               3. (31)  Cory Roper, Ford, 101.

               4. (25)  Ryan Truex, Chevrolet, 101.

               5. (12)  Carson Hocevar #, Chevrolet, 101.

               6. (2)  Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 101.

               7. (7)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 101.

               8. (26)  Codie Rohrbaugh, Chevrolet, 101.

               9. (6)  Chandler Smith #, Toyota, 101.

               10. (17)  Drew Dollar, Toyota, 101.

               11. (3)  Grant Enfinger, Toyota, 101.

               12. (27)  Kris Wright #, Chevrolet, 101.

               13. (24)  Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 101.

               14. (13)  David Gilliland, Ford, 101.

               15. (14)  Matt Crafton, Toyota, 101.

               16. (8)  Zane Smith, Chevrolet, 101.

               17. (32)  Danny Bohn, Toyota, 101.

               18. (16)  Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 101.

               19. (28)  Bryan Dauzat, Chevrolet, 101.

               20. (35)  Jason White, Chevrolet, 101.

               21. (19)  Austin Wayne Self, Chevrolet, 100.

               22. (18)  Austin Hill, Toyota, 99.

               23. (5)  Raphael Lessard, Chevrolet, 99.

               24. (9)  Hailie Deegan #, Ford, 98.

               25. (15)  Brett Moffitt, Chevrolet, 96.

               26. (10)  Timothy Peters, Chevrolet, DVP, 95.

               27. (1)  Johnny Sauter, Toyota, DVP, 94.

               28. (11)  Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, Accident, 94.

               29. (4)  Chase Purdy #, Chevrolet, Electrical, 91.

               30. (30)  Tate Fogleman, Chevrolet, DVP, 73.

               31. (21)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 71.

               32. (29)  Stewart Friesen, Toyota, Accident, 71.

               33. (33)  Derek Kraus, Toyota, DVP, 56.

               34. (34)  Gus Dean, Chevrolet, Accident, 1.

               35. (22)  Tanner Gray, Ford, Drivetrain, 0.

               36. (36)  James Buescher, Chevrolet, Accident, 0.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  107.791 mph.

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 20 Mins, 33 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .036 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  10 for 43 laps.

Lead Changes:  31 among 12 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   J. Sauter 1-12;R. Lessard 13-23;G. Enfinger 24-26;J. Nemechek 27;R. Lessard 28;J. Nemechek 29-38;B. Rhodes 39;J. Nemechek 40-42;G. Enfinger 43-46;T. Ankrum 47-48;D. Gilliland 49;T. Ankrum 50;D. Gilliland 51-52;T. Ankrum 53-55;D. Gilliland 56-57;G. Enfinger 58;D. Gilliland 59-61;B. Moffitt 62;B. Dauzat 63-64;C. Smith # 65-78;G. Enfinger 79-80;C. Smith # 81-85;T. Peters 86;B. Rhodes 87;T. Peters 88;B. Rhodes 89;T. Peters 90;C. Smith # 91-93;G. Enfinger 94-96;B. Rhodes 97-99;S. Creed 100;B. Rhodes 101.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Chandler Smith # 3 times for 22 laps; John Hunter Nemechek 3 times for 14 laps; Grant Enfinger 5 times for 13 laps; Johnny Sauter 1 time for 12 laps; Raphael Lessard 2 times for 12 laps; David Gilliland 4 times for 8 laps; Ben Rhodes 5 times for 7 laps; Tyler Ankrum 3 times for 6 laps; Timothy Peters 3 times for 3 laps; Bryan Dauzat 1 time for 2 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 1 lap; Brett Moffitt 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 24,2,98,4,13,99,18,17,52,25

Stage #2 Top Ten: 4,24,13,2,99,18,16,25,98,26

Toyota Racing NCWTS Post-Race Recap — Daytona 2.12.21

By
Official Release
-

BEN RHODES DRIVES TO DAYTONA GLORY
Rhodes goes to Daytona Victory Lane in return to Toyota

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 12, 2021) – Ben Rhodes drove ThorSport Racing to victory lane in the team’s first race since returning to Toyota. It was Rhodes first win at Daytona International Speedway and fourth of his Truck Series career. It was Toyota’s 199th win in the Truck Series since debuting in 2003.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Daytona International Speedway
Race 1 of 23 – 100 Laps, 250 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, BEN RHODES
2nd, Jordan Anderson*
3rd, Corey Roper*
4th, Ryan Truex*
5th, Carson Hocevar*
7th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
9th, CHANDLER SMITH
10th, DREW DOLLAR
11th, GRANT ENFINGER
15th, MATT CRAFTON
17th, DANNY BOHN
22nd, AUSTIN HILL
27th, JOHNNY SAUTER
32nd, STEWART FRIESEN
33rd, DEREK KRAUS
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Bombardier LearJet 75 Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
Finishing Position: 1st

How did you end up here with the checkered flag?

“I don’t even know. I’ve got to give such a big thank you to my team. This is so special. Biggest win of my career. I can’t even believe this. As a driver, you are always asked about what your biggest accomplishment is. This is it. This is hands down it. This is the place to be. I can’t even believe it. We’ve got Bombardier on the truck. We came back to Toyota and we won in our first race with them back with ThorSport. I can’t thank Duke and Rhonda Thorson (team owners) enough for this opportunity. This is special.”

You won at Daytona. How does that feel?

“I’m going to soak it up for as long as I can. That Darlington win went by too fast. You just don’t know when you’re going to get it again, but I’m going to enjoy this night. The best night of my life right here.”

Can you talk me through your last lap?

“That actually started out at the end of the second stage. I got setup with the same move, and I logged it in my memory bank. I came up short at that checkered flag, but I was going to make sure I didn’t come up short on this one. We just tried to time it right. Thank goodness I had my Menards teammate Matt Crafton behind me, because he’s a stud. He’s been around for a long time. He knows what he’s doing and you’ve seen the help he gives me there. This wouldn’t have been possible without Matt Crafton. I owe him a huge thank you.”

Can you talk us through the last lap of the race?

“I love this, oh my gosh, I love this. This has been such a long time coming for this race. It’s been three years in a row that we got wrecked out leading with like three laps to go. This is years of frustration coming off right now. I can’t even believe it. Thank goodness I had my teammate of Matt Crafton behind me. What a hero? He saved this race for us and got us the win. I can’t even thank him enough. This is because of him. I owe him a huge thank you. He’s a stud and he’s been in this series a long time. He knew what he was doing and he made that block for me. Without him doing it, I don’t think we’d be here right now so thank you so much.”

What all did you all do to the race truck to improve the handling during the race?

“I don’t know if it was the combination of left-side skirt or maybe we were down on the splitter too, but I just had a big balance problem. I was pushing really bad, couldn’t get on people’s bumpers. At the same time, the rearend was out of the track. I don’t know what Rich (Lushes, crew chief) did. I just tried to stay focused on the race. He’s a great crew chief. First race together and he’s got a ton of experience. I just trusted in him. We can talk about the changes in the post-race debrief, he and I. I just trusted in what he was doing and whatever he was doing, he made it right.”

Is being a winner at Daytona better than you ever thought?

“Oh yeah. You can dream about this. I’ve dreamed about this I can’t tell you how long. I’ve dreamed about this since I was seven years old. Nothing describes the feeling. I’ve had very few days like this in my life to have this much elation. My marriage day, a couple other wins, the K&N championship, but this is right up there with all of them. This is Daytona. You don’t even need to explain that. This is Daytona. I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Fire Alarm Services Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 7th

Solid start to your season, John Hunter. How was your race as a whole?

“I felt like our race was okay – or decent at least. I feel like we had a really fast Fire Alarm Services Toyota Tundra. We made gains through the weekend. I felt like we were pretty good right off of the truck. Eric (Phillips, crew chief) and all of the guys at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) gave us a really good truck that we could contend with. I felt good about our chances overall tonight. We stayed up there in stage one, and ended up winning stage two. In stage three, we did a strategy call. We took tires and it put us behind a little bit and never could get back to the front. I felt like we got trapped back there. We were making our way back up there towards the end and then we ended up getting caught up in the second-to-last wreck. It kind of sandwiched the truck, and I got tagged in the left rear and spun out. We had tires go down and damage. We started in the back on the final restart on the green-white-checkered. I was able to somehow get a pretty good suck going down the back and made it to the bottom lane in (turns) three and four. I got down and they all started wrecking almost to the tri-oval. They wrecked a bunch of them, somehow we managed to make it through that without getting in the grass and wrecking and came home seventh. Overall, really solid points day. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year, and this is just a start of what we can do.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 9th

How would you rate your debut at Daytona? Is this a successful start to your first full-time season?

“Yes and no. We came down here with a championship-caliber team, a championship-caliber truck worth winning and we didn’t win the race and we were in position to. It was a rookie mistake by me. I should have known better with him sitting on my door like that, even on a speedway like this with how flat it gets off (turn) four, sooner or later that was what was going to happen and it was going to lead to even worse disaster. We paid the price for it, but my Safelite Toyota guys got me back out there and we got rolling and we still salvaged a decent points day.”

DREW DOLLAR, No. 51 JBL Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 10th

Top-10 in your debut. How was your race tonight?

“I think the number one thing is we got another Toyota to Victory Lane, and I feel like I played a little bit of a role in that, so I’m proud of that. We had a really fast Tundra. We were just smart all night. My JBL Tundra was really fast. It drove really well. We had a few times where we got out of shape a little bit but overall I think we called a good race and was in the perfect position and things just didn’t work out, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the season with Toyota.”

STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar Toyota Tundra, Halmar-Friesen Racing
Finishing Position: 32nd

You talked about having to keep your nose clean in order to finish this race. How difficult was that?

“It was extremely difficult. It was extremely frustrating. It seemed like the tires were wearing out, and we were losing grip – at least our truck wasn’t really into the track. We just didn’t execute a smart strategy to try to survive the race. We got ourselves in a bad spot and I just got stuck and ran into the back of a couple of guys and ultimately got taken out, while we were in the bee’s nest there. It’s unfortunate for Halmar, all of our partners. We just have to do a better job next time.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the 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.

Ryan Newman – Daytona 500 Advance

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves

Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

Daytona 500 – Sunday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Daytona International Speedway

  • Newman will make his 39th Cup start at DIS on Sunday, and 20th in the Daytona 500, in what will be an emotional return to the event that changed his life a season ago. Newman was mere feet from his second Daytona 500 crown before a horrifying crash sent him to the hospital and sidelined him for three races.
  • Newman is one of seven former winners locked into the field for ‘The Great American Race.’ Newman won the event back in 2008, driving his then-No. 12 to victory lane.
  • Following qualifying and Thursday night’s Duels, Newman will start seventh for Sunday’s race.
  • In 38 starts at DIS, Newman has an average finish of 18.6 with 12 top-10s, six top-fives and one win. Despite last year’s incident he still finished ninth, his third-straight year finishing 14th or better in the season-opening race. He also crossed the line third in the 2006 edition and ran fifth in 2013.
  • Dating back to the last eight combined Superspeedway races (Daytona and Talladega), Newman has five top-10 results behind Jimmy Fennig’s powerful Superspeedway program.

Scott Graves at Daytona International Speedway

  • Scott Graves will be atop the box for his fifth Daytona 500 Sunday, and third with Newman. Overall at DIS Graves has nine starts on the oval, with two top-10s, both of which came with the No. 6, in the 2019 summer event (fifth) and the 2020 Daytona 500 (ninth).
  • Graves was also on the box for six NXS events in Daytona with two top-10s, including a runner-up finish with Chris Buescher in the 2015 season opener.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing in the 500:
“Taking the green flag for the Daytona 500 is always exciting, and this year more than ever I’m simply thankful for the opportunity to be here and continue doing what I love. There’s no doubt some point of this weekend will be emotional, but everything that’s happened to this point has created even more of a desire for me to go out and get a win, not only for myself, but for our team, company and partners who have worked so hard to get Roush Fenway back where it belongs. I’m looking forward to Sunday and hope to put on a good showing for our friends at Kohler Generators in their first dive into the sport.”

On the Car
Kohler Generators makes its NASCAR debut this weekend at ‘The World Center of Racing,’ on board Newman’s iconic No. 6 Ford Mustang. A leader in whole home standby generators, Kohler Generators will be on Newman’s machine for eight primary races in 2021.

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

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

Ben Rhodes powers by Cory Roper for thrilling Daytona victory

By
Briar Starr
-
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to action to kickstart the 2021 season at the famous Daytona International Speedway.

Ben Rhodes, who started 23rd, made a thrilling move to the outside of Cory Roper coming off Turn 4 and claimed the season-opening win at Daytona as multiple trucks wrecked behind the leaders. The victory would mark the Kentucky native’s first superspeedway victory in 120 starts.

“This is so special, the biggest win of my career,” Rhodes said. “I can’t even believe this. As a driver, you’re always asked about what your biggest accomplishment is. This is it. This is hands-down it. This is the place to be. I can’t even believe it.”

Prior to the first race of the season, qualifying was held earlier today. Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 ThorSport team qualified on the pole. The pole marked Sauter’s first superspeedway pole position in his career.

Only one driver moved to the back, which was the No. 19 of Derek Kraus. Stages of 20/20/60 laps made up the original 100 lap event, before going into overtime, as a caution flew with six laps to go and extended the event by one lap.

Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 20

When the green flag flew, there were already sparks flying on the frontstretch. The No. 15 of Tanner Gray did not get going as the truck stalled somewhat on the initial start, which caused a stack up in the back. James Buescher in the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevy had major damage to his front bumper and was credited with a last-place finish. Kraus and Gus Dean were also involved in the incident.

Despite the early caution, the rest of the stage remained green from Lap 5 to 20. Pole sitter Sauter dominated through the early portions before getting passed late in the stage by eventual Stage 1 winner, Raphael Lessard. Lessard, with the help of his teammate Sheldon Creed, drove right on by Sauter and Enfinger to win the first stage. Enfinger, Sauter, Nemechek, Rhodes, Chandler Smith, David Gilliland, Stewart Friesen and Timothy Peters rounded out the Top 10 in Stage 1.

During the stage break, Creed was penalized for being too fast on pit road while Codie Rohrbaugh was sent to the rear for a crew member being over the wall too soon. Meanwhile, Matt Crafton was penalized for one lap for pitting outside the box.

Stage 2: Lap 26 – Lap 40

Just one caution slowed the second stage when the No. 19 of Kraus spun in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 35 after Kraus’s left-rear tire went flat. With the late caution, the restart came with two laps to go in the stage. John Hunter Nemechek edged out Lessard for the victory. Sauter, Creed, Rhodes, Chandler Smith, Hill, Peters, Enfinger, and Ankrum were the Top 10 finishers in Stage 2.

Stage 3: Lap 46 – Lap 101

In the final stage, there were six cautions that took place in the final 55 laps. One of the notable yellows in the final stage was for the No. 1 of Hailie Deegan. Deegan was making her first Truck Series start at Daytona and ran solidly before spinning on the backstretch and hitting the inside wall causing a yellow with 20 to go.

The next restart came with 15 to go and the intensity picked up with drivers pushing hard for the win. Unfortunately, the big one occurred with six laps to go with multiple drivers involved. John Hunter Nemechek, Tyler Ankrum, Timothy Peters, Drew Dollar, Raphael Lessard, Austin Hill, Johnny Sauter, Tate Fogleman, Bryan Dauzat and Carson Hocevar were collected in the incident.

With the late yellow, NASCAR Overtime was called and there was a two-lap dash to the finish. Rhodes got shoved out to the front with the help of his teammate, Matt Crafton, coming off Turn 4, following directly behind Roper who was leading the race. Rhodes had momentum and made the pass to the outside to win by .036 seconds over Roper and Jordan Anderson while another big one occurred behind the leaders.

By finishing third, Roper earned the first-ever top-five finish of his Truck Series career in 28 starts over a span of four years, dating back to 2018.

“We took the white flag, and I think it (field) just kind of got jumbled up and I think the 2 (Sheldon Creed) got in the wall a little bit, put me in the wall, flattened the right side and I pulled down to the bottom,” Roper said. “I was able to clear them and come off of (Turn) 2 with the lead. So, it was pretty exciting about that time and I just calmed down and try to stay, listen to my spotter, do what I needed to do. When I pancaked the right side, we got tight off of (Turn) 4 and I couldn’t pull down and got clogged in.”

There were 10 cautions for 43 laps and 31 lead changes among 12 different leaders.

Official Results
  1. Ben Rhodes, led seven laps
  2. Jordan Anderson
  3. Cory Roper
  4. Ryan Truex
  5. Carson Hocevar
  6. Sheldon Creed, led one lap
  7. John Hunter Nemechek, won Stage 2, led 14 laps
  8. Codie Rohrbaugh
  9. Chandler Smith, led 22 laps
  10. Drew Dollar
  11. Grant Enfinger, led 13 laps
  12. Kris Wright
  13. Spencer Boyd
  14. David Gilliland, led eight laps
  15. Matt Crafton
  16. Zane Smith
  17. Danny Bohn
  18. Jennifer Jo Cobb
  19. Bryan Dauzat, led two laps
  20. Jason White
  21. Austin Wayne Self, one lap down
  22. Austin Hill, two laps down
  23. Raphael Lessard, won Stage 1, led 12 laps, two laps down
  24. Hailie Deegan, three laps down
  25. Brett Moffitt, led one lap, five laps down
  26. Timothy Peters, led three laps, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
  27. Johnny Sauter, led 12 laps, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
  28. Tyler Ankrum, led six laps, OUT, Crash
  29. Chase Purdy, OUT, Electrical
  30. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
  31. Todd Gilliland, OUT, Crash
  32. Stewart Friesen, OUT, Crash
  33. Derek Kraus, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
  34. Gus Dean, OUT, Crash
  35. Tanner Gray, OUT, Drivetrain
  36. James Buescher, OUT, Crash

Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will stay in the Daytona area as the trucks will next race on the Daytona Road Course on Friday night. February 19. live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 7:30 pm. ET.

Chris Buescher – Daytona 500 Advance

By
Official Release
-

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert

Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher

Daytona 500 – Sunday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher at Daytona International Speedway

  • Buescher makes his 11th Cup start on the oval at DIS on Sunday, and sixth in the Daytona 500.
  • In 10 prior events, Buescher has five top-10s, including three inside the top-five. He’s coming off back-to-back top-10 runs at DIS after finishing third in the 2020 season opener and ninth last summer. He also finished fifth in the 2018 edition of ‘The Great American Race.’
  • Buescher will roll off the grid 22nd on Sunday after finishing 10th in his Duel qualifying race Thursday night.
  • Dating back to his last four Superspeedway events, Buescher has only one finish outside the top-10, crossing the line sixth at Talladega last spring in addition to the two Daytona events.
  • In three NXS races on the oval, Buescher had a best finish of second in Jack Roush’s No. 60 entry in 2015.

Luke Lambert at Daytona International Speedway

  • Lambert will be atop the box for his ninth Daytona 500 Sunday, and second with Buescher. It marks his 17th Cup race on the oval at DIS, where he has an average finish of 17.1 with six top-10s.
  • Lambert and Buescher are coming off two-straight top-10s at DIS, including third in the 2020 season kickoff event, followed by ninth in the summer race. Lambert also led Newman to four additional top-10s back in the No. 31 entry, including a fifth-place run in the 2017 summer race, and three eighth-place finishes (one in 2015, two in 2018).
  • Lambert also called two NXS events with Elliott Sadler at Daytona in 2012, finishing third and sixth, respectively.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing in the 500:
“I think ultimately you go into every speedway race with the same mentality and that’s to be there at the end when it matters and put yourself in position. We were both able to do that last year in the 500 and a couple of the other speedway races, so we’ll keep that same mindset. Jimmy Fennig and Roush Fenway Racing has had terrific speed on the speedways for a number of years now, so we know we’re going to have a good opportunity with our Fastenal Mustang to be there. It’s just a matter of staying clean through most of it, trying to avoid the melees that are sure to happen, that always do, and, again, just be in position at the end. That’s all you can ask and hope that it plays out just a little bit better for us this time around.”

On the Car
Fastenal returns to the fold at Roush Fenway for its 11th season in 2021. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers 3M, Dewalt, Protective Industrial Products, and Widia, on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes in the Daytona 500. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalRacing, @Fastenal.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

Trans Am Returns to Roots, Opens 2021 Season at Sebring

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SEBRING, FLA. (12 FEBRUARY 2021)- The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli opens its 54th season of racing next weekend, headlining the Sebring SpeedTour Feb. 19-21 at Sebring International Raceway, the same historic venue where it debuted in 1966.

This will be Trans Am’s 16th visit to the Sebring circuit, which was originally a training base for B-17 pilots during World War II. In 1950, several runways and adjoining roads were converted to a circuit to host international sports car racing. The track began hosting its trademark 12-hour race in 1952, and even hosted the first U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race in 1959.

The 17-turn, 3.74-mile airport-based circuit opens its season next weekend, when Trans Am highlights a weekend of SVRA vintage and historic competition.

The original Trans American Sedan Championship was a constructor-driven series showcasing Detroit’s popular “pony car” sedans including the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvair, Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda. Also eligible were foreign cars under two-liters, including the Alfa Romeo GTA, Ford Cortina Lotus, Mini Cooper, Saab and Opel Kadett.

Then two-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt led the opening lap of the 1966 four-hour Governor’s Cup in a Ford Mustang. Jochen Rindt – the future 1970 F1 World Champion – took over at hour three and led the rest of the way on the bumpy 5.2-mile circuit. Meanwhile, Bob Tullius gritted his teeth and won the over two-liter class in a Dodge Dart. Instructed to follow its two lead Barracudas, Tullius decided to make his bid as Foyt was pulling away in the lead.

“I was instructed by our Chrysler team manager to follow the two Barracudas, because they wanted those cars to win and I was going to be a nice guy,” Tullius said. “But they didn’t count on A.J. Foyt, who went into the lead in a Mustang. I ran around for awhile, and then decided to pick it up. I passed both of the Barracudas, and then caught Foyt and passed him for the lead. Eventually, his car bailed [following a long pit stop] and I wound up winning the [Over-two liter] race.”

The inaugural race was held the day before the annual 12-hour classic, attracting a 40-car field.

Trans Am returned in 1967 as the Four-Hour International, drawing a then record 61 entries. Jerry Titus won in a Ford Mustang, lapping the second-place Camaro Z-28 of Mark Donohue. Peter Gregg and Sam Posey took honors in the Under-two liter class, driving a Porsche.

For 1968, Trans Am ran concurrently with the 12-hours – similar to the race format at Daytona that year when TA was a class in the 24-hour race. Mark Donohue and Craig Fisher took Trans Am honors with a third-place overall finish, one position ahead of Roger Penske-entered Camaro teammates Joe Welch and Bob Johnson.

With the series moving to shorter races, the next Trans Am race at Sebring was not until 1999, with a stand-alone weekend serving as the finale. Paul Gentilozzi capped his championship season by winning in a Ford Mustang. Trans Am ran in support of the Twelve Hours of Sebring the following two years. Brian Simo won the 2000 season opener in a Qvale Mangusta, while Boris Said won the following year in a Ford Mustang.

Since 2013, Trans Am has been a major component of the SVRA Sebring Vintage Classic, held several weekends prior to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours. Doug Peterson won the 2013 and 2014 overall victories in a Corvette, while Cameron Lawrence began a three-year TA2® winning streak in a Camaro. The two drivers went on to win their respective titles in both seasons.

Other recent Sebring highlights include Amy Ruman winning the 2015 season opener to begin her successful bid to become Trans Am’s first female champion. In 2019, Rafa Matos won TA2 in a Camaro, beating out Marc Miller’s Dodge Challenger. That avenged Miller’s dramatic triumph in 2018, when he passed Matos for the lead with only two laps remaining.

Last year, South Floridian Ernie Francis Jr. began his successful run for a seventh-straight Trans Am title – making it four-in-a-row in the premier TA class. Mike Skeen (TA2®) and Lakeland driver Lee Saunders (SGT) also kicked off championship seasons with victories.

For the 2021 opener, testing begins on Friday for the 55-car entry, with practice and qualifying on Saturday. Sunday includes the 27-lap TA2 feature race at 11:15 a.m. ET, followed by the TA/XGT/SGT/GT event at 1:35 p.m. Please visit http://gotransam.com for additional details.

Team Penske Tune-In: Daytona (Cup & NXS)

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Fanaply and JTG Daugherty Racing Continue Innovative Digital Collectible Partnership

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Official Release
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Bringing digital collectible trading cards to race fans everywhere!

HARRISBURG, N.C., February 12, 2021 – Today JTG Daugherty Racing announced an extension of its partnership with Fanaply – the leading digital collectibles marketplace – as its Official Digital Collectibles Partner to create limited-edition digital collectibles for their drivers commemorating each race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. The first digital collectibles featuring JTG Daugherty Racing drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece launched today for fans just in time for the Daytona 500 and will be available via Fanaply’s website at:

https://fanaply.com/category/ricky-stenhouse-jr

“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to build engagement with our fans,” Tad Geschickter, JTG Daugherty Racing team owner said. “We miss seeing our fans at the race track. Having Fanaply create digital collectibles of our drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece is another great way for us to stay connected safely with our fan base and build excitement as we kick off our 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.”

Each weekend of the race season, fans will have the opportunity to collect a limited-edition digital trading card from both car No. 47 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr, and car No. 37 of Ryan Preece.

Once fans claim each exclusive collectible, they can add them to their Google Pay or Apple Wallet for use at future live events, share the collectible on their social media channels with friends and family, and potentially earn perks and rewards in the future.

“We do miss seeing our fans and hope this provides another safe way to engage with them until everyone is back at the race track,” Stenhouse said. “And, Fanaply is known for capturing cool moments with these digital collectibles and that’s exciting to me to be able to provide that to our fans.”

“I agree with Ricky,” Preece said. “They are limited-edition and that’s one of the things that makes them special because once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.’”

To expand, Fanaply’s non-fungible-tokens (NFTs) offer fans a way to build a collection around the drivers, events, and moments they are passionate about. Their blockchain-based technology ensures digital scarcity and gives fans true digital ownership over each collectible within their collection.

“JTG Daugherty Racing, its leadership and their amazing drivers are the perfect partner to launch our NFT’s with,” Grant Dexter, CEO of Fanaply, said. “As we expand from music into sports and entertainment, partnering with a team who are hyper focused on creating new value, engagement and interactivity for their fans was crucial to us. And having amazing sponsors who are a fundamental part of the overall experience to help enable those opportunities for the fans is exciting. We’re thrilled to be working with Tad and his amazing team.”

About Fanaply
Fanaply creates blockchain-based digital collectibles for the world’s biggest fans. They have issued collectibles for some of the top musicians in the world, including Niall Horan of One Direction, and powered the entire digital collectibles program for the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in 2019. Their collectibles were also built into the 2020 Clio Sports Awards and are currently being integrated into many other music, sports, and entertainment properties.

About JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Cup Series operation owned by husband and wife team Jodi and Tad Geschickter along with Gordon Smith and five-time NBA All-Star and TV/radio personality Brad Daugherty with offices and shops based in Harrisburg, N.C. Since their debut in 2009, the team has amassed one win, 19 top-five finishes, 63 top-10 finishes and won three pole awards in as many races. The team was created in 1995 as a NASCAR XFINITY Series team (formerly Busch Series). After multiple wins and over 100 top-10s in the division, JTG Daugherty Racing made the jump to the NASCAR Cup Series. In 2014, the team celebrated their first victory at the pinnacle of the sport and earned a coveted spot in the Championship Playoffs. In 2017, the team expanded to a two-car operation. Today the team continues to field both the No. 37 Camaro ZL1 1LE and No. 47 Camaro ZL1 1LE thanks to their Kroger partnership and some of the best CPG partners in the business.

Jamie McMurray unveils DAYTONA 500 Grand Marshal SUV honoring AdventHealth employees’ work during pandemic

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The vehicle features signatures from 3,000 AdventHealth team members from across the nation.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 12, 2021 – Team members at AdventHealth Daytona Beach got a sneak peek of a new DAYTONA 500 Grand Marshal SUV painted in their honor when Jamie McMurray, who won the DAYTONA 500 in 2010, drove the Chevy Blazer to the hospital Friday morning.

“It’s so meaningful to be able to come out here and honor these workers who have spent day after day tirelessly caring for patients during this pandemic,” said McMurray, who will also drive the No. 77 AdventHealth car in Sunday’s DAYTONA 500.

The Grand Marshal SUV, which will lead the field around the track at the start of Sunday’s race, features more than 3,000 signatures submitted by AdventHealth employees across the organization, which has more than 50 hospitals in 10 states.

Ed Noseworthy, CEO for AdventHealth Daytona Beach, said McMurray’s visit provided a welcome boost for the staff.

“We owe much gratitude to our team members who have been caring for so many patients while working through their own challenges,” Noseworthy said. “It was great to see smiles on the faces of people who have worked so hard to help others heal during the pandemic.”

McMurray first partnered with AdventHealth in 2016, and this year will add a new element to the relationship: He will wear an AdventHealth heart rate monitor during the race to give viewers a different perspective on the stresses of racing. The monitor will be visible through an in-car camera.

Chief Strategy Officer David Banks said AdventHealth’s NASCAR partnerships, including its collaboration on the Human Innovation and Development Lab (HIDL) at Chip Ganassi Racing, contributes benefits that extend beyond the world of racing.  

“Not everyone can be an elite athlete and perform on racing’s biggest stage, but everyone can improve their health and wellbeing,” Banks said. “We’re learning a great deal about human performance, and those lessons can help us better provide world-class, whole-person care.” 

February is American Heart Month, and McMurray and AdventHealth aim to showcase the importance of cardiac health awareness. This year also happens to be the first time the DAYTONA 500 has fallen on Valentine’s Day since 2010, when McMurray won the race.

Tickets for DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events, excluding the DAYTONA 500, are still available as children 12 and under are FREE in the 100 level seating and $10 in all other reserved seating. Tickets start at $49 for adults for Friday’s Nextera Energy 250 and Saturday’s doubleheader featuring the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ® 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire for the ARCA Menards Series.

For information and a complete schedule of all racing events as part of Speedweeks, log onto www.DAYTONA500.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Tickets are also available for the track’s tripleheader weekend on the DAYTONA Road course (Feb. 19-21), featuring NASCAR’s top three national series.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.

SS GreenLight Racing – Joe Graf Jr. Daytona Event Preview

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SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series

Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway | Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300

Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:

Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)

Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro

Crew Chief: Mike Tyska

2020 Driver Points Position: 22nd | 2020 Owner Points Position: 18th

Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 702; competed last at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on October 3, 2020 (Start: 25th | Finish: 31st, engine failure)

Chassis No. 702 also ran at both Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway races in February and August 2020 with a highlight of qualifying fifth in this event last February.

Chassis No. 702 is known for its performance at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2019 with a second-place outing after an eighth-place starting position.

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)
Notes of Interest:

Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy and its sister products will continue its role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro to kick off the 2021 Xfinity Series season. Daytona InternatSS GreenLight Racing | Joe Graf Jr. Daytona Event Previewional Speedway is the first race of 2021 but is the 23rd race overall in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.

Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all delivers long-lasting energy.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Daytona International Speedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his fourth career start at the “World Center of Racing” in Saturday afternoon’s race.

In July 2019, Graf Jr. made his Xfinity Series debut at Daytona driving for Richard Childress Racing, qualifying a then career-best sixth. He was collected in a late-race crash and finished 23rd.

Graf Jr. made his SS GreenLight Racing debut at the 2.5-mile superspeedway in February 2020 qualifying a career-best fifth but was swept into a mid-race accident, finishing 36th.

In August, Graf Jr. started 22nd but was collected in an early race incident and left with a disappointing 37th place finish.

He holds a career-best 11.0 average starting position at Daytona.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In five career NASCAR Xfinity Series Superspeedway races, has completed 308 of the 546 laps available. He holds an average starting position of 16.2 and an average result of 32nd with a best finish of 23rd at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in July 2019.

Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In three career ARCA superspeedway track races, Graf Jr. has two top-10 finishes. He has been running at the finish of all three races. He holds an average starting position of 15.3 and an average result of 11th with three (3) laps led.

In 2018, Graf Jr. was involved in the closest finish in ARCA Menards Series history at Talladega Superspeedway in a photo finish.

The margin was so narrow in the 69-year history of the series, it was a statistical dead heat, the margin of victory on the computerized scoring monitors showing 0.000 seconds. Only a video replay and the photo finish camera were able to determine Graf finished second by a matter of millimeters.

New Year, New Number and New Paint: It’s a sophomore season full of new! To kick off his second season of competition at SS GreenLight Racing, Joe Graf Jr. will drive the No. 07 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet Camaro with a new sophisticated updated livery.

Welcome To The Team: On Thursday afternoon, Joe Graf Jr. officially announced Buffalo Bills running back Antonio Williams as an investor in his racing program this season.

Williams, 23, will be heavily involved in Graf’s day-to-day business interactions, while also playing a key role as a supporter of his racing endeavors by attending races, including this weekend’s season-opener at Daytona.

Together, the two are focused on Graf reaching the pinnacle of the sport, the NASCAR Cup Series in the near future.

Put Me In Coach: In an effort to strengthen his physique, Joe Graf Jr. began working with new trainer and former NASCAR Cup Series Josh Wise during the offseason.

In addition to Wise, Graf has also been working with former NASCAR driver and open-wheel driver Scott Speed on being more discipline behind the wheel of his No. 07 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet Camaro.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Mike Tyska is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will crew chief his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon.

Tyska joins SS GreenLight Racing after honing his skills in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions and working for teams like Germain Racing, GMS Racing and Rick Ware Racing.

Tyska was apart of Todd Bodine’s 2006 championship season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Germain Racing.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran Cody Ware will drive the No. 17 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet on Saturday afternoon.

Ware, a veteran racer is poised to make his 22nd career NASCAR Xfinity Series start, but first at the 2.5-mile superspeedway of Daytona.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Daytona International Speedway: “I’m always excited to get back to racing, especially at a special place like Daytona International Speedway. Bobby (Dotter) and the SS GreenLight Racing team has always brought me fast race cars to these type of race tracks, but unfortunately, luck hasn’t been on side.

“However, it’s a new year and we’re rejuvenated to get the year going and start the year off with a strong finish.”

On Antonio Williams: “I’m so excited to work with Antonio. Not only is he a NASCAR fan, but he has quickly went to work behind the scenes as an investor and partner in my racing platform and is eager to expand his responsibilities as the season gets underway.

“He has a lot of fresh and unique ideas, as well as a huge following and relationships he plans to bring to NASCAR. He’s someone who is determined to give nothing less than 150 percent in his role and make a difference both on and off the race track. We are going to have a lot of fun intertwining our two worlds.”

On 2021 Outlook: I’m really hopeful for a good sophomore season with SS GreenLight Racing. The entire team has worked hard during the offseason and I’m eager to work with my new crew chief Mike Tyska and have some success with him.

“It’s a long season but I’m ready for it. We have a lot of great things going on behind the scenes that I believe is certainly going to make this a year to remember.”
Race Information:

The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300 (120 laps | 300 miles) is the first of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Feb 13 from 4:35 p.m. – 5:25 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 13 beginning at 10:40 a.m. The 36-car field will take the green flag shortly after 5:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.
About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.

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