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Third-place finish solidifies Roper’s bonafides as a serious Truck competitor

By
Joseph Shelton
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Trucks take to the high bank at Daytona on Friday night. Cory Roper (04) finished third.

One thing that could be taken away from the last lap of Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona is that Cory Roper did not show up to stroke around in his underfunded Roper Racing Ford. He saw the opportunity come to take the lead at Daytona late in the going, took it, and almost pulled off the upset win on the final lap before being passed on the final stretch by Ben Rhodes and Jordan Anderson and ultimately finishing third.

“I knew I was a sitting duck whenever I didn’t feel a push,” Roper said in Zoom media availability post-race. “I knew I got too far off out coming off of (turn) 2 and got too big of a gap. I’m still learning where I need to position things in the truck to be able to race something like this different than anywhere else. I wish I had another shot at that, but you gotta be grateful for what you’ve got, we’ll take it, move on and build from it.”

The Vernon, Texas native made his national touring debut in Spring 2018 at Martinsville in his No. 04 F-150, finishing 13th after starting 17th. From there he proceeded to have several strong runs such as climbing to second at Daytona in 2019 before contact with the wall ended his day, or a fifth-place qualifying effort at Las Vegas in late 2019 (that was derailed in an early incident with Matt Crafton).

Roper also proved himself to be a stout qualifier, having posted three top-15 qualifying runs including his top-five appearance at Las Vegas, despite limited sponsorship and limited equipment. Regardless, incidents involving the No. 04 Ford have been few and far between, as Roper doesn’t seem to overdrive himself or his truck’s limitations. That, along with his stout runs, managed to help Roper Racing land sponsor opportunities from CarQuest Auto Parts and Alliance Aviation, who adorned his truck Friday night.

This has come quite a long way from the group who used to camp out at Texas Motor Speedway every time NASCAR came through Fort Worth. It’s only fitting that Roper ended up earning his first top-10 ever at Texas, a ninth in June 2019. Granted that was an attrition-filled event, but it only backed up the notice that Roper takes care of his equipment and has a tendency to keep his truck out of trouble.

All said, Roper’s presence in the garage serves as a reminder to the old-school racers of the sport’s history. He hasn’t bought out another ride with family or sponsor money; rather, he took his money and decided to start and build a team from the ground up. At first it was with old equipment bought from Brad Keselowski Racing and Shane Whitbeck as the Crew Chief, but as time has gone on he’s managed to build his team and his group up and just like fellow underdog owner/driver Anderson, Roper found himself in the spotlight at Daytona.

Rhodes expressed admiration for Roper in Victory Lane, saying that there was a need for more guys like him and his Roper Racing group in the NASCAR garage. Given the outcome Friday night and what led up to it for Roper and Roper Racing, that’s a valid statement to make.

Jordan Anderson Racing NXS Daytona International Speedway Preview

By
Official Release
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Jordan Anderson Racing NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Daytona International Speedway; Saturday, February 13, 2021

Track: Daytona International Speedway (2.5 Miles)
Race: Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300; 120 Laps – 30/60/120; 300 Miles
Date/Broadcast: February 13, 2021 5:00 PM ET
Qualifying: February 13, 2021 10:40 AM ET
TV: Fox Sports 1 (FS1), and the FOX Sports App
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)- Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
Social Media: Facebook: JordanAndersonRacing Instagram: JordanAndersonRacing Twitter: J66Anderson

Jordan Anderson- No. 31 Bommarito Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview

News and Notes:

  • Starting Position: Qualifying will be held for the 2021 season opening Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). Single car single lap qualifying will set the starting grid for the 120-lap race later in the afternoon. Qualifying will be shown LIVE on FS1 at 10:40 AM ET Saturday, February 13, 2021. Anderson will need to qualify into the starting field on Saturday morning as 45 cars are entered for the 36 starting positions. Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) has no 2020 owners points with 2021 being the team’s rookie season in the series.
  • Daytona International Speedway Stats: Saturday’s Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300 will mark Anderson’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at DIS. In four NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series starts Anderson has claimed two top-ten finishes with a career best of second in last years in NextEra Energy 250.
  • Bommarito Automotive Group; Bommarito Automotive Group is celebrating its 50th year in the St. Louis marketplace, the Bommarito Automotive Group currently operates 20 automotive franchises throughout every St. Louis neighborhood led by president John Bommarito and the over 900 dedicated team members. Bommarito is recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as Missouri’s No. 1 selling automotive group and is currently ranked 52nd in the nation. What once started as a vision to have one Bommarito vehicle in every driveway, is today a reality thanks to the family’s ‘Where Price Sells Cars” mission. For more information on the Bommarito Automotive Group, visit them online at Bommarito.com, and follow their social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  • Jordan Anderson Quote; “Right now the entire JAR team is focused on Saturday morning qualifying, the No. 31 Bommarito Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro SS needs to lay down the best possible lap we can as it’s the only way we can make it into race with no points to fall back on from 2020. With so much on the line, this might be the most important lap of my racing career.” said Anderson.

“Our team has been incredibly blessed to have an amazing support group behind us that believe in what we are trying to build and develop for the future. Everyone within our team has worked tirelessly to put all these pieces together and I have faith that the effort will show when we compete at Daytona – and beyond. I am thankful to John Bommarito and the entire Bommarito family for their vision in making this new chapter possible, along with every single one of our team partners, as well as everyone at RCR and Chevrolet for their help in assisting us to assemble a solid foundation for our team to start with.”

  • Chassis; JAR will bring chassis No. 101 to DIS for Saturday’s Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner 300. Having been acquired from RCR in the off-season the former chassis No. 152 will make its debut for JAR in the team’s first Xfinity Series start.

About Jordan Anderson Racing

Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) is a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson. Established in 2018, JAR has competed full-time in the last three NCWTS seasons earning multiple top ten finishes and scoring a career best second place finish in the 2020 season opening NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. JAR fields a full-time entry in the NXS Series; the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS driven by Jordan Anderson. JAR also fields the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for select drivers in the NCWTS. To learn more about the JAR, visit JordanAndersonRacing.com.

DGR NCWTS Race Recap: Daytona I

By
Official Release
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Friday, February 12
Track: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 2.5-mile oval
Race: 1 of 22
Event: NextEra Energy 250 (100 laps, 250 miles)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150
Start: Ninth
Finish: 24th

  • In Stage 1, Deegan hugged the yellow line for most of the stage and ended it in 13th. She pitted during the stage break for fuel-only and a track-bar adjustment after reporting her Monster Energy Ford F-150 was loose on entry and snug on exit.
  • The 19-year-old started Stage 2 in sixth and closed it out in 26th after slipping back in the pack at the high-banked oval. Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. told Deegan to stay out during the stage break.
  • When the green flag dropped on the final stage, Deegan took off from the seventh position in her Ford F-150.
  • Throughout several cautions in the final stage, the California native made a couple of pit stops for fuel and fresh tires, including on lap 74 after missing an accident in front of her. Deegan restarted 27th on lap 78.
  • With 19 laps to go, the Monster Energy driver spun and made contact with the inside wall causing left-front damage to her No. 1 machine. Deegan brought her F-150 down pit road for repairs.
  • The lengthy repairs put Deegan three laps down and she ultimately finished 24th.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150
Start: 22nd
Finish: 35th

  • A mechanical failure at the drop of the green flag forced Gray and the No. 15 team to the garage without completing a single lap. Repairs were unable to be made in order to rejoin the race.

David Gilliland, No. 17 Black’s Tire and Auto Service Ford F-150
Start: 13th
Finish: 14th

  • With five laps to go in Stage 1, Gilliland was in the 15th position.
  • The Blacks Tire and Auto Service driver ended Stage 1 in the eighth spot.
  • Gilliland started Stage 2 from 15th and was in the 11th spot on lap 31, and ultimately ended the stage in 16th.
  • The Ford driver didn’t pit during the Stage 2 break and began the final stage in fourth.
  • Gilliland guided the No. 17 machine to lead on lap 48. A series of cautions beginning at 40 laps remaining allowed the team to come down pit road multiple times to top off with fuel.
  • During the caution with 28 laps to go, the team opted to pit one final time for four tires and fuel.
  • Gilliland restarted 25th and was up to as high as second over the course of the last 25 laps, but was shuffled out of line in the final laps and ended up finishing 14th in a multi-car crash across the finish line.

Next event: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in Daytona, Florida on February 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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
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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
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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
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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
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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

By
Official Release
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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)

By
Official Release
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