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Spire Motorsports Sober or Slammer 200 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • In four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Spire Motorsports has earned one top-10 finish. Chase Purdy collected a team-best sixth-place result at the famed 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval last May. The Mooresville, N.C., organization fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets full time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The No. 7 entry will see a rotating roster of all-star caliber drivers throughout the remainder of the season, while Rajah Caruth and NASCAR Cup Series veteran Corey LaJoie will pilot the Nos. 71 and 77, respectively.
  • The Sober or Slammer 200 will be televised live on FS1 Saturday, Aug. 30 beginning at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The first round of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.

Corey Day – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Corey Day will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday’s Sober or Slammer 200 at Darlington Raceway.
  • The 200-mile event will mark the Clovis, Calif., native’s 12th CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start and eighth with Spire Motorsports. Last month, Day secured his second consecutive top five via a career-best runner-up finish at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He previously finished fifth at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in June and scored his first-career Kennametal Pole Award in his season debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • The Hendrick Motorsports development driver has started five races behind the wheel of the team’s No. 17 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His series-best 11th-place finish also came in May at Nashville Superspeedway.
  • In three ARCA Menards Series appearances with Spire Motorsports in 2025, including the national tour and ARCA Menards Series West competition, Day buoyed a disappointing start to the season at Daytona (Fla.) International Raceway by earning top-10 results at Phoenix Raceway (10th) and Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (seventh). He will contest his fourth and final event aboard the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway Sept. 26.
  • The 19-year-old will round out his nine-race CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule in two weeks at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
  • The open-wheel phenom is coming off a $100,071 payday at last weekend’s Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. He started from the pole after collecting the most points and earning an additional $10,000 for winning Thursday’s preliminary event.
  • HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop more than 30,000 new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
  • Day will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-083 Saturday afternoon. Day raced the same truck earlier this season at Nashville and Las Vegas, collecting a fifth-place result and a Kennametal Pole Award, respectively.

Corey Day Quote
What are your thoughts heading to Darlington Raceway, another new track for you?
“I am definitely excited to get to Darlington [Raceway] coming off a couple pretty good runs in the Truck. I hope to continue the momentum at a place that seems to lend itself for dirt guys to be successful there. Definitely excited about that. I know Spire Motorsports will prepare a solid HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy Silverado for this weekend. One of the key factors will be how quick I can get up to speed at and adapt.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Brian Pattie

  • Brian Pattie stands atop of the No. 7 pit box, an entry that has seen an abundance of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2025 season.
  • The No. 7 team qualified for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series owner’s playoffs and sit seventh on the grid, two points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Through the 18-race regular season, the crew tallied two wins, six top fives and eight top 10s.
  • The Zephyrhills, Fla., native has called two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Darlington, highlighted by a fourth-place finish with William Byron in 2023.
  • In a combined 25 races atop the pit box in NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series competition at Darlington, the 50-year-old has collected a pair of top fives. He led both Joe Nemechek (Xfinity, 1999) and Juan Pablo Montoya (Cup, 2010) to fifth-place finishes.
  • In May, the team and driver Carson Hocevar claimed victory in the Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway. Hocevar led 75 of the event’s 134 laps and survived last-lap contact en route to his fifth victory in the series and first aboard a Spire Motorsports- prepared Chevy Silverado.
  • The No. 7 team defended its 2024 victory in the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. The Las Vegas driver spent all 135 laps in the top 15 while leading a race-high 80 laps and recording a field-leading average running position (3.2) and driver rating (124.6).
  • The 24-year industry veteran spent 14 seasons in NASCAR’s premier division. As a crew chief, he’s amassed six wins in Cup Series competition, 11 in the Xfinity Series and seven in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He stands as one of 11 crew chiefs to win races across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Rajah Caruth will handle the driving chores for Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday’s Sober or Slammer 200 at Darlington Raceway.
  • This weekend, Spire Motorsports will be participating in the Martin Truex, Jr., Foundation and NASCAR Foundation’s Honor a Cancer Hero Campaign. Susan Mummert and Fannie Prince will ride on the driver’s- and passenger’s-side name rails, respectively, of Caruth’s HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy Silverado.
  • Susan Memmert was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017, months after their family had moved to South Carolina from Pennsylvania. The exciting new chapter of their lives filled with palm trees and salt air was brought to a halt by the grim reality of an uncertain future. Surgery was nearly immediately scheduled at Johns Hopkins, then months and months of recovery and chemotherapy followed. With her treatment happening in Maryland and the family remaining in South Carolina, they were apart for the remainder of 2017 and most of 2018. Many would have succumbed to such an immense physical and emotional toll, but thanks to the exceptional care by the folks at Hopkins, she survived and has been cancer free for over seven years. She’s now thriving and enjoying her new home. She’s become a tireless advocate for ovarian cancer awareness, while helping teach nursing students about the needs of ovarian cancer patients.
  • Fannie Prince was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through surgery to remove the cancerous tumors and radiation to prevent further spread. Throughout, she remained optimistic and prayerful for a good outcome. Her family was by her side throughout the surgery and treatment processes, and when she finally rang the bell.
  • The 23-year-old secured his second CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoff appearance after claiming victory at Nashville Superspeedway in May. He sits eighth on the playoff grid two points above the Round of 8 cutline.
  • Caruth has two prior CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval and secured a venue-best sixth-place result in his first Darlington appearance in 2023. Last season, he was competing for position in the top 10 until he was swept up in a multi-truck incident. The Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University graduate also owns one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the track in August 2023 where he earned a 16th-place finish.
  • Through the 18-race CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular season, the Washington, D.C., native registered one win, three top fives and nine top 10s. He has led 189 laps, tripling his 57 career laps led entering the year.
  • In the No. 71 team’s first playoff appearance in 2024, Caruth and Co. advanced to the Round of 8, but mechanical issues stalled their Championship 4 hopes in the season’s penultimate event at Martinsville Speedway.
  • With his first career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last season, Caruth became the third African-American driver to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race, joining 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott and current Cup Series star Bubba Wallace.
  • HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop more than 30,000 new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
  • The blue and white HENDRICKCARS.COM colors will wrap Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-080. The truck has seen action six times, including a chassis-best third-place finish with Caruth in May at Texas Motor Speedway.

Rajah Caruth Quotes
What are you feeling as the playoffs kick off this weekend and how do you believe the intensity will ramp up?
“I like the excitement. It is cool to kick things off at Darlington and be in sync with the Cup guys. I’m just excited for the opportunity to be able to perform, and do so when it matters most. I’ve learned a lot over the last couple years, and I think it builds up to this opportunity and this final stretch of seven races. I’ve been close at Darlington the last two years, specifically in 2023. I don’t expect anything different. If anything, I expect to be running up front instead of third. Hopefully we have a good practice and qualifying session on Friday to help us start fast Saturday.”

You have talked about how you enjoy racing at Darlington and it suits your driving style, despite being one of the toughest tracks on the schedule. Why is Darlington a favorite for you?
“I think Darlington is a place that suits my driving style for how worn out it is and reflects the high speeds of a mile-and-a-half. The pavement reflects places like Myrtle Beach (Speedway), Florence (Motor Speedway), Richmond (Raceway) and Southern National (Motorsports Park). Those are places I raced early in my career. Darlington just clicked for me the first time I raced there. I’m excited to get out there this weekend and hopefully we can lock our No. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado into the Round of 8.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion

  • Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Darlington Raceway. Last season, he led Nick Sanchez to the pole position and a runner-up finish.
  • The Boylston, Mass., native has stood atop the box for four NASCAR Xfinity Series events at “The Lady in Black,” collecting three top fives and four top 10s. Most recently, he called Carson Hocevar’s sixth-place result in May 2023. It marked the first of four appearances for Spire Motorsports’ part-time Xfinity Series entry.
  • Manion, a 31-year veteran of the sport, founded Spire Motorsports’ CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program alongside industry veteran Mike Greci in 2022. The team claimed victory in its second outing with driver William Byron at Martinsville Speedway.
  • The 53-year-old has racked up six Cup Series victories – including the 2010 Daytona 500 – 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs and 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck series wins. Manion is also one of 11 crew chiefs to have called wins across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.
  • In 2023, Manion became one of few to call a race in all three of NASCAR’s national series in a single season, all of which came under the Spire Motorsports umbrella. He led the part-time effort on the No. 7 Silverado in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, helped in limited starts for Carson Hocevar in the Xfinity Series and took the reigns during the second half of the Cup Series season for Ty Dillon and the No. 77 team.

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Corey LaJoie will drive Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado in the Sober or Slammer 200 at Darlington Raceway.
  • Friday’s 147-lap event will mark LaJoie’s eighth career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start and third of the season with Spire Motorsports. The 33-year-old has snagged two fifth-place finishes in as many 2025 starts.
  • The Concord, N.C., native has one prior CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Darlington. LaJoie started 29th and finished 16th in the May 2023 event with Spire Motorsports’ upstart CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program. Crew chief “Bono” Manion was atop the pit box for the No. 7 effort.
  • Last time out at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, LaJoie drove the No. 77 Gainbridge Silverado to a fifth-place finish from the 26th starting position. Crew chief Chad Walter decided to stay out as long as possible during the green-flag pit cycle in the Final Stage in hopes of catching a caution flag and gaining valuable track position. To the team’s credit, the yellow flag was displayed on Lap 200 while the No. 77 team was running fourth. LaJoie hit pit road during the caution period for four fresh tires and fuel and lined up fifth for the 35-lap sprint to the finish. He survived a physical restart to secure his second top-five result of the year.
  • The former Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series driver owns 14 series starts at the 1.366-mile oval. Last September, LaJoie secured a venue-best ninth-place result in the prestigious Southern 500 at the wheel of the No. 7 Chili’s Chevrolet.
  • LaJoie is familiar with Victory Lane in the “Palmetto State.” In 2012, he powered his family-owned No. 07 to an ARCA Menards Series East victory at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. In four series starts at the famed half-mile, “Supershoe” collected one pole, one win, and two top fives.
  • The short-track stalwart finished fourth in a UARA STARS Late Model Series event at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2009. He bested current Cup Series star Bubba Wallace and Spire Motorsports Director of Vehicle Performance Matt McCall during the 150 lapper.
  • Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.com or follow and connect with Gainbridge on X and LinkedIn.
  • LaJoie will pilot Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-088 on Saturday. In the truck’s most recent of two appearances, Andres Perez de Lara earned a chassis-best ninth-place result at Michigan International Speedway in June.

Corey LaJoie Quote
Coming off of your second top five in two starts, what is your outlook for the remainder of the season, including Darlington this Saturday?
“It is really cool to be two-for-two in top fives in my Spire Motorsports reunion, including my least favorite track, Richmond. We looked really good preparing in the simulator for Darlington, and Chad (Walter, crew chief) and the whole No. 77 team has been working really hard to build us a fast Gainbridge Silverado. I really enjoy racing at Darlington with how much history it holds. I have so many great memories there as a kid watching my dad race. As we finish off the year, I would hate to think we can’t go win a couple of these last seven races.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

  • Chad Walter has called five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Darlington Raceway. He secured a venue-best sixth-place finish at “The Lady in Black” with Rajah Caruth in 2023.
  • In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, Walter has tallied two top-five and four top-10 finishes, highlighted by a fourth-place result in 2012 with Sam Hornish, Jr., at the controls.
  • Early in his career, the Albion, N.Y., native served as a pit crew member for fellow northeasterner Steve Park, including the March 2001 NASCAR Cup Series event at Darlington. Park led 164 laps and looked to be headed for the win until a late-race caution erased his three-plus-second lead. He was ultimately passed by Dale Jarrett and forced to settle for a runner-up finish. Fellow Spire Motorsports crew chief “Bono” Manion also served as the car chief on the No. 1 team that weekend.
  • Between NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the Cornell University graduate has racked up six wins, 53 top fives and 132 top 10s.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and an ARCA Menards Series Chevrolet in select events.

Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Advance: Darlington Raceway

By
Official Release
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NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE ADVANCE: DARLINGTON RACEWAY
Event: Sober or Slammer 200 (147 laps / 200.8 miles)
Round: 19 of 25 (Playoffs Round of 10)
Track: Darlington Raceway
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Date & Time: Saturday, August 30 | 12:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) | SiriusXM Ch. 90

Team Stats & Notes

  • Niece Motorsports Darlington Stats: Niece drivers have accounted for a combined 21 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Darlington Raceway. Last season, Ross Chastain delivered the organization its first win at the track in an exciting dash to the checkered flag. The team has amassed one race win, four top-fives, and four top-10 finishes here over the years.

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

  • Mills’ Darlington Stats: Matt Mills has made one NCTS start at Darlington Raceway, where he finished 11th last season. Mills competed in eight NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) races held at ‘The Lady in Black’, finishing as high as 22nd in 2020.
  • Polinski’s Darlington Stats: Landon Polinski will make his first start as a crew chief at Darlington Raceway on Saturday.
  • On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from longtime partners J.F. Electric, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with DQS Solutions & Staffing and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
  • Honoring Cancer Heroes: The No. 42 Chevrolet will carry two special names displayed on the roof this weekend as part of a special project with The NASCAR Foundation and Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. Roger Collier and Douglas Cambron will both be featured on Mills’ driver’s side and passenger side, respectively, as part of the special program. Chambron is a survivor of testicular cancer.
  • Recapping Richmond: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team came away as the lead truck for the organization in Richmond. Mills started the race in 20th and had to fight for a shot to get back onto the lead lap following a quick opening stage. Through strategy, the team almost caught the break they were looking for and nearly got back onto the lead lap. Ultimately, Mills rebounded for a 17th-place result in the 250-lap race.
  • Points Rundown: Mills continues to hold onto 18th-place in the championship points standings following the regular season finale in Richmond. As he enters the remaining seven races of the year, Mills currently sits only eight points behind Andrés Pérez de Lara in 17th, and 29 points ahead of Jack Wood in 19th-place.
  • Quoting Mills: Last time trucks raced at Darlington was early in the year, so do you think coming back in the heat of the day will have a big impact on grip?

“Darlington is a high-wear track on our tires, so I think either way, the tire management is going to be a key factor. This has been another good track for me similar to Richmond and Homestead. I’m better at those places that you have to conserve your stuff at because that fits my driving style. We were good there last year till we had some issues, but we came back and were top-10 worthy. Hopefully we can capitalize on that again this time with our J.F. Electric Chevy.”

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.

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.

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

  • Pérez de Lara’s Darlington Stats: Andrés Pérez de Lara will make his first-career NCTS start at Darlington Raceway on Saturday.
  • Rogers’ Darlington Stats: Wally Rogers has called six NCTS races at Darlington, including one race where he picked up a top-10 (eighth with Matt Crafton in 2004). Rogers has also competed in 10 NXS races and three Cup Series events at the historic track.
  • On the Truck: Pérez de Lara’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from Telcel, a Mexican telecommunications giant, along with associate partners, Claro and Infinitum.
  • Honoring Cancer Heroes: The No. 44 Chevrolet will carry two special passengers on it this week as part of an initiative by The NASCAR Foundation and Martin Truex Jr. Foundations. Jeanann Orna, who sadly passed away after battling both breast cancer and stage four ovarian cancer, will be featured on the driver’s side of Pérez de Lara’s truck. Kirsten Morrow, a breast cancer survivor of three years, will ride along on the passenger side.
  • Recapping Richmond: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the No. 44 team battled through adversity in Richmond and salvaged a decent night. Pérez de Lara struggled to find pace early on, but showed speed in stage two. The team made a bold strategy call to wave around onto the lead lap, but was quickly spun around on a restart where a caution did not fly. Stuck on old tires, Pérez de Lara fell back off the lead lap, but carried forward to finish in 21st-place.
  • Points Rundown: Pérez de Lara remains 17th in the point standings as he continues his rookie campaign. Looking ahead to Darlington, the driver is 19 points behind Matt Crafton in 16th-place, and eight points ahead of Matt Mills in 18th.
  • Quoting Pérez de Lara: This track is so different from your typical intermediate track, so what do you expect racing there for the first time?

“Darlington is a very technical track, so I’d say the adaptation process will be pretty big for me since I’ve never raced there before. I know my team better now since we have a race together, but there are still a lot of things to adapt to. We just have to try to execute and have a solid day as I keep learning. I think it will be a fun experience with the Telcel No. 44 team.”

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 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

  • Currey’s Darlington Stats: Bayley Currey has competed in three NCTS races at Darlington Raceway. Currey’s best result of 12th-place came in 2020, and the driver finished 22nd last year after suffering a flat tire with just a handful of laps to go. In six NXS starts at the legendary track, Currey’s best finish of 19th happened in 2022.
  • Gould’s Darlington Stats: Phil Gould has called six NCTS races at Darlington, resulting in one win and four top-fives. Gould is the defending race-winning crew chief for this event, having led Ross Chastain to victory lane here last season. In six NXS starts here, Gould’s best finish was 11th-place (twice).
  • On the Truck: Currey’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from DQS Solutions & Staffing, who will be featured as a co-branded primary sponsor along with J.F. Electric and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
  • Honoring Cancer Heroes: As part of the annual Honor a Cancer Hero program with The NASCAR Foundation and Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, Currey’s No. 45 Chevrolet will feature a special passenger on it this weekend. Donna Benallie, a breast cancer survivor and mother of a Niece Motorsports pit crew member, will also be in attendance for the race.
  • Eldora Bound: Next week from September 4-6, Currey will compete in the 55th Annual World 100 race at Eldora Speedway with the Niece Motorsports dirt team. He will race a special throwback paint scheme which pays homage to Charles ‘Chuck’ Efaw, father of the organization’s CEO, Cody Efaw. The iconic Super Late Model race showcases the best talent in the country and will be broadcast live on FloRacing.
  • Recapping Richmond: Bayley Currey and the No. 45 team put up a valiant effort in Richmond, but unfortunately were unable to get the result needed to qualify for the Owner Playoffs. Currey qualified the highest for the team in 13th, but fell back early in the race. At the end of the first stage, the team fell off the lead lap and had to fight hard to get their position back the rest of the night. Through various strategy calls, the No. 45 nearly got back into the picture, but had to settle for a 20th-place finish.
  • Owner Points Rundown: Though the No. 45 team did not qualify for the Owner Playoffs, the team now assumes the position of ‘best of the rest’ in 11th-place. With a sizable 63-point gap over ThorSport Racing’s No. 13 entry, the team’s goal remains to finish in the same spot they started in – 11th.
  • Quoting Currey: Your team has a pretty good track record here at Darlington, so how optimistic are you in this weekend?

“Yeah, I’m very confident going to Darlington this weekend. It’s a really fun racetrack, and it’s a place that has been good to Niece Motorsports and I in the past. I’ve got a lot of experience there between Xfinity and Truck Series races, so it should be a good place for us to go and bounce back from Richmond at. I’m looking forward to going there with Phil (Gould) and the rest of our No. 45 team.”

About DQS Solutions & Staffing: Guided by a mission to achieve excellence and adaptability, DQS partners with clients to create custom solutions that address unique business challenges. Recognized as Michigan’s fastest-growing company and #22 in the nation on the Inc. 5000 list, DQS drives industry growth while giving back through its nonprofit, Foundation for Pops, and partnerships like the River Rouge School District.

About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2025, the team celebrates its 10th consecutive season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) where it fields the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45. Since its founding in 2016, Niece Motorsports has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a trusted build shop for the Chevrolet Silverados of multiple NCTS teams 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).

Front Row Motorsports: Darlington Raceway Competition Notes- Todd Gilliland

By
Official Release
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Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Team
Darlington Raceway Competition Notes
Southern 500

Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025
Event: Race 29 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Darlington Raceway (1.3-miles)
#of Laps: 367
Time/TV/Radio: 6:00 PM ET on USA/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Todd Gilliland Notes

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Darlington Raceway this weekend for the Southern 500. Todd Gilliland has had his fair share of success at the 1.3-mile track, notching four top-15 finishes in seven Cup Series starts on the egg-shaped oval. In his three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Darlington, Gilliland has one top-five and two top-10 finishes.

Grillo’s Pickles will partner with Gilliland for the 367-lap event, bringing back their a “Hot Pickle” scheme from the Chicago Street Race. “I’m looking forward to running the ‘Hot Pickle’ car again,” said Gilliland. “Sam Sam didn’t make it many laps at Chicago so it’s only right to bring him back this weekend for another shot at a good result.”

“While we missed out on the Playoffs, we left Daytona with a solid result (11th) to give us some much-needed momentum heading into Darlington,” said Gilliland. “Darlington is a challenging place to navigate, but it is one of my favorite tracks on the schedule. We’re heading back to tracks we’ve already seen earlier this season, so we know what it takes to come away with better results—and there’s no better place to start than Darlington.”

Road Crew

Driver: Todd Gilliland

Hometown: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Chris Lawson

Hometown: Medway, Ohio

Car Chief: Joe Marra

Hometown: Somers, New York

Engineer: Marc Rullo

Hometown: Ringwood, New Jersey

Engineer: Kevyn Rebolledo

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Spotter: Brit Andersen

Hometown: Branford, Connecticut

Underneath Mechanic: Michael Brookes

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Interior Mechanic: Chance Burke

Hometown: Siler City, North Carolina

Tire Specialist: Billy John

Hometown: Pitman, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Tim Meyer

Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska

Transporter Driver: Randy Bernier

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Danny Olszowy

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

Rear Tire Changer: Justin Fox

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Paul Steele

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Jackman: Landon Honeycutt

Hometown: Mount Pleasant, North Carolina

Fueler: Zeke Nance

Hometown: Calhoun, Georgia

ABOUT GRILLO’S PICKLES

For people who want freshness, Grillo’s is the pickle company that is changing the game. That’s because Grillo’s uses only clean, garden-fresh ingredients to make deliciously simple foods that deliver all the crunchy, tangy, satisfying flavor you’ve been searching for, with none of the junk. How do we do it? Our products are made cold, shipped cold, and consumed cold. You get an incredible crunch, and we never have to mess with artificial preservatives. In fact, the only thing traditional about us is our 100-year-old family recipe. The rest? It’s fresh. Grillo’s offers mouthwatering bites nationwide with their selection of spears, chips, wholes and Pickle de Gallo. For more information, visit GrillosPickles.com or contact grillos@autumncommunications.com.

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.

NASCAR Brings Innovative New Content Strategy to Fans on Substack

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Official Release
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NASCAR becomes the first major league to launch on Substack Platform to immerse fans in the storylines and culture of the sport

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 26, 2025) – NASCAR today announced the launch of its official Substack newsletter, debuting on August 28, just ahead of the 2025 NASCAR Playoffs. The Substack will offer fans a new way to connect with the sport, spotlighting the personalities, competitive spirit and storylines that animate NASCAR beyond the track.

With this launch, NASCAR becomes the first major sports league to establish an official presence on Substack, underscoring its role as a first mover in adopting new digital platforms.

The initiative reflects the continued evolution of NASCAR’s content strategy, building on the momentum of NASCAR Studios, which has expanded the league’s storytelling through original programming including “Full Speed” on Netflix, “Earnhardt,” and “American Thunder” on Prime Video, as well as through gaming innovations such as the hit Driving Empire experience on Roblox, and the upcoming launch of NASCAR 25 on console in partnership with iRacing.

The Substack debut also comes during the first year of NASCAR’s new media rights deal, a landmark multi-partner agreement that has delivered results throughout the 2025 season. Coverage now spans broadcast/cable (FOX, NBC and TNT), free-to-air (The CW), and streaming (Prime Video/Max).

These initiatives across platforms show how NASCAR is redefining its media and content strategy by expanding storytelling, embracing new channels, and building deeper connections with the next generation of fans.

The move to Substack extends this momentum onto a fast-growing cultural platform. Substack now counts over tens of millions of total active subscribers and more than 5 million paid subscriptions across its network, reflecting its growing influence in media and publishing. NASCAR’s presence on the platform offers fans direct, narrative-driven access to the personalities, competitive spirit and culture that shape the sport.

“Substack gives us a powerful new way to tell NASCAR’s story with the voice and authenticity fans expect,” said Tim Clark, NASCAR EVP & Chief Brand Officer. “Today’s audiences, particularly younger fans, are looking beyond highlights and results to connect with the personalities, rivalries, and culture that fuel the sport. The NASCAR Substack will capture that energy in a way that brings fans closer than ever to the people and moments that showcase the drama and fun of a NASCAR season, particularly as we kick off our Playoffs.”

Fans can subscribe to the NASCAR Substack beginning the week of the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (Sunday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m. ET on USA Network), with the first edition set to publish on August 28 and regular editions continuing throughout the Playoffs.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.

HFT Advance | Portland / Darlington II

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Official Release
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Darlington II Event Info:
Date: Sunday, August 31
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Format: 367 Laps, 501.32 Miles, Stages: 115-230-367
TV: USA
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Darlington Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 9 a.m. ET, Cup Practice (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 10:10 a.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Cup Race (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Portland Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 3 p.m. ET, Xfinity Practice (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 4:05 p.m. ET, Xfinity Qualifying (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 7:30 p.m. ET, Xfinity Race (CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin this weekend with the running of the annual Southern 500, marking the 75th Anniversary of historic Darlington Raceway.
  • The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Portland International Raceway for the penultimate race before the start of the NXS playoffs.
  • Sheldon Creed (2023) and Sam Mayer (2024) are the two most recent pole winners at Portland, before they became teammates at Haas Factory Team.
  • Mayer (9.3) holds the second highest average finish among full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers this season, behind only Connor Zilisch (9.1)
  • Mayer has finished inside the top five in each of his previous four starts spanning Indianapolis (2nd), Iowa (1st), Watkins Glen (2nd), and Daytona (4th).
  • He has started inside the top 10 in 10 of his last 11 starts dating back to Nashville Superspeedway in May, including his lone pole of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway three weeks ago.
  • Mayer (840) sits third in the regular-season points standings behind Zilisch (863) and Justin Allgaier (866) with just two races remaining before the start of the playoffs.
  • Cole Custer posted a season-best fourth-place finish at Daytona last Saturday, his lone top five this season and the third of his Cup Series career.

Cole Custer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: Autodesk/HaasTooling.com

Sheldon Creed Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Pit Boss

Sam Mayer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
Partner: Audibel

Custer at Darlington (Cup)
Starts: 8
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Custer makes his 9th Cup start at Darlington this weekend, where he has a 21.8 average finish.
  • He has started inside the top-15 twice with a career-best of P14 in 2020. Custer holds an average starting position of 24.3.
  • Custer has finished top 10 in all seven career NXS events at Darlington, including a victory in 2019 after starting P3, posting an average finish of 3.4.

Creed at Portland (Xfinity)
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: 1 (2023)

  • Creed is set to make his fourth Xfinity start at Portland on Saturday, where he has one career top-10 finish which came in 2023 (7th). He finished 13th last season and led two laps.
  • He has started inside the top-10 in all three career starts at Portland, including a pole in 2023, and holds an average starting position of 4.7.

Mayer at Portland (Xfinity)
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: 1 (2024)

  • Mayer is in line for his fourth Xfinity start at Portland this weekend, a track where he has finished in the top-10 once, P3 in 2023. He finished 28th last season after starting on the pole.
  • He has started inside the top-10 in two career starts at Portland, including a pole in 2024, and holds an average starting position of 13.7.

Where They Stand
Cup Points Standings (41: 33rd): Custer is 33rd in the Cup Series points standings with 340 points heading into Darlington this Sunday.

Xfinity Points Standings (41: 4th, 00: 10th): Mayer sits fourth in the Xfinity points standings with 840 total points on the season, behind the three multi-winners, while Creed is in 10th place with 651 points heading into Portland this Saturday.

RFK Advance | Darlington II

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Official Release
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Darlington II Event Info:
Date: Sunday, August 31
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Format: 367 Laps, 501.32 Miles, Stages: 115-230-367
TV: USA
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 9 a.m. ET, Cup Practice (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 10:10 a.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 6 p.m. ET, Cup Race (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin this weekend with the annual running of the Southern 500, marking the 75th Anniversary of historic Darlington Raceway.
  • Buescher holds the third highest average starting position (11.7) in the Cup Series this season, anchored by 11 starts inside the top 10.
  • Buescher is also one of eight drivers with 13+ top-10 results this season, and has an average finish of 14.1 which is the seventh highest among Cup drivers.
  • Brad Keselowski has posted four top-10 finishes over his last six races, including two in the top five, with an average finish of 12.7.
  • Keselowski is a two-time winner at Darlington Raceway, finding victory lane in last season’s spring race after starting on the front row and leading 37 laps.
  • Preece has set Cup Series career highs this season in top-fives (3) and top-10s (10), and has finished inside the top-20 in 11 of his last 12 starts.
  • Earlier this season, Preece started on the front row at Darlington despite finishing 26th.

6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

  • Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation’s Tribute to Veterans program returned this year presented by BuildSubmarines.com. For its seventh consecutive year, and fourth with RFK Racing, the program will honor America’s heroes with a special scheme on the No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang piloted by NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski at Darlington Raceway.
  • This year 643 names will be featured on the car. The Tribute to Veterans program gives friends and family the opportunity to honor and recognize their heroes, including veterans, active military, military family members and their caregivers—acknowledging the ongoing commitment to the well-being of veterans and those who play a role in veterans’ lives daily.
  • The proceeds of the program benefit the Checkered Flag Foundation in its mission to honor and assist those who have sacrificed greatly for our country and our communities.

17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Kroger / Tree Top

60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Trimble

Keselowski at Darlington
Starts: 23
Wins: 2 (2018 & 2024)
Top-10s: 12
Poles: 3 (2015, 2020, 2021)

  • Keselowski makes his 24th Cup start this weekend at Darlington, and has finished inside the top-10 in four of his last six starts at the track. He owns a 12.0 average finish at Darlington.
  • Keselowski won the fall race back in 2018, one of his seven top-5s overall at the track Too Tough to Tame. Overall, he’s finished 15th or better in 14 out of the last 17 Darlington races.
  • Keselowski does have three poles at Darlington – 2015, 2020, 2021 – with an average starting position of 10.8 and 14 starts inside the top-10.
  • He also made seven Xfinity Series starts with one win (2018) and three top-10s.

Buescher at Darlington
Starts: 16
Wins: —
Top-10s: 6
Poles: —

  • Buescher makes his 17th start at Darlington this weekend where he has five top-10 finishes in his last six starts. Earlier this season Buescher finished sixth after starting 14th.
  • He led 21 laps in the spring race last season, before following it up with a 6th-place result in the fall.
  • He carries a 19.8 average starting position and posted his career-best qualifying effort of P3 last spring. He’s started inside the top-10 in three of the last four Darlington races.
  • Buescher also made four Xfinity starts at Darlington with a 5th-place run in 2015.

Preece at Darlington
Starts: 11
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Preece makes his 12th start at Darlington this weekend and posted his best career finish at the track last season (12th). He has finished inside the top-20 six times at Darlington, and has an average finish of 21.2.
  • He holds a 22.9 average starting position and started on the front row (2nd) earlier this season.
  • Preece also made one NXS starts at Darlington with a 10th-place finish in 2016. He placed 7th in his lone truck start at the track three years ago.

RFK Historically at Darlington
Cup Wins: 6 (Mark Martin, 1993; Jeff Burton, 1999, 1999; Greg Biffle, 2005, 2006: Brad Keselowski, 2024)

  • Darlington Two-Step: RFK has twice won consecutive NCS races at Darlington, including a season sweep in 1999 with former driver Jeff Burton. RFK also earned victories in consecutive seasons at the egg-shaped oval in 2005 and 2006 with Biffle.
  • First for Brad: Brad Keselowski snapped a 110-race winless streak Sunday at Darlington a year ago, winning his first race as co-owner/driver at RFK. He led 37 laps and earned the first win for the No. 6 car since David Ragan won at Daytona in 2011 (July 2).
  • Kickin’ it Old School: Legendary RFK drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle are responsible for the five of the six Cup wins for Jack Roush at Darlington. Martin earned Roush’s first Cup win back in 1993 after leading 178 laps. Burton swept the 1999 events as the dominant car, and Biffle earned back-to-back victories in 2005 and 2006.
  • Tale of the Tape: In 269 all-time NASCAR starts at ‘The Lady in Black,’ Jack Roush’s Fords have 21 wins, 72 top-five and 127 top-10 finishes, along with 20 poles. Over the years RFK has led 4,600+ laps across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series, with more than 95,000 miles logged at the 1.366-mile track. In NCS action alone, RFK has finished top-10 in 43.7 percent (80-of-183) of the races with 38 top-five results and six wins.
  • Most All Time: It’s no secret that Roush has dominated in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. In 79 starts, the organization has 15 wins, 33 top-five and 44 top-10s. Mark Martin is responsible for eight of the victories, second-most for him among any track, after winning five of the first seven races at the track for Roush from 1993-96. He also went on to win in 1999 and swept again in 2000. Jeff Burton got in on the fun with wins in 1997, 2001 and 2002, while Biffle earned a win in 2004. Most recently, Kenseth drove to victory lane in 2005 and 2009.

RFK Darlington Wins

1999-2 Martin Cup

1999-1 Burton Cup

1999-2 Burton Cup

2005 Biffle Cup

2006 Biffle Cup

1993-2 Martin NXS

1994-1 Martin NXS

1994-2 Martin NXS

1995-2 Martin NXS

1996-1 Martin NXS

1997-2 Burton NXS

1999-2 Martin NXS

2000-1 Martin NXS

2000-2 Martin NXS

2001-2 Burton NXS

2002-1 Burton NXS

2002-2 Burton NXS

2004-1 Biffle NXS

2005 Kenseth NXS

2009 Kenseth NXS

2024 Keselowski Cup

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Daytona II: Buescher 6th; Preece 14th; Keselowski 18th.

Points Standings (17: 17th, 60: 18th, 6: 22nd): Buescher and Preece sit 17th and 18th in points, respectively, after the reseeding at the start of the playoffs. Keselowski is 22nd in the standings after an 18th-place run at Daytona.

Ford Performance NASCAR – Playoff Openers For Cup and Trucks Highlight Darlington Weekend

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Official Release
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DARLINGTON 2/PORTLAND

Saturday, August 30 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 12 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, August 30 – NASCAR Xfinity Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (CW)
Sunday, August 31 – NASCAR Cup Series, 6 p.m. ET (USA)

After a year where it hosted the regular season finale, Darlington Raceway is back in its familiar position as the opening race of the NASCAR playoffs. Four Ford drivers, including the two who have combined to win the last three championships, are in the NASCAR Cup Series field while four more, including defending champion Ty Majeski, are competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. While the postseason openers for both take place in South Carolina, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will run a standalone event in its next-to-last regular season event at Portland International Raceway.

FORD BIDDING FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT TITLE IN CUP AND TRUCKS

Ford will be looking to extend its streak of consecutive championships in the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to four. Defending champion Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney have combined to win the last three titles, marking the first time Ford and Team Penske captured three straight series championships. Logano will be going for his fourth Cup title and third in the last four years. On the Truck Series side, ThorSport Racing is going for a third consecutive crown after Ben Rhodes (2023) and Ty Majeski (2024) drove their Ford F-150s to each of the last two titles. Zane Smith started this current championship streak when he won the 2022 title with Front Row Motorsports.

POS – NAME (Points above or below the cut line)

4th – Ryan Blaney (+20)
10th – Austin Cindric (+2)
12th – Joey Logano (+1)
13th – Josh Berry (-1)
*The top eight drivers advance after Bristol

PLAYOFF APPEARANCES SINCE 2014

NASCAR began the current 16-driver playoff elimination format in 2014 and this season there’s a mix of postseason experience in Ford’s four drivers competing for the championship. Joey Logano leads the way with this being his 11th appearance while Penske teammate Ryan Blaney has made the postseason for the ninth time in his career. Austin Cindric has now qualified three times in his four seasons at the Cup level, and Josh Berry has made it for the first time in his debut campaign with the Wood Brothers.

DRIVER – PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN CURRENT FORMAT

Joey Logano – 11
Ryan Blaney – 9
Austin Cindric – 3
Josh Berry – 1

FORD’S ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD

Ford is coming off a 2024 season that saw it win half of the 10 playoff races, including the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Overall, the Blue Oval has 57 all-time NASCAR Cup Series playoff victories since the postseason era started in 2004. Kurt Busch won the inaugural race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that year and rode that momentum to the series championship. Since then, a total of 13 drivers have captured at least one playoff event with Joey Logano, who won three a year ago, leading the way with 15. Ryan Blaney has five postseason wins while Austin Cindric and Josh Berry are each looking for their first.

BLANEY ENTERING PLAYOFFS ON A ROLL

Ryan Blaney’s victory last weekend at Daytona International Speedway continued a hot streak that has seen him finish no worse than eighth in the last six races. During that time, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champ has an average finish of 4.8 and three top-five runs. Not included in that, is the pole he won at Watkins Glen and the first-place starting spot he earned after Daytona qualifying was canceled due to weather conditions. Blaney enters the playoffs as the fourth seed and is coming off a fifth-place performance earlier this year at Darlington Raceway, which marked his first top-five in 17 starts at the Lady in Black.

JOSH BERRY: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS? “I feel good about it, especially when you look at that first round. Darlington has been a really good track for me. We ran well there this year and last year. Gateway was good for us last year and we blew a tire, and obviously the Penske cars have been really strong there. I think we’re lined up to have success. We just have to go out and execute. That’s the biggest thing. We need to execute a little bit better on Saturdays. We need to start a little closer, qualify a little better and it’s gonna be important to get stage points, but I feel as good as I ever have going into this deal. I think everybody is gonna look at us and say, ‘Oh, they’re gonna be out in the first round,’ and I don’t think so.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC: “The focus for the first two rounds of the playoffs has to be how well do you execute? How well do you keep yourself in the game? I feel like that’s what the playoffs are all about for the Round of 16 and the Round of 12, and if having that execution generates good finishes, then good things will come, I think, for our group.”

JOEY LOGANO: “I think it’s fine starting the playoffs at Darlington. Darlington is a good track for us typically, and it’s a tough one. Tough races should be in the playoffs, so it’s definitely a tough race. There’s a lot of pressure. Everyone handles it differently. For us, we like it. It’s a great opportunity to go out there and hoist the big trophy again. That’s our goal. The facts are we’re starting a little bit behind the eight ball, but we did last year, too. That’s also a fact and we won the championship, so it can be done. We’ll have to fight from behind a little bit in each round, but we can do it.”

RYAN BLANEY: “I feel like all of them kind of play to our strengths. The spring race at Darlington this year was great for us. We had it won and had a late yellow, and then I look at Gateway has always been a great track for us as a group at Team Penske. We’ve won two out of the three races there and I’ve run really well in the other one, so I think just as a whole that place is good to us, and Bristol, I think we’ve been getting better at that place. I feel like last year was a little bit of a struggle for us, but I loved how our car was there in the spring, so I can’t really pick out a track in particular that I feel the strongest about in that first round.”

THE FIRST TIME FORD WON THE SOUTHERN 500

The first time Ford won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway was when Curtis Turner took the Southern 500 on Sept. 3, 1956. Unlike today, where the field is set at a maximum of 40 cars, there were 70 vehicles in the race that saw Turner lead 224 of the 400 laps. He beat Speedy Thompson to the finish line by more than two laps, and did it in record fashion with an average race speed of 95.167 mph.

KESELOWSKI SWEEPS 2018 SOUTHERN 500 WEEKEND

Brad Keselowski rode a fast pit stop by his crew to register a win in the 2018 Southern 500. Keselowski found himself in a three-way battle with Kyle Larson and teammate Joey Logano in the latter stages. When the caution came out for a spin by Jeffrey Earnhardt with 23 laps to go, Keselowski and his crew were able to win the race off pit road and assume the lead for what proved to be the final restart of the race. Keselowski was able to get out front with 19 laps to go and eventually win by 1.224 seconds. Logano finished second to make it a 1-2 Ford/Team Penske finish and cap a weekend that also saw him take the NASCAR Xfinity Series race a day earlier.

WOOD BROTHERS LEAD THE WAY

It comes as no surprise that the Wood Brothers are Ford’s all-time winningest team at Darlington Raceway, posting eight career victories. All but one of those triumphs came in a Mercury, which the team ran in the 1960’s and 70’s. David Pearson, who holds the record with 10 career Darlington Cup victories, led the way with six while Cale Yarborough captured the team’s first in 1968. The last Darlington win for Wood Brothers Racing came in 1981 when Neil Bonnett took the Southern 500 in 1981 behind the wheel of a Ford.

PLAYOFF SCENARIO

There are only two more races remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season and three Ford drivers currently hold down playoff positions. Sam Mayer, who comes into Saturday’s race at Portland International Speedway on a streak of four straight top five finishes, is locked in following his victory in Iowa. His Haas Factory Team teammate, Sheldon Creed, is 84 points above the cut line while AM Racing’s Harrison Burton holds a 36-point advantage over his cousin, Jeb, for the final spot. Ryan Sieg, who led the most laps a week ago in Daytona, is 56 points below the cut off and likely in need of a win to make the 12-driver field.

PORTLAND EXPERIENCE

This marks the fourth straight year the NASCAR Xfinity Series will compete on the road course of Portland International Speedway and three of Ford’s four playoff contenders have run in the previous three. Ryan Sieg, Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer have been in each event with Creed (2023) and Mayer (2024) each winning the pole once. Harrison Burton has not competed on the course, having spent the last three years driving in the NASCAR Cup Series. Cole Custer has Ford’s lone victory on the course after taking the checkered flag in 2023.

FORD’S PLAYOFF DRIVERS

As noted above, this weekend will be the first race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs with four Ford F-150 drivers – two each from Front Row Motorsports and ThorSport Racing – competing in the 10-driver field. Here’s a look at where each of them stands going into the three-race round.

POS – NAME (Points above or below the cut line)

2nd – Layne Riggs (+23)

3rd – Chandler Smith (+16)

6th – Ty Majeski (+6)

10th – Jake Garcia (-3)

*The top eight drivers advance after New Hampshire

MAJESKI BEGINS BID FOR REPEAT

Defending series champion Ty Majeski is looking to become only the second driver to win back-to-back titles as he opens the postseason as the No. 6 seed. Majeski, who is still looking for his first win of the season, has playoff wins at two of the tracks that make up this year’s playoff schedule (Bristol in 2022 and Phoenix in 2024). The only driver to win consecutive series championships is Matt Crafton, who did it in 2013 and 2014.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT DARLINGTON

1956 – Curtis Turner

1960 – Joe Weatherly (1)

1961 – Fred Lorenzen and Nelson Stacy

1962 – Nelson Stacy and Larry Frank

1963 – Fireball Roberts (2)

1964 – Fred Lorenzen

1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett

1968 – David Pearson (1)

1969 – Lee Roy Yarbrough (2)

1970 – David Pearson (1)

1981 – Neil Bonnett (2)

1982 – Dale Earnhardt (1)

1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1988 – Bill Elliott (2)

1992 – Bill Elliott (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Bill Elliott (2)

1997 – Dale Jarrett (1)

1998 – Dale Jarrett (1)

1999 – Jeff Burton (Sweep)

2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)

2005 – Greg Biffle

2006 – Greg Biffle

2018 – Brad Keselowski

2020 – Kevin Harvick (1) and (3)

2022 – Joey Logano (1)

2024 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Chase Briscoe (2)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

AT PORTLAND

2023 – Cole Custer

FORD NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT DARLINGTON

2020 – Ben Rhodes

The Ford Mustang, celebrating its 61st anniversary in 2025, is the world’s best selling sports car. It is also one of the planet’s most popular race cars. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Australian Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 21 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines. Learn more at FordPerformance.com.

iRacing Studios To Produce Standalone INDYCAR Video Game in 2026

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Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025) – iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations and INDYCAR are pleased to announce a long-term licensing agreement for iRacing Studios to produce standalone INDYCAR titles for console and PC.

As part of the agreement, iRacing Studios will release an INDYCAR title for PlayStation, Xbox and Steam in the second half of 2026. The new product will mark the first dedicated INDYCAR game in more than two decades.

“INDYCAR fans have long been clamoring for a standalone title for consoles, and we’re excited to give them what they’re looking for in 2026,” said Tony Gardner, president, iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. “iRacing Studios’ standalone INDYCAR title will offer all the excitement of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and an immersive experience that fans of all ages can enjoy. We are already very excited about how the game is coming together.”

Said INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles: “The most competitive and challenging racing on the planet deserves a dedicated and widely available gaming experience. iRacing Studios is the ideal partner for us, trusted and known to our core fans and ready to share our sport with a wider and highly engaged audience.”

The iRacing Studios INDYCAR offering will join other iRacing Studios titles NASCAR 25 and the World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing games as officially licensed products that represent some of the top racing series in the world. The game will feature a robust, multilevel career mode, licensed drivers from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone, and online multiplayer. The new product will be built from the ground up, with a dedicated development team creating the game on iRacing Studios’ proprietary and enhanced Orontes engine.

“Our company has grown significantly in recent years with the addition of new development teams and studios,” Gardner said. “Our INDYCAR title will benefit from this growth, as it will be the sole focus of one of these teams. However, the game will also incorporate elements like car and track assets, technology and driving characteristics developed from other iRacing Studios products.”

Real-world INDYCAR teams and drivers will be deeply involved in the creation of the new title, including Team Penske star and iRacing enthusiast Scott McLaughlin. Since transitioning to the series full time in 2021 from Australian Supercars, McLaughlin has won seven races and become a fan favorite.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of the development process for iRacing Studios’ new INDYCAR title,” McLaughlin said. “It’s an honor to work with a team that has developed such amazing products to help deliver INDYCAR’s first dedicated title in quite some time. It’s already an exciting time to be an INDYCAR fan for so many reasons, and this game will take the fans’ at-home driving experience to the next level!”

The heritage of the relationship between INDYCAR and iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations dates back more than three decades. The company’s predecessor, Papyrus Racing Games, created the iconic Indianapolis 500: The Simulation in 1989, followed by IndyCar Racing and IndyCar Racing II in 1993 and 1995, respectively.

A standalone INDYCAR title is the latest step in a continuously expanding partnership between INDYCAR and iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. Separately, the two parties have also extended their license agreement long term for the iRacing simulation. The extension ensures INDYCAR’s continued gaming presence on PC and consoles alike for years to come.

To learn more about the full line of iRacing Studios products, visit www.iracingstudios.com. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

About iRacing

The world leader in the online racing simulation and gaming market, iRacing was founded in 2003 by Dave Kaemmer, co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, and John Henry, principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. iRacing has developed dozens of formal partnerships in the motorsport industry to help create the most authentic racing simulation in the world, including with NASCAR, INDYCAR, the FIA, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, and numerous other car manufacturers, tracks, and racing series. Alongside its PC simulation, iRacing owns two additional game studios and produces the official console games of NASCAR, INDYCAR, and the World of Outlaws, as well as the all-ages title iRacing Arcade and fantasy off-road racing game ExoCross. Learn more at www.iRacing.com.

Front Row Motorsports: Darlington Raceway NCTS Race Advance- Layne Riggs / Chandler Smith

By
Official Release
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Layne Riggs | Chandler Smith
Darlington Raceway NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Advance
Sober or Slammer 200

Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
Event: Race 19 of 25
Series: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Location: Darlington Raceway (1.3-miles)
#of Laps: 147
Time/TV/Radio: 12:00 PM ET on FS1/SiriusXM channel 90

Layne Riggs Notes

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs begin this weekend, with Layne Riggs and the No. 34 team facing the “Track too Tough to Tame”, the Darlington Raceway, on Saturday afternoon. Riggs capped off the regular season with one pole, two wins, eight top-five, and 11 top-10 finishes.

CLEW Nicotine Pouches will return to Riggs’ No. 34 Ford F-150 for the 147-lap event. Crafted by Nevcore Innovations, CLEW delivers lasting satisfaction with an ultra-smooth mouthfeel that sets a new standard in the industry. Each can contains 20 pouches, offering a convenient and discreet way to enjoy your nicotine wherever, whenever. Learn more about CLEW at www.clewpouches.com.

“We’ve had a strong year, but the Playoffs are a whole different ballgame,” said Riggs. “Every weekend, minimizing mistakes is critical—especially now, when you can’t afford to put yourself in a must-win situation to advance. I really like Darlington. I earned my first ‘Darlington Stripe’ there last year, but I felt comfortable with the track and what it takes to run well. It’s great to have CLEW back on our Ford this weekend. We took them to Victory Lane at IRP, and they’re hungry for more—so let’s go make it happen.”

Road Crew

Driver: Layne Riggs

Crew Chief: Dylan Cappello

Truck Chief: Alex Lacognata

Engineer: Jonathan Coates

Mechanic: Clark Houston

Mechanic: Brandon Selph

Tire / Interior Specialist: Robert Benzenhafer

Spotter: Josh Williams

Transporter Driver: Joe Haresky

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Blake Hickman

Rear Tire Changer: Steven Chereek

Tire Carrier: Alvin Wilson

Jackman: Landon Honeycutt

Fueler: Patrick Gaddy

Chandler Smith Notes

Chandler Smith will make his third NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs appearance this weekend as the series heads to Darlington, South Carolina for the 200-mile race at the Darlington Raceway. In four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.366-mile track, Smith has one top-10 and three top-12 finishes. In the Truck Series, Smith has four starts with one top-10 finish, finishing seventh in Fall 2021.

Wheelers will join Smith and the No. 38 team for the 200-mile race. For over seven decades, Wheelers has been the backbone of homes in the Southeast as the go-to source for wood trusses, delivering exactly what you need when you need it. Wheelers was built by builders for builders. “Papa Tom” Manis established the family’s roots in the industry as a saw-miller back in the 1920s. His son, Wheeler Manis, opened Rome Builders Supply in 1949 and expanded the business throughout the Southeast. Four generations later, Wheelers is still owned and operated by the same family and driven by the same dedication to craft that started it all. For more information on Wheelers, please visit www.wheelers.com.

“Darlington is a really fun, but challenging track,” said Smith. “You have to find the limit of not just the track, but your truck too, and then push the limit of both to lay down a fast lap. We ended the regular season with a decent finish, but now it’s time to shift towards making it through the Round of 10 and into the Round of 8, hopefully with a win this weekend at Darlington.”

Road Crew

Driver: Chandler Smith

Crew Chief: Jon Leonard

Truck Chief: Ron Schutte

Engineer: Caleb Williams

Mechanic: Levy Bixler

Tire / Interior Specialist: Kyle Clark

Spotter: Ryan Blanchard

Transport Driver: Mark Hadley

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Garrett Wager

Rear Tire Changer: Jacob Ray

Tire Carrier: Paul Steele

Jackman: Ryan Selig

Fueler: Chris Webb

ABOUT CLEW NICOTINE POUCHES

CLEW Nicotine Pouches are made in cGMP and HACCP-certified facilities, ensuring high safety and quality standards. They offer satisfying, sustained nicotine delivery with long-lasting flavor and a smooth mouthfeel. Adult users can enjoy CLEW pouches anytime, anywhere.

Available in various flavors, including refreshing mint and blueberry, they offer multiple nicotine strength options ranging from 3mg to 12mg to cater for all tastes.

In 2024, the FDA accepted CLEW’s Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA), a milestone highlighting CLEW’s commitment to providing adult nicotine consumers with discreet, smoke-free options.

ABOUT NEVCORE INNOVATIONS INC.

A global leader in next-generation premium products, specializing in smoke-free modern oral nicotine pouches, disposable vaping products, and energy pouches. Dedicated to advancing nicotine harm reduction, Nevcore is laying the foundation for a smoke-free future where enjoyment and responsibility coexist. For more information, visit www.clewpouches.com.

ABOUT WHEELERS

For over seven decades, Wheelers has been the backbone of homes in the Southeast as the go-to source for wood trusses, delivering exactly what you need when you need it. Wheelers was built by builders for builders. “Papa Tom” Manis established the family’s roots in the industry as a saw-miller back in the 1920s. His son, Wheeler Manis, opened Rome Builders Supply in 1949 and expanded the business throughout the Southeast. Four generations later, Wheelers is still owned and operated by the same family and driven by the same dedication to craft that started it all. For more information on Wheelers, please visit www.wheelers.com.

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.

Why NASCAR Teams Are Selecting Midwest Automotive Designs Luxury Limos for Travel

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NASCAR is as much about endurance as it is about speed. Teams crisscross the country for nearly ten months of the year, tackling a relentless schedule of races, sponsor events, and media appearances. In a sport where both drivers and crews are pushed to the limit, comfort and recovery off the track have become essential. Increasingly, NASCAR organizations are turning to Midwest Automotive Designs luxury limos to meet those demands.

A Sanctuary Between the Track and the Hotel

NASCAR drivers often log hundreds of miles in race cars that demand extreme concentration and stamina. After battling 500 miles at Daytona or Martinsville, the last thing they want is a cramped ride to the hotel. Midwest Automotive Designs luxury limos, built on the reliable Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, provide a sanctuary—outfitted with reclining captain’s chairs, climate control, and serene interiors that feel more like a high-end lounge than a shuttle.

For drivers, this downtime is vital. A quiet, comfortable ride allows them to cool down physically and mentally, whether it’s rehydrating, reviewing race notes, or simply resting.

Mobile Command Centers for Team Leaders

Crew chiefs, owners, and executives see Midwest Automotive Designs vehicles as more than transportation. With Wi-Fi connectivity, conference seating, and integrated entertainment systems, these vans double as mobile command centers. NASCAR’s high-pressure weekends involve constant strategy adjustments, sponsor obligations, and media coordination—tasks made easier when the team has a private, fully equipped space on wheels.

This functionality is particularly valuable in NASCAR, where events stretch over multiple days and often involve travel between tracks, shops, and promotional appearances.

Discretion and Prestige

NASCAR stars are among the most recognized athletes in America, and fans follow them with unmatched enthusiasm. Privacy can be hard to come by. Midwest Automotive Designs luxury limos deliver discretion through tinted glass, partition options, and smooth chauffeur integration—allowing drivers and VIPs to slip in and out of venues without distraction.

For team owners and corporate partners, the sleek styling and premium interiors also project an image of success and professionalism. Arriving in a Midwest Automotive Designs limo sends a clear message: this team values both performance and prestige.

Why Midwest Automotive Designs Leads the Pack

While there are other luxury travel options, Midwest Automotive Designs has earned a reputation in motorsports for combining Mercedes-Benz engineering with handcrafted American luxury. Each van is customized to client needs—whether that means adding a work-focused layout for strategists or an entertainment-first lounge for drivers and families.

NASCAR teams appreciate that blend of durability, comfort, and personalization. It mirrors the sport itself: high-performance machines fine-tuned for both power and reliability.

A Winning Edge Off the Track

In NASCAR, where milliseconds on track separate champions from contenders, every detail matters—including how drivers and teams recover and prepare. Midwest Automotive Designs luxury limos have become more than transportation; they’re tools for rest, strategy, and image.

As the sport continues to grow and attract new fans and sponsors, expect to see more of these luxury vans parked in the infield, carrying drivers, owners, and executives who know that success in NASCAR starts long before the green flag waves.

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