KYLE LARSON READY TO DEFEND HIS VICTORY IN THE SUBURBAN PROPANE 300 SATURDAY NIGHT IN THE O’REILLY AUTO PARTS SERIES

April 7, 2026

BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 7, 2026) — Kyle Larson nearly pulled off the mythical Bristol Trifecta in 2025, which has only been accomplished by Kyle Busch in NASCAR history (2010 and 2017), by winning both the Food City 500 Cup Series race and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, now with a new sponsor that’s called the Suburban Propane 300. Larson just missed turning the triple when he finished second in last year’s Craftsman Truck race.

Larson is back to try to add another O’Reilly Series victory to his resume and will be driving the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet entry when the green flag drops Saturday night at The Last Great Colosseum. Another Cup regular will join him as a part of the Suburban Propane 300 starting-lineup under the lights at the famed Tennessee bullring when Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch takes over the controls of the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevy.

Larson had a ball last year weaving his way to the victory on the ultra-challenging track, his second in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Bristol (also 2018 Food City 300).

“I just love this place, especially in (the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series),” Larson said after winning this race one year ago. “You can move around, and traffic is just a lot of fun. Just felt like when I could get to traffic, I could get to picking people off. But Justin [Allgaier] did a good job kind of hanging with me there that last run. The pressure was on a little bit. We just had a good enough car to get into the lead, stay in the lead, and be good enough in traffic.”

Both Larson and Zilisch will have their hands full with a strong cast of characters who compete each week in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series, including defending series champ and three-time season winner Justin Allgaier, who pilots the No. 7 Chevy for JR Motorsports. Jesse Love, who drives the No. 2 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing will be in the mix of contenders as will Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed, who recently scored his first O’Reilly Series victory. Creed has posted a couple of recent second place finishes at Bristol and will be hungry to cash in for another victory Saturday night.

Creed enjoys racing at Bristol and says the atmosphere there is really second to none.

“I look forward just Bristol in general,” Creed said. “It’s our one and only stadium race track where you feel like you’re in a football or baseball stadium. That’s really cool, and the vibes are always great. The racing is always good. I feel like the last two years they’ve applied resin instead of PJ one, and that really helps the racing.”

Creed says finally getting that hard-earned victory in the series has been a major boost for the team and he’s looking forward to seeing how many more they can win together this season.

“Five years of trying, to finally get that win and then just have some confidence back in myself, the team, having confidence that we can win together,” Creed said. “I feel like it just kind of built some momentum for us, and it’s helped that we’ve been strong most places.”

A whole host of drivers are on the watch list, including Austin Hill, Corey Day, Carson Kvapil, Taylor Gray, Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, Rajah Caruth, who will be driving the No. 32 Chevy for Jordan Anderson Racing in this event, and Harrison Burton, who is driving the No. 26 for Sam Hunt Racing.

Category rookie Brent Crews, who won the ARCA race at Bristol this past September, and his Joe Gibbs teammate William Sawalich, who earned his breakthrough win last weekend at Rockingham and has a pair of Bristol ARCA wins himself, are definitely at the front of the radar screen for possible winners from the younger generation on Saturday night.

Sawalich entered his rookie year last year with a lot of high expectations but failed to get a win. Now with that first victory past him he feels like more could be on the way.

“Obviously last year did not go to plan,” Sawalich said. “We started to pick it up in the second half of the season and my guys stood behind me and that helped keep my head up after having some back luck and making some mistakes. But I’ve learned from my mistakes and I honestly believe they helped to get where I am now. Even the start for this year hasn’t gone great, but I have a lot of confidence going to Bristol and I think our points situation is good. This team is showing what we can do now.”

The race weekend kicks off with the Craftsman Trucks on the Bristol high banks on the evening of April 10 for the Tennessee Army National Guard 250 Truck Race (7:30 p.m., FS1, PRN Radio, SiriusXM Radio); On Saturday, April 11, it will be action-packed with the Suburban Propane 300 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race (7:30 p.m., The CW, PRN Radio, Sirius XM Radio) and Bush’s Beans Qualifying for both the Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series; The tradition-rich Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race will thrill fans on Sunday afternoon, April 12 (3 p.m., FS1, PRN Radio, Sirius XM Radio) and bring the fun weekend to a triumphant finish.

In addition to cheering on their favorite drivers on the track, fans at Bristol Motor Speedway will want to take advantage of so many activities to make a complete weekend of family fun. There will be great video entertainment provided by Colossus TV, the world’s largest center-hung video screen, plenty of music throughout the event including post-race concerts Friday and Saturday night and a pre-race concert Sunday before driver introductions, premium VIP experiences, tailgating, on-site camping, a pre-race track walk on the legendary oval, and other entertainment at the Food City Fan Zone Stage headlined by Trackside Live with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts, great food and beverages in the concession stands throughout the property, and so much more.

Fans can purchase tickets to the Food City 500 weekend of races or any events at Bristol Motor Speedway, please visit the track’s website or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158. You can also purchase tickets at any neighborhood Food City store while supplies lasts.

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 tradition-rich Food City 500 and the crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race. 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 2025 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 Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals, and the dragway can transform into the Thunder Valley Amphitheatre for music 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.

Spire Motorsports Tennessee Army National Guard 250 Race Advance

Official Release

April 7, 2026

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for the first of two races on the 2026 schedule. In 15 starts at “The Last Great Colosseum”, Spire Motorsports has earned three top-five and seven top-10 finishes, highlighted by Kyle Busch’s runner-up effort in March 2024. Connor Zilisch claimed the team’s lone pole award at Bristol in the September 2024 event.
The Tennessee Army National Guard 250 will be televised live on FS1 Friday, April 10 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The sixth of 25 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

Kyle Busch will pilot the No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway for his second start of the 2026 season with Spire Motorsports.
Busch will drive Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-088 on Friday, the same truck he drove to Victory Lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February. He earned his third-consecutive victory at the 1.54-mile track, ahead of teammate Carson Hocevar in second, and led a total of 37 laps after starting from the third position.
The 40-year-old driver has made 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Bristol, resulting in five wins, eight top fives and nine top 10s. Busch has started from the pole position four times and led a total of 649 laps at “The Last Great Colosseum.”
Busch last piloted the No. 7 Silverado at Bristol in March 2024. He started fourth, won the first two stages and led a total of 105 laps before securing a runner-up finish.
In addition to his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series experience at the half-mile track nestled in the mountains of Tennessee, Busch has competed in 38 races in the Cup Series, logging eight wins,14 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. His resume also includes nine O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins in 27 starts, with 17 top fives and 20 top 10s.
Busch holds the record for the most all-time wins at Bristol in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and sits fifth in line for most Cup Series wins at the track behind NASCAR legends Darrell Waltrip (12), Dale Earnhardt (9), Rusty Wallace (9), and Cale Yarborough (9).
In August 2010, Kyle Busch drove to victory in all three national touring series races at Bristol to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win in all three series at the same track in the same week. He doubled-down, accomplishing the feat for the second time seven years later.
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The Las Vegas native holds the record for most CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins (68) and highest average finish in series history (6.7), while he ranks second on the series’ all-time laps led list where he’s paced the field for 8,167 circuits.
In five starts last season with Spire Motorsports, Busch collected one win (Atlanta Motor Speedway), two top fives and three top 10s.
Busch will return to CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition May 1 at Texas Motor Speedway, where he will again be paired with veteran crew chief Brian Pattie and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team.

Kyle Busch Quotes
What makes Bristol such a special track?
“Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the most unique racetracks on the circuit. It’s a fan favorite and that makes it all the more exciting for the drivers. With all the cars being packed on top of one another, it creates a lot of action. It can certainly be frustrating as a driver when it doesn’t go your way, but that’s what creates a good atmosphere for everyone watching in the stands and on TV.”

You’ve had a lot of success at Bristol, what is your outlook as you get back in the Spire Motorsports truck for this weekend’s race?
“Bristol is one of my favorite tracks. Winning there always helps, but it’s always fun to get in the truck and see how we stack up against the guys who race in the series every week. Pattie and the team have done a great job getting things ready and we showed a lot of speed there a few years ago, so I’m looking forward to giving the Spire team another good run. We’ll just have to see how the race plays out, stay out of trouble and put ourselves in position to be there at the end.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Brian Pattie

Brian Pattie calls the shots for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado, an entry that will see a plethora of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2026 season.
In last week’s race at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, Pattie guided Sammy Smith to an 11th-place effort. In five races this season, the No. 7 team has earned one win, two top-five and four top-15 finishes.
In his first season with Spire Motorsports in 2024, Pattie led the No. 7 team to two victories across the first seven events of the season, both with Kyle Busch (Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway). The duo also won twice across five races in 2023 with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Pattie is a 25-year veteran of the sport, 14 of which came in the NASCAR Cup Series. As a crew chief, he has earned six wins in Cup Series competition and 11 victories in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. In CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition, Pattie has earned seven wins, four of which since he started with Spire Motorsports in 2024.

Daniel Suárez – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Suárez will pull double duty this weekend and also race Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ Food City 500.
Suárez has registered 28 career starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, highlighted by a victory at Phoenix Raceway (2016). The Mexican-born racer also includes 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes on his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series resume.
The Monterrey, Mexico, native showed dominant speed in the 2016 UNOH 200 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Bristol, leading 77 laps before surrendering the top spot to Kyle Busch Motorsports’ teammate William Byron on a restart with 24 laps to go. Later, a right-rear tire issue caused him to impact the outside retaining wall with 14 laps remaining, resulting in a 29th-place finish.
Suárez was last behind the wheel of a truck in a relief effort for Spire Motorsports teammate Carson Hocevar at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in 2022. Hocevar qualified on the pole, but was relieved by Suárez on Lap 11 after sustaining a leg injury on the final lap at World Wide Technology Raceway, one week prior. Despite falling a lap down due to the driver swap, Suárez drove the truck to a sixth-place finish. He went on to capture his first career NASCAR Cup Series win at the venue one day later.
The 34-year-old has been consistently strong at Bristol Motor Speedway in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition, tallying four top-five and five top-10 finishes in six starts, highlighted by a pair of runner-up results in April 2015 and August 2017.
In 330 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Suárez has earned 25 top fives and 77 top 10s, claiming victories at Sonoma Raceway (June 2022) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 2024).
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Suarez will pilot Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-085 on Friday. The truck has made four starts, most recently last October at Phoenix Raceway with Stefan Parsons at the controls. Rajah Caruth earned a chassis-best eighth-place result at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in October 2024.

Daniel Suárez Quote
What does it mean to return to the Truck Series with a crew chief you’ve had success with, and how does that familiarity help you heading into this weekend?
“I’m really excited to get back to the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series—it’s been a few years. The last full race I ran was the dirt race about five years ago, so it’s been a long time since I’ve competed on an oval. Honestly, the last time I did a true oval race was back in 2016, so this is a race I’ve been looking forward to. I’m excited to get back behind the wheel in the No. 71 Freeway Insurance Silverado RST. The last time I worked with this team and Bono, we were able to win a race, so hopefully we can have some fun first and, with a little luck, bring home another trophy.”

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

Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Bristol, tallying one top five and three top 10s, including Nick Sanchez’s fifth-place result in April of 2024.
Manion served as crew chief for Daniel Suárez at Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2016, guiding him to his first and only CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory at Phoenix Raceway, where the No. 51 team led 34 laps, including the final 12, in the Lucas Oil 150.
The Boylston, Mass., native led Martin Truex, Jr., to Victory Lane in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition at “The Last Great Colosseum” in March 2004. Truex led 134 laps en route to his first of six wins on the year.
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 (Va.) Speedway.
“Bono” 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.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

Carson Hocevar will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Hocevar will pull double duty this weekend at Bristol, where he’ll pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevy Silverado prior to his traditional NASCAR Cup Series duties aboard the team’s No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Food City 500.
The five-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner has made four series starts at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile”, registering one top five and two top 10s, including a venue-best fourth-place finish in September 2023.
The 23-year-old driver, a veteran of 85 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, has logged one pole, five wins, 23 top fives and 35 top 10s, while leading 767 laps. He made the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs in all his three full-time seasons and earned a spot in the 2023 Championship 4.
Hocevar, driver of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, currently sits 15th in the division’s championship point standings. His two top fives, two top 10s, 171 points scored and 16.6 average finish are all career highs for the Michigan native through the first seven points-paying races of the season.
The Portage, Mich., native registered a victory in one of four CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts in 2025, guiding the Brian Pattie-led No. 7 team to Victory Lane in the Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway. He led 75 of the event’s 134 laps en route to his most recent victory and first aboard a Spire Motorsports-prepared Chevy Silverado.
Hocevar will drive Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-087 Friday evening. Kyle Larson drove the truck to Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway last March and a runner-up finish at Bristol Motor Speedway two races later. Most recently, Hocevar finished second in the truck at Atlanta after pushing teammate Kyle Busch to the win, and the second one-two finish in team history. Overall, the chassis owns a 10.8 average starting position and an average finishing position of 6.8.
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Carson Hocevar Quote
Despite an outstanding display of speed in your first four CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, the results haven’t worked out. What do you need to change that?
”We have had a lot of speed and been up front, but things just haven’t worked out. Just bad luck. It’s part of racing. I know we can and will win some of these, we just need everything to come together.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

Chad Walter calls the shots from the top of the No. 77 pit box, an entry that will see multiple all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2026 season.
Walter has called seven CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Bristol, logging five top-10 results highlighted by Rajah Caruth’s third-place finish in September 2024.
The Albion, N.Y., native has visited Victory Lane twice in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition, leading Kyle Busch and Justin Allgaier to victories in the spring event in 2006 and 2010, respectively.
On the dirt configuration at Bristol, the veteran crew chief led Canadian-driver Raphael Lessard to a third-place result in the inaugural Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt in 2021.
Between NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the 54-year-old has racked up six wins, 55 top fives and 140 top 10s.
Walter earned a mechanical engineering degree from the Cornell University College of Engineering. During his studies, he played defensive end for the Big Red football team.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, 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 win came on Feb. 21, 2026, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the Fr8 Racing 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.

Spire Motorsports Food City 500 Race Advanc

Official Release

April 7, 2026

In 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-10 and eight top-20 finishes. Carson Hocevar owns the team’s best finish, a seventh-place effort earned in September 2025. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the Cup Series with Daniel Suarez, Michael McDowell and Hocevar, respectively.
The Food City 500 will be televised live on FS1 Sunday, April 12 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The eighth of 36 points-paying races on the 2026 Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Daniel Suárez – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Suárez will pull double duty this weekend and also pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Freeway Insurance Silverado RST in Friday’s CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Tennessee Army National Guard 250.
The Monterrey, Mexico native has made 15 Cup Series starts at Bristol, earning two top-10 and nine top-20 results with five laps led at the high-banked half-mile oval. His series/venue best came in 2019, where he finished eighth in both races held at the track that season.
Suárez reunites with crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion at Bristol for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Tennessee Army National Guard 250, reviving the partnership that produced his first series victory, a milestone that came on November 11, 2016, at Phoenix Raceway. He drove the Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 51 to Victory Lane in the Lucas Oil 150.
In the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition, the 34-year-old driver has a pair of starts at Bristol. In 2016, Suárez drove started second and led 77 laps, but finished 29th following an on-track incident. The year prior, he started 16th and finished 30th after encountering an overheating issue.
Before the Easter break, Suárez finished 20th at Martinsville Speedway after sustaining damage in the Final Stage, but held on to secure his fifth top-20 finish of the season and seventh in 18 starts at the track.
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner sits 16th in the driver standings after the first seven races of the season, the second highest of Spire Motorsports’ three NASCAR Cup Series entries, and has earned one top five, two top 10s and 15 laps led. Through seven races, Suárez is averaging a 16.9 finish, four positions better than his average at this point last season.
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Daniel Suárez Quote
Since 2014, winners at Bristol are awarded a sword, what would it mean to you to win this iconic trophy?
“It would be incredible to win the ceremonial Gladiator sword trophy—having one of my own would feel truly special. The level of detail in the design is amazing, and I’d love the opportunity to sit down with the person who created it and learn more about their process.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

Ryan Sparks has called 209 NASCAR Cup Series races, earning five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes since making his Cup Series debut atop the pit box in 2020.
So far this season, the veteran crew chief has led Suárez to his second top-10 finish at Darlington, following a top-five result at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier in the year.
The Winston-Salem, N.C., native earned his best finish while calling a Cup Series race at Bristol last September, recording a 13th-place result with former Spire Motorsports driver Justin Haley.
Sparks joined Spire Motorsports in 2021, where he served as both Crew Chief and Competition Director, leading the organization’s competitive and technical efforts. In 2026, Sparks serves in a singular role as crew chief for Daniel Suárez.
Sparks brings more than a decade of experience across all three national series, highlighted by 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing and contributions to title-winning campaigns in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (2011) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2013).

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Michael McDowell has 28 starts on the high banks of Bristol dating back to August 2010. He made 44 starts prior to his first run at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” qualifying 35th and retiring just 16 laps into the 2010 Night Race due to an engine failure.
Dating back to 2020, the Glendale, Ariz., native has two top 10s paired with three 11th-place results at “The Last Great Colosseum”, completing all but 12 of the 4,000 laps contested. In his nine most recent attempts, the Cup Series veteran holds an average finish of 14.8 with only one finish outside the top 25.
In his limited time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts series, McDowell has five starts at Bristol, including a series-best finish of 10th in 2009.
After qualifying 20th at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway two weeks ago, the No. 71 team struggled with track position and pace early in the race. As the day progressed, the 41-year-old driver fought to move up the scoring pylon and went on to secure a workman-like 18th-place finish.
Across the first seven races of season, McDowell currently sits 17th in points. He has earned one top five, two top 10s and led 15 laps with 28 races remaining on the 2026 calendar.
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Michael McDowell Quote
“Bristol is all about intensity and it’s a place where I’ve had some good success recently with a couple of near top-10 finishes in the NextGen car. We had a few issues last spring, but we have addressed them and feel good about those changes. We knew what needed to be fixed, and that gives me a lot of confidence going back. Spire had a ton of speed at the first Bristol race last year, so we have a strong notebook and feel like contenders. Bristol has a special energy and I always tell fans that if they’ve never been to a race or never been to Bristol, it’s a must. It’s one of the coolest events you can experience as both a fan and a driver. It’s a place that has been pretty good to me over the last few years, so it’s definitely a track we’ve circled to go back and capitalize on.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

Travis Peterson is a graduate of the Williams States Lee College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The West Bend, Wis., native earned his Mechanical Engineering Degree in 2012.
Across five NASCAR Cup Series races in the crew chief role at Bristol, Peterson has parlayed an average start of 13.4 with an average finish of 15.0, all with McDowell at the controls.
The duo of Peterson and McDowell secured a venue-best sixth-place finish in the 2023 Bristol Night Race after qualifying a career-high, fourth.
As a race engineer at RFK Racing, the West Bend, Wis., native played a key role in Chris Buescher’s 2022 Bristol win. After qualifying 20th, the team led 169 of the 500 laps en route to Buescher’s second career victory.
While working as a race engineer, Peterson collected four top-five results at Bristol Motor Speedway with drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Alex Bowman and Ryan Newman.
Across 120 starts serving in the crew chief role, Peterson has called one win, eight poles, eight top-five and 25 top-10 finishes.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, marking his sixth start in NASCAR’s premier division at the half-mile oval.
Hocevar will pull double duty on the weekend at Bristol, where he’ll also pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Tennessee Army National Guard 250.
Through seven events, the No. 77 team is 15th in the series’ point standings, four points above The Chase cutline. Hocevar’s two top fives, two top 10s, 171 points scored and 16.6 average finish are all career highs through the first seven points-paying races of the season.
Last spring at “The Last Great Colosseum”, the 2024 Cup Series Rookie of the Year spent the majority of the day racing in the top five. Unfortunately, challenges during their final pit stop with 110 laps remaining dropped the team to the 20th position. Hocevar embarked on a spirited drive as the event drew to a close, ultimately finishing 11th. Despite the setback, he still claimed the fifth-highest average running position (6.78) and fourth-best driver rating (107.1) in the field.
In the series’ most recent visit to Bristol last September, Hocevar restarted in the top spot with four laps remaining but was unable to fend off competitors with fresher tires. Still, he held on to finish seventh, a career-high in 16 short track events in NASCAR’s premier division.
Last time out at Martinsville Speedway, the 23-year-old driver qualified seventh, a career-best starting position at the half-mile paperclip-shaped track. Despite being involved in a Lap-325 incident that sent him to pit road for cosmetic repair, he recovered to finish 17th, matching his venue-best result from April 2024.
In CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition, Hocevar owns four previous starts at Bristol, earning a venue-best fourth-place finish in September 2023.
The Spectrum colors will return to the No. 77 for the first time since February at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Spectrum is a suite of advanced communications services offered by Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR), a leading broadband connectivity company available to 58 million homes and small to large businesses across 41 states. Founded in 1993, Charter has evolved from providing cable TV to streaming, and from high-speed Internet to a converged broadband, WiFi and mobile experience. Over the Spectrum Fiber Broadband Network and supported by our 100 percent U.S.-based employees, the Company offers Seamless Connectivity and Entertainment with Spectrum Internet®, Mobile, TV and Voice products. More information can be found at corporate.charter.com.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You have been fast at Bristol, but the finishes don’t reflect that. How do you remain optimistic?
“We’ve been fast at Bristol ever since my first Cup race there in 2023. We have just been very successful there. I really enjoy running there, and it is one of Luke’s (Lambert) favorite tracks. He has a lot of experience there and won races at every level. We are close, we just need everything to come together.”

What about Bristol fits your driving style?
“Bristol is super-fast and I think that suits me. You carry a lot of speed around there and you have to make decisions very quickly and pick between the top and bottom lanes depending on where the lap traffic is. It is almost like running on a dirt track.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

Crew chief Luke Lambert enters his third season at Spire Motorsports and fourth with Carson Hocevar. The duo has logged one pole award, five top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 87 races together.
The 16-year veteran crew chief has called 26 NASCAR Cup Series events at Bristol, earning one top five and seven top 10s, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in April 2015 with Ryan Newman.
As a race engineer at Richard Childress Racing, the Mount Airy, N.C., native led Jeff Burton to Bristol Victory Lane in March 2008. Burton inherited the top spot on a green-white-checkered restart after the leaders tangled, earning the win after leading just two laps and leading the charge on a one-two-three finish for RCR, proving being in the right place at the right time can pay dividends at the famed, high-banked oval.
Lambert owns two wins in three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Bristol. His first win came on March 17, 2012 with Elliott Sadler, followed up by a victory with Noah Gragson in the regular season finale over a decade later on Sept. 16, 2022.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: BRISTOL RACE PREVIEW

Official Release

April 7, 2026

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
BRISTOL PRE-RACE ADVANCE
EVENT: Food City 500

DATE: April 12, 2026
RACE: NASCAR Cup Series 8 of 36
TRACK: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway | .533-Mile, Concrete Oval

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JHN AT BRISTOL: John Hunter Nemechek has six starts at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. He earned a highest finish of sixth in March 2024. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, he made four starts at Bristol, earning two top-three finishes in his last two races at the track in August 2019 and September 2023. He earned a best finish of third, earned twice in August 2019 and September 2023. Nemechek also has ten starts at Bristol in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he has earned five top-three finishes and a pole in the Bristol dirt race in March 2021.

T-MACK BRISTOL STATS: Sunday afternoon’s race will be crew chief Travis Mack’s 12th NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol. He has eight starts on the iconic concrete oval and another three on the dirt track at Bristol between 2021-2023. His first outing came in April 2018 with Kasey Kahne. He returned in March 2021 on the dirt track with Daniel Suárez, where the duo captured Mack’s highest finish of fourth. He stayed with Suarez through the dirt and concrete at Bristol through 2023 before switching to A.J. Allmendinger. His best finish on the concrete oval is a 14th-place result in September 2025 with Nemechek. In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Mack has five starts at Bristol with Michael Annett, where the pair earned three top-10 finishes in August 2018 and both races in 2019. Their best finish was a seventh-place result earned in their first outing in August 2018.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:
“I’m really looking forward to Bristol. I really enjoy going there and I feel like it suits my driving style. I’ve had success there previously, and we’ve brought solid Toyota Camrys to the racetrack in the past. Qualifying will be a challenge for us, but we’ve found speed there before. and I’m confident we’ll do it again.”

TRAVIS MACK QUOTE: “Bristol is one of John Hunter’s better tracks stats-wise. We’re ready to bounce back after our past few weeks and redeem ourselves. We’re going to be in a bit of a hole going out so early for qualifying, because historically the first ten cars there face some challenges. We’ll do the best we can, and we’re looking at ways to maximize our qualifying effort and race up front. Track position is essential at Bristol, and it will be key as we look to go into Kansas with a better starting spot. It’s time for us to turn things around, and the off week was a good chance for us to reset and come back stronger.”

ERIK JONES
NO. 43 ADVENTHEALTH TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
JONES BRISTOL STATS: Sunday’s Food City 500 will mark Erik Jones’ 16th NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway on the concrete oval. In his prior 15 starts, he earned four top-fives, five top-10s, and led 293 laps at the .533-mile oval. He earned a best finish of second from the pole in August 2017 during his rookie season. He led 260 of the 500 laps and finished 1.422 seconds behind race winner Kyle Busch. Jones has an additional three starts on the dirt at Bristol where he has a best finish of ninth in the inaugural dirt race in March 2021. He has an additional seven starts outside of the Cup Series at Bristol – six in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Jones has an impressive career at Bristol in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series – earning three pole positions (April 2015, April 2016, and August 2016), two wins (April 2016 and April 2017), three top-fives, and four top-10s. In his lone Truck Series start at Bristol in August 2015, Jones started fourth and finished sixth.

WINNER AT BRISTOL: Early in his career, Jones was a contender to win each time he rolled into Bristol in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Besides his three back-to-back poles between April 2015 and August 2016, Jones owns two victories at the .533-mile, concrete oval. He found himself in victory lane for the first time in April 2016 during his only full-time season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He started on the pole, led 62 laps, and beat runner-up Kyle Busch by .418 seconds to find his first of four victories during the 2016 season. He followed that up in April 2017 while he was running his rookie season in the NASAR Cup Series. Jones returned to the series and started fourth in the race at Bristol. He led 27 laps en route to his .344 second win over runner-up Ryan Blaney.

ALEXANDER AT BRISTOL: The Food City 500 will mark crew chief Justin Alexander’s 14th NASCAR Cup Series race on top of the box at the .533-mile, concrete oval of Bristol Motor Speedway. In his 13 prior races, he earned a best finish of sixth in May 2020 with Austin Dillon. Alexander owns another two starts at Bristol in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, where his team never finished worse than 13th and never started worse than fifth. Alexander won at Bristol in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Austin Dillon in August 2016 after the duo started fifth and led four laps to best Justin Allgaier by .277 seconds.

ERIK JONES QUOTE:
“Bristol should be a good race. It’s honestly been a somewhat challenging track for me in the NextGen car. I don’t feel like we’ve really hit on it yet so we can have something that’s really good for us. It’s just kind of been a wild card with the tire situation – some races have high tire fall off and shred tires after 50 laps and some races it doesn’t seem like that’s an issue. There are some things you can do to help conserve tires, but it takes away from performance. So, you have to a lot of variables and unknowns going into Bristol, but it’s always a fun track and a really cool one to drive in general. We’ll get there and see what we’ve got.”

JUSTIN ALEXANDER QUOTE:
“There aren’t many similarities between Martinsville and Bristol, other than track length. Both are short tracks but completely different when setting up the cars. This weekend will be the first time with the high horsepower/low downforce package at Bristol, so that will be our biggest challenge going into the weekend. We’ll have to change setups slightly to compensate for the different package. Another challenge we sometimes face at Bristol is high tire wear and falloff. We’re unsure exactly what we’ll see so we have to prepared for anything. Bristol is always an exciting, fast paced race and no matter what kind of race unfolds, it will be fun to watch.”

CLUB MINUTES:
JJ AT BRISTOL: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson owns 38 starts in the Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway. He collected two wins, 13 top-fives, and 22 top-10s over his career as well as having led 914 laps. He scored his first win at Bristol in March 2010 when he started fourth in the Food City 500. Johnson led a total of 84 laps to finish .894 seconds ahead of Tony Stewart. He won his second race at Bristol in April 2017. He started 11th for the 500-lap race and led 81 laps en route to a 1.199 second margin of victory of Clint Bowyer. Johnson has an additional five starts outside of the Cup Series – four in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He earned a best finish of fourth in his March 2001 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start. In his lone career Truck Series start, Johnson started ninth in August 2008 and led 29 laps prior to being involved in a wreck on Lap 101 that ended his Truck Series debut early.

KENSETH BRISTOL STATS: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB competition advisor and 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth also owns 38 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol. He accumulated a total of four victories, 15 top-fives, and 22 top-10s as well as 1,583 laps led. Kenseth scored his first victory in the August 2005 Bristol Night Race. He started from the pole and led 415 of 500 laps to finish .511 seconds ahead of Jeff Burton. He followed that up in the August 2005 night race where he started fourth and found himself in victory lane once again after leading 117 laps. He finished .591 seconds ahead of runner-up Kyle Busch. In the August 2013 night race, Kenseth started fifth and led 149 laps to finish .188 seconds ahead of runner-up Kasey Kahne. His fourth and final victory came in the April 2015 Food City 500 where he once again started on the pole. Kenseth led 47 laps en route to a .287 second margin of victory over Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth has an additional 18 starts at Bristol in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He owns three victories (August 1999, March 2001, and August 2006), 11 top-fives, and 11 top-10s as well as 504 laps led.

THE KING AT BRISTOL: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB ambassador and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Richard Petty owns 60 starts in the Cup Series at Bristol dating back to July 1961. During his legendary career, Petty earned three wins, 26 top-fives, and 37 top-10s at Bristol in addition to leading 2,212 laps. He earned his first victory from the pole in July 1967 where he led 225 laps. He won again in March 1975 when he started second, led 243 laps, and bested Benny Parsons. His final win came in November 1975 where Petty started fourth and led 218 laps to find victory lane.

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT:

Take a full walkthrough of the 2027 Newmar Essex used by Legacy Motor Club during the NASCAR season!

CLUB APPEARANCES:
John Hunter Nemechek will make an appearance at the Food City Stage in the fan zone on Saturday, April 11 at 2:45 p.m. local time. He will be at the trackside merchandise trailer at 12:00 p.m. local time to sign autographs on Sunday, April 12.

TUNE IN:
Fans can tune in to watch the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m. EDT on FS1, MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

POWEREDGE RETURNS AS PRESENTING SPONSOR OF DENSO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS AT SONOMA RACEWAY

Official Release

April 7, 2026

SONOMA, Calif. (April 7, 2026) – NHRA officials announced today the return of PowerEdge, a line of high-quality, competitively-priced commercial and heavy-duty truck aftermarket products, as the presenting sponsor of the 38th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at scenic Sonoma Raceway.

The DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge takes place July 17-19 in Sonoma and will serve as the 11th of 20 events during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, as part of NHRA’s yearlong 75th anniversary celebration.

NHRA’s annual stop at picturesque Sonoma Raceway remains a highlight for racers and fans alike. For nearly four decades, fans have packed the standout facility, which is traditionally one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA tour.

“We’re proud to once again showcase PowerEdge as the presenting sponsor of the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals,” said Jose Ramirez, Senior Manager, Sales. “As the PowerEdge brand continues to gain momentum, this partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering dependable, high‑quality solutions while connecting with the race teams, fans, and communities that share our passion for performance.”

The 2026 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge will again feature the GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout. The top eight riders of the Pro Stock Motorcycle class will compete in the Callout-style specialty event with big money and bragging rights on the line.

DENSO‑sponsored six‑time world champion Matt Smith has dominated the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All‑Star Callout, winning the event in both 2024 and 2025. This year, he’ll face stiff competition from reigning world champion and event winner Richard Gadson and his teammate, two‑time champ Gaige Herrera.

The 2025 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge featured wins from Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle). Brittany Force wowed fans on Friday night last year as well with an incredible run of 343.16-mph, which served as the fastest run in Top Fuel history until Force again broke the mark later in the year.

Kalitta became the winningest Top Fuel driver in Sonoma with his sixth win at the track last year, while other past Sonoma winners include multi-time world champions Antron Brown, who has five wins, Ron Capps, who leads active Funny Car racers with four wins in wine country, and Greg Anderson, who also has six Sonoma victories.

“We’re thrilled to have PowerEdge return as the presenting sponsor of the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “PowerEdge has established itself as an exciting player in the aftermarket space, and this partnership continues to be a natural fit with NHRA’s passionate fanbase. We’re proud to showcase the PowerEdge brand in Sonoma at one of the most anticipated events during our 75th anniversary season.”

To purchase tickets to the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge, fans can visit www.sonomaraceway.com or call 800-870-7223. For more information about NHRA, including the 2026 schedule, visit www.NHRA.com.

About DENSO and PowerEdge

Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO is a $47.9 billion leading mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in around 180 facilities worldwide to provide opportunities for rewarding careers and to produce cutting-edge electrification, powertrain, thermal and mobility electronics products, among others, that change how the world moves. In developing such solutions, the company’s 158,000 global employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. DENSO spent around 8.6 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. For more information about DENSO’s operations worldwide, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/.

In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 27,000+ team members across nearly 50 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, DENSO in North America generated $12.5 billion in consolidated sales. To learn more about DENSO operations in the region and explore career opportunities, please visit https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/. 

PowerEdge® is a value-driven line of high quality and durable aftermarket products, designed to deliver performance, and reliability. Backed by the sales, service, and logistics support of DENSO Products and Services Americas, Inc.—DENSO’s North American aftermarket headquarters in Long Beach, California—PowerEdge brings trusted quality at a competitive price. For more information, visit https://www.poweredgeproducts.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Ford Racing NASCAR – Bristol 1 Advance

Official Release

April 7, 2026

BRISTOL 1

Friday, April 10 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, April 11 – NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, 7:30 p.m. ET (CW)
Sunday, April 12– NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. ET (FS1)

A NASCAR tripleheader is on tap this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway as all three top touring series compete at the same venue for the fourth time this season. The Front Row Motorsports duo of Chandler Smith and Layne Riggs have combined to win the last three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with each of them going to Victory Lane in 2025.

CONSISTENT BLANEY LOOKING FOR FIRST BRISTOL WIN

Ryan Blaney’s trademark consistency has been on display all season and it continued two weeks ago with a sixth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway. That marked Blaney’s fifth top-10 finish in the last six races, which includes a win at Phoenix Raceway. As a result, he’s second in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, trailing leader Tyler Reddick by 82 points. Blaney heads into this weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway still looking for his first win, but he’s finished sixth or better in each of the last three races.

SITTING ON 749

The next Ford win will be its 750th all-time in NASCAR’s top series. Ned Jarrett is Ford’s win leader with 43 while Bill Elliott is second with 40. Shirtless Jimmy Florian scored the Blue Oval’s first series victory when he upset the likes of Lee Petty, Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly at Dayton Speedway on June 25, 1950. Florian earned his nickname after getting out of his 1950 flathead Ford without a shirt. Overall, 91 drivers have won at least one series race with Ford, including notable drivers Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty, and Dale Earnhardt.

ACTIVE BRISTOL WINNERS

Three current Ford drivers have at least one NASCAR Cup Series victory on the concrete of Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski has three wins, including one with Ford in 2020, while Joey Logano owns a pair (2014-15) and Chris Buescher has one (2022). Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch each had five victories to lead Ford all-time while David Pearson is next with four.

FORD’S BRISTOL TRIFECTA

Two drivers have won at least one race in all three of NASCAR’s top touring series at Bristol Motor Speedway with Ford. Mark Martin was the first to do it as he got Ford’s first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at the track in 1989, and then followed that up with a Cup Series win in 1993 and Truck triumph in 2006. He did all of those while driving for Jack Roush, who also produced the other name on the list – Carl Edwards. The NASCAR Hall of Famer did it in order, winning in the Truck Series in 2004 and then the O’Reilly Series in 2006 before completing the trifecta in 2007 at the Cup level. Ryan Blaney could join that list this weekend if he can win Sunday’s Food City 500.

BRAD KESELOWSKI: “When I think of Bristol, I just think of everything that racing should be – tight confines and cars on top of each other on a fast half-mile short track with the high banks. You don’t have a second to breathe and I just love the in-your-face challenge that is Bristol.”

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND

As NASA’s Artemis II rocket continues its historic test flight around the moon, it seems appropriate to go back to July 20, 1969. While Neil Armstrong was making history as the first man on the moon, David Pearson was busy winning at Bristol in the first race since the track installed high banking. What made the race even more interesting is that Pearson was relieved during the race by none other than Richard Petty, who was driving a Ford that season and dropped out earlier in the event. Even more ironic is that Petty was chasing Pearson for the championship that season, one in which Pearson eventually won for the second straight time.

A THREE SERIES SWEEP

One of the most memorable Ford weekends at Bristol came in August of 2014 when Ford swept all three NASCAR series races – Craftsman Truck, O’Reilly and Cup. Brad Keselowski captured his first NCTS victory while Ryan Blaney took the O’Reilly – then Xfinity – Series event. Joey Logano capped the weekend sweep when he passed Matt Kenseth with 45 laps to go and then had to hold off Keselowski to post his third win of the 2014 season. Logano was in control until caution came out with 69 laps to go. While he pitted for four tires, Kenseth and others stayed out which put Logano sixth on the ensuing restart with 63 to go. With fresh tires, however, he was able to move to the front in less than 20 laps and then hold off his Penske teammate down the stretch. It marked the first time Ford swept all three divisions in the same weekend since 2006 when Mark Martin (NCTS) and Kenseth (NOAPS and NCS) did it, ironically, at Bristol.

FORD AND FRONT ROW GOING FOR FOUR STRAIGHT AT BRISTOL

Ford Racing and Front Row Motorsports swept the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway a year ago as Chandler Smith and Layne Riggs each went to Victory Lane. That extended the organization’s win streak to three with Riggs winning twice during that span. Smith captured this event last season, leading a race-high 127 laps, while Riggs recovered from a spin on lap one to take the playoff race and advanced to the Round of 8.

FOUR IN THE TOP EIGHT

Ford Racing has half of the top eight drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series point standings, led by Layne Riggs, Chandler Smith and Ty Majeski in third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Smith (Daytona) and Riggs (St. Pete) have one victory apiece while Majeski has one runner-up finish (St. Pete) and three top-10 efforts in the first five events. Ben Rhodes rounds out the foursome as he sits eighth in the standings.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT BRISTOL (CONCRETE ONLY)

1963 – Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)

1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett

1966 – Dick Hutcherson (1)

1968 – David Pearson (Sweep)

1969 – David Pearson (2)

1970 – Donnie Allison (1)

1971 – David Pearson (1)

1988 – Bill Elliott (1)

1990 – Davey Allison (1)

1991 – Alan Kulwicki (2)

1992 – Alan Kulwicki (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1996 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)

1998 – Mark Martin (2)

1999 – Rusty Wallace (1)

2000 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)

2001 – Elliott Sadler (1)

2002 – Kurt Busch (1)

2003 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)

2004 – Kurt Busch (1)

2005 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (2)

2008 – Carl Edwards (2)

2014 – Carl Edwards and Joey Logano

2015 – Joey Logano (2)

2018 – Kurt Busch (2)

2020 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)

2022 – Chris Buescher (2)

FORD’S NASCAR NOAPS SERIES WINNERS

AT BRISTOL

1989 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Kenny Wallace (2)

1996 – Mark Martin (1)

1997 – Jeff Burton (1)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (1)

2009 – David Ragan (2)

2014 – Ryan Blaney (2)

2015 – Joey Logano (1)

2020 – Chase Briscoe (2)

2024 – Cole Custer

FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL (CONCRETE ONLY)

1995 – Joe Ruttman

2004 – Carl Edwards

2006 – Mark Martin

2014 – Brad Keselowski

2015 – Ryan Blaney

2024 – Layne Riggs

2025 – Chandler Smith (1) and Layne Riggs (2)

The Ford Mustang is the world’s best selling sports car and one of its most popular race cars. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke regional one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 35 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines. Learn more about Mustang at www.FordRacing.com .

Arby’s becomes Supporting Partner of NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril

Official Release

April 7, 2026

Excitement continues building for historic event at Naval Base Coronado, June 19-21

SAN DIEGO (April 7, 2026) – Arby’s has “The Meats.” NASCAR has the racing. Together they will combine those incredible ingredients to create an unforgettable experience for race fans, June 19-21, as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy.

That’s because NASCAR announced today that Arby’s will serve as a Supporting Partner of NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril, pairing two beloved brands built on passion, performance and delivering unforgettable moments for their devoted fans.

From the thunder of NASCAR to the unmistakable deliciousness of Arby’s classics, fans can expect a race weekend stacked with flavor as NASCAR embarks on its maiden voyage at Naval Base Coronado.

“As we quickly approach race weekend, it’s important to align with brands that are bold and memorable,” said Amy Lupo, President of NASCAR San Diego Race Weekend. “Arby’s brings energy, creativity and a loyal fan base that perfectly complements the excitement of NASCAR. We’re thrilled to welcome them to this historic event.”

Arby’s, the beloved fast-food chain renowned for its delicious sandwiches and signature sauces, offers a variety of high-quality proteins and innovative, crave-able sides, such as Curly Fries and Jamocha shakes. Arby’s restaurant services feature a unique blend of quick-serve speed combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual.

Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. is the franchisor of the Arby’s Brand and is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Founded in 1964, Arby’s is a leading sandwich drive-thru restaurant brand with more than 3,600 restaurants globally.

Most importantly, Arby’s is no stranger to NASCAR fans. The brand is also a partner of JR Motorsports and can be seen on the cars of NASCAR O’Reilly Parts Series stalwarts Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil and Sammy Smith throughout the season. Arby’s also served as a Founding Partner of the 2025 Chicago Street Race, bringing its signature blend of fun and flavor to one of NASCAR’s most memorable events. NASCAR fans will receive a solid serving of both during NASCAR San Diego Weekend as Arby’s branding and activation will be prominent on Naval Base Coronado.

Arby’s joins Pala Casino Golf Resort & Spa and Camping World as supporting partners of NASCAR San Diego Weekend presented by Anduril. More supporting partners will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Racing action at Naval Base Coronado begins with Navy Community Day on Friday, June 19. Friday access will be open exclusively to members of the U.S. Navy at Naval Base Coronado and a limited amount of Coronado residents, culminating with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race.

Ticket holders from the general public will be welcome aboard June 20-21. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will take center stage on Saturday, June 20, and the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will compete in the Anduril 250 Race the Base on Sunday, June 21.

Race fans are encouraged to visit www.nascarsandiego.com for the latest information.

About Arby’s.

Arby’s, founded in 1964, is a leading destination for high-quality meat-crafted sandwiches, with more than 3,500 restaurants in six global markets. Arby’s is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit Arbys.com and InspireBrands.com.

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 15 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts 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 Local Racing Series powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). 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.

About Naval Base Coronado

Naval Base Coronado is home to 17 squadrons, three aircraft carriers, four SEAL Teams, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command squadrons, and other air, surface and subsurface commands. Notable commands include Commander Naval Air Forces, Naval Surface Force Pacific, Commander Naval Special Warfare, and the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest. For more information about Naval Base Coronado and its tenant commands, visit cnrsw.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAVBASE-Coronado and follow Naval Base Coronado on Facebook.

About Sports San Diego

Recognizing that San Diego is a premier tourist destination, the mission of Sports San Diego, a non-profit 501c3 organization, is to generate tourism, visibility, and economic impact for the San Diego region by producing the Rady Children’s Invitational, Holiday Bowl, California State Games, and recruiting outstanding sports events and experiences to San Diego. Since 1978, the association has generated more than $1 billion in economic benefit for the San Diego region.

Why Ford F-150 Owners Are Upgrading Their Mud Flaps in 2025

April 7, 2026

If you drive a Ford F-150, you already know it is more than just a truck. It is a daily workhorse, a weekend adventure vehicle, and for many, a point of pride. Whether you are navigating job sites, cruising through city streets, or heading off-road, your truck takes on a lot. That is exactly why more owners in 2025 are paying closer attention to one often overlooked upgrade: mud flaps.

What used to be seen as a purely functional add-on has now evolved into something far more important. Today’s Ford F-150 Splash Guards are designed not only to protect your truck but also to enhance its overall performance, appearance, and long-term value. If you have been considering an upgrade or wondering why so many F-150 drivers are making the switch, you are in the right place.

The Growing Demand for Better Truck Protection

Let’s start with the obvious. Trucks are built to handle tough conditions, but that does not mean they are immune to damage. In fact, the more you use your F-150, the more exposure it has to debris, mud, gravel, and road salt.

In 2025, drivers are becoming more proactive about protecting their vehicles. Instead of waiting for chips, scratches, or rust to appear, they are investing in preventative solutions. That is where upgraded mud flaps come in.

Modern Ford F-150 Splash Guards are designed to:

Block road debris before it hits your paint
Reduce buildup of mud and grime along the body
Protect undercarriage components from long-term wear
Minimize damage caused by harsh weather conditions

This shift toward prevention is one of the biggest reasons behind the surge in upgrades.

Factory Mud Flaps vs. Aftermarket Options

If your truck came with factory-installed mud flaps, you might be wondering why an upgrade is even necessary. While OEM options do provide basic protection, they are often designed with cost-efficiency and general use in mind.

Aftermarket Ford F-150 Splash Guards, on the other hand, are built with performance and durability as top priorities.

Here is where they typically stand apart:

Thicker, more impact-resistant materials
Custom-fit designs tailored to specific F-150 models
Improved coverage for wider tires and lifted trucks
Enhanced styling that complements modern truck aesthetics

For many owners, the difference becomes clear after just a few drives in rough conditions.

Aesthetic Upgrades That Match Modern Truck Styling

Let’s be honest. Function matters, but looks matter too.

The Ford F-150 has always been known for its bold design, and in 2025, customization is a major part of truck ownership. Drivers want accessories that not only perform well but also enhance the overall appearance of their vehicle.

Upgraded mud flaps now come in a variety of styles, including:

Sleek, low-profile designs for a clean look
Heavy-duty options with rugged, aggressive styling
Textured finishes that match factory trim
Branded or logo-enhanced variations for added personality

Instead of looking like an afterthought, modern Ford F-150 Splash Guards are designed to feel like a natural extension of the truck itself.

Increased Popularity of Off-Road and Overlanding

Another major factor driving this trend is the continued rise of off-roading and overlanding. More F-150 owners are taking their trucks beyond paved roads and into environments where protection becomes even more critical.

When you are driving through dirt trails, rocky terrain, or muddy paths, your tires can kick up a surprising amount of debris. Without proper protection, that debris can:

Chip paint along the sides of your truck
Damage wheel wells and fender areas
Create buildup that is difficult to clean

Upgraded Ford F-150 Splash Guards are specifically designed to handle these conditions. They provide extended coverage and durability that standard options simply cannot match.

Protection for Larger Tires and Lifted Trucks

Truck modifications are more popular than ever, and many F-150 owners are upgrading to larger tires or adding lift kits. While these upgrades improve performance and appearance, they also increase the amount of debris your tires can throw.

This creates a new challenge.

Standard mud flaps often fall short when paired with larger tires, leaving parts of your truck exposed. Aftermarket Ford F-150 Splash Guards address this issue by offering:

Wider coverage to accommodate oversized tires
Flexible materials that withstand increased impact
Adjustable mounting options for customized setups

If your truck has been modified, upgrading your mud flaps is not just a nice-to-have. It is a necessity.

Long-Term Cost Savings

It is easy to overlook small upgrades when thinking about vehicle expenses, but mud flaps can actually save you money over time.

Without proper protection, your truck is more susceptible to:

Paint damage that requires touch-ups or repainting
Rust caused by trapped moisture and debris
Wear and tear on underbody components

Repairing these issues can quickly add up. By investing in high-quality Ford F-150 Splash Guards, many owners are avoiding these costs altogether.

Think of it as a small upfront investment that helps protect a much larger one.

Improved Driving Experience in All Conditions

Beyond protection and aesthetics, upgraded mud flaps can also improve your overall driving experience.

In wet or muddy conditions, they help reduce:

Water spray that affects visibility for other drivers
Debris being thrown onto nearby vehicles
Road noise caused by loose gravel hitting the truck

This makes for a cleaner, safer, and more comfortable drive, whether you are on the highway or navigating rough terrain.

Easy Installation and Easy Maintenance

Another reason more F-150 owners are making the switch in 2025 is how easy it has become to install and maintain upgraded mud flaps.

Many modern Ford F-150 Splash Guards are designed with:

No-drill installation options
Pre-aligned mounting points
Durable materials that resist cracking and fading
Easy-to-clean surfaces that simplify maintenance

For most drivers, installation can be completed in under an hour, making it one of the simplest upgrades you can make.

Environmental and Seasonal Considerations

Depending on where you drive, your truck may face different environmental challenges throughout the year.

In colder climates, road salt and slush can accelerate corrosion. In warmer or off-road environments, dust and debris can build up quickly. Either way, your truck is constantly exposed to elements that can impact its condition.

Upgraded Ford F-150 Splash Guards provide an extra layer of defense against these seasonal factors, helping your truck stay in better shape year-round.

Choosing the Right Mud Flaps for Your F-150

With so many options available, choosing the right mud flaps can feel overwhelming. The key is to focus on your specific needs and how you use your truck.

Consider the following:

Do you primarily drive on highways, job sites, or off-road trails?
Have you modified your truck with larger tires or a lift kit?
Are you looking for a subtle upgrade or a bold visual statement?

By answering these questions, you can narrow down your options and find Ford F-150 Splash Guards that align with your driving style and preferences.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ford F-150 Splash Guards

Do mud flaps really make a difference?
Yes, they significantly reduce the amount of debris that hits your truck, helping to protect paint and components over time.

Are aftermarket mud flaps better than factory ones?
In most cases, aftermarket options offer better durability, coverage, and customization.

Will mud flaps affect fuel efficiency?
The impact is minimal and typically not noticeable for everyday driving.

Can I install mud flaps myself?
Yes, many modern designs are built for easy, no-drill installation.

Do I need different mud flaps for lifted trucks?
Yes, lifted trucks often require larger or adjustable mud flaps to ensure proper coverage.

A Small Upgrade That Makes a Big Difference

It is interesting how some of the most impactful upgrades are also the simplest. Mud flaps might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about improving your Ford F-150, but in 2025, they are quickly becoming one of the smartest investments you can make.

With better materials, improved designs, and a stronger focus on both protection and style, modern Ford F-150 Splash Guards offer far more than basic functionality. They help preserve your truck’s appearance, reduce long-term maintenance costs, and enhance your overall driving experience in ways that are hard to ignore.

If you are already taking pride in how your truck performs and looks, upgrading your mud flaps is a natural next step. It is a simple change that delivers lasting benefits, keeping your F-150 looking sharp and ready for whatever the road or trail throws your way.

Todd Lesenko Pomona Advance for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals

Official Release

April 7, 2026

Todd Lesenko

Mooneyes Funny Car Driver for Jim Dunn Racing
Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals
April 9-12 | Pomona, California

Event Overview
Friday, April 10 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 2 p.m. PDT/5 p.m. EDT
Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 4:30 p.m. PDT/7:30 p.m. EDT

Saturday, April 11 (Nitro Qualifying & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

Nitro qualifying session (Q3) / Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge – Semifinals: 12:30 p.m. PDT/3:30 p.m. EDT
Nitro qualifying session (Q4) / Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge – Finals: 3 p.m. PDT/6 p.m. EDT

Sunday, April 12 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

Round 1: 11 a.m. PDT/2 p.m. EDT
Round 2: 1:10 p.m. PDT/4:10 p.m. EDT
Semifinals: 2:50 p.m. PDT/5:50 p.m. EDT
Finals: 4:20 p.m. PDT/7:20 p.m. EDT

TV coverage on FS1

Sunday, April 12: Qualifying show, recapping all of Friday and Saturday’s action (8:30 a.m. PDT/11:30 a.m. EDT)
Sunday, April 12: Finals show (3:30 p.m. PDT/6:30 p.m. EDT)

Notes of Interest

The Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals is the third event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ 20-race calendar in 2026. Jim Dunn Racing brings its one full-time entry in Funny Car for Todd Lesenko. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Lesenko competed in the NHRA Funny Car class in 2012 for Jim Dunn Racing, so 2026 marks a homecoming for Lesenko and the iconic racing team.

As the NHRA celebrates its landmark 75th season in 2026, Jim Dunn Racing is celebrating 76 years of success in drag racing. Jim started drag racing when he was 15 years old and at 91 years old, he plans to keep going as long as he can. In 2024, Jim received the NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award. He has won some of the sport’s most significant races and has provided driving opportunities for some of the biggest names in the sport.

Coming into Pomona, Lesenko is 21st in the Funny Car standings, 154 points behind leader Chad Green.

Mooneyes is the primary partner of Lesenko this weekend in Pomona. Mooneyes products and logos are an indelible part of hot rod nostalgia, easily recognizable to gearheads and novices alike. They take pride in producing high-quality products that look great and get the job done right. Mooneyes produces Moon Fuel Blocks, Moon Tanks, Moon Discs, and Moon Valve Covers among other original parts right on site in their machine shop. They also supply various parts and accessories for hot rods and kustoms as well as an expanding like of custom motorcycle products. Located in the same place since it all started back in the 1950s, Mooneyes is located in Santa Fe Springs, California.

The Winternationals will mark Lesenko’s 26th career Funny Car appearance, and his second Funny Car appearance at Pomona.

Lesenko is seeking his first win and No. 1 qualifier at the Winternationals. In 2012, he qualified 16th and upset No. 1 qualifier Robert Hight in round one before losing to Ron Capps in the second round.

Jim Dunn Racing drivers have reached the Winternationals’ semifinals three times since the team started competing in the Funny Car division in 1972. After qualifying fourth, Mike Dunn lost to Glenn Mikres in the semifinals in 1991. Three years later, Kenji Okazaki lost in the semifinals to K.C. Spurlock and, most recently, in 2021, Jim Campbell lost in the semis to J.R. Todd.

Jim Dunn won class at the Winternationals driving an altered in 1963 and 1964 and was the Top Fuel runner-up to Mike Snively in 1966. Three years thereafter (1969), he lost in the Winternationals semifinals to Don Prudhomme just a month before earning the biggest win of his driving career (at the 1969 Bakersfield Fuel and Gas Championships).

The Winternationals marks a home event for Jim Dunn Racing, with the team being based roughly 44 miles away from In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Long Beach, California.

The 2026 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals marks the 1,000th race in NHRA Funny Car history. A loaded Funny Car field will race for not only the special 75th anniversary diamond Wally, but also a special 1,000th Funny Car race trophy, with it all happening at the historic track in Pomona.
Todd Lesenko, Driver of the Jim Dunn Racing Mooneyes Funny Car
The Winternationals marks the 1,000th race in Funny Car history. How special would it be having a successful weekend at Jim Dunn Racing’s home event?

“It would mean the world to me to have a successful weekend for Jim Dunn and the entire team at his home track here in Pomona. Being that it’s NHRA’s 1000th race and their 75th year makes it really special. How exciting that I’m going to be racing in front of his home crowd and with all the great legends attending the event (Jim Dunn, Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme, Richard Thorpe, Gary Beck, Brad Anderson, and Bruce Larsen). I’m not only looking forward to competing, but I’m also looking to get their autographs!”

Unsafe Backing Ticket: What It Means

April 7, 2026

depositphotos_326983068-stock-photo-conception-business-backing-close-view — Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

Statistics report an average of 18,000 parking backover injuries. This figure includes data from public roads and off-street parking. Backover incidents result in 292 deaths per year.

When backing up, there are many cases wherein one hits an object or a person by accident. If such an incident happens, one can expect to receive a ticket for the traffic violation.

Your unsafe backing ticket shows that you have made a serious driving mistake. The violation occurs when a driver fails to check their environment and fails to use safety equipment. It can also occur when you reverse in inappropriate areas.

Let’s examine some of the implications of unsafe backing and how these consequences affect an individual.

What Is an Unsafe Backing Ticket?

An unsafe backing ticket is when a driver backs up without utilizing appropriate precautions. If the driver was not careful, reversing could lead to the vehicle hitting or injuring someone. Usually, this action ends up occurring with the oversight of the driver’s rearview mirrors or if the rear camera is not functional.

The ticket you received indicates that you failed to operate in a safe manner in reverse. Failure to maintain safety when reversing can result in personal injury claims from people whom you accidentally hit. A personal injury claim arises when a person’s negligent actions cause injury, which in this case was caused by unsafe backing. For more information about personal injury, visit https://lallofeldman.com/.

This offense will remain in your driving history and may end up costing you higher insurance rates. Officers usually issue tickets to prove that safe driving means maintaining public safety.

Look behind when reversing your vehicle. Use your rearview mirror to guard against pedestrians or other possible obstructions. Observant drivers right around the vehicle can prevent unwarranted backing incidents.

Potential Consequences of Receiving an Unsafe Backing Ticket

Under the California Vehicle Code (CVC) for unsafe backing, drivers should not back up on a highway unless it can be completed safely without posing any hazard or causing any personal injury. This legal policy is in place to shield drivers when they back up in traffic since backing directly onto the highway can be especially unsafe.

The consequences of receiving an unsafe backing ticket extend beyond the payment of a fine. What you might have to face after receiving a ticket is an increase in insurance premiums. Having a traffic citation in your driving record makes you a “high-risk” client in the eyes of insurance companies. The increased costs of insurance premiums will drain you of your financial resources at a difficult time.

Receiving a ticket on your driving record also leads to more points and a suspended license. The fines will also cost you the money and time for defensive driving courses.

Certainly any ticket you receive will have negative repercussions on your employment since some employers view one’s driving records. This background review will greatly impact your chances of being hired for driving-related jobs.

Your life will experience various negative impacts from these consequences, which makes safe driving necessary for you to follow.

Common Scenarios for Receiving an Unsafe Backing Ticket

Drivers tend to drive unsafely when operating vehicles. Unsafe backing tickets are often given to drivers who lack awareness of their immediate surroundings.

Reversing through tight parking areas creates dangerous situations when drivers fail to detect other vehicles and existing obstacles. Also, the chances of colliding with obstacles and pedestrians increase without proper use of mirrors.

Distractions like smartphones and other gadgets can increase the risk of unsafe reversing that could lead to crashes. So, it’s necessary to keep your focus and avoid infractions when driving.

Tips for Avoiding Unsafe Backing Tickets

When backing, it’s important to stop and evaluate your environment first. Check for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles that might enter your path. Make use of your car’s mirror. Better still if you can make it a habit to look around before moving your car.

In crowded areas, backing can be tricky. In this situation, you can request assistance from spotters to help you. Drive backward at a slow speed. This will allow you to process your surroundings.

Parking lots cause a visibility hazard and pose risks to drivers since they are often filled with obstacles. Conduct an assessment of the surrounding area before putting your car in reverse.

Dealing with Legal Consequences of an Unsafe Backing Ticket

The presence of an unsafe backing ticket creates legal problems that require proper resolution, especially since some people wrongly believe it to be a trivial matter.

First, you should understand that accumulating tickets can result in higher insurance premiums or even loss of coverage. The legal system will issue a warrant when you fail to address the ticket. This failure may result in you facing the court and being penalized.

Address any traffic fines or consider filing a dispute if you believe the traffic ticket is incorrect. If you decide to contest, try to obtain evidence and develop a case.

A lawyer can assist in providing advice on possible penalties in your case, specifically if the situation involves damages to property or injury to people.

The unsafe backing ticket will lead to serious consequences if you do not follow these steps.

Best Practices for Safe Reversing on the Road

Drivers must examine their environment before they begin to back up their vehicles.

Drivers should use their mirrors while turning their heads to search for obstacles and pedestrians and other vehicles that exist in their driving area.

Back up your vehicle at a slow speed. The slower movement allows you to respond better during unexpected events.

Use a spotter whenever possible. For reasons of safety, having someone to guide you can be really beneficial. They can communicate danger or obstructions that you might not see.

Always make maximum use of the automatic backup camera system of your vehicle when it is engaged during reverse gear. Avoid relying too much on your backup camera system. You should also glance at the direction you are reversing to.

The implementation of these practices will decrease your accident probability while you achieve safer street reversing activities.

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SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

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Why Ford F-150 Owners Are Upgrading Their Mud Flaps in 2025

The Growing Demand for Better Truck Protection

Factory Mud Flaps vs. Aftermarket Options

Aesthetic Upgrades That Match Modern Truck Styling

Increased Popularity of Off-Road and Overlanding

Protection for Larger Tires and Lifted Trucks

Long-Term Cost Savings

Improved Driving Experience in All Conditions

Easy Installation and Easy Maintenance

Environmental and Seasonal Considerations

Choosing the Right Mud Flaps for Your F-150

Frequently Asked Questions About Ford F-150 Splash Guards

A Small Upgrade That Makes a Big Difference

Todd Lesenko Pomona Advance for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals

Unsafe Backing Ticket: What It Means

What Is an Unsafe Backing Ticket?

Potential Consequences of Receiving an Unsafe Backing Ticket

Common Scenarios for Receiving an Unsafe Backing Ticket

Tips for Avoiding Unsafe Backing Tickets

Dealing with Legal Consequences of an Unsafe Backing Ticket

Best Practices for Safe Reversing on the Road

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

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