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Tate Fogleman returns to Young’s Motorsports for 2021 Truck Series season

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MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Young’s Motorsports announced today that Tate Fogleman will return to the organization for the full 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season beginning with the Feb. 12, 2021 running of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

With Fogleman’s return, Young’s Motorsports will return to a three-truck operation this season and re-introduce the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado, a number the team utilized during the 2019 Truck Series season.

Considered a short track standout, Fogleman, 20, joined Young’s Motorsports full-time last season aboard the team’s flagship No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado entry. While the coronavirus pandemic presented its challenges for the rookie Truck Series driver with no practice or qualifying for most of the season, he posted numerous top-15 and top-20 finishes en-route to a 17th place finish in the championship standings.

His rookie season was highlighted by an impressive 13th place finish at Michigan International Speedway.

“I’m thrilled to return to Young’s Motorsports this season,” said Fogleman. “2020 certainly provided its challenges for everyone, including me but I’m taking that experience and think it will help us as we set out to accomplish a lot this year.”

The Durham, N.C.-native is a third-generation racer and son of Super Late Model and former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jay Fogleman.

Fogleman first climbed behind the wheel of a stock car at age seven and has not looked back.

At just 15 years old he became the youngest ever Pro All-Star Series (PASS) South Super Late Models champion. The High Point University student first joined Young’s Motorsports for three races in 2018 and returned in 2020 to tackle a full 23-race slate.

Longtime Fogleman marketing partner Solid Rock Carriers will launch his sophomore season as a partner on his No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado, with additional partners to be named later.

“Everyone on the team knows how driven I am to race and I’m ready to tackle the year head-on,” added Fogleman, a veteran of PASS and CARS Super Late Models. “I am really grateful to Tyler Young and the Young family for their support and this opportunity again in 2021.”

Ryan “Pickle” London will return to Young’s Motorsports this season and serve as crew chief of the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado. Ironically, Loudon served as crew chief of the No. 12 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado during the latter half of the 2019 Truck Series season.

“I’m excited to be back at Young’s Motorsports again,” said London. “I’m really looking forward to working with Tate too. He is a racer and like the rest of us, I know he will give 100% every lap.

“He had success in his first full-time year considering he had never seen and more less had any laps at most of the tracks he ran. I feel with the team Tyler (Young) has put together Tate’s sophomore season should be his best yet.”

“Our organization is thrilled to get Tate back into one of our trucks and expand the Young’s Motorsports organization back to three teams,” said team principal Tyler Young. “We’re very happy about our lineup and look forward to having another successful and memorable season.”

In addition to Fogleman, Young’s Motorsports will also field NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entries for Rookie of the Year candidate Kris Wright (No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado) and veteran driver Spencer Boyd (No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado).

For more on Tate Fogleman, please like him on Facebook (Tate Fogelman Racing) and follow him on Instagram (tatefogleman) and Twitter (@tate_fogleman).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports) and follow on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Justice Brothers Returns to Daytona

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Two Justice Brothers factory squads aiming for overall victory this weekend

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (29 January 2021) – It is good to work with winners. Justice Brothers factory team Wayne Taylor Racing will be going for their third-consecutive overall victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend as the team is set for a big move to the Acura DPi platform in 2021.

The team will be going for its third-straight triumph, with Indianapolis 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Alexander Rossi joining sports car aces Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05.

The Justice Brothers will be on board with another leading contender for overall honors in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener. Meyer Shank Racing returns to Prototype competition with the No. 60 Acura ARX-05 DPi for Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR’s A.J. Allmendinger, IMSA Champion Dane Cameron and international rising star Olivier Pla.

Justice Brothers helped Shank to back-to-back IMSA GT Daytona crowns in 2019 and 2020, and has continued to sponsor car owner Mike Shank as he moves his team up to sports car racing’s highest level.

Brothers Ed, Gus and Zeke Justice founded the Justice Brothers Race Car Repair and Fabrication shop in California in 1946. Two years later, they relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, becoming a major distributor of another oil additive companies products. The family returned to California in 1956, and began developing its own brand of quality automotive products, 2 years later.

Racing played a major role for the family even before they went into business. The Justice family has been involved in some professional capacity with the Indianapolis 500 for 75 years. A major breakthrough came in 1950, when the Brothers sponsored Johnnie Parsons’ winning car at Indianapolis. The move to Florida had come before the formative years of NASCAR, with the Justice Brothers also sponsoring Johnny Mantz at Darlington the same year in the inaugural Southern 500 – NASCAR’s first 500-mile race.

The season-opening IMSA event is set to be yet another chapter in the Justice Brothers history at Daytona, having began providing NASCAR with its first professional uniforms and first multi-car contingency sponsor in the formative years of the sport.

Given its long history in Indy car, midget, drag racing and stock cars, the family is not new to sports car racing. The brothers were present at the first sports car races in Florida. Recently, Ed Justice Jr. sponsored the winning GTD Park Place Porsche in the 2015 Petit Le Mans. Nine years ago, the Justice Brothers sponsored Wayne Taylor’s Corvette prototype and then the winning Cadillac DPi-V.R. Though this partnership they have shared in multiple races wins, 2 championships and 3 Rolex 24 overall wins with a host of legendary drivers.

The Justice Brothers have also partnered with JDC-Miller Motorsports, having won the PC Class with the team in 2016 as well as Performance Tech, who claimed PC honors in the 24 in 2017.

Ed’s daughters Courtney and Caitlin, the third generation of the Justice family, are involved in the business daily. Courtney has been involved with the Rolex 24 program and also active behind the scenes in the paddock.

This weekend, the Justice Brothers will be looking to continue its proud three-quarters of a century legacy when it returns to Daytona International Speedway, seeking its fourth overall victory in five years.

Connect with us on:
Facebook: JusticeBrothersInc
Twitter: @JusticeBrosInc
Instagram: justicebros

About Justice Brothers:
Justice Brothers, Inc. is a manufacturer and worldwide distributor of over 100 car care products, fleet, farm, and industrial lubricants and cleaners. Since their beginnings in the additive industry, the Justice Brothers Corporation has been an innovator in the development of new and better products to solve problems in the automotive service industry. During their over 85 years in the automotive industry, Justice Brothers has built a large and loyal customer base that encompasses quick lubes, dealerships, and independent auto stores.

Carter Victorious in Second Mazda MX-5 Cup Race at Daytona

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 29, 2020) – Team communication was key for Michael Carter’s Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires victory at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. A well-timed pass with a full-course yellow on the horizon secured Carter the win in the second race of the double-header season opener.

Carter, the reigning Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion, was part of a three-car lead pack that made its escape from the field 15 minutes into the 45-minute race. The No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises MX-5 wasn’t leading the pack, however. Carter was in second for almost the entire race, content in the draft behind Gresham Wagner.

With under five minutes left in the race, the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing entry driven by Jenson Altzman made contact with the barriers at the exit of Turn Two. A full-course yellow was needed to remove the car from the course.

Carter’s spotter saw the crash and immediately knew there was no possibility of the race staying green and the cleanup would take more than the four minutes left on the clock. He radioed Carter with the info, and Carter made his move on Wagner into the Bus Stop. Seconds later, the yellow flags were out.

“I have been racing Gresham (Wagner) for two years now so I know how he likes to lead so I just pushed him to run his race,” Carter said. “Jared (Thomas) was able to get into third. I was the buffer car yesterday, today, Jared acted as that buffer. We, meaning Gresham, Jared and I, we were just clicking off laps and we were able to get a little bit of separation and gapped ourselves pretty seriously.

“My spotter let me know there was going to be a full-course caution and since I second-guessed my spotter yesterday when the green flag was called, I listened to him and I went! Jared had no idea, Gresham had no idea. I was the only one who knew.”

It was the right choice, because the race did finish under yellow, and Carter secured his first win of the 2021 MX-5 Cup season.

“Sure enough, as I was braking for the Bus Stop the yellow came out and there’s only about four minutes left and that’s how it ended,” Carter said. “Coming from where we were yesterday, almost wrecking, to winning today here at Daytona is pretty awesome, very special. It’s a decent way to kick off the season.”

Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Jared Thomas, finished one better than Thursday’s race by following Carter across the line in second.

“I saw Michael (Carter) go and I knew it wasn’t really time to start making moves, but I think he’d got the word over the radio that there was a car off,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know yet, but I went and ended up getting second out of it. I was sitting right where I wanted to be in third coming into the race and for the second day in-a-row I got caught out by a caution, but we did what we wanted to do here this weekend, getting two podiums. It’s a good way to start off a successful year.”

Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) was unable to repeat his dramatic last lap win from the day prior, but still took the final step on the podium.

“It’s been an exciting weekend all the way through both races,” Wagner said. “Being up front with a little bit more of my usual pace is how I like to get out there. It’s good when you have people like Michael Carter behind just working with you because we were able to break away and make it a three-car race. As soon as I saw us get separated and in line, I knew it was going to come down to something toward the end. That caution wasn’t what I think anyone necessarily wanted, but I’m still happy with how it turned out with a first and a third place finish this weekend. It was a great race all around for Michael out there today and we put together a good weekend and moving on to the next race with points.”

With the incredible door-to-door racing happening through the entire field it was tough to make a pass stick. Hernan Palermo (No. 20 Slipstream Performance) made it look easy though, moving from 20th on the starting grid to 14th at the finish. The feat earned him the Hard Charger Award, which comes with a $1,000 prize for Palermo and another $1,000 for his crew chief.

“It all depends on the people around you and if they are willing to work with you, because you need someone to draft with around here,” Palermo said. “I lost the pack in front of me though, so I couldn’t make up that difference. Daytona is a fun track and this is my first time here.”

Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) and Sam Paley (No. 20 McCumbee McAleer Racing) were initially mixing it up with the top three, but then began to fade back. In the late stages of the race, the two tried to work together to catch the leaders but ran out of time. Rollan finished fourth, followed by Paley in fifth.

A recap of Rounds One and Two at Daytona International Speedway will air on NBCSN, Wednesday, February 10, at 4:00pm ET.

Rounds Three and Four of the Mazda MX-5 Cup are set to take place at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, April 23 – 25. Those races will be carried live on IMSA.com and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

About: The Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. Mazda-powered grassroots champions earn a Mazda scholarship to advance their career. The Global Mazda MX-5 Cup champion earns a $250,000 scholarship.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Sean Creech Motorsport Ready for Rolex Challenge

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Official Release
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DAYTONA, Fla. (29 January) – Navigating the sheer number of unknowns is the name of the game for Sean Creech Motorsports (SCM) this week, as the team plans to take its No. 33 SCM Exelixis Ligier PS320 to the front of the field in this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship seasons opener, the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

While plenty of challenges await the team as they ready the car to race for 24 hours, one is for certain: one of the stoutest driver quartets in the LMP3 field – four-time Rolex 24 winner João Barbosa, 2020 ELMS LMP3 champion Wayne Boyd, Yann Clairay and Lance Willsey – will be up for the challenge, and they have a very strong roster of support from pit lane.

2021 full-season SCM drivers Barbosa and Willsey paired up for last Sunday’s Motul Pole Award 100, the race for qualifying positions in the Rolex 24. Barbosa put the Ligier into the lead and midway through his stint, had broken away from his competitors by nearly a lap and a half. But with 30 minutes remaining, a loss of fuel pressure ended what might have been a winning run. But the team knows that the pace is there, job one now is to make sure the car can take the fight for 24 hours.

“We need to get the car to be reliable, that’s first and foremost,” said team principal Sean Creech. “The crew work is good, the drivers are good, we just need to keep the car on the track and the rest will fall into place. We had the pace in the race last Sunday, we just need to get it to the finish.”

Few drivers in the field know exactly what it takes to finish the twice-around-the-clock battle at the front better than Barbosa, with four prized Rolex Cosmograph Daytona timepieces in his collection. The Portuguese-born Ormond Beach resident understands the total team effort required to capture victory at Daytona.

“It takes a strong team to win this race – the crew, the drivers, everyone,” said Barbosa. “This is such a team sport, so if one of those pieces doesn’t work, you won’t get a result in a 24-hour race. The team has done a really good job and obviously they’re working to correct the issues we had last Sunday. Mechanical issues are always the last thing you want to have happen in this race, so we’ll work hard to avoid that. I’m glad it happened last weekend and not this one!”

Willsey took the green flag in last Sunday’s race, and the urologic oncology physician, who has competed in 11 previous Rolex 24 events, acknowledges the sheer number of unknowns as they prepare for the endurance classic.

“The best thing about the Roar was coming away with the knowledge that we were close to where we need to be to run up front,” said Willsey. “It’s going to be a fascinating race, first of all to see the LMP3 cars go for 24 hours, then add in the challenge of racing hard but not being too hard on the car. We don’t really know what to anticipate in regard to the potential pit falls, so it will be a fine line between pushing hard and taking care of the car to be there in the end. The crew has worked tirelessly to get this car prepped and I am blessed to share the car with three of the best drivers in the paddock, so now, it’s just about the uncertainty. As always, the only fear right now is fear of the unknown.”

Boyd, from Northern Ireland, won three of five races to capture the 2020 European Le Mans Series championship in the LMP3 class, and he appreciates the opportunity to make his 24-hour race debut in the prestigious event.

“I’m really happy to be here, it’s a great opportunity for me,” said Boyd. “This will be my first 24-hour race and it’s one of the most famous races in the world, so that’s a good place to start! I’m going to spend the next few days looking at video and honestly, trying to chill out a bit and rest. I’ve spoken to a lot of drivers who have experience in 24-hour races, to see what I need to be doing now, so I’ll make sure I’m ready! We had some issues at the Roar but our pace was strong, so
hopefully we’ll get everything resolved and be ready to go.”

Frenchman Clairay has both experience in the LMP3 car (winning an IMSA Prototype Challenge race in 2018 with a Creech-led ESM) and in 24-hour races and emphasizes the need to take care of the car above all else.

“The most important aspect of this weekend will be managing the car over the entire 24 hours,” said Clairay. “We have a lot of experience with the car, so this week is about checking everything, especially after the issues we had on Sunday. It’s a long way to ask the car to go, so we’ll closely monitor the car throughout the race. And it’s the same for the drivers, we’ve been preparing for the past month. The track is not that difficult for the drivers, so the key is to have confidence in
the car, try to keep a clean line so you can either overtake or avoid incidents ahead of you. But I’m ready for this, and I really appreciate the chance to be here. It’s a great opportunity.”

Note: the LMP3 teams are required by IMSA to make an eight-minute pit stop within the first 22 hours to change brakes.

The 59th Rolex 24 at Daytona takes the green flag at 3:40 p.m. Saturday live on NBC. The race will be broadcast in the U.S. between the NBC and NBCSN networks (check local listings) while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com.

Irish Mike’s Racing Set for World Racing League Campaign

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Official Release
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Orlando, Fla. (29 January 2021) – Irish Mike’s Racing will head to New Orleans Motorsports Park (NOLA) to start the 2021 World Racing League (WRL) season this weekend. The driving trio of Todd Buras, Conor Flynn, and Michael Flynn will team up to drive the No. 95 ChillOut Systems Audi RS3 for two eight-hour endurance races on Saturday, January 30th and Sunday, January 31st.

ChillOut Systems joins Irish Mike’s Racing as the primary partner on the TCR spec Audi. Irish Mike’s Racing has a long history of competition through a range of categories, and after some time away from the sport, has established a new shop base in Bunnell, Florida in preparation for growth in 2021.

ChillOut Systems revolutionized cooling systems for racing drivers with the creation of the Quantum Cooler – ChillOut Systems’ first and staple cooling unit. The system utilizes a rotary micro-compressor that circulates Coolant Formula 20 liters per minute at 16 psi on a constant cycle providing an easy and lightweight cooling solution for drivers of any skill level.

The Bunnell-based team will return to competitive racing after a four-year hiatus – last racing in the 2017 Trans Am Presented by Pirelli season with Conor Flynn at the helm. Flynn secured nine podium finishes in two seasons of TA3 and TA5 competition and collected his first win at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in 2016. Flynn will return to NOLA with a third place finish in 2016 Trans Am competition in a Porsche 997 GT3 on the 5.37-mile course.

“I’m really looking forward to kicking off our 2021 season with this race at NOLA,” said Flynn, who anticipates a busy racing program in 2021. “We have got everything up and running in the new shop and going up to New Orleans for an enduro weekend like this is a good way to get the season going.”

Todd Buras has been working with Irish Mike’s Racing since 2009 and has been serving as the team’s driver coach, but will switch gears to join the driver lineup for the 16-hours of racing in New Orleans. Buras has a 15-years of sports car experience most recently winning the 2019 SCCA National Championship in a Spec Miata. The veteran is primed to return to the wheel of the green and white ChillOut Systems Audi for his first race back under the Irish Mike’s Racing tent since the then 2014 Continental Tire Sports Car Championship.

“I’m looking forward to getting a lot of seat time this weekend to kick off the year, and I’m happy to be back with Irish Mike’s and have ChillOut Systems onboard with us on the Audi,” said Buras.

The World Racing League Eastern Championship will kick off with testing beginning on Friday, January 29th in preparation for two eight-hour races on Saturday, January 30th and Sunday, January 31st. Live timing of both races from New Orleans Motorsports Park can be found here: https://www.racewrl.com/live-timing.

16-Year-Old Atlanta Speedwerks Driver Robert Noaker Lands Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR On IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Pole

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Official Release
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Photo credit Daylon Barr

Noaker will Start Friday’s Four-Hour Race First in the No. 84, Strelzoff to Start No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Civic in 12th

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 28, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civics will start Friday’s four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race from the first and 12th positions after 16-year-old Robert Noaker earned the Motul Pole Award during Thursday’s qualifying.

Noaker turned a lap of 1:58.530 (108.124 mph) as the checkered flag came out on the 15-minute session. The No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR crossed the finish line and then held on as the rest of the field completed their laps to sit in the top spot by just 0.025-second.

Noaker will start the race and turn the car over to teammate Brian Henderson to finish the race. The two paired together for a sixth-place finish at Sebring in the 2020 season finale, which was Noaker’s lone race in the series.

“It’s a great car and a great team,” Noaker said after his run. “Put those together and it’s just fantastic to work with them. Most of the track is wide open so you just have to find someone and get their draft. The first lap I did was good, but I set up another good lap and was able to put it on pole. It feels great. “

With just one qualifying session in IMSA competition under his belt, the run was Noaker’s first career pole. The attention now turns to Friday’s four-hour race, available to watch live flag-to-flag on TrackPass on the NBCSN app.

“Qualifying was just TCR out there, but in the race you’ll have GS to work with,” Noaker said. “You have to watch your mirrors for them coming up. My plan is to do what I can do, you’re not going to win the race on the first lap. If the lead gets taken away from me on the start, you still have four hours to work it out. I want to make sure I give a clean car over to Brian.”

Greg Strelzoff qualified the team’s sister car 12th on the grid with a lap of 2:01.577 (105.414 mph). He will turn the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR over to Ryan Eversley at the mid-point of the race.

Strelzoff turned the solid qualifying time despite being away from racing for more than four years before a return for the 2021 season.

“I’m super excited to have been back in the car and have a great team around me to support me in my comeback,” Strelzoff said. “They’ve worked tirelessly to put me in a good position and I’m really thankful to Ryan for helping me so much. To think about the fact that I haven’t been in a race car for so long and qualified mid-pack is really good. I wanted more and I feel like I left a lot on the table. But we have a car that can race, and that’s the important thing.”

The green flag flies on the season opener, part of the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend, on Friday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

Blockbuster Finish to First Mazda MX-5 Cup Race at Daytona

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Official Release
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Wagner Takes Victory with Massive Last Lap Draft

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2020) – For the first 41 minutes of the Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires race, the top four cars never traded places and never left each other’s bumpers. But in the final four minutes, it was impossible to predict who would take the win in a mad dash to the finish line. With a strong slingshot out of the final corner, Gresham Wagner claimed victory.

Starting from the pole position, Wagner’s No. 5 Spark Performance Mazda MX-5 was immediately swallowed up by the rows behind him and he tumbled down the order. Wagner fell as far back as 12th before he was able to start climbing back through the field.

Meanwhile at the front, Preston Pardus (No. 42 Hixon Motor Sports), Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports), Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) were a four-car train out front that never switched up the order.

It was a late-race yellow that bunched the pack up and set the stage for a green-white-checkered finish. Wagner was immediately on the attack, clawing his way toward the leaders. At the white flag, he was past Carter and diving inside of Thomas to get to third.

As the pack of 26 cars exited the Bus Stop and entered the high banks of NASCAR Turn 4, the drafting game was on and as they streamed toward the checkered flag, everyone fanned out in a mad dash toward the line.

When the timing screen refreshed, it was Wagner in P1 by 0.108-second.

“I was playing catch-up for the first 43 minutes of the race,” Wagner said. “But then the last two minutes were just trying to make something happen.”

Even when Wagner worked his way back to fifth, the lead pack still seemed out of reach.

“I lost a bunch of spots on the first lap and I knew what was going on (with the car), so I put the clutch in and shut the car off, and fired it back up and it was fine. I managed to work back up to 5th, but then I needed a yellow to catch the leaders,” said Wagner.

“I couldn’t have predicted that! (about the win). From dropping all the way back to then being kind of hanging out there behind the lead pack in no man’s land for 15-20 minutes… It was just a well-timed caution, a couple of good moves and then I got a big push, picked the right lane and got lucky at the end there and then brought it home! I wish I could say I made the right moves and had it all planned out, but it just happened to unfold the way it did.”

Wagner had a little help at the very end from Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer). In only his second-ever Mazda MX-5 Cup race, Paley gave Wagner a little bump and hung in his draft, getting a pull to second place at the line.

“Honestly, we really lucked out with that yellow,” Paley said. “I think I was sitting P8, in the second pack, and the first pack had pulled a few seconds ahead, so that yellow really helped us out. On the last lap, some incidents happened, but I made some passes and got into a good position going into NASCAR Turns 3 and 4 and into the Bus Stop. I came out P5 then had some help from behind to catch the leading four cars. I had a big draft, pushed Gresham to the win and got a P2 out of it! I’m excited for tomorrow, hopefully we can do one better. I’m really happy for the team.”

Last season’s Rookie of the Year Jared Thomas spent the majority of the race in third, but when the race restarted from yellow with four minutes left, he was fighting to hang on to the final podium spot. He pulled even with Paley at the finish line but was 0.001-second shy of grabbing second place.

“The finish was wild,” said Thomas, who won the closest-ever Mazda MX-5 Cup race last year with a 0.0009-second victory at NJMP.

“We all just came out of Turn Four and it was a crapshoot. You didn’t know if someone was going to pop out with you or leave you out to dry. I luckily got a big draft when Selin (Rollan) pulled out and was able to go to the bottom and finish third. At tracks like this, you are happy to leave here with a podium and then move on to more technical courses when the draft isn’t as important.

“There was a four car break away and I was sitting third and we were just cruising. I really wasn’t happy to see the caution because me and Michael (Carter) would have had something for him [Pardus]. After that we were kind of just coasting and maintaining the gap. I figured there would be a pretty interesting finish whether we had a caution or went green all the way. All in all, not a bad race and we’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

Just missing the podium in his first MX-5 Cup race, Mazda Scholarship winner Chris Nunes (No. 32 JTR Motorsports Engineering) was right behind his teammate in fourth.

Justin Piscitell (No. 89 McCumbee McAleer Racing) completed the top five.

Wagner will start from pole again for Friday’s Round Two race at 10:15am ET. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.com and TrackPass on NBC Gold.

About: The Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. Mazda-powered grassroots champions earn a Mazda scholarship to advance their career. The Global Mazda MX-5 Cup champion earns a $250,000 scholarship.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Drew Dollar to Compete in Eight Races in the No. 51 Tundra

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Official Release
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20-Year-Old Driver to Make Camping World Truck Series Debut at Daytona

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 28, 2021) – Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced today that Drew Dollar will make eight starts behind the wheel of the organization’s No. 51 Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2021 with Mardy Lindley as his crew chief. Dollar’s Tundra will feature primary sponsorship from Sunbelt Rentals, the premiere rental company in North America, JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, and another sponsor to be named later.

Dollar will make his Camping World Trucks debut Feb. 12 behind the wheel of the No. 51 JBL Tundra in the season opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The other races on his schedule will be Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (May 28), Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (June 12), Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (June 18), Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (Sept. 16), Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (Sept. 24), Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 2) and the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway (Nov. 5).

The Toyota Racing Development driver finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2020 after recording one win, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes across 20 starts. Dollar led 40 laps en route to his lone series victory at Talladega Superspeedway last June. He also finished inside the top 10 in both of his ARCA Menards Series starts in 2019, including a sixth-place finish in his series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. In addition to his part-time Camping World Truck Series schedule this season, he will also run 13 races on the ARCA Menards schedule this year.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be taking the next step in my career running a part-time schedule in the Camping World Truck Series this year with Kyle Busch Motorsports and Toyota,” Dollar said. “I have a lot of hard work ahead of me learning a new series and driving a Tundra for the first time, but I’ll be surrounded by some of the best people in the industry. I look forward to the challenge. Thank you to all of my partners for supporting me and making this opportunity possible.”

“We’ve put an eight-race schedule together for Drew this year that will allow him to continue his development as a driver as he makes his first venture into the Camping World Truck Series,” Busch said. “Drew’s schedule includes several tracks where he was successful in the ARCA Menards Series last year, including Talladega where he won and Daytona where he finished third. We felt it was important to have him in the truck for stretches of races to give him consistent seat time and help the communication between him and Mardy Lindley. As a former driver himself, Mardy has been a great mentor to several young drivers in recent years, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he and Drew can do together this year.”

Dollar recorded two top-five and seven top-10 finishes with 49 laps led across eight NASAR K&N Pro Series East starts in 2019. He earned his first late model victory at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in June of 2019 and racked up numerous top-five and top-10 finishes that year. The Georgia native began his racing career in Bandoleros at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in 2016 and in 2018 moved up to Legend Cars where he won 20 races across the country and was crowned the INEX Semi-Pro National Points champion.

About Kyle Busch Motorsports:

Since debuting in 2010, Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) has quickly established itself as one of the most successful teams in all of NASCAR. Owned by two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch and fueled by his passion for winning, the organization holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).

KBM prepares a fleet of race-winning Toyotas out of its state-of-the art 77,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest KBM news online at www.KyleBuschMotorsports.com, by liking the team on Facebook (KBMteam) and by following the team on Instagram (KBMteam), and Twitter (@KBMteam).

AmericanMuscle Spotlight | ‘04 New Edge Mustang

By
Official Release
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New Video Showcases a Meticulous Mississippi Build

PAOLI, Pa. (January 27th, 2021) – The latest episode of AmericanMuscle’s (AM) “Customer Builds” YouTube series is now live. The video features a ‘Screaming Yellow’, 2004 New Edge Mustang that defies its age. AT host, Justin Dugan chats virtually with original owner, Bradley Heinz of Mississippi providing viewers with an inside look at all of Bradley’s appearance and performance upgrades. Customers can head to AM’s dedicated customer build pages for additional images and a complete breakdown of Bradley’s mods list.

Justin begins the walk-around with a chat about Bradley’s modified Euro headlights before moving onto his chin spoiler, black chrome wheels and mirror covers. They discuss his rear window louvers, LED taillights, diffuser, and side splitters. Performance upgrades include a cold air intake, throttle body, coils, and a tuner. Inside, Bradley has boosted his car’s looks and function with several Modern Billet upgrades and a seat kit. The video wraps up with Bradley’s plans for future mods along with the name Bradley has chosen for his ride.

AM’s newest spotlight video is a testament to well-chosen upgrades and meticulous upkeep. The build will inspire Mustang owners with a slew of ideas for their own projects. Customers are encouraged to spend time on Bradley’s dedicated build page where they can learn more about his build, discover the exact parts he used, and see additional images and personal comments on each mod. AM’s “Customer Builds” series will continue with highlights of real customer builds from across the country.

View it here:

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About AmericanMuscle

Starting out in 2003, AmericanMuscle quickly rose to be one of the leading aftermarket Mustang parts providers in the business. With the addition of Challenger in 2018 and Charger in 2020, AmericanMuscle provides the most sought-after parts, accessories, and fast shipping. Located just outside of Philadelphia, AmericanMuscle is dedicated to supporting the Mustang, Challenger and Charger communities with the highest level of customer service. Please visit http://www.AmericanMuscle.com for more information.

AMS hosting infield campers in limited capacity during March NASCAR weekend

By
Official Release
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HAMPTON, Ga. (Jan. 28, 2021) – Infield campers will be welcomed back to Atlanta Motor Speedway during the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR weekend March 20-21.

In collaboration with NASCAR, AMS has worked diligently to develop an infield camping policy that prioritizes the safety of fans, event staff, and NASCAR industry members. As a result, the Flock Brothers campground located inside turns 1 and 2 of the 1.54-mile oval will host a limited number of campers during the March NASCAR weekend. The remainder of the infield will be utilized by the NASCAR industry and event staff.

“For months fans have made their voices heard and told us they want the opportunity to camp in the infield this spring,” said AMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison. “I’m proud of our team’s efforts to make it happen and I can’t wait to see our fans in the infield and in the grandstands during the races.”

The infield camping plan also calls for all campers to be backed into their spaces. This, in conjunction with the roomier camping spots that resulted from Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 20 in 20 initiative, will ensure proper distance is available between attendees.

Infield and exterior camping will be available for RVs and campers with self-contained restrooms only during the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 weekend. Atlanta Motor Speedway’s showerhouses and restrooms in its campgrounds will not be open on race weekend and as a result tent camping will not be permitted.

Availability for infield camping is limited and priority will be given to fans who placed a camping deposit. Fans interested in camping during race weekend should call 877-9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

About the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 weekend:

Since 2015 the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 has been the main event in Atlanta Motor Speedway’s spring NASCAR weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The annual 500-mile race showcases some of the fastest and most thrilling action NASCAR has to offer. This storied race also brings awareness to Folds of Honor and its mission to help families of military servicemen and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.

The race weekend also features Atlanta’s same-day NASCAR doubleheader on Saturday, March 20, which has been part of the spring NASCAR weekend since 2015. The thrills of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 200-mile race and the EchoPark 250 Xfinity Series race all happen in one action-packed day that race fans look forward to every year.

More information on the March 20-21, 2021 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 877-9-AMS-TIX.

About the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart:

New for 2021 the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart headlines the summer slate of NASCAR racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart will be the first NASCAR Cup Series race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the month of July since 1974. The 400-mile race is sure to be one of the most challenging races of the summer for NASCAR’s best.

Accompanying the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart is the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday, July 10. The summer race will challenge the rising stars of the sport to stand out and succeed on one of the circuit’s most challenging tracks.

More information on the July 10-11, 2021 Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 877-9-AMS-TIX.

Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.

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