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Toyota GAZOO Racing – NCS Bristol Quotes – Denny Hamlin – 09.12.25

Toyota GAZOO Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 12, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Friday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Can you try anything in this practice differently since you are locked in to the next round?

“I don’t think so. I think everyone is kind of racing for themselves and their own agendas. Everyone within the teams probably has a little bit of a different agenda if you look at the points positions. Not really. We will just focus on trying to win for us.”

What can you take from this practice if anything? When do you think we will know what the tire will do?

“Well, I think the track has some rubber already. I don’t think there has been any rain since last night, so we have some truck rubber up there. Xfinity in practice, I noticed a few guys starting to run it in. I think if it wears in these conditions, then it probably will wear tomorrow. Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t know. We will kind of wait and see. We will be highly anticipating what that first session does. It could close to the same or entirely different – we just don’t know, but I think whatever you have today – I don’t see a dramatic shift and it changing for tomorrow.”

Does having a win change your approach to this weekend?

“Not really. I think the risks probably changes from inside the car. I don’t know that it changes a whole lot when it comes from set-up, certainly, it kind of depends on what happens with practice, right? If there is dramatic tire wear, certainly, there is some set-up things you can do to make that better, but ultimately, you are just trying to get to lap 500 up front, and with a shot, and I don’t know that changes a whole lot if you have a win or not. I think everyone is going to try to make their cars as fast as they can, and then you make setup decisions based on the tire wear you see to try to make it last that long.”

Is it exciting to you coming into Bristol with the unknowns about the tires?

“It certainly does. None of the teams have tested this tire, that I know of, so there has been no tire test. We are all coming in here pretty cold, and so, I definitely think there is an opportunity to create comers and goers. People that nail the tire setup and those that didn’t. I think there is a higher level of anticipation because of that. “

Do you come in thinking if you run well this weekend that every track is a Joe Gibbs Racing track?

“Certainly, we have a good shot at it. I think that the Gibbs team in general doesn’t have a weak track, but we had weak performances earlier in the year. If you look at Las Vegas, I don’t think any of our cars were fast at that race. I can think of one or two other races in the beginning of the season where we all kind of struggled, and they were all tracks where typically we are pretty strong. I think we’ve hemmed that up a little bit, where we’ve identified some of the philosophies that we did that weren’t right, and so now, certainly, every weekend we go there and one of the Gibbs cars should be in the top-three or so in speed and have a shot to win.”

What do you remember about the Loudon race from last year?

“I don’t have a great recollection of it. It is not part of my mindset totally, quite yet as far as going back and learning track history. Certainly, it is on the forefront of our team and what we are focused on. It is always an interesting track, but that was the first time I remember being on a higher speed oval, I guess we did at Richmond, but on a higher speed oval – with these rain tires and the wet conditions, it was very, very sketchy from my standpoint. I just hope it stays dry from my point.”

Do you anticipate the PJ1 reacting any differently than the past?

“No, it looks very similar to what we’ve had in the past here in races during practice. Probably as the race goes on, it will go through a transition where it actually goes darker, and then it goes lighter by the end of the race as we start picking it up. I will be looking at the Xfinity race to see how that transition is going, but NASCAR and the track has said they’ve applied it the same as they always have, and they always have applied it very similar, so I wouldn’t expect that to be one of the variables that we are chasing.”

Is there any difference on how you go into this race versus how you went into the race last year being below the cutline?

“It was definitely different. I tried to approach each week the same when it comes to my process, but now certainly, your mind plays games with you though. There is certainly a different mindset when you are locked in versus being below the cut or being near the cut, so without a doubt, I’m resting much, much easier this year in the Playoffs in general. I’m way more loose with it, whatever the results are, the results are. So that helps, and on top of that, winning – it just makes me even looser. Certainly, yes, anytime I go into a cut race and I’m close to the cut, I have to pull myself back to not think about the things that I don’t control, and that is typically what I think drivers would say when they get in these scenarios where they are facing elimination – they are worrying about all of the things they can’t control. It is certainly a different mindset.”

How challenging was that to you last year?

“I didn’t let it dominate me for sure, but I just knew that we were good enough. One of the variables if you make cutlines or not is that – are you fast enough? Just on merits or do you need someone to not be as good as they normally are, and then you avoid trouble. Well, when you are fast, you just have to worry about the avoiding trouble part of it – and not the, I also hope we have speed. It made it very easy for me to not have to worry about that last year, because I knew we were going to have one of those covered. The other part is the part you typically worry about. I would say for some that are near the cutline, I think some of them are probably thinking about I hope I have one of those two elements, and you need two to survive.”

What is the load on the car here at Bristol compared to other tracks?

“It does. When Next Gen was first introduced, this was one of the tracks where there was a lot of mechanical failures – mostly in the steering components, and some in the suspension components. A lot of it is because the car loads up so quickly and so hard at this track. It always has taken its toll, and I don’t know how many races we’ve run here, but it always seems like there is always one where the track or the conditions have taken its toll on the car, but beyond that – the driver as well. 1,000 corners you have to run around this place, and you don’t get a whole lot of a break on the straightaways because they are so short. For sure, it takes its toll on all of the above.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CHEVROLET NCS AT BRISTOL 2: Ross Chastain Media Availability Quotes

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 12, 2025

Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Media Availability Quotes:

I know there’s a lot on the line tomorrow night in general, but the Bristol Night Race, what is the atmosphere of this event and competing in it as a driver?

“Sunny, no clouds. Yeah, it’s incredible walking through the tunnel… it never gets old. For me, I equate it to driving through the tunnel at Daytona and driving down to Darlington. But here, it’s pulling up and seeing the stadium and then also walking through the turn three tunnel. It just never gets old. It’s so cool looking up at the banks and then the steepness of the grandstands.

I went up and watched truck practice yesterday in the grandstands and then I was up in the Food City suite for the race. It’s just amazing. Just being here, even if there was no racing, it’s cool and you don’t get that everywhere.”

You’re 19 points above the cutline. What does that do to add to the intensity of this weekend for you and the No. 1 team?

“I think it puts us in a spot where we are fast enough to stay above the cutline, but a failure or an error, it’s easy to hit the wall here. They’ve painted them back to their old all-black. They’re waiting on you if you make a mistake, so we’ve got 500 laps to get through.”

I wanted to ask you about your thoughts on racing at Bristol. You’ve had two of your career three top-10s in the last two races. Do you feel like you’re really figuring out? Do you like this kind of racing, this style of racing?

“Yeah, I love it. I love the track. I love driving up here. I love driving on it, even when I’ve been slow and was really bummed. One of my early races here, I remember I think McDowell spun off of (turn) four and I was running last in the Premium Motorsports car. I piled into Truex and a couple of them. I was like, wait for me, I want to join the wreck. I remember I was so bummed, just because I wasn’t going to get to run a full night race here.

I don’t know if it’s coming together or not, but Phil Surgen (crew chief) has been giving me good race cars here and we need that next step to put us really in contention to try to win. We’ve taken the step to get to the top-10 and we want to keep that going and take the next one.”

You guys have did some behind-the-scenes competition changes not too long ago. Wondering if those are starting to bear fruit at all or is it still too soon?

“I don’t know. I mean, I think that the idea and the direction Justin (Marks) wants to go; appointing Todd Meredith to be boots on the ground every day… wake up, be on the shop floor, upstairs or downstairs at Trackhouse. But to actually execute it… if Justin Marks believes in it, then we’re going that direction. So, we’re going to go that direction.

Has it actually affected the cars? I wouldn’t know a right-front upper control arm if you sat it here on the table. So, I wouldn’t be able to tell. I look at them and I’m like — I mean, I could bolt it together. I could physically do it, but deciding where to bolt it, deciding what spring to put in the right-front, what shock clicks to put in the left-rear shock, what angle to run the diffuser… I don’t know that stuff. So, that’s for Todd to implement the right processes for then him to hire the right people to execute it.

I don’t know. I really don’t. I stay in my swim lane when it comes to that stuff.”

What’s your approach for tomorrow night, in terms of the balance versus being aggressive versus conservative? Because you guys are kind of in that sweet, mushy middle there where you’re smart and you can get through this, you’ll be okay, but you also have to be mindful of everybody else and what they’re potentially doing in terms of points…

“Yeah. Well, we have to finish the race. We have to be rolling at the end, for sure. That’s every race if you want to do good. I don’t want to walk out of here with a sore shoulder (laughs). So, yeah, we have to finish and see. Today will set the tone for how fast we are, right? Long run in practice. How can we qualify? We have actually qualified last here in a Trackhouse car. I hope no other Trackhouse driver ever has to endure that because that was terrible. So, we’ll try to be better than that. Tomorrow, we’ll see where we start and that kind of sets the attitude for how we’re going to approach the start of the race at least.”

From a competitor’s standpoint, when you come into a weekend where there’s unknowns about tires, all that stuff, do you prefer that or would you rather go into a weekend knowing, hey, it’s just a standard Bristol race?

“I don’t think there’s been a standard Bristol race since they built the place. So, yeah, I think it’s always been like this. I think drivers always come in here nervous. I think they were more nervous back in the day because the safety of the cars wasn’t there. We’ve seen that they could literally knock the fence down. I mean, they would punch holes in the gates or whatever, the guardrail. We are in such a better spot. These really are the good old days at Bristol, from a safety perspective, I believe. It’s my opinion. I think drivers have been nervous walking into Bristol since they built it.”

There was a little hubbub this week, not just about you and Shane van Gisbergen, but also some, I think, Chase Elliott and maybe Joey Logano, efforts post-race and then NASCAR making a ruling about those. Anything to say about how NASCAR has decided to enforce what drivers do post-race with the cars?

“No, sir. NASCAR sets the rules. I just ask for the rule book, the schedule and let me go race.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – Josh Berry Hoping for Better Luck in Bristol

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bristol Night Race Media Availability — Bristol Motor Speedway
Friday, September 12, 2025

Josh Berry, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Wood Brothers Racing, is in need of a victory tomorrow night to automatically qualify for the Round of 12. Berry is currently 16th in the playoff standings, 45 points below the final transfer spot.

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ARE YOU HOPING FOR SIGNIFICANT TIRE WEAR TOMORROW NIGHT? “Yeah, I think it would be fun. Obviously, we hopefully, maybe not as drastic as we had the one time, but a little bit of tire wear would definitely make it interesting. I don’t really know what to expect, honestly. It’s a different tire. We don’t really have a lot of information on it. It’s just hard to tell what we’re gonna have, but, generally, I feel like the tire wear is more connected to the surface in the track. We had kind of a unique situation in the spring with not a lot of rubber on the track, cold. I don’t know if it’ll feel much different this weekend.”

WHAT DO YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE PLAYOFFS SO FAR AND HOW CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE WORKED AGAINST YOU? “Yeah, it’s been disappointing to not get the results, but I feel like we’ve performed fairly well. We went to Darlington and qualified third and felt like we had a good car there. We bottomed out and wrecked on the first lap and then last week I felt like, again, we qualified 12th and felt like we had a solid car. We got into it with the 9 and I felt like each one of those could have been solid top 10s, which really would have been all we needed to be in a much better spot this weekend, so I’m frustrated with the results but I think the performance has been there. I think we’ve done a good job. There’s always room for improvement, but there are still positives to take out of it.”

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IF IT GOES YOUR WAY YOU CAN WIN TOMORROW NIGHT? “I think we’ve just got to qualify well and execute. We’ve got to do all of the basics. It’s hard to win these races. You don’t go into them expecting to win, but I expect to have a good car and hopefully be in contention and if we execute and give ourselves that opportunity, hopefully we can capitalize on it.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE ENDING LAST YEAR’S LOUDON RACE ON RAIN TIRES AND IN THE DARK WITH A SHOT TO WIN? “It was a lot of fun. I hadn’t really raced in the rain other than a couple times in the Xfinity car, but it was a lot of fun. The track raced well and I thought it put on a good show at the end and we were in the thick of the battle the last closing laps. I’m obviously excited to go back and watch that one this week a little bit more and study it, but it was a great opportunity for us last year. It was a lot of fun and I’m excited to go back there and see how we do.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE RACING IN THOSE CONDITIONS? “Obviously, the biggest thing is just figuring out where the grip is out on the track, which we kind of all split between the apron and the top lane. I think where it got difficult was trying to make passes just as the dry line kind of developed towards the end from what I remember, and trying to run as fast as you can without dipping into the damp part of the track too much. It was a blast. I would be fine if it rained again.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RACE MOOD WILL BE LIKE TOMORROW WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE? “I don’t know. I think there’s a lot on the line for people. You’ve got people that are just trying to survive and you’ve got people just like us that have to win. It’s still Bristol though, so you never know what could happen. It’s just hard to say. I think it just depends on what we get for the track and how the tires wear, if we get anything like that. It’s hard to say. Ultimately, we need to be able to follow each other closer for it to look like it did a bunch of years ago.”

WHAT IS THE MOOD WITH THE TEAM RIGHT NOW? “It’s frustrating. I mean, everybody is disappointed for sure, but what can you do, really? I look at Darlington and that was a mistake on our part. That was kind of self-inflicted with how hard we hit the racetrack starting the race, but last week I feel like we did a solid job and just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t know. All of us, a lot of us in this industry have been doing this stuff a long time. There’s highs and lows and you just have to be able to stay in-between and manage it the best you can. I try to do a pretty good job of that and at the end of the day, no matter where you run the week before, you go to work on Monday and get ready for the next race. Now, if we want to advance to the next round we need to win, but we could lead 400 laps Saturday night and blow an engine or have a flat tire and I don’t think any of us on Monday would be disappointed, but we wouldn’t be disappointed in how we ran. The biggest thing is we just need to run well and be in contention on Saturday night and see what happens from there.”

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE LEARNING ABOUT THE TEAM PENSKE OPERATION AND WORKING WITH THOSE DRIVERS? “It’s all those things. I think just the structure of the organization and how strong that is and I just feel like we’ve gotten into a great routine as a race team with our week-to-week preparation, and obviously being able to lean on Ryan and Joey and Austin is really helpful because these are experienced guys that are very talented and champions of our sport, and being able to lean on them and learn from them and gel with all of those guys has been important to me. I feel like we all get along really well and work together well, so it’s been a lot of fun and I’m excited for these last handful of races. They’re going to be races that I’m going to for the second time with them and hopefully we can see that next step of progression because that’s the difference in where we’re at. These guys have been to these tracks numerous times with the NextGen car with the same crew chief, same team for the most part and for us, myself and Miles we’re still working through that. This is gonna be another one, probably Darlington would have been the only other one that’s an intermediate short track that we’ve been to before, so coming back for a second time we use our notes from the spring and hopefully that will help us continue to grow.”

HOW CHALLENGING HAS IT BEEN WITH THE TIRE CONTINUING TO SOFTEN AND CHANGE? “It’s definitely different. The hardest thing is, like I said, just adapting to a new tire when you go back and knowing what you need from your car and balance. You get a race under your belt and then it’s different when you go back. You’re kind of starting over from scratch, but generally from the race car and how it drives and how it feels, directionally I feel like the way they’re going is improving things and making it feel more normal. I’m all for it and that’s another step in hopefully we’re in the right direction this weekend with the tire they brought and hopefully it races well.”

THE KIDS SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM HERE FOR THIS RACE. IS YOUR DAUGHTER PARTICIPATING? “She’ll be out there. She’s jacked up for it. I guess I’m gonna go watch it and then run and get in my car. I guess that’s the plan. It’s as simple as that, but she’s jacked up. She’s been practicing a little bit, so we’re trying to make sure she gets the words down. She’s excited for it and obviously she loves coming to the racetrack and being a part of MRO. They do a lot for us and she loves it, so she’s excited.”

WHAT’S THE APPROACH THIS TIME KNOWING YOU’RE COMING INTO A CHAOTIC RACE AND YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO WIN TO ADVANCE? “I think it goes back to what I said earlier. I don’t know that you can change that much of what you do. You just go out and try to prepare the best we can, which I feel like we’ve done, and try to execute today and make the right adjustments to our cars and get in the race tomorrow and race and see what happens. We go every week to go win, really. That’s what all work towards week in and week out is to be competitive and to win races, so just because of the situation that we’re in it’s not like we can try extra hard or do something different that we normally wouldn’t do. Maybe there’s a play strategy-wise that we could throw if we felt like we had to, but outside of that it’s about just doing all the little things right and executing a solid night and just giving ourselves the opportunity. That’s all it really amounts to.”

Riggs Punches Ticket to Round of 8 with Truck Series Win at Bristol

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bristol Night Race Media Availability — Bristol Motor Speedway
Friday, September 12, 2025

Josh Berry, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Wood Brothers Racing, is in need of a victory tomorrow night to automatically qualify for the Round of 12. Berry is currently 16th in the playoff standings, 45 points below the final transfer spot.

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ARE YOU HOPING FOR SIGNIFICANT TIRE WEAR TOMORROW NIGHT? “Yeah, I think it would be fun. Obviously, we hopefully, maybe not as drastic as we had the one time, but a little bit of tire wear would definitely make it interesting. I don’t really know what to expect, honestly. It’s a different tire. We don’t really have a lot of information on it. It’s just hard to tell what we’re gonna have, but, generally, I feel like the tire wear is more connected to the surface in the track. We had kind of a unique situation in the spring with not a lot of rubber on the track, cold. I don’t know if it’ll feel much different this weekend.”

WHAT DO YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE PLAYOFFS SO FAR AND HOW CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE WORKED AGAINST YOU? “Yeah, it’s been disappointing to not get the results, but I feel like we’ve performed fairly well. We went to Darlington and qualified third and felt like we had a good car there. We bottomed out and wrecked on the first lap and then last week I felt like, again, we qualified 12th and felt like we had a solid car. We got into it with the 9 and I felt like each one of those could have been solid top 10s, which really would have been all we needed to be in a much better spot this weekend, so I’m frustrated with the results but I think the performance has been there. I think we’ve done a good job. There’s always room for improvement, but there are still positives to take out of it.”

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IF IT GOES YOUR WAY YOU CAN WIN TOMORROW NIGHT? “I think we’ve just got to qualify well and execute. We’ve got to do all of the basics. It’s hard to win these races. You don’t go into them expecting to win, but I expect to have a good car and hopefully be in contention and if we execute and give ourselves that opportunity, hopefully we can capitalize on it.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE ENDING LAST YEAR’S LOUDON RACE ON RAIN TIRES AND IN THE DARK WITH A SHOT TO WIN? “It was a lot of fun. I hadn’t really raced in the rain other than a couple times in the Xfinity car, but it was a lot of fun. The track raced well and I thought it put on a good show at the end and we were in the thick of the battle the last closing laps. I’m obviously excited to go back and watch that one this week a little bit more and study it, but it was a great opportunity for us last year. It was a lot of fun and I’m excited to go back there and see how we do.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE RACING IN THOSE CONDITIONS? “Obviously, the biggest thing is just figuring out where the grip is out on the track, which we kind of all split between the apron and the top lane. I think where it got difficult was trying to make passes just as the dry line kind of developed towards the end from what I remember, and trying to run as fast as you can without dipping into the damp part of the track too much. It was a blast. I would be fine if it rained again.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RACE MOOD WILL BE LIKE TOMORROW WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE? “I don’t know. I think there’s a lot on the line for people. You’ve got people that are just trying to survive and you’ve got people just like us that have to win. It’s still Bristol though, so you never know what could happen. It’s just hard to say. I think it just depends on what we get for the track and how the tires wear, if we get anything like that. It’s hard to say. Ultimately, we need to be able to follow each other closer for it to look like it did a bunch of years ago.”

WHAT IS THE MOOD WITH THE TEAM RIGHT NOW? “It’s frustrating. I mean, everybody is disappointed for sure, but what can you do, really? I look at Darlington and that was a mistake on our part. That was kind of self-inflicted with how hard we hit the racetrack starting the race, but last week I feel like we did a solid job and just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t know. All of us, a lot of us in this industry have been doing this stuff a long time. There’s highs and lows and you just have to be able to stay in-between and manage it the best you can. I try to do a pretty good job of that and at the end of the day, no matter where you run the week before, you go to work on Monday and get ready for the next race. Now, if we want to advance to the next round we need to win, but we could lead 400 laps Saturday night and blow an engine or have a flat tire and I don’t think any of us on Monday would be disappointed, but we wouldn’t be disappointed in how we ran. The biggest thing is we just need to run well and be in contention on Saturday night and see what happens from there.”

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE LEARNING ABOUT THE TEAM PENSKE OPERATION AND WORKING WITH THOSE DRIVERS? “It’s all those things. I think just the structure of the organization and how strong that is and I just feel like we’ve gotten into a great routine as a race team with our week-to-week preparation, and obviously being able to lean on Ryan and Joey and Austin is really helpful because these are experienced guys that are very talented and champions of our sport, and being able to lean on them and learn from them and gel with all of those guys has been important to me. I feel like we all get along really well and work together well, so it’s been a lot of fun and I’m excited for these last handful of races. They’re going to be races that I’m going to for the second time with them and hopefully we can see that next step of progression because that’s the difference in where we’re at. These guys have been to these tracks numerous times with the NextGen car with the same crew chief, same team for the most part and for us, myself and Miles we’re still working through that. This is gonna be another one, probably Darlington would have been the only other one that’s an intermediate short track that we’ve been to before, so coming back for a second time we use our notes from the spring and hopefully that will help us continue to grow.”

HOW CHALLENGING HAS IT BEEN WITH THE TIRE CONTINUING TO SOFTEN AND CHANGE? “It’s definitely different. The hardest thing is, like I said, just adapting to a new tire when you go back and knowing what you need from your car and balance. You get a race under your belt and then it’s different when you go back. You’re kind of starting over from scratch, but generally from the race car and how it drives and how it feels, directionally I feel like the way they’re going is improving things and making it feel more normal. I’m all for it and that’s another step in hopefully we’re in the right direction this weekend with the tire they brought and hopefully it races well.”

THE KIDS SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM HERE FOR THIS RACE. IS YOUR DAUGHTER PARTICIPATING? “She’ll be out there. She’s jacked up for it. I guess I’m gonna go watch it and then run and get in my car. I guess that’s the plan. It’s as simple as that, but she’s jacked up. She’s been practicing a little bit, so we’re trying to make sure she gets the words down. She’s excited for it and obviously she loves coming to the racetrack and being a part of MRO. They do a lot for us and she loves it, so she’s excited.”

WHAT’S THE APPROACH THIS TIME KNOWING YOU’RE COMING INTO A CHAOTIC RACE AND YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO WIN TO ADVANCE? “I think it goes back to what I said earlier. I don’t know that you can change that much of what you do. You just go out and try to prepare the best we can, which I feel like we’ve done, and try to execute today and make the right adjustments to our cars and get in the race tomorrow and race and see what happens. We go every week to go win, really. That’s what all work towards week in and week out is to be competitive and to win races, so just because of the situation that we’re in it’s not like we can try extra hard or do something different that we normally wouldn’t do. Maybe there’s a play strategy-wise that we could throw if we felt like we had to, but outside of that it’s about just doing all the little things right and executing a solid night and just giving ourselves the opportunity. That’s all it really amounts to.”

Ahead of Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Weekend,Drivers Reflect on Defining Moments, Lessons Learned

Since its 2018 debut, the ROVAL™ has produced unforgettable playoff moments with exciting wins and dramatic comebacks, and this fall, more history is set to be made, Oct. 3-5 when the NASCAR Playoffs return for the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend. (CMS/HHP photo)
  • Drivers reflect on past ROVAL™ experiences, with Cup stars recalling big moments and Truck competitors drawing on prior track experience for their first race at Charlotte
  • Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 tickets can be purchased online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2025) — Since its debut in 2018, the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 has produced some of the most unforgettable moments in NASCAR Playoff history. From Ryan Blaney’s last-corner victory in the inaugural race to Christopher Bell’s clutch, season-saving triumph, the 17-turn, 2.28-mile course has become a place where championship dreams are made — and broken.

As the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend returns Oct. 3-5, Cup Series drivers are reflecting on their biggest moments at one of the sport’s most dramatic tracks. At the same time, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will write a new chapter this fall when the division makes its ROVAL™ debut. For several Truck competitors, past experience in Cup, Xfinity or even U.S. Legend Cars could play a critical role in tackling the course for the first time in a truck.

Here’s what the drivers are saying ahead of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend:

Kyle Larson, Cup Series No. 5, 2024 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Winner
“I’ve had some stressful moments at the ROVAL™ for sure. Thankfully, we had a great car there last year, and hopefully our car will be even better this year. Hopefully, we’ll be in a good position and can execute a good day.”

Ryan Blaney, Cup Series No. 12, 2018 Inaugural Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Winner
“I definitely think experience helps. The more laps you’ve run at a place, it definitely helps. I think it definitely doesn’t hurt to have a better understanding of that race track and how it plays out in a lot of the restart scenarios. Experience never hurts.”

AJ Allmendinger, Cup Series No. 16, Five-time Winner on the ROVAL™ Course (Cup/Xfinity)
“To win at Charlotte was special. I didn’t expect all the celebrating afterward. Every time I thought we were done, there was something else — the champagne toast, the fans, all of it. Usually, it’s Victory Lane, a few pictures, some media and then you’re gone. To be able to celebrate as much as we did was a lot of fun.”

Christopher Bell, Cup Series No. 20, 2022 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Winner
“My past experience definitely gives me an advantage at the Charlotte road course, especially with how tight the corners are, knowing when to use the bumper and when not to — that’s the key.”

Chase Briscoe, Cup Series No. 14, Inaugural Blue Cross NC 250 Xfinity Race Winner
“The ROVAL™ win was a huge thing for my career. I thought my career was over at the time, truthfully, and, I remember asking the executives that week what the plan was going forward, and nobody really wanted to tell me anything. Then we were able to win that first (Xfinity) ROVAL™ race, and, literally on Monday, they were like, what do we gotta do to figure out how to get you full-time next year.”

Daniel Hemric, Truck Series No. 11, Truck Series Playoff Contender
“As we prepare for the ROVAL™, having a lot of laps around that place, not only in NASCAR divisions, but growing up as a kid, we raced many different configurations throughout the wintertime on different configurations of what is now the ROVAL™. So, we’ve got a lot of laps there in a lot of entry-level vehicles, as well as the NASCAR Xfinity series and Cup Series. I’m excited to go there and try to apply those past notebooks and learn another vehicle, being a truck, there for the first time. It’s going to be a lot of fun and I like our chances.”

Rajah Caruth, Truck Series No. 71, Truck Series Playoff Contender
“My previous experience at the ROVAL™, not just in the NASCAR Xfinity series but in U.S. Legend Cars, will be a help for me with just knowing the ins and outs of the race track, how big the curbs are, where different creases are and compressions and whatnot. There’s only one difference from the last time I was there with Turn 7 and 8. I ran where it was the hourglass in the Xfinity Car, but in trucks, we’re going all the way around, which I’ve run in the Legend Car, oddly enough, so it’ll be nice to relive some memories over there and remember the experience I had with Alpha Prime Racing. I think that just helps me know where things are and get up to speed with everything being in one day, with practice and qualifying right there and going to race. I’m super excited for the opportunity to lock into the final four.”

Ty Majeski, No. 98, Truck Series Playoff Contender
“The trucks and Xfinity Cars are a lot different, but it’s still four wheels and four gears. A lot of the shift points will probably be similar. The biggest change from when I ran in 2018 is that hairpin corner (Turn 7). Watching the Xfinity race back from last year’s race, it looks pretty exciting.”

TICKETS:

Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 tickets are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on X and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Front Row Motorsports: Bristol Motor Speedway NCTS Race Report- Layne Riggs / Chandler Smith

Layne Riggs | Chandler Smith
Bristol Motor Speedway NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Report
UNOH 250
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025
Event: Race 20 of 25
Series: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Location: Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile)
Length of Race: 250 laps over one hour, 27 minutes, 42 seconds

FRM Finish:

Layne Riggs (Started 7th, Finished 1st / Running, completed 250 of 250 laps)
Chandler Smith (Started 8th, Finished 30th / Running, completed 236 of 250 laps)

FRM Points Standings:

Layne Riggs (2nd)
Chandler Smith (10th)

Layne Riggs Key Takeaways

Stage One: 9th / Stage Two: 2nd / Race Result: 1st

Layne Riggs secured his spot in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 8 with a victory under the lights at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The win marks Riggs’ fifth career Truck Series victory and his third of the 2025 season. Thursday night’s triumph also extends Front Row Motorsports’ dominance at “The Last Great Colosseum,” delivering the organization’s third consecutive Bristol win, following victories in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. The victory also represents Front Row Motorsports’ 15th overall win in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

THE RACE STARTED PRETTY EVENTFUL BUT YOU DIDN’T QUIT. “You don’t get two mulligans in the playoffs, and I got two, so I’m not sure what happened on the initial start with the 7. I felt like I was there pretty good and the first lap of the race to spin out is a blow to your confidence, for sure, but I’ve got faith in this team and I’ve got faith in everybody here. Thank you to all of the fans. You all are great. Thank you for the energy. I’ve got to thank Love’s Travel Stops. Ford Racing. Man, you all are awesome and loud. Thank you to Peak, just everybody involved.” YOU ARE OFFICIALLY IN THE NEXT ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS. HOW REWARDING IS THAT? “I think it just shows that we’re right there. We’re in contention. We can do it and these guys right here don’t give up. I don’t give up. That’s three in a row at Bristol Motor Speedway for Front Row Motorsports, so it’s a big testament to all of these guys. We’ve got a really good package here and I’m excited for New Hampshire. I’ve never even been there and I already love that racetrack. Bring the playoffs on.”

Chandler Smith Key Takeaways

Stage One: 33rd / Stage Two: 32nd / Race Result: 30th

“This No. 38 QuikTie Products Ford F-150 was the fastest one here. That’s the gut-wrenching part is just knowing how good this truck was tonight, but unfortunately, we had an electrical issue early on. We’re in a must-win situation going to New Hampshire, but honestly it comes all the way back to making a bonehead move at Darlington that put us in this position. Who knows what would have happened and where we would be points-wise depending on how Darlington went and not stuffing it into the fence and stuff like that after tonight, but nevertheless we’re gonna go and do what we were gonna do tonight and that’s kick their ass.” DO YOU FEEL GOOD GOING TO NEW HAMPSHIRE? “I do. I’m just a little discouraged right now, but I definitely do.” WHEN DID YOU START FEELING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG IN THE TRUCK? “There was a caution at the very start with Layne. After that caution and after about eight laps I started running the top and I was passing guys up top and got up to third or fourth and as I was passing somebody it just cut out. It just stopped. It was dead. I came on the radio and thought maybe it was fuel-pressure related because I was running the top, so I went to the bottom and it kind of cleaned itself up, but with lap traffic and stuff forcing me back to the top it started doing it more and more and then finally it was just done. It’s gut wrenching. We had the fastest truck here tonight. I’m really, really happy that Layne won, though. That’s three in a row here for FRM, so that’s good stuff.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

GAVIN SHOUN AND RYLEE CURL ARE WINNERS OF THE 2025 BMS DALE EARNHARDT JR. SCHOLARSHIP

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 12, 2025) – Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced today that Gavin Shoun, Elizabethton, Tenn., and Rylee Curl, Batavia, Ohio, are the joint winners of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship for 2025, courtesy of Bristol Motor Speedway. Shoun will be honored later tonight during pre-race ceremonies prior to the green flag for the Food City 300. He will walk across the pre-race stage and wave to the crowd. Curl, from the greater Cincinnati area, was not able to attend. Each recipient will receive a check for $2,088 and a commemorative plaque.

Shoun, a senior at Unaka High School, is planning to continue his automotive technology studies at Nashville Auto Diesel College / Lincoln Tech. He has worked for two years at Easy Auto in Elizabethton and also participated in Skills USA for the past four years in the Automotive Repair Paint and Refinishing Program. Growing up his love for cars was nurtured by his grandfather, who built chassis for NHRA teams in the 1970s and 1980s. Many of those cars competed at Bristol Dragway. Shoun is going to pursue an Associates Degree in Automotive Technology Refinishing at NADC/Lincoln Tech.

“This work is in my blood,” Shoun said. “I am able to take some of the old school tricks of the trade and put a modern technology twist to them. I am very passionate about my work and won’t stop until the job is done right.”

Curl currently attends Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, and has enrolled at the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) for the spring of 2026. She is also inspired to pursue a career in Automotive Technology and has worked in a variety of positions at several quick lube shops as well as full-service shops. Her goal is to one day own her auto automotive service shop.

“I want to show other women thinking about this field that they can do it too,” Curl said. “If I can inspire even one girl to chase her dream in automotive technology and believe that there’s a place for her in this industry, I would feel like all the hard work is worth it.”

Created by Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017 as a retirement gift to Earnhardt Jr., the annual scholarship awards the winning student a one-time payment of $2,088 to assist with all college costs including tuition, housing, books and supplies. Past winners of the BMS Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship are Jaicee Weaver (2018) and Jace Ketron (2019), both of Tennessee High School in Bristol, Tenn., UNOH student Caleb James Cate (2021) from Knoxville, Tenn., and 2022 winners John Clavier of Elizabethton High School and UNOH student Chloe Holman of Essex, Mo.; the 2023 winners were Jamie Sullivan of UNOH and Caleb Kent of Happy Valley High School in Watauga, Tenn.; and the 2024 winners of Trea’zur Cassidy of Science Hill High School and UT-Chattanooga and Oswego, Ill.’s Hannah Kelsheimer, of UNOH.

In order to be eligible, students must be a senior at one of the 24 designated high schools or attending one of the eight designated colleges and universities in the Appalachian Highlands region surrounding Bristol Motor Speedway or a student at the speedway’s official partnering institution, UNOH in Lima, Ohio.

The 24 designated high schools were Abingdon High School; Chuckey-Doak High School; Cloudland High School; Johnson County High School; Unicoi High School; Unaka High School; Daniel Boone High School; David Crockett High School; Dobyns-Bennett High School; Elizabethton High School; Greeneville High School; Hampton High School; Happy Valley High School; Holston High School; John S. Battle High School; North Greene High School; Patrick Henry High School; Tennessee High School; Science Hill High School; South Greene High School; Sullivan East High School; Virginia High School; West Greene High School and West Ridge High School.

The nine designated higher educational institutions were East Tennessee State University; Emory & Henry College; King University; Milligan University; Northeast State Technical Community College; Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Elizabethton; Tusculum University; the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and the University of Northwestern Ohio.

One of the most iconic racecar drivers of all time, Earnhardt Jr. serves as an analyst for Prime Sports and TNT Sports coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series. In addition to race coverage, Earnhardt hosts The Dale Jr. Download, a weekly interview program focused on motorsports. Voted by fans as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for an unprecedented 15 consecutive years (2003-17), Earnhardt, a 26-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series including two Daytona 500s, is a third-generation driver who followed his legendary father Dale Earnhardt Sr., and his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, into the sport. As a team owner, Earnhardt founded and manages JR Motorsports, which fields four full-time entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In the summer of 2020, Earnhardt was selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Earnhardt Jr.’s only Bristol victory in the Cup Series came in the 2004 Night Race in dramatic fashion where he famously declared, “It’s Bristol, Baby!” in Victory Lane following the win.

To purchase tickets or obtain more information about the race weekend, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call (866) 415-4158.

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, known as The Last Great Colosseum, sits in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line. The 0.533-mile concrete oval, with 28-degree banking, hosts two major NASCAR Cup Series weekends each year. The venue has staged iconic moments such as the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol football game between the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech (NCAA-record 156,990 fans), the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds (MLB regular-season record crowd of 91,032), the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race, the rebirth of NASCAR Cup Series racing on dirt from 2021–2023 and sold-out concerts for Morgan Wallen and Kenny Chesney. Fans enjoy Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided screen video board. The adjacent Bristol Dragway is the home to the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, and the dragway can transform into the Thunder Valley Amphitheatre for concerts. Opened in 1961 and acquired by Speedway Motorsports in 1996, Bristol remains one of America’s most unique and versatile sports and entertainment destinations. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.

Riggs wins the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series UNOH 250 at Bristol

Photo by Kevin Ritchie for SpeedwayMedia.com

Layne Riggs recovered from a first-lap spin and drove his No. 34 Ford F-150 to victory lane in Thursday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) UNOH 250 Presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS).

Riggs took over the race on lap 142 and held off two-time series champion Ben Rhodes to capture his third this season, his second win at BMS, and the fifth of his NCTS career.

“You don’t get two mulligans in the playoffs, and I got two, so I’m not sure what happened on the initial start with the 7. I felt like I was there pretty good, and the first lap of the race to spin out is a blow to your confidence, for sure, but I’ve got faith in this team and I’ve got faith in everybody here. Thank you to all of the fans. You all are great. Thank you for the energy. I’ve got to thank Love’s Travel Stops. Ford Racing. Man, you all are awesome and loud. Thank you to Peak, just everybody involved.” said Riggs.

This was the second race in the Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs, and the win automatically sends Riggs into the Round of 8.

“I think this shows that we’re right there, we’re in contention, we can do it,” said Riggs. “That’s three in a row at Bristol for Front Row Motorsports. It’s a big testament to all these guys. We’ve got a really good package here. Man, I’m excited for New Hampshire. I’ve never even been there, and I already love that race track.”

Rhodes finished second, and Corey Heim, who led a race-high 122 laps and won the second stage, finished in third place.

“It was a debatable choose on that last restart, lining up behind the truck that stayed out – I think it was the 62 (Cole Butcher). He spun the tires really bad, and we fell back to seventh or eighth, and it was just super track position dependent race. I thought our truck was good. I think the best team won for sure, those guys were lights out. I thought we were second to him, and could run around him, like at the end of stage two. We were on older tires, and we could kind of fend him off. Really just dependent on who was ahead of who, and he happened to be ahead of me. Took us a while to carve through the pack, and get back to a decent spot. I think if we got a restart, we could have raced it out. Just really proud of my TRICON guys. This Yahoo Tundra was really good all day. I felt like we made really good gains throughout practice – I didn’t feel like we fired off great this morning, but huge thank you to them, Toyota and Yahoo and on to the next.” Heim said.

Ty Majeski and Daniel Hemric finished fourth and fifth. Majeski is in fourth place in the series standings (-87) and Hemric is in third (-82) heading into the elimination race at New Hampshire.

After Bristol, Corey Heim leads the series standings by 61 points over Layne Riggs, 82 points over Daniel Hemric, 87 points over Ty Majeski, and 104 points over Grant Enfinger and Tyler Ankrum.

Up Next:

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the EJP 175 on Saturday, September 20th at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on FS1.

Race Results

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Number 20
Race Results for the UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics – Thursday, September 11, 2025
Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN – 0.533 – Mile Concrete

PosStNoDriverTeamLapsS1S2S3PointsStatus
1734Layne Riggs (P)Love’s RV STOP Ford25092051Running
21999Ben RhodesCampers Inn RV Ford25005041Running
3211Corey Heim (P)Yahoo! Toyota25021053Running
4698Ty Majeski (P)Soda Sense/Curb Records Ford25053047Running
51119Daniel Hemric (P)South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet25008035Running
61715Tanner GrayPlace of Hope Toyota25000031Running
72381Connor Mosack #Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Chevrolet25007034Running
81644Andres Perez De Lara #Telcel Chevrolet250010030Running
91877Corey LaJoieGainbridge Chevrolet25000028Running
102088Matt CraftonPlanters/Menards Ford25000027Running
1157Corey Day(i) (P)HendrickCars.com Chevrolet2507900Running
12452Kaden Honeycutt (P)Halmar International Toyota25034040Running
131417Giovanni Ruggiero #First Auto Group Toyota25086032Running
142575Parker KligermanFMS Solutions Chevrolet24900023Running
151071Rajah Caruth (P)HendrickCars.com Chevrolet24960027Running
162442Matt MillsJ.F. Electric Chevrolet24900021Running
171226Dawson Sutton #Tennessee Vols Chevrolet24900020Running
182741Conner JonesCrowe Equipment Inc Chevrolet24900019Running
191345Bayley CurreySparco Chevrolet249100019Running
20318Tyler Ankrum (P)LiUNA! Chevrolet24940024Running
2199Grant Enfinger (P)Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet24900016Running
222291Jack WoodAdaptive One Calipers Chevrolet24900015Running
232162Cole ButcherAtlantic Tiltload Toyota24800014Running
24151Brent CrewsJBL Toyota24700013Running
252620Stefan ParsonsTrophy Tractor Chevrolet24500012Running
26315Toni Breidinger #Celsius Toyota24300011Running
273376Spencer BoydShiftStickUSA.com Chevrolet24200010Running
283222Josh ReaumeAerial Titans Ford2410009Running
293035Greg Van AlstPhil’s Heating & Air Toyota2390008Running
30838Chandler Smith (P)QuickTie Ford2360007Running
312933Mason Maggio(i)Denssi Energy Pouches Ford2320000Running
32282Treyten LapcevichBare Knucle Fighting Championship Chevrolet2270005PowerSteering
33113Jake Garcia (P)Quanta Services Ford21910015Running
34346Norm BenningMDIA Inc Chevrolet210003Too Slow
353674Caleb CostnerIronside Forestry Toyota190002Too Slow
36352Clayton GreenAerial Titans Ford90001Transmission

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Point Standings after Bristol

PosDriverNoPointsBehindNext
1Corey Heim (P)11217700
2Layne Riggs (P)342116-6161
3Daniel Hemric (P)192095-8221
4Ty Majeski (P)982090-875
5Grant Enfinger (P)92073-10417
6Tyler Ankrum (P)182073-1040
7Kaden Honeycutt (P)522062-11511
8Rajah Caruth (P)712058-1194
9Jake Garcia (P)132044-13314
10Chandler Smith (P)382034-14310

Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway II

NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE RECAP: BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY II
Event: UNOH 250 Presented by Ohio Logistics (250 laps / 133.25 miles)
Round: 20 of 25 (Playoffs Round of 10)
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Location: Bristol, Tennessee
Date & Time: Thursday, September 11 | 8:00 PM ET

No. 41 Crowe Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Conner Jones | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Start: 27th
Stage 1: 23rd
Stage 2: 20th
Finish: 18th
Driver Points: 39th
Owner Points: 39th

  • Key Takeaway: Conner Jones and the No. 41 team had to overcome a few early setbacks throughout the event at Bristol Motor Speedway. During practice, Jones spun and flat-spotted his tires, cutting his session short. After starting 27th, the team incurred a pit road penalty on the first stop of the night which resulted in a loss of track position. As the race went on, however, Jones and the Crowe Equipment crew began to make up some lost ground and eventually finished in 18th-place.
  • Conner Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “My Crowe Equipment Chevy Silverado felt like it was better than where we ended up tonight. We had some mishaps in practice which really hurt us since we didn’t get the full session to work on our truck because I spun. We just started off too loose, and I guess I just overstepped its breaking point and spun out. That kind of hurt us in qualifying too, and we also started off too free in the race and trended a little too tight at the end. I had to run the top too much, and it took me a while to figure that out since we don’t really run up there too often. I had fun though, and am thankful to have my team behind me after tonight.”

About Crowe Equipment: Based in Jasonville, Indiana, Crowe Equipment, Inc. is a family-owned heavy equipment dealer which specializes in new, used & rebuilt parts. To view a full inventory of machinery available online, please visit www.croweequipment.com.

No. 42 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski

Start: 24th
Stage 1: 19th
Stage 2: 24th
Finish: 16th
Driver Points: 18th
Owner Points: 21st

  • Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team advanced through the field to a respectable finish in Bristol. Mills fought a tight-handling truck early on in the race and fell back down the running order through the midway point. Once the final stage began, Mills and team dug deep and made some adjustments which found some speed. Mills took the checkered flag in 16th, which marked his best finish at the high-banked short track.
  • Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “We kind of started off behind tonight, but it felt like the truck was going to be alright. We were making good progress at the beginning of the race, but in stage two, I don’t know what happened. My guys kept making adjustments trying to free our truck up, but it felt like it made it get tighter, which made the day even harder. We were playing catch up in stage three and started to come back through the field, but just ran out of time. Thank you to my crew for fighting and to everyone who supports us.”

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future. Connect with J.F. Electric’s services at www.jfelectric.com.

About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners. See how Utilitra is powering businesses at www.utilitra.com.

No. 44 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Start: 16th
Stage 1: 11th
Stage 2: 10th
Finish: 8th
Driver Points: 17th
Owner Points: 17th

  • Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the No. 44 team had a fantastic run under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway. Pérez de Lara started the 250-lap event in 16th-place, but found himself up inside the top-10 relatively quickly. After he picked up a stage point in stage two, the rookie made an impressive track position gain on the final restart and nearly drove into the top-five. The team showed determination and kept Pérez de Lara in the fight throughout the entire race, eventually securing a top-10 finish in eighth-place.
  • Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Man, that was awesome; I really enjoyed the race. Bristol is a really tough track, and we handled it right on the Telcel No. 44 team. I had really high hopes for this weekend and we got a good result, so I’m happy with where we finished. It’s a really strong eighth-place run for us. We ran up front inside the top-10 for the whole race, and I’m just really proud of the whole group. We’re going to keep trying to build on this to go get an even better result next race.”

About Telcel: Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.

No. 45 Sparco Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

Start: 13th
Stage 1: 10th
Stage 2: 11th
Finish: 19th
Driver Points: 23rd
Owner Points: 11th

  • Key Takeaway: Bayley Currey and the No. 45 team were well on their way to a top-10 finish in Bristol before getting turned on the final lap of the race. Currey showed speed early on in practice, and qualified in the 13th position. The No. 45 team earned a stage point in stage one, and made track position gains on pit road throughout the night. Currey drove up to ninth in the final run to the checkers, but unfortunately was not able to earn the finish he deserved. He was credited with a 19th-place finish after limping across the line.
  • Bayley Currey’s Post-Race Thoughts:

Interviewer: Bayley, what happened on the last lap there?

“I got turned around. We were racing hard there at the end, and guys were running the top while I was running the bottom. It seemed like the No. 77 (Corey LaJoie) got a run off the top, and I don’t know if he was trying to shoot low or not, but he ran right in the back of me in the middle of the back straightaway and got me out of control. He shot to the bottom, but I was out of control because he hit me in the middle of the straightaway. And then, he just turned me in the middle of turn three. It is what it is. We talked afterwards and he apologized I guess. But it sucks because it doesn’t change anything. I’m really happy with the effort on this No. 45 team. Our Sparco Chevrolet had some speed tonight. It was really hard to pass with the PJ1 getting laid down before us, but as always a huge thanks to them and everyone that helps us go around.”

About Sparco: Sparco designs, manufactures, and sells racing safety apparel, karting safety apparel, vehicle racing seats / accessories, and gaming products. Headquartered in Volpiano, Italy, and founded in 1977, Sparco is a well-known provider in the racing industry.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) since 2016. Fielding the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45 trucks, the team has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. Founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece, the team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.

Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).

Riggs Punches Ticket to Round of 8 with Truck Series Win at Bristol

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
UNOH 250 — Bristol Motor Speedway
Thursday, September 11, 2025

LAYNE RIGGS PUNCHES TICKET TO ROUND OF 8 WITH BRISTOL VICTORY

  • Layne Riggs drove his No. 34 Ford F-150 to victory Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, which automatically sends him into the Round of 8.
  • The win marked his fifth career series triumph and third this season.
  • Ford finished first and second with Riggs and Ben Rhodes (2nd).
  • Ford has now won five series races this season and 129 overall.

Ford Unofficial Finishing Results

1st – Layne Riggs
2nd – Ben Rhodes
4th – Ty Majeski
10th – Matt Crafton
28th – Josh Reaume
30th – Chandler Smith
31st – Mason Maggio
33rd – Jake Garcia
36th – Clayton Green

LAYNE RIGGS, No. 34 Love’s RV STOP Ford F-150 – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – THE RACE STARTED PRETTY EVENTFUL BUT YOU DIDN’T QUIT. “You don’t get two mulligans in the playoffs and I got two, so I’m not sure what happened on the initial start with the 7. I felt like I was there pretty good and the first lap of the race to spin out is a blow to your confidence, for sure, but I’ve got faith in this team and I’ve got faith in everybody here. Thank you to all of the fans. You all are great. Thank you for the energy. I’ve got to thank Love’s Travel Stops. Ford Racing. Man, you all are awesome and loud. Thank you to Peak, just everybody involved.” YOU ARE OFFICIALLY IN THE NEXT ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS. HOW REWARDING IS THAT? “I think it just shows that we’re right there. We’re in contention. We can do it and these guys right here don’t give up. I don’t give up. That’s three in a row at Bristol Motor Speedway for Front Row Motorsports, so it’s a big testament to all of these guys. We’ve got a really good package here and I’m excited for New Hampshire. I’ve never even been there and I already love that racetrack. Bring the playoffs on.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 98 Soda Sense/Curb Records Ford F-150 – “Honestly, I was just trying to be smart. We were in a pretty good spot. We didn’t need to do something silly and wreck both of us and put ourselves in a worse spot than we needed to be. I probably could have been a little bit more aggressive and held him off. I was trying to get around the 41 and lap traffic is so tough to understand where they’re gonna go, but, overall, it was a good night for us. We had a solid Soda Sense Ford F-150. I’m excited to go to New Hampshire next week.” DO YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOUR POSITION GOING INTO NEW HAMPSHIRE? “Yeah, I think so. We’re running pretty good right now. We’ve got a lot of great racetracks coming up for us, so I feel good about where our team is at. We just needed a little bit more tonight, but we’re gonna build on it and keep top-fiving them to death.”

JAKE GARCIA, No. 13 Quanta Services Ford F-150 – “I feel like we had the fastest truck here tonight. I lost the lead early when that caution came out on the first lap. I guess we were behind at one of the timing lines, but we fought back and won the stage. We pitted there and came out 11th because a lot of people didn’t pit. We passed a couple of them, but then going into turn three I felt the power-steering completely go away. I hung onto it and ran for another half-a-lap before I realized that the water temperature was skyrocketing. I thought just the power-steering belt broke or something, but the whole assembly, the bolt sheared off in there and all the belts came off. The water got super hot, so we came in and pitted. We replaced all of that and came back out 30 laps down. After that, it was just a matter of staying in the race and keeping the truck in one piece and trying to make the most of it. I’m proud of my guys for coming in and addressing the problem and getting me back out there because that could have been the difference in a few points, so, overall, I’m proud of the fight and really proud of the truck we brought here. I’m proud of the speed and the preparation by everybody, but something completely out of our control happened tonight.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 38 QuikTie Ford F-150 – “This No. 38 QuikTie Products Ford F-150 was the fastest one here. That’s the gut wrenching part is just knowing how good this truck was tonight. Now we’re in a must-win situation going to New Hampshire, but honestly it comes all the way back to making a bonehead move at Darlington that put us in this position. Who knows what would have happened and where we would be points-wise depending on how Darlington went and not stuffing it into the fence and stuff like that after tonight, but nevertheless we’re gonna go and do what we were gonna do tonight and that’s kick their ass.” DO YOU FEEL GOOD GOING TO NEW HAMPSHIRE? “I do. I’m just a little discouraged right now, but I definitely do.” WHEN DID YOU START FEELING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG IN THE TRUCK? “There was a caution at the very start with Layne. After that caution and after about eight laps I started running the top and I was passing guys up top and got up to third or fourth and as I was passing somebody it just cut out. It just stopped. It was dead. I came on the radio and thought maybe it was fuel-pressure related because I was running the top, so I went to the bottom and it kind of cleaned itself up, but with lap traffic and stuff forcing me back to the top it started doing it more and more and then finally it was just done. It’s gut wrenching. We had the fastest truck here tonight. I’m really, really happy that Layne won, though. That’s three in a row here for FRM, so that’s good stuff.”