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Mixed Emotions Sends Haley into Richmond Doubleheader with Determination

By
Official Release
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Justin Haley Notes
Best start at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 7th (2019)
Best finish at Richmond Raceway in the NXS: 10th (2019)

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start Richmond Raceway in the NXS: 5th (2016)
Best finish at Richmond Raceway in the NXS: 7th (2018)

Doubleheader Race Notes
Friday, September 11 at 7:00PM ET on NBCSN
Stages: 75/150/250 Laps
Saturday, September 12 at 2:00pm on NBCSN
Stages: 75/150/250 LAps

Justin Haley Quote
“We are headed to Richmond raceway for a doubleheader weekend. We will be under the lights Friday night, and then Saturday is going to be a day race, so it will be a little bit different there. I can’t wait. Richmond was one of my least favorites and favorites last year – we ran really good there and really bad there. We ran really good there in the fall. We were able to figure something out, and we’re taking that this year. Hopefully we will be fast in our No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet. Rain is on the forecast! It doesn’t look like it will clear up until next Tuesday. Hopefully the rain stays away and we get a little bit of racing in. if not, we will wait it out and race eventually.”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About LeafFilter Gutter Protection™
Since 2005, LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ has revolutionized the gutter protection industry. The company is proud to have grown from one small office in Hudson, Ohio to the largest direct to customer home products company in the nation and the leading choice in gutter protection systems. Once installed on a homeowner’s existing gutters, LeafFilter Gutter Protection eliminates gutter cleaning for life. With more than 70 million feet of gutter guards installed on homes across the United States and Canada, LeafFilter Gutter Protection has the knowledge and expertise to guarantee that nothing, but water, will get into your gutters. Learn more about LeafFilter Gutter Protection and request a free estimate at www.leaffilter.com.

Toyota Racing Weekly Preview – 09.09.20

By
Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: September 7-13, 2020
· NCS/NXS/NGROTS: Richmond Raceway (Richmond, Virginia) – September 10-12
· ARCA: Toledo Speedway (Toledo, Ohio) – September 12

PLANO, Texas (September 9, 2020) – NASCAR returns to Richmond Raceway for four races, including the final NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) doubleheader and the return to Richmond for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) in the ToyotaCare 250 on Thursday evening, which will set the Truck Series Playoff field. The ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East also run a combination race at Toledo Speedway on Saturday night.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NGROTS

Truex Looking for Three… Martin Truex Jr. drove to two dominating performances at Richmond Raceway last season, scoring two victories. In the spring, Truex drove to his first win for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in the Toyota Owners 400 after leading 186 laps (of 400). He followed that in the fall by winning the Playoff opener as part of a JGR top-three sweep.

Back Home for Hamlin…Chesterfield, Virginia native Denny Hamlin returns to his home track on a career-season. Hamlin has earned six victories in 2020 and holds a 54-point advantage over the bubble with two races before the next cutoff. Hamlin has three career NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) wins at Richmond Raceway, most recently in 2016.

T-TEN for Suárez… Daniel Suárez will run a new Toyota livery this weekend highlighting the T-TEN program. T-TEN, which stands for Toyota’s Technician Training & Education Network, has a mission to provide a consistent source of talented, career-minded, trained, certified and committed entry-level service technicians for more than 1,500 Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Since the program has been established, T-TEN has seen over 12,000 technicians completing all program requirements which leads to Toyota factory certified status.

Toyota on SiriusXM… All six Toyota drivers will be featured on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio in the coming days. Hamlin, Truex and Kyle Busch are scheduled to be on next Tuesday, September 15th at 1 p.m. ET, while Erik Jones, Christopher Bell and Suárez will be on Thursday, September 17th at 1 p.m. ET. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio is on channel 90.

Jones Looking for Four or Five… Brandon Jones drove to his third win of the season last Saturday at Darlington Raceway, passing teammate Hamlin with just two laps to go. Jones is looking for two more wins this weekend as the NXS completes its final doubleheader of the season.

Burton Knows Richmond and Doubleheaders… NXS Rookie Harrison Burton knows how to have success at Richmond Raceway and in doubleheaders. Burton drove to a sixth-place finish in his fourth career start at Richmond Raceway last fall. Burton has also had success in doubleheaders driving to a win earlier this season in the first of two races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hill Looking for the Regular Season Crown… NGROTS points leader Austin Hill is looking to hold the championship lead out of Richmond Raceway to clinch the regular season championship and the 15 Playoff points that come with the title. Hill, who has led the point standings since the second race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in February, holds a 38-point advantage going into Richmond.

Kraus Plans on Scoring Playoff Berth… After a career-best second-place finish at Darlington Raceway, rookie contender Derek Kraus is looking for his first Playoff berth. Kraus sits 10 points behind Todd Gilliland and 14 markers behind Tyler Ankrum in the race for the final two Playoff berths.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Toledo Return… The ARCA Menards Series returns to Toledo Speedway for the fourth time this season. Ty Gibbs won the previous ARCA East race at Toledo this year and led 107 laps of the last ARCA event in August before a late-race spin.

Three to Go… The countdown continues for Toyota’s 100th ARCA victory. With six races remaining this season, Toyota sits at 97 race wins – including a series-best 10 triumphs this season, led by Gibbs’ three wins and Chandler Smith’s two victories.

Stay Connected

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

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

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in 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.

Chastain Looks to Execute on Long Runs at Richmond

By
Official Release
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Ross Chastain Notes
Best start at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 3rd (2018)
Best finish at Richmond Raceway in the NXS: 2nd (2018)

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start Richmond Raceway in the NXS: 5th (2016)
Best finish at Richmond Raceway in the NXS: 7th (2018)

Doubleheader Race Notes
Friday, September 11 at 7:00PM ET on NBCSN
Stages: 75/150/250 Laps
Saturday, September 12 at 2:00pm on NBCSN
Stages: 75/150/250 Laps

Ross Chastain Quote
“It’s Richmond race week. I’m ready to get over there. I’m actually just north of Richmond out in Maryland out on the peninsula with Nutrien Ag Solutions. We’re checking out some soy beans. It’s cool to be this involved with my sponsor. It’s a dream come true for me to work with a group like Nutrien Ag Solutions. We want to have another good run for them starting on Friday night. We’ll be starting on the pole after our good run in Darlington with the fastest lap of the race, third place in points and a second place finish – that’s NASCAR’s nice, easy math formula. That was pretty easy math for me – that meant we get to start first.

I can’t wait to get to Richmond. We will work on saving tires. It’s another tire degradation track, and it will be tough to make those long runs. Hopefully we have a long run, and we can really exploit that track. Hopefully Goodyear brings us tires that we’re able to move around on and move off the bottom and really get that second and third lane rubbered in. That really makes for some good racing. Brakes are another big thing at Richmond. I’ve had brake failures there – not fun. It’s definitely not something I want ever again, and we’ve really worked on our brake package, even at places like Darlington. We made a lot of improvements there and it showed in our speed. I can’t wait to get there in our Nutrien Ag Solutions traditional colors on Friday and Saturday.”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About Nutrien Ag Solutions™
Nutrien Ag Solutions™ is the retail division of Nutrien™ Ltd. It combines global innovation with local expertise to provide full-acre solutions through a network of trusted crop consultants at retail locations around the world. Nutrien Ag Solutions strives to help growers achieve the highest yields with the most sustainable solutions possible, offering a wide selection of products, including our proprietary brands: Loveland Products, Inc.®, Proven® Seed and Dyna-Gro® Seed.

Byron to make 100th Cup start at Richmond

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

A significant milestone is in the making for William Byron, a 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contender and driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports. When Byron takes the green flag this weekend at Richmond Raceway, he will reach 100 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Byron was a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor for JR Motorsports when he was announced as a full-time Cup competitor for Hendrick Motorsports in August 2017 for the 2018 season, replacing veteran Kasey Kahne. Near the end of August, HMS then announced that Byron will be driving the iconic No. 24 car sponsored by AXALTA and Liberty University in 2018 while Chase Elliott, who was in his second season driving the No. 24 car, will be driving the 9 car, a number his father, Bill, drove, the following season. Three months later, Byron went on to claim the 2017 Xfinity Series championship.

Byron made his Cup debut in the 2018 Daytona 500 with veteran Darian Grubb serving as his crew chief. He finished 23rd in his first start in NASCAR’s premier series after being involved in two separate incidents. Six races later, he recorded his first top-10 result, eighth place, at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Through the first 18 races of the season and in his rookie Cup season, Byron recorded one top-10 result and five top-15 results while also recording four DNFs. Near the end of July and the beginning of August, he recorded back-to-back top-10 results at Pocono Raceway (sixth place) and at Watkins Glen International (eighth place).

By the time the regular-season concluded in September at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Byron was ranked in 22nd place in the regular-season standings and failed to qualify for the 2018 Cup Playoffs. For the final 10 Cup races of the 2018 season, he recorded only one top-10 result (ninth place at Phoenix Raceway), he sustained four DNFs and he concluded the season in 23rd place in the final standings. Despite the challenges to his rookie season, Byron was able to beat Bubba Wallace for the Rookie-of-the-Year title.

In 2019, Byron was paired with seven-time championship-winning crew chief Chad Knaus, who completed a 17-year run with seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team in the Cup circuit. In Byron’s first run with Knaus, he recorded his first Cup career pole for the 2019 Daytona 500. Byron’s pole was the fifth year in a row where a car from Hendrick Motorsports earned the pole position for the Daytona 500 as he also recorded the 700th Cup pole for Chevrolet. Byron, however, finished 21st during the main event after being involved in a late multi-car accident.

Following the first six races of the 2019 season, where he finished no higher than 15th, Byron recorded his first top-10 result of the season at Texas Motor Speedway in April (sixth place). Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, Byron achieved four poles, three top-five results and nine top-10 results. He was able to rack enough points and consistent runs to make the 2019 Cup Playoffs along with teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman.

During the first round of the 2019 Cup Playoffs (three races), Byron finished seventh, 24th and sixth as he also claimed his fifth pole of the season at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. His results in the first round of the Playoffs were enough for him and the No. 24 team to transfer into the second round of the Playoffs. During the second round, he finished 13th, 33rd and sixth, and failed to advance to the third round of the Playoffs. Nonetheless, he went on to finish in second place at Martinsville Speedway in October and conclude his sophomore season in 11th place in the final standings.

Byron and Knaus started this season off by winning the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway in February and lining up in fourth place for the Daytona 500. Despite starting the Daytona 500 strong, Byron’s run came to an end past the one-quarter mark of the race when contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sent Byron spinning and making hard contact against the inside wall, ending his run in last place of the 40-car field.

For the first 18 Cup races of this season, Byron achieved four top-10 results and was ranked in 17th place in the regular-season standings. He went on to achieve four additional top-10 results over the next 12 races. After finishing eighth, 28th and fourth the next three races, Byron retained the final transfer spot to the 2020 Cup Playoffs by a mere margin over teammate Jimmie Johnson.

Then, the following week, Byron’s roller coaster start in the Cup circuit concluded after he held off teammate Chase Elliott and the field in a late shootout to score his first Cup career win at Daytona International Speedway, the regular-season finale, in his 98th series start. The victory allowed Byron, Knaus and the No. 24 team to claim a spot in the Playoffs. He also became the 19th different competitor to win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports, only the second competitor to win driving the No. 24 car along with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and he recorded the team’s 260th Cup career victory.

Byron, who is a Cup Playoff contender for the second consecutive season, is coming off a fifth-place result in the first Playoff race at Darlington Raceway. He is ranked in ninth place in the Playoff standings and is nine points above the top-12 cutline to advance to the second round of the Playoffs.

Catch Byron’s milestone start at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Harvick to start on pole position at Richmond

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

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick will start on pole position for the upcoming Cup Playoff race at Richmond Raceway, the Federated Auto Parts 400, on Saturday, September 12.

Harvick, who won last Sunday’s first Playoff race of this season at Darlington Raceway and has punched his ticket to the second round of the Playoffs, was awarded the pole position based on four statistical categories: current owner points standings, the driver’s results, the owner’s results and the fastest lap time from a previous Cup race. This Saturday will mark the fourth time this season, third in the previous six races, where Harvick will start in first place and lead the field to the start of a Cup Series race.

Joey Logano, who finished in third place last Sunday at Darlington, will start alongside Harvick on the front row for Saturday’s race at Richmond while Austin Dillon, who earned a strong runner-up finish at Darlington, will start in third place. Alex Bowman and William Byron, teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, will start fourth and fifth followed by Kyle Busch, a six-time Richmond winner who has yet to record his first victory of this season.

Denny Hamlin, Busch’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing and a three-time Richmond winner, will start in seventh place followed by Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Aric Almirola. Clint Bowyer, a two-time Richmond winner, will start in 11th place followed by Chase Elliott, Cole Custer, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney and Matt DiBenedetto.

Erik Jones will start in 17th place and as the highest-starting non-title contender followed by Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Michael McDowell.

Starting in positions 21-29 are Ryan Newman, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez and Brennan Poole.

Starting in positions 30-38 are Bubba Wallace, John Hunter Nemechek, J.J. Yeley, Quin Houff, Corey LaJoie, Reed Sorenson, Joey Gase, Timmy Hill and James Davison.

The second NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race of this season at Richmond Raceway will occur on September 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

McDowell Looks for Strong Run with Love’s Travel Stops at Richmond

By
Official Release
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McDowell on Richmond:

“It was great to have both Love’s Travel Stops and Speedco rejoin our No. 34 Ford Mustang last weekend at Darlington. We finished 16th with them on Sunday and had a really good points day, so I’m looking forward to heading to Richmond on Saturday and hopefully continuing to do more of the same.

“Night races are a lot fun, but also very challenging. When the sun sets and track temperatures begin to drop, speeds increase. When that happens, it really affects the balance of our race cars; so it should make for some exciting racing for fans to watch as we battle to stay ahead of constantly changing track conditions.

“Much like Darlington, tire wear will also play a factor at Richmond. Good pit strategy, tire management and trying not to use up our equipment too early in a run will all be very important. I’m excited to get behind the wheel of our No. 34 Ford Mustang on Saturday night and deliver another strong performance for everybody at Love’s and Speedco.

“I also would like to remind everyone that throughout the entire month of September, Love’s is showing their appreciation for all that professional truck drivers have done, and are continuing to do to help keep America moving by offering a variety of really cool programs. Professional truck drivers can visit Loves.com to learn more about the different initiatives that they can be a part of.”

About Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is the nation’s industry-leading travel stop network with 530 locations in 41 states. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 27,000 people. Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, fresh coffee, restaurant offerings and more. Love’s has more than 390 truck service centers, which include on-site and stand-alone Speedco and Love’s Truck Tire Care locations. Love’s and Speedco combined is the largest oil change, preventive maintenance and total truck care nationwide network. Love’s is committed to providing customers with “Clean Places, Friendly Faces” at every stop. To learn more, visit loves.com.

Denny Hamlin Unveils FedEx Cares Paint Scheme Promoting Project Ready with the National Urban League

By
Official Release
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Campaign Supports FedEx Cares 50 by 50 Initiative

Sept. 9, 2020, MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The FedEx Racing team will use its sponsorship to provide a platform to another organization working to create more diverse and equitable communities. The No. 11 FedEx Cares Toyota, driven by Denny Hamlin, will highlight the National Urban League and its Project Ready program for the Sept. 12 NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment, equality, and social justice. Project Ready prepares Black Americans and other historically underserved youth for college and careers, offering support, services, and opportunities not always found in the classroom. The newly unveiled paint scheme for Hamlin’s No. 11 represents the goals of the program with images of graduation caps being tossed in the air.

The scheme marks the second time during the 2020 race season that FedEx has used its racing program to call attention to an organization that is dedicated to combatting social injustices. FedEx has been a supporter of the National Urban League since 2008. Previously, Hamlin raced a paint scheme devoted to the National Civil Rights Museum at Talladega Superspeedway in June.

“I made the commitment to listen and learn about social injustice,” Hamlin said. “Education is an area where all kids don’t always have access to the same opportunities.

“I met recently with two Project Ready students virtually, and they educated me on the importance of Project Ready and how the program has helped prepare them for college and their careers.”

Hamlin posted a video recap of the virtual meetings with the Project Ready students on his Twitter page. The two students will also play a part in his race weekend in Richmond. Cut-outs of the students will “sit” in the No. 11 FedEx pit box as honorary pit crew members along with other National Urban League representatives.

FedEx Cares is the company’s global community engagement program aimed at making the world a better place through in-kind shipping, team member volunteering, and charitable giving. Its 50 by 50 corporate citizenship initiative aims to positively impact 50 million people around the world by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2023. To learn more about the FedEx Cares 50 by 50 initiative, visit FedExCares.com. To learn more about Project Ready or the National Urban League, visit nul.org.

The No. 11 FedEx Cares Toyota will take the green flag for Saturday’s 300-mile race at Richmond Raceway at 7:30 p.m. ET live on NBCSN.

JR Motorsports — NXS Richmond Preview

By
Official Release
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JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Richmond Raceway
RACE 1: Go Bowling 250 (250 laps / 187.5 miles)
RACE 2: Virginia is for Racing Lovers 250 (250 laps / 187.5 miles)
DATE 1: Friday, Sept. 11, 2020
DATE 2: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020

Broadcast Information Race One – TV: 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 6:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Broadcast Information Race Two – TV: 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 1:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
Race One & Two: No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett will go to Richmond Raceway this weekend with three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in his last 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts this season. His average finish over that span is 8.1.
• In 15 starts at Richmond, Annett has posted four top 10s and completed 98.9 percent of the laps run in those races. The Iowa native was ninth in the fall race last year on the .750-mile oval and has earned a best finish of fifth in 2012.
• Annett’s Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will carry a “Thank You Truck Drivers” message on the TV panel for both races this weekend in advance of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which is set for Sept. 13-19.

Jeb Burton
Race One: No. 8 State Water Heaters Chevrolet
Race Two: No. 8 LS Tractor Chevrolet
• Jeb Burton returns to the No. 8 Chevrolet for this weekend’s doubleheader at Richmond.
• The Halifax, Va. native has a combined six starts at the .750-mile short track across the Cup Series and the NXS.
• Through six starts in 2020 for JRM in the NXS, Burton has scored a best finish of third at Talladega in June.
• State Water Heaters, a leader in the water heating industry, will be on board the No. 8 for the first event of the weekend on Friday evening.
• LS Tractor, one of the fastest growing tractor companies in North America, is on board for the second race on Saturday afternoon.

Noah Gragson
Race One & Two: Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson has three NXS starts at Richmond with a best finish of second coming in his first career start in the spring of 2018.
• In the most recent race at Richmond in the fall of 2019, Gragson started eighth and finished seventh.
• After 23 races in the 2020 season, Gragson sits fourth in the championship standings with two wins, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s and has led 508 laps.
• At tracks that are less than 1 mile in length, Gragson has one win, three top fives, six top 10s and holds an average finish of 8.5.

Justin Allgaier
Race One: No. 7 FilterTime Chevrolet
Race Two: No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier has five top fives and eight top 10s in 18 NXS starts at Richmond Raceway with 281 laps led.
• His two most recent visits to the track in 2019 resulted in top-five finishes, including a third-place result last spring after leading the race for 86 circuits.
• This season on tracks measuring 1 mile or less in length, Allgaier has one victory (Dover) and three stage wins.
• With three races left before the start of the NXS playoffs, Allgaier is currently listed as sixth in the projected playoff standings with 13 playoff points accrued after his victory at Dover and eight stage wins.

Driver Quotes

“Our No. 1 Pilot Flying J team is clicking on all cylinders as the season heads toward the playoffs. We had a solid run at Darlington, which is the latest in a series of good finishes for us, and I think we’re peaking at the right time. Going to Richmond for two races is going to be important, especially with Bristol the next track on the list. We’re pretty solid in points right now and we’re getting ready to make a playoff run. That starts this weekend.” – Michael Annett

“I’m ready to head to Richmond for another doubleheader weekend. The last one turned out well for us at Dover, so I’m hoping for the same result, especially after the bad luck we had last weekend at Darlington. I’m ready to move on from that and get some positive momentum back as we get closer to the playoffs. We have two great partners on the car this week with FilterTime on Friday and BRANDT on Saturday and this No. 7 team has been working hard to prepare a fast Camaro, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’m really looking forward to getting to Richmond this weekend and race not one, but two races at one of my home tracks. It’s going to be a fun weekend for sure and hopefully we can come away with two solid runs with our State Water Heaters Chevy on Friday night and our LS Tractor Chevy on Saturday. We’ve just got to be patient and take what the track gives us and I feel like we will be right there in contention for the win. I can’t wait to get there and see what we can do.” – Jeb Burton

“Richmond is a track that I have run pretty good at in the past and I expect more of the same this weekend. My first trip here I ran up front and finished second and then last year I was able to run around the top five but ended up finishing seventh. It’s a doubleheader weekend so we can get a lot of playoff points in a short amount of time, so we’re going to attack this weekend and make the most of it.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:
• JRM at Richmond: JRM has scored three wins, 22 top fives and 43 top 10s in 73 previous starts at Richmond Raceway. The organization’s three victories at Richmond came in three consecutive years with Kevin Harvick in April 2014, Chase Elliott in September 2015 and team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. in April 2016.
• JRM on Short Tracks: In 224 starts on short tracks in the NXS, JRM has recorded nine wins, 62 top fives and 134 top 10s. Brad Keselowski earned the organization’s first victory on a short track at Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2008. Noah Gragson brought home the most recent victory, also at Bristol, in June 2020.
• FilterTime Discount: In honor of FilterTime’s partnership with JR Motorsports and the No. 7 team for Friday’s race at Richmond Raceway, new customers who sign up for the company’s subscription-based custom air-filter service can get 20 percent off their first order by using the discount code JRM7. Learn more by visiting FilterTime.com/JRM7.
• National Truck Driver Appreciation Week: Michael Annett’s No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet kicks off National Truck Driver Appreciation Week with an homage to the drivers who make America go. National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an important time for America to pay respect and thank all the professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment in undertaking one of our economy’s most demanding and important jobs. These 3.5 million professional men and women not only deliver our goods safely, securely, and on time, they also keep our highways safe. This year it takes on a special significance considering the crucial role truck drivers have played during the COVID-19 pandemic

How FIA’s Formula E is fast becoming a new international commodity

By
Joseph Shelton
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Racing action, R11 Berlin E-Prix - Credit: Courtesy of Formula E

How can someone address why ABB Formula E racing has become one of racing’s hottest commodities on an international level? Granted, the star power of someone like Lewis Hamilton or Bubba Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Sebastian Vettel is noticeably absent. Instead, drivers such as former NASCAR standout Nelson Piquet Jr. have hoisted the championship trophy while drivers such as Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Massa are regulars on the grid. OEMs aren’t an issue in the paddock; Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW all have entries on the grid along with Jaguar, Nissan, and Audi.

There are some familiar names associated with the sport. Former IndyCar organization Dragon Racing become one of the founding Formula E teams in 2014 and was renamed GEOX Dragon, while fellow IndyCar group Andretti Autosport has also branched into the series with BMW i Andretti Motorsport. Other organizations include Indian conglomerate holding company Mahindra and Chinese manufacturer NIO.

Some of the appeal of the all-electric racing division goes into the international aspect. Races are held all over the world, with events in places such as New York City, Marrakesh, Saudi Arabia, and Berlin. But what makes the events draw such big numbers for a relatively young form of racing is its fan appeal. The events are curated around fan participation, with fans participating in such initiatives as Fanboost, where fans vote for which drivers to receive a brief boost of power during the race. This is akin to the “Attack Mode,” where drivers access a predetermined strip of the racetrack; accessing this during the race will also bring them a brief boost of power. That’s like playing a racing video game like MarioKart or GTA Online and achieving a boost on a portion of the race track, although the power is actually doled out from race control.

But it’s in this electric aspect that the whole field seems to be equal in competition, making the race more about the driver than the car. That’s not to say what’s going on with the car isn’t awesome (although it’s sad to see that the teams won’t switch entire cars on pit stops like they used to). But the Formula E division has become a playground for drivers of all disciplines, and it’s been entertaining to see which drivers would succeed. All of this is considering the monotony of some of the other racing divisions with FIA in their title (looking at Hamilton’s F1 dominance, here).

Rather, the cars are evenly matched up in making it as close of a race as possible. For that matter, most events are held on street courses which keep the competition tight; winning the race by several second or several laps is unlikely. Formula E’s product has become the sort of thing other FIA divisions wish they could be, to put it bluntly: Fan-friendly and highly competitive.

Formula E exploits one of the greatest things about motorsports: Science. The science that goes into a competitive race team in any discipline is something to behold, yet in Formula E it’s actually part of the team’s mission. This is what goes into the car. And this. And this. This too.

For that matter, Formula E also disproves some of the notions that some hold regarding what makes motorsports appealing. The cars aren’t loud but sound like slot cars on a track. They’re slower than a stock car, an IndyCar race car, or even an F1 car. The events aren’t endurance events, clocking at 45 minutes plus a lap. Then there’s the matter of prestige, as Formula E’s first season was 2014. There hasn’t been enough time for an event to build up a history like you’d find at Indy, Daytona, or Monaco.

Still, the series has been growing and establishing itself as a gift for the fans. The base is growing in both fans and supporters, and that makes a huge difference in the success of Formula E. If the product has a say in anything, however, then it looks like the FIA has found the formula it needs to make Formula E a heavy hitter in the racing world.

GMS Racing Gander Trucks Richmond Preview

By
Official Release
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Sheldon Creed, No. 2 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
Richmond Gander Trucks Stats
– No prior Gander Trucks starts at Richmond.

2020 Gander Trucks Stats
– Starts: 15, Wins: 3, Best start: 1, Best finish: 1, Top 5s: 5, Top 10s: 8, Stage wins: 5, Laps led: 204

Notes:

– Sheldon Creed and the No. 2 team will compete with chassis No. 327 this week in Richmond. This is the same chassis Creed took to victory lane at Gateway.
– Creed has led laps in nine of the last 10 Gander Trucks races in 2020.
– Creed is currently fifth in the championship standings and is locked into the playoffs with his wins at Kentucky, Daytona Road Course and Gateway

Quote:

“Richmond should be a lot of fun. There’s a lot of different situations that could play out. It’s going to be wild short track racing, so we’ll just have to patient and let things sort themselves out. If we do our job right, hopefully we’ll be around at the end to compete for another win.”

Zane Smith, No. 21 Atari Hotels Chevrolet Silverado
Richmond Gander Trucks Stats
– No prior Gander Trucks starts at Richmond.

2020 Gander Trucks Stats
– Starts: 15, Wins: 2, Best start: 1, Best finish: 1, Top 5s: 4, Top 10s: 9, Stage Wins: 4, Laps led: 227

Notes:

– Zane Smith welcomes new sponsor, Atari Hotels, for four consecutive Gander Trucks races beginning at Richmond Raceway. Atari, a trailblazer in the gaming industry, is pioneering a new concept: a unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination. Atari Hotels level up hotel entertainment with fully immersive experiences for every age and gaming ability, including the latest in Virtual and Augmented Reality. Select hotels will also feature state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events.
– Smith has two top-10 finishes in two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond Raceway in 2019.
– Smith and the No. 21 team will compete with chassis No. 325 at Richmond. Smith has four top 10s in five starts with this chassis in 2020.
– Smith is currently third in the championship standings, 56 points behind the leader. Smith is locked into the playoffs with his wins at Michigan and Dover in August.

Quote:

“Richmond is one of my favorite tracks. I ran really good there last year in the Xfinity car and I hope to translate things over to the Gander Trucks. Hopefully, we’ll get another win and build some good momentum heading into playoffs.”

Brett Moffitt, No. 23 Superior Essex Chevrolet Silverado
Richmond Gander Trucks Stats
– No prior Gander Trucks starts at Richmond.

2020 Gander Trucks Stats
– Starts: 15, Best start: 1, Best finish: 2, Top 5s: 6, Top 10s: 10, Stage wins: 5, Laps led: 213

Notes:

– Brett Moffitt has two prior NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway in 2015.
– Moffitt and the No. 23 team will utilize chassis No. 313 this week in Richmond. This is the same chassis that Moffitt finished second with at Gateway and earned three top 10s with in 2019.
– Moffitt has led laps in eight of the last nine Gander Trucks races.
– Moffitt is currently second in championship points standings, 38 points behind the leader. Moffitt clinched a spot in the playoffs based on points in last week’s race at Darlington Raceway.

Quote:

“Richmond is definitely going to be interesting. There’s a lot of unknowns, since the trucks haven’t been there in so long. We’ll just have to be patient and let things play out. It takes a little pressure off knowing we’re locked into the playoffs on points, but I would feel a lot better heading into Bristol with a win. Hopefully we can get the job done Thursday night.”

Sam Mayer, No. 24 All Weather Armour Chevrolet Silverado
Richmond Gander Trucks Stats
– No prior Gander Trucks starts at Richmond.

2020 Gander Trucks Stats
– Starts: 2, Best finish: 4, Laps led: 24

Notes:

– Sam Mayer returns to the Gander Trucks series this week for his Richmond Raceway debut. The 17-year-old earned his career best Gander Trucks finish in his last start at Gateway in August.
– Mayer and the No. 24 team will compete with chassis No. 308 this weekend in Darlington. Mayer finished 15th at Dover with this chassis.
– Mayer will head to Toledo following the conclusion of Thursday’s Gander Trucks event to compete in the ARCA Menards Series event.

Quote:

“Going to Richmond for the first time with no practice is going to be interesting. I know GMS is bringing me a fast truck, it’s just a matter of what I can do to gain experience throughout the race. Hopefully in the end we’ll be right there in contention for the win!”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 Chevy Silverado Chevrolet Silverado
Richmond Gander Trucks Stats
– No prior Gander Trucks starts at Richmond.

2020 Gander Trucks Stats
– Starts: 15, Best start: 2, Best finish: 2, Top 5s: 2, Top 10s: 6, Laps led: 1

Notes:

– Tyler Ankrum heads to Richmond looking to secure a spot in the Gander Trucks playoffs for the second consecutive year. Ankrum and the No. 26 have been consistent in recent weeks. Ankrum has earned six top-10 finishes since the series returned from the break and, with the exception of the Kansas double header, has not finished worse than 16th in that time frame.
– Ankrum is currently ninth in points entering Richmond, 14 points above the playoff cutoff line.
– Ankrum and the No. 26 will utilize chassis No. 311 Thursday night in Richmond. This chassis had five top-six finishes in six races in 2019.

Quote:

“Richmond is a complete wild card race and nobody really knows what’s going to happen. The trucks haven’t been there in so long that we’re really relying on simulator time and manufacturer support for our set ups. It’s shaping up to be the most exciting short track racing, especially with the playoff cutoff. For the 26 team this weekend is about being perfect, running up front, getting all the points you can and going for a win.”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with drivers Brett Moffitt, Sheldon Creed, Tyler Ankrum and Zane Smith as well as part-time with David Gravel and Chase Purdy. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Sam Mayer. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 Gander Trucks Championship, the 2019 ARCA East championship and has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/.

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