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Spire Motorsports Mission 176 at The Glen Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • Spire Motorsports will field four entries in the team’s first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Connor Zilisch owns the team’s best finish on a road course, when he won the pole and finished fourth in his series debut last March at Circuit of the Americas. The Mooresville, N.C., organization fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets full time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Nos. 07 and 7 entries will see a rotating roster of all-star caliber drivers throughout the season, while Rajah Caruth and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Andres Perez de Lara will pilot the Nos. 71 and 77, respectively, for the full slate of races.
  • The Mission 176 at The Glen will be televised live on FS1 Friday, Aug. 8 beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 17th of 25 races on the 2025 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.

Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Kyle Busch will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 07 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s Mission 176 at Watkins Glen International.
  • While the 40-year-old has yet to make a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at the famed circuit, he has made three series appearances on road courses, tallying one win, three top fives, 88 laps led in 163 laps contested (53.98 percent), while earning a 2.0 average finish. Aside from snagging third- and second-place finishes at Circuit of the Americas in 2022 and 2023, respectively, Busch secured the win in the division’s 2022 visit to Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Busch led 45 of the event’s 75 laps en route to the win. He took over the top spot for the final time on Lap 65 and survived multiple late race restarts to clinch his antepenultimate victory at Kyle Busch Motorsports.
  • One of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ all-time winningest driver’s 102 checkered flags came at “The Glen.” Busch bested an all-star of 10 current full-time Cup Series drivers to win the 2017 event at Watkins Glen, leading 43 laps in the process. In addition to the victory, the 2010 Xfinity Series champion collected six top fives, seven top 10s, 155 laps led and an average starting position of 5.3 in 12 series appearances at the venue.
  • The two-time Cup Series champion owns a pair of Watkins Glen wins in NASCAR’s premier series. In both 2008 and 2013, Busch staved off road course aces Marcos Ambrose and Juan Pablo Montoya to reach Victory Lane. In 19 Cup appearances at the seven-turn, 2.45-mile course, he has accrued two poles, two wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s, 249 laps led and an 11.7 average finish.
  • Busch has won across all three of NASCAR’s national series at 17 different tracks and looks to add Watkins Glen to the list with a win on Friday. He is one of three drivers to accomplish the feat at four or more venues, including Kevin Harvick (seven) and 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Mark Martin (four).
  • The Las Vegas native holds the record for most CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins (67) and lowest average finish in series history (6.5), while ranking second on the series’ all-time laps led list (8,130).
  • In his past 15 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series appearances, Busch has finished first or second nine times, six of which resulted in trips to Victory Lane.
  • 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.io or follow and connect with Gainbridge on X and LinkedIn.
  • Earlier this season, Busch defended his 2024 victory in the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, spending all 135 laps in the top 15, leading a race-high 80 laps and recording both a field-leading average running position (3.2) and driver rating (124.6).
  • Busch has made nine CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts for Spire Motorsports over the past two seasons and collected three wins, five top fives and six top 10s while pacing the field for 343 circuits.
  • “Rowdy” will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-076 this weekend. The truck saw action last month at Lime Rock Park with Thomas Annunziata at the wheel. Chase Purdy owns the prior three starts in the truck, including a chassis-best 13th-place result a Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2023.

Kyle Busch Quote
What are your thoughts heading into your final CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race of the season?
“Appreciate everyone at Spire allowing me to compete in the Truck Series again this year and looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Gainbridge Chevy for the final time this weekend. I’ve only raced on a road course in trucks a few times and this will be my first time in a truck at Watkins Glen. You never know how the schedule falls each year with the trucks and which races I’m able to compete in and even which tracks are on the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule, so it’d be cool to go out and add another track to the list where I’ve won in all three series across my career while I have the chance.”

Atop the No. 07 Box – Crew Chief Allen Hart

  • Allen Hart leads Spire Motorsports’ No. 07 team, an entry that has seen a rotating roster of drivers throughout the 2025 campaign.
  • As a race engineer at JR Motorsports, Hart played a key role in Justin Allgaier’s four consecutive (2017-2021) NASCAR Xfinity Series top fives at Watkins Glen.
  • Last time out at Indianapolis Raceway Park, the team and driver Brenden “Butterbean” Queen finished 16th.
  • The 43-year-old earned his first career win in a crew chief role in March’s Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After a spin midway through the Final Stage, Kyle Larson made an impressive run through the field over the event’s final 40 circuits, chasing down the leaders with two laps remaining to make the winning move.
  • Through 16 races, No. 07 team sits 10th in the division’s owner’s championship point standings on the strength of one win, four top-five and five top-10 finishes.

Sammy Smith – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Sammy Smith will drive Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 TMC Transportation Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s Mission 176 at Watkins Glen International.
  • Smith will pull double duty this weekend, also piloting JR Motorsports’ No. 8 Pilot Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Mission 200 at The Glen on Saturday.
  • Last time out with the No. 7 team at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, Smith battled day-long handling woes to secure a 10th-place finish in the No. 7 Silverado, his fourth such result in the series.
  • The 21-year-old has made six CRAFTSMAN Truck Series appearances for Spire Motorsports, registering one top five and four top 10s while recording a 10.3 average finishing position.
  • The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion competed in the 2022 ARCA event at the Finger Lakes region circuit. He qualified on the pole by 0.361 seconds and dominated the event, leading 39 of 41 laps, in what had the makings of a winning day. Unfortunately, contact initiated by a competitor on a late-race restart shuffled him to fifth in the final rundown.
  • One day after the heartbreaking finish to the ARCA Menards Series race, Smith returned to the course for his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start. He capitalized on several late-race incidents to secure, at the time, a series-best third-place finish.
  • In total, Smith has tallied three top fives in three ARCA Menards Series road course appearances. He has earned three top fives and nine top 10s in 20 road and street course races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
  • In 96 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Smith has earned three wins, 17 top fives and 45 top 10s. He secured wins at Phoenix Raceway (March 2023), Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 2024) and Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway (April 2025).
  • TMC Transportation celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 and is the nation’s largest employee-owned open deck transportation company. TMC provides expert transportation services and supply-chain management solutions throughout the 48 contiguous states. Founded in 1972, TMC is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and is known for its integrity, innovation, superior safety record, and dedication to quality and customer service. The company’s claim-free, on-time delivery record is the best in the business and is consistently recognized by its customers. Visit tmctrans.com.
  • Smith will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-071 Friday afternoon. While the truck was last on track in June at Lime Rock Park, it had previously seen action at Circuit of the Americas last March with Connor Zilisch at the controls. In his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut, Zilisch set a track record while claiming the pole position by 0.714 seconds. Despite a pair of early-race miscues, Zilisch battled through the field twice to earn a spirited fourth-place finish.
  • Before it was property of Spire Motorsports, chassis SMT-071 saw continued success as the primary road course truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Busch drove it to victory at Sonoma Raceway in June 2022, leading 45 of the event’s 75 laps en route to the team’s 95th win in the series.
  • In eight appearances, SMT-071 has tallied two poles, one win and five top fives while maintaining a 3.6 average starting position and an 11.1 average finish. The truck has paced the field for 93 circuits and led laps in five of its eight starts.

Sammy Smith Quote
You have had speed at Watkins Glen in both the Xfinity and ARCA cars in the past. How will you parlay that experience with your preparation in order to run up front this weekend?
“These Silverados handle much different than the Xfinity car. The trucks have way more grip and on-throttle time, whereas you have to peddle the Xfinity car and you slide around quite a bit. I’ve been in the simulator a bunch with the team, and I’m really looking forward to hitting the track on Friday. I know Brian (Pattie) and the No. 7 team will bring a fast TMC Transportation Chevy Silverado, and believe we will be able to compete up front.”

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 Zephyrhills, Fla., native has called 17 NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen. He led seven-time Formula One winner and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, Juan Pablo Montoya, to his second and final victory in NASCAR’s premier series at Watkins Glen in 2010. He dominated the event, leading 74 of 90 laps and crossing the line 4.735 seconds ahead of the runner up.
  • During his time at NEMCO Motorsports, Pattie worked with Canadian road course ace Ron Fellows, and the duo saw unmatched success at Watkins Glen. In the 50-year-old’s first and only prior CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race atop the box at the seven-turn, 2.45-mile circuit, Fellows qualified on the pole and secured the victory in 1999.
  • The day after securing the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory, the Pattie-Fellows duo sat on the pole and led 52 of the 82 laps in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event. Despite taking the white flag in the top spot, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., slipped by Fellows in Turn 1, forcing Pattie and Fellows to settle for second. The pairing returned to the course in 2000 and 2001 where they earned back-to-back Xfinity Series victories.
  • Last time out at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Corey Day started 16th and drove the No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Silverado to a career-best runner-up finish. It marked his second top five in his last two series appearances.
  • Through 16 races, the No. 7 team sits sixth in the division’s owner points standings on the strength of two wins, six top-five and seven top-10 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 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 has 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 Friday’s Mission 176 at Watkins Glen International.
  • The third-year CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver owns four series starts on road courses, highlighted by a 13th-place finish in 2023 at Circuit of the Americas. He includes two ARCA Menards Series road course races on his resume, including a 2022 Watkins Glen start, and a lone Xfinity Series appearance at the Charlotte ROVAL.
  • Last time out at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Caruth spent a majority of the day in the top 10, and after sustaining nose damage around the race’s halfway point, held on for the remainder of the evening to finish 10th.
  • In May’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway, Caruth held off hard-charging Corey Heim and Layne Riggs to earn his second-career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory and lock himself into the playoffs for the second-consecutive season. After hitting pit road for the final time in the third position, the No. 71 pit crew nailed the stop, putting their driver out front to start the Final Stage. He led the final 51 laps en route to the win.
  • Through the first 16 events on the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar, the Washington, D.C., native has earned one win, three top fives and nine top 10s, while pacing the field for 189 circuits – tripling his 57 laps led entering the year.
  • 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 2024 season marked a career year for Caruth, tallying one win, a pair of Cometic Gasket Pole Awards and five top-five finishes, all of which were the first of his young career. The 12 top-10 finishes on the season tripled Caruth’s total of four in 2023, while his average starting position of 10.7 was four positions higher than 2023 and his 11.6 average finish was an impressive seven positions higher.
  • 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.
  • Caruth and the No. 71 team qualified for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs in 2024, the first such appearance for the recent Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University graduate. Despite reaching the Round of 8, mechanical issues stalled his championship bid in the season’s penultimate event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
  • The blue and white HENDRICKCARS.COM colors will wrap Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-072. Last on track at Lime Rock Park, the truck owns two top fives and five top 10s in its eight appearances.

Rajah Caruth Quotes
The 2022 ARCA Menards Series race was your only prior visit to Watkins Glen. From your understanding, how has the track changed in the three years since you last raced there?
“The track has only aged since I was last there in 2022. They have also done some work on various parts of the course. They updated the bus stop with less harsh curbing on entry, and added ripples to the exit of Turn 1 and ‘The Carousel.’ I feel extremely prepared to get up there. I have been spending a lot of time in the simulator with my crew chief (Kevin “Bono” Manion) and engineer (Aaron Volf), and have been utilizing all my resources through the Wise GM Driver Development Program.”

You will make your fifth road course start in a truck this weekend. How do you think you have grown as a road racer in that time?
“I feel like I have grown into a respectable road racer in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field since my first road course race in 2023. Through my training, oversight and driver coaching over the years, I have developed the skills necessary to perform well at these kinds of tracks. I still have heights I want to reach, but considering I started from scratch, I feel like I am doing a good job. I expect to run further in the top 10 this weekend than we did last time out at Lime Rock.”

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

  • Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called 14 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series road course events, collecting three top 10 finishes. Zane Smith’s 2021 sixth-place result at Watkins Glen marked his best finish in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competiton.
  • The Boylston, Mass., native stood atop the ‘war wagon’ in Martin Truex, Jr.’s victory in the inaugural Xfinity Series event at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The win marked the first of six in the 2005 campaign for the Truex/Manion pairing. Just nine months later, the potent duo secured their second Xfinity Series title in as many seasons at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  • 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 its first victory in their second outing with William Byron behind the wheel 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.

Andres Perez de Lara – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Andres Perez de Lara will pilot the No. 77 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the Mission 176 at Watkins Glen International.
  • The Mexico City native will be making his second-career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series road course start at Watkins Glen. In four road-course appearances in the ARCA Menards Series, Perez de Lara registered one top five and two top 10s, including a fourth-place finish in last September’s General Tire 100 at The Glen.
  • Perez de Lara cut his teeth on road courses in his home country, Mexico. During the 2020 North and Central American Formula 4 Championship, Perez de Lara tallied four wins, 15 top fives, and 20 top 10s in 20 starts to secure Rookie of the Year honors.
  • In six road course starts in the NASCAR Mexico Series, the 2023 series Rookie of the Year tallied one top five and four top 10s. He picked up two wins at Autodromo de Queretaro, a nine-turn 1.42-mile circuit in the FB-Bohn Mikel’s Truck Series, a feeder series for NASCAR Mexico.
  • 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.
  • Beyond technology, Telcel is committed to supporting excellence in sports, particularly in motorsports. As a proud and long-time sponsor of Perez de Lara, Telcel fuels the passion for speed, precision and performance, driving success both on and off the track. Telcel will be a season-long partner with Perez de Lara and the No. 77 team.
  • The 20-year-old has made 18 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, 17 of which were behind the wheel of a Spire Motorsports Chevy Silverado. He earned his first-career top 10 in his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut last June at World Wide Technology Raceway via a ninth-place result. His career-best seventh-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in March marked his second top 10 in the series.
  • The 2024 ARCA Menards Series champion juggled his duties while also competing full time in the NASCAR Mexico Series. In 2023, he earned the Rookie of the Year award while finishing fourth in the division’s championship point standings and reaching the series’ version of the NASCAR playoffs.
  • Perez de Lara will pilot Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-061 on Friday. The chassis was last on track at Lime Rock Park, which was its’ first start since Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2022 with John Hunter Nemechek at the controls. In seven starts, the chassis has picked two runner-up finishes with Alex Tagliani (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, 2022) and John Hunter Nemechek (Circuit of the Americas, 2022).
  • Andres Perez de Lara Quotes
  • The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series has not visited Watkins Glen in a few years. How do you think the race will play out?
  • “Watkins Glen is the road course on the schedule with the most passing opportunities. There will be a lot of chances to gain spots and work your way to the front. Restarts will be chaotic, especially heading into Turn 1, comparable to what we saw on the final restart at Lime Rock. My goal is to be patiently aggressive and take my chances when available, but not press the issue. I do not want to put myself in a spot where I can hurt my chances at a good finish.”

How will your ARCA experience at Watkins Glen help you heading into the weekend?
“It will help a ton going into my first truck start there. I feel like I have a good handle on the track. I ran fairly well there the past two years in ARCA, so I am excited to get back. Watkins Glen is one of my favorite road courses I have ran. The team and I have put a lot of time in at the simulator to improve the road course program. We have found some things to get better for this weekend, and are focused on bringing home a good finish.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

  • Chad Walter has called eight CRAFTSMAN Truck Series road course events. Driver Tyler Ankrum earned Walter’s best result on a road course, a sixth-place result Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway’s road course configuration in 2020.
  • Walter is a mechanical engineering graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, located 30 miles from Watkins Glen. During his studies, he played defensive end for the Big Red football team. He hails from Albion, N.Y., positioned just west of Rochester.
  • In 19 road course events atop the NASCAR Xfinity Series box, the 54-year-old has tallied five top fives and seven top 10s. As a crew chief for the JR Motorsports’ No. 5 team, Walter reached Victory Lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with Ron Fellows in 2008. The duo elected to run long during a pit cycle as storms were approaching the circuit. When heavy rain descended upon the track on Lap 48, the race was deemed complete and Fellows was declared the winner.
  • During his time as a shop engineer at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Walter was part of Steve Park’s 2000 triumph at Watkins Glen. Park led 53 laps en route to his maiden Cup Series victory.
  • Between NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Walter has racked up six wins, 52 top fives and 131 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 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. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and an ARCA Menards Series Chevrolet in select events.

Kaden Honeycutt named driver of Halmar Friesen Racing Truck Series entry

By
Official Release
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STATESVILLE, NC. (August 5, 2025) – Kaden Honeycutt will fill in for Stewart Friesen for the balance of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season in the No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra TRD Pro starting with next weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway.

Friesen was injured while competing in a Super DIRTcar Series race at Canada’s Autrodrome Drummond on Monday, July 28. He was later transferred to a hospital in New York where he continues to make progress after undergoing several surgeries.

“While I continue to recover, it was important for us to put someone in our truck that can help us compete at the highest level,” said Friesen. “I know Kaden will deliver strong performance in our truck and allow us to continue to run for the owner’s championship.”

Honeycutt comes to Halmar Friesen Racing after achieving at a high level all season in his first full-time year in the NASCAR Truck Series. In 16 starts, the Texas-native has finished in the top-10 nine times, including two third-place finishes at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and Pocono Raceway in June. He comes into the race at Watkins Glen sixth in the standings with a 73-point buffer on the cutline for a NASCAR Playoff berth, which will potentially allow the No. 52 Toyota team to compete for both a driver and owner’s title this year.

“It’s an honor to be able to fill in for Stewart for the rest of the season and help give his team a chance at the owner’s championship, which they earned. I’m excited to compete in contending, race-winning equipment as I pursue a title this season,” said Honeycutt. “We are going to work hard to have a solid final eight races of the season and continue to deliver great results for Stewart, his family and this organization.”

2017 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Christopher Bell will drive the No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra this weekend at Watkins Glen International before Honeycutt takes over. Honeycutt’s run with Halmar Friesen Racing will begin next Friday, August 15 at Richmond Raceway with television coverage on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

HFT Advance | Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
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Watkins Glen Event Info:
Date: Sunday, August 10
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Watkins Glen, New York
Format: 90 Laps, 220.5 Miles, Stages: 20-40-90
TV: USA
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. ET, Xfinity Practice (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 10:35 a.m. ET, Xfinity Qualifying (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 12:05 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 1:10 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 2 p.m. ET, Xfinity Race (CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2 p.m. ET, Cup Race (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • NASCAR heads to New York as Watkins Glen’s 2.45-mile road course plays host to all three series this weekend.
  • Sam Mayer earned his second consecutive Iowa NXS victory, his first win of the season, and the eighth of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career last weekend. The victory marked the first for Haas Factory Team (HFT) and secured his spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs.
  • Mayer (9.9) is now tied with Connor Zilisch (9.9) for the best average finish among full-time Xfinity drivers this season.
  • His 18 finishes inside the top 15 also lead all Xfinity drivers this season.
  • Mayer has started inside the top 10 in eight of his last nine starts dating back to Nashville Superspeedway in May, including a pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago.
  • Sheldon Creed has recorded top-10 finishes in four of the last five starts dating back to the Chicago Street Course in early July.

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

Sheldon Creed Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Road Ranger

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

Custer at Watkins Glen (Cup)
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Custer makes his fourth Cup start at Watkins Glen this weekend, where he has a 19.0 average finish. His best finish came in 2022 when he crossed the line in 11th and led seven laps.
  • His best start was 19th in 2021, and he boasts a 27.3 average starting position.
  • Custer makes his 20th NCS road course start this weekend, where he has a best finish of 8th in Mexico City earlier this season.
  • He also has two career NXS road course wins, coming at Portland (2023) and the Chicago Street Race (2023).

Creed at Watkins Glen (Xfinity)
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

  • Creed is set to make his fourth Xfinity start at WGI on Saturday, where he is coming off runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024. He took home P8 in his only other start at the Glen in 2022.
  • He carries an 11.0 average starting position into the weekend, with a best start of ninth last season.
  • Creed has led 85 laps and has 10 career top-10 finishes across 23 career road course start in the Xfinity Series.

Mayer at Watkins Glen (Xfinity)
Starts: 4
Wins: 1 (2023)
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

  • Mayer is in line for his fifth Xfinity start at Watkins Glen this weekend, a race the he won in 2023 while driving for JRM after passing Ty Gibbs on the overtime restart.
  • He has started inside the top 10 in three of his four and has an average starting position of 10.0.
  • He has NXS road-course victories at the Charlotte Road Course (2023 & 2024), Watkins Glen (2023), and Elkhart Lake (2023).

Where They Stand
Cup Points Standings (41: 33rd): Custer is 33rd in the Cup Series points standings with 291 points heading into Watkins Glen this Sunday.

Xfinity Points Standings (41: 4th, 00: 10th): Mayer sits fourth in the Xfinity points standings with 756 total points on the season, behind the three multi-winners, while Creed is in 10th place with 611 points.

RFK Advance | Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
-

Watkins Glen Event Info:
Date: Sunday, August 10
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Watkins Glen, New York
Format: 90 Laps, 220.5 Miles, Stages: 20-40-90
TV: USA
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 12:05 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 1:10 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (TruTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2 p.m. ET, Cup Race (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • Chris Buescher earned his sixth career Cup Series win in last season’s Watkins Glen race, which marked the 143rd Cup win for Jack Roush and sixth under the RFK banner.
  • Buescher led 19 laps and passed Shane van Gisbergen on the final lap in the carousel to secure the dramatic victory last season.
  • Buescher is also making his first career Truck Series start this weekend for ThorSport Racing and will pilot the No. 66 FarmPaint.com Ford F-150 on Friday night.
  • Jack Roush has seven wins all-time at The Glen, with four coming in the NASCAR Cup Series.
  • RFK Racing has had multiple cars finish top five in back-to-back races (Indianapolis and Iowa) for the first time since Texas and Kansas in the spring of 2012
  • Buescher holds the third highest Cup Series this season with an average starting position of 11.1, anchored by 11 starts inside the top 10.
  • Buescher is also one of nine drivers with 11+ top-10 results this season, and has an average finish of 14.2 which is the seventh highest among Cup drivers.
  • Over his last seven races, Brad Keselowski has posted five top-10 finishes with an average finish of 11.0.
  • He has a trio of top-five finishes across his previous six races at Atlanta (2nd), Indianapolis (5th) and Iowa (3rd).
  • Ryan Preece (5,818) has completed the third most laps of any Cup Series driver this season, behind Tyler Reddick (5,851) and Chase Elliott (5,860).

6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Esperion

17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

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

Keselowski at Watkins Glen
Starts: 13
Wins: —
Top-10s: 6
Poles: 1 (2021)

  • Watkins Glen stands as Keselowski’s best road course statistically with a 14.8 average finish in 14 starts.
  • He has six top-10 finishes, including four inside the top five, with three career runner-up results – all of which came in consecutive races from 2011-13. Most recently, he finished 26th a season ago after starting 28th.
  • Keselowski has an average starting position of 13.6 at The Glen with six starts inside the top-10, and one pole in 2021.
  • He also made 10 Xfinity Series starts at WGI with one win (2013) and nine top-10s.

Buescher at Watkins Glen
Starts: 9
Wins: 1 (2024)
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

  • Buescher lines up for his 10th Cup start at The Glen this weekend and enters as the defending race winner following last season’s victory.
  • He has top-10 finishes in each of the last races at WGI, and carries an average finish of 16.1.
  • His best qualifying effort also came three summers ago (P7), as he has a 19.8 average starting position overall.
  • Buescher also made a pair of Xfinity starts at WGI in 2014-15, earning a third-place finish in 2015.

Preece at Watkins Glen
Starts: 4
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —

  • Preece is set for his fifth Cup start at Watkins Glen this weekend, where he posted a career-best finish of ninth at the track last season.
  • He holds a 25.8 average starting position at the Glen across his four starts.
  • Preece has also made three NXS starts at WGI, finishing fourth in 2018 while driving for JGR after starting eighth.

RFK Historically at Watkins Glen
Cup Wins: 4 (Mark Martin, 1993, 1994, 1995; Chris Buescher, 2024)

  • There’s Nothing You Can’t Do, Now, You’re in New York: In 113 NCS starts at WGI, RFK has four wins, 24 top-five and 44 top-10 finishes along with four poles. Three of the four RFK victories came with former driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin (1993, 1994, 1995), while Buescher won the most recent event at Watkins Glen in 2024.
  • Top of the List, King of the Hill: Martin secured three-straight wins for RFK at the famed New York road course from 1993-95. He started on the pole for each of the three races and led a combined 183 laps during the three-year streak.
  • Tale of the Tape – Road Courses: In 272 road course starts all-time in the NCS, Jack Roush’s Fords have won six races and tallied 43 top-five and 94 top-10 finishes, along with six poles. In those 266 starts, an RFK Ford has led 645 laps for an average finish of 17.3.
  • Buescher, Graves Former Road Course Winners: In Buescher’s first full-time Xfinity season in 2014, he and Graves found victory lane at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August, after leading 25 laps that day in the No. 60 entry for Roush. Last season, Buescher led 19 laps and fought off Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen to secure the sixth victory under the RFK banner (since 2022) and 143rd overall for Jack Roush in NASCAR Cup Series action.

RFK Watkins Glen Wins

1993 Martin Cup

1994 Martin Cup

1995 Martin Cup

1998 Ruttman Truck

2000 Biffle Truck

2012 Edwards NXS
2024 Buescher Cup

Last Time Out & Where They Stand

Iowa: Keselowski 3rd; Preece 5th; Buescher 22nd.

Points Standings (17: 16th, 60: 17th, 6: 21st): Buescher sits 23 points above the playoff cutline, ahead of his teammate Preece for the final playoff spot. Keselowski moved up to 21st in the standings after sweeping the stages and finishing third at Iowa.

Spire Motorsports General Tire 100 at The Glen Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • Spire Motorsports will field an ARCA Menards Series entry at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International for Tristan McKee, who will make his series debut in the No. 77 Gainbridge Chevrolet SS. The race will mark the team’s fourth start in an Automobile Racing Club of America sanctioned event.
  • The General Tire 100 at The Glen will be televised live on FS2 Friday, Aug. 8 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 13th of 20 events on the 2025 ARCA Menards Series calendar will broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and ARCARacing.com.

Tristan McKee – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet SS

  • Tristan McKee will make his ARCA Menards Series debut at the controls of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Gainbridge Chevrolet SS in Friday’s General Tire 100 at The Glen.
  • McKee makes his series debut just five days after his 15th birthday, fulfilling ARCA’s minimum age requirement to compete. While Cup Series driver Todd Gilliland owns the record for the youngest ARCA winner at 15-years and two-days-old, McKee can become the youngest pole winner in series history, an honor held by Kelvin Benjamin at 15-years, nine-months and 22-days-old.
  • The Kannapolis, N.C., resident looks to become the 38th driver to win their ARCA Menards Series national tour debut, and first since Luke Fenhaus at Iowa Speedway in July 2023. A trip to Victory Lane would also make him the 367th unique winner in the 73-year history of the Automobile Racing Club of America and seventh first-time winner in 2025.
  • The talented teenager has refined his road-course racing skills as a full-time competitor in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. Through eight-of-12 events, McKee leads the series’ championship point standings by a handsome 82 markers on the strength of one pole position, two wins and six-consecutive podium finishes. He earned his first TA2 Series victory in June at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
  • McKee made his first and only start at Watkins Glen in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series’ June stop at “The Glen.” He tallied a perfect weekend, clocking the fastest lap in practice, setting a track record en route to his first-career pole position and leading the field from flag to flag to secure his second-career win.
  • 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.io or follow and connect with Gainbridge on X and LinkedIn.
  • Last month, the versatile, young talent raced a pavement Super Late Model for the first time during the Summer Showdown 200 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. He battled the best of the Northwest Super Late Model Series to earn a runner-up finish at “The Superspeedway of the West.”
  • McKee began turning heads in 2023 when at just 12-years-old, he won a 100-lap CARS Pro Late Model Tour feature event at Dillon (S.C.) Motor Speedway to become the youngest winner in CARS Tour history. The upstart teenager has gone on to collect series wins at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and Caraway (N.C.) Speedway. Most recently, McKee was the victor of the tour’s inaugural appearance at Cordele (Ga.) Motor Speedway in April.
  • In 2022, McKee claimed Orange County (N.C.) Speedway Limited Late Model Rookie of the Year and track championship honors at 11-years-old. Later that season, he captured the checkered flag during November’s Fall Brawl weekend at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
  • The inaugural signee to Spire Motorsports’ driver development program will return to the No. 77 Chevrolet in November for the ARCA Menards Series West season finale during NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

Tristan McKee Quotes
Talk about making your debut and what it means to get the opportunity.
“I’m super excited for my debut to be on a road course. I’ve been doing a lot of road course stuff through the Trans Am Series. We were just at Watkins Glen a couple weeks ago with the series and got the win, so I feel comfortable with the track. I had the opportunity to do some testing in the ARCA car, so it helped get me up to speed with the car, but I still have a lot of preparation to do in the next week or two in the simulator and my pre-race routine. I’m super thankful to Spire Motorsports and Gainbridge for making this happen, and I’m really excited to get on track.”

Last time you were at Watkins Glen in the Trans Am car, you quite literally recorded a perfect weekend. How will that experience help you ease into your ARCA debut, given the differences between the two types of cars?
“It has definitely helped a lot. Every road course you spend a session or two learning your visuals, finding your shift and braking points, and seeing where you’re at. When we get there, I will be ready to rip as soon as we unload. In the higher ranks, you don’t have a lot of practice, whereas in Trans Am we have three to four testing and practice sessions across two days. While we aren’t running the configuration that utilizes ‘The Boot’ like in Trans Am, a majority of the course is the same. I’ll be able to use some different tricks I learned in the Trans Am car and apply it to the ARCA car.”

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 win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and an ARCA Menards Series Chevrolet in select events.

Sugarlands and Field & Stream Team with Ty Dillon and Kaulig Racing for NASCAR Las Vegas Race

By
Official Release
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No. 10 Chevrolet to celebrate the return of Sugarlands Field & Stream Honey Pecan Moonshine

GATLINBURG, Tenn. and WELCOME, N.C. – (August 5, 2025) – Sugarlands Distilling Company, in collaboration with Field & Stream, today announced a new strategic partnership with Kaulig Racing. As part of the announcement, Sugarlands and Field & Stream will appear on Ty Dillon’s No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 12.

Field & Stream will collaborate with Mossy Oak on the paint scheme, fire suit, and helmet to celebrate Mossy Oak’s iconic, vintage Fall Foliage camouflage pattern, bringing the spirit of the great outdoors to the high banks and bright lights of Las Vegas. Dillon’s No. 10 will also highlight the return of Field & Stream Honey Pecan Moonshine, a fan-favorite produced by Sugarlands that blends the smooth sweetness of natural honey with the warm, nutty flavors of toasted pecans. An avid outdoorsman himself, Dillon is the ideal driver to pilot a car that celebrates the intersection of racing and outdoor traditions.

“Sugarland Shine is one of the coolest up-and-coming brands there is,” said Ty Dillon. “They have such a connection to my hometown and home state of North Carolina. As someone who grew up spending time in the outdoors with my grandfather and dad, it is incredible to be able to represent a brand like Field and Stream who is synonymous with the outdoors lifestyle. This partnership with Sugarland Shines and Field and Stream connects with my soul and the core of who I am. It is going to be a lot of fun to represent them in Las Vegas and I look forward to all of the unique collaborations we can create together.”

“Honored for Field & Stream to be alongside our great partners, Sugarlands, in this moment, placing our brand alongside NASCAR, Ty Dillion and Kaulig Racing,” said Doug McNamee, president of Field & Stream. “The NASCAR community is important to us and we are thrilled to be included in this weekend.”

Sugarlands Distilling Company is a family-owned craft distillery in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, welcoming over a million guests annually to its award-winning tasting room. Home to a growing house of brands—including Sugarlands Shine, Sugarlands Sippin’ Cream, Roaming Man Whiskey, and High Rock Vodka in collaboration with Dale and Amy Earnhardt—Sugarlands products have earned national acclaim. Roaming Man has won multiple top honors, including Best Whiskey at the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards and four Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In 2023 and 2024, Sugarlands was named the top craft spirits distillery tasting room in America by USA TODAY 10Best.

“Our partnership with Field & Stream continues to evolve in meaningful ways and the response to our co-branded moonshines has been incredible,” said Patrick Sullivan, chief revenue officer at Sugarlands. “Teaming up with Ty Dillon and Kaulig Racing is a natural extension of the partnership, as Ty’s love for the outdoors and authenticity aligns perfectly with both brands, and NASCAR offers an unmatched platform to connect with fans who share those same passions.”

Field & Stream Honey Pecan Moonshine launches at retailers nationwide in the coming weeks, ahead of the inaugural Field & Stream Music Fest, which takes place October 3-5 in Winnsboro, South Carolina. This 60-proof (30% alcohol/volume) moonshine is perfect for enjoying by the campfire or mixing into cocktails that capture the essence of the outdoors. The jar label pays homage the Field & Stream’s return to print, closely resembling the cover of its latest edition.

To find a Sugarlands retailer near you, visit FindMoonshine.com.
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 27 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About Field & Stream

For more than a century, Field & Stream has been the most-trusted voice of the outdoors. With origins dating back to 1871, F&S has taught a nation to hunt and fish, to camp and explore, to survive and thrive in the outdoors—all while leading the charge to conserve and fight for wildlife and wild places. The secret to our longevity is simple: Hunters and anglers love a great story—and nobody tells one better than Field & Stream. Acclaimed singer-songwriters Eric Church and Morgan Wallen, along with a group of experienced brand builders, acquired and relaunched Field & Stream in 2024, unifying this legacy brand for the first time in its history. Now embarking on a new chapter, the next generation of Field & Stream includes a best-in-class, outdoor-lifestyle media platform, a return to a print publication, a membership community, a wide variety of product launches, plus experiential brand extensions such as hunting and fishing excursions, a modern and affordable lifestyle lodge concept, and the Field & Stream Music Fest. For more information visit www.fieldandstream.com.

About Sugarlands Distilling Co.

Sugarlands Distilling Company is a family-owned craft distillery located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Since opening its doors in 2014, Sugarlands has grown into a house of award-winning brands, including Sugarlands Shine, Sugarlands Sippin’ Cream, High Rock Vodka and Roaming Man Whiskey.

Launched in 2022 in collaboration with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife, Amy Earnhardt, High Rock Vodka is distilled seven times and then triple-filtered using the Lincoln County Process. Made famous by Tennessee whiskeys, the Lincoln County Process uses sugar maple charcoal to smooth and mellow the finish.

Roaming Man has received widespread industry acclaim, earning four Double Gold medals at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition over the past five years (2021, 2023, and two in 2025), and being named Best Whiskey in the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards.

In 2023 and 2024, Sugarlands was voted the top craft spirits distillery tasting room in America by USA TODAY 10Best, and its downtown Gatlinburg distillery welcomes over one million visitors each year. A proud community supporter, Sugarlands Distilling Company has donated nearly $1 million to nonprofits nationwide through their giveback program, MoonShare.

For more information, please visit www.sugarlands.com and follow Sugarlands on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SugarlandsShine.

Ford Performance NASCAR – Watkins Glen Advance

By
Official Release
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WATKINS GLEN

Friday, August 8 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 5 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, August 9 – NASCAR Xfinity Series, 3 p.m. ET (CW)
Sunday, August 10 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2 p.m. ET (USA)

When NASCAR came to Watkins Glen International a year ago, it marked the second race of the Cup Series playoffs. That’s not the case this year as the event returns to the regular season with all three major touring series in action. Ford’s Chris Buescher is the defending winner after registering his first road course victory in the Cup Series a year ago at The Glen.

A GLEN REPEAT FOR BUESCHER?

Chris Buescher took advantage of a mistake by Shane Van Gisbergen on the final lap to pass him and win last year’s Go Bowling at the Glen, giving Ford its fourth straight NASCAR Cup Series victory. The race came down to an overtime restart that saw Van Gisbergen get past Buescher after a physical turn one. He held that advantage all the way until the two cars got to the track’s iconic “Bus Stop” corner on the final lap, but that’s when Van Gisbergen clipped the inside retaining barrier and slowed his momentum enough to allow Buescher to squeeze to his inside and make the decisive pass. For Buescher, it marked his first Cup Series triumph on a road course.

LOGANO AT THE GLEN

Joey Logano comes into this weekend with seven career top-10 NASCAR Cup Series finishes at Watkins Glen International, including a victory in 2015. That win made him the first driver to sweep a race weekend at the track after he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race the day before. In addition, it marked Roger Penske’s first Cup victory at the historic track.

KESELOWSKI AND CINDRIC AT WGI

Brad Keselowski and Austin Cindric have also been to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International with both getting their checkered flags in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Keselowski, who has three second-place finishes and one third on the Cup side, posted his victory in 2013 while Cindric passed AJ Allmendinger with two laps to go for his win in 2019. Keselowski will also have a chance to extend his 2025 top-five streak to three races.

BLANEY’S STRONG FORM

For the first time in 2025, Ryan Blaney has secured top-ten finishes in three consecutive races, scoring 8th and 7th place finishes at Dover and Indianapolis before improving further to a 4th place finish at Iowa last weekend. His top-five finish at Iowa marked his eighth of 2025, leading all Ford drivers. This run has also propelled him to seventh place in the points.

RYAN PREECE: “I think the road courses have been really good for us. I feel really confident in what we got there, and I think we’re going to be just fine. We’ve been just trying to find a good work ethic, and find what it takes to run well there. Going to Watkins Glen is always fun.”

CHRIS BUESCHER: “We had a really good car at Watkins Glen that took a while to get going. Our long run speed was really the perk there, and the way the race played out, our long run speed was very strong. We had some good strategies as well and with the handful of restarts we were still able to go toe for toe there. We’ve seen some separation between short and long run speed at some tracks, and The Glen was probably the largest offset last year. I don’t know if that’ll be the case this year, and also, we don’t really want it to be that large. We need to figure out how to fire off a little bit better, and that’s probably our bigger focus right now.”

ZANE SMITH: “I’m looking forward to Watkins Glen for sure and it’s just a really fun road course. I’m hoping for some good weather and we had a fast car that was able to run well last year.”

CLASSIC FINISH

One of the all-time classic finishes at Watkins Glen International came when Marcos Ambrose went slip sliding away on the final lap, but still resulted in him winning the NASCAR Cup Series race for the second straight time on August 12, 2012. In a race that had more twists and turns over the final three laps than many can remember in recent years, Ambrose was the one who survived a massive streak of oil that had been laid down on the track, allowing him to pass Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski for Ford’s third win of the season. Busch appeared to be headed toward victory, but as he came into turn one on the final lap, he slipped in some oil and got loose. Keselowski came up from behind and hit Busch, sending him spinning off the track. A battle between Ambrose and Keselowski ensued from that point with both drivers trying to avoid the slickness that had covered the course. Ambrose followed Keselowski through the grass at one point, but was able to get by in the treacherous carousel when Keselowski slid one final time.

THREE STRAIGHT

Mark Martin became the first driver to win three straight NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International, and he capped that streak on Aug. 13, 1995 after passing Wally Dallenbach, Jr. on lap 84 of the 90-lap event. Martin, who led a race-high 61 circuits overall, held off the road racing specialist to win by one second. That victory completed a three-year run that saw him not only sit on the pole every time but lead 183-of-270 laps (68%).

MAYER GOING FOR SECOND GLEN WIN

After taking his first victory of the season last week at Iowa Speedway, Sam Mayer now has eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series victories and one of them came at Watkins Glen International in 2023. The overtime win was his second in four weeks after capturing the first victory of his career at Road America. Overall, Mayer has won four times on road courses with a pair of triumphs on the Charlotte Roval being his other two.

WELCOME BACK

This year will mark the seventh all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at The Glen and the first since 2021. The track hosted one race per year from 1996-2000 and included Ford wins by Joe Ruttman (1998) and Greg Biffle (2000) before returning to the schedule four years ago. This weekend’s event comes at a particularly crucial time as it marks the next-to-last race in the regular season. The 10-driver field will be set next week at Daytona International Speedway.

LAST TIME OUT

Layne Riggs led 160 of 200 laps in the last NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race where he swept the stages and pulled off a commanding win at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Riggs took his second win of the season and finished in the top spot by nearly two seconds after leading most of the way from taking the lead on lap 21. Riggs’s win at IRP was his second of the season as he solidified his third-place position in the standings.

BUESCHER’S TRUCK DEBUT

Chris Buescher will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Watkins Glen this weekend driving the No. 66 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing. Buescher is the reigning winner in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen, and has top ten finishes in each of his last three appearances at the track. It is Buescher’s first appearance in NASCAR in a non-Cup Series division since 2015.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT WATKINS GLEN

1965 – Marvin Panch

1993 – Mark Martin

1994 – Mark Martin

1995 – Mark Martin

1995 – Mark Martin

1996 – Geoffrey Bodine

2011 – Marcos Ambrose

2012 – Marcos Ambrose

2015 – Joey Logano

2024 – Chris Buescher

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

AT WATKINS GLEN

1993 – Bill Elliott

2008 – Marcos Ambrose

2012 – Carl Edwards

2013 – Brad Keselowski

2014 – Marcos Ambrose

2015 – Joey Logano

2016 – Joey Logano

2018 – Joey Logano

2019 – Austin Cindric

FORD NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT WATKINS GLEN

1998 – Joe Ruttman

2000 – Greg Biffle

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, 29 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines. Learn more at FordPerformance.com.

Meyer Shank Racing Heads Back Out West for Final Stretch of the 2025 INDYCAR Season

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Official Release
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#60: Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Pataskala, Ohio (5 August 2025) – Through 14 of the 17 races on the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, Meyer Shank Racing’s two-car team has put together what is far and away its best season since becoming a full-time, two-car outfit in 2022. The team is now looking to keep that momentum going through the final three races of the season starting with the Bitnile.com Portland Grand Prix on Sunday (3:00pm ET, FOX, SiriusXM ch. 218).

Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM Honda) – who will be back behind the wheel of the popular Grateful Dead Radio (SiriusXM channel 23) livery which debuted at Laguna Seca – and Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 ROOT Insurance Honda) have combined to shatter nearly all of MSR’s previous season records – along with team minority partner Helio Castroneves at the Indianapolis 500 – to earn 18 top-10 finishes in 29 starts, including six races where two drivers placed 10th or better.

Currently both full-time drivers are vying for MSR’s first-ever top-10 finish in the championship standings with Rosenqvist holding down the sixth spot while Armstrong is just eight points behind in eighth.

The always-competitive 1.968-mile, 12-turn Portland International Raceway starts a run of three races in four weeks to end the 2025 season. MSR’s best finish to-date in Portland came in 2021 which saw Jack Harvey make a run from 20th on the grid to finish fourth. The team is hoping to capitalize on its strong season-long run and carry that through the Portland weekend.

Rosenqvist has a strong resume at Portland International Raceway – finishing second in 2019 and 2023, leading in both races while Armstrong finished fifth after starting seventh in last year’s race.

On-track action for the Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland weekend starts with a Friday practice followed by another practice and qualifying on Saturday (2:30pm ET, FS1). Sunday’s race will air on FOX starting at 3 p.m. ET. SiriusXM will also host live INDYCAR Radio coverage of all sessions on XM Ch. 218.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist: “We’re headed back to the West coast. Portland is a super cool track, and I really want a win there after being close a couple of times. It’s the last road course of the year, so let’s make it a good one.”

Marcus Armstrong: “Portland is a really cool track and I really love racing there. There is just good vibes all around especially as the season is starting to come to a close with three races left. I can’t wait to go back to a proper Kiwi style road course.”

Your Vacation, Your Trail: Jeep Rentals Ready at the Airport Gate

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SM
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Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

Landing in a new place should feel like the start of something unforgettable. The scent of salt in the air, the sound of waves or wind just beyond the terminal, and the quiet excitement of knowing you’re free to explore it all. That freedom kicks in the moment your vehicle is ready and waiting. Your Vacation, Your Trail: Jeep Rentals Ready at the Airport Gate isn’t just about convenience, it’s about maximizing every moment from the second wheels hitting the runway. With the best Maui Airport jeep rentals available right at arrival, the delay between stepping off the plane and starting your island adventure becomes virtually non-existent.

Why Jeep Rentals Are the Ultimate Vacation Choice

Not every rental car is built for adventure. Compact sedans and basic SUVs might work for cities, but when it comes to unpredictable terrain, winding roads, and spontaneous off-the-beaten-path detours, a Jeep stands out. It’s the kind of vehicle that doesn’t flinch at gravel or hesitate on a hill. It goes where curiosity leads.

More than that, Jeeps just feel like vacation. Roof down, breeze rolling through, windows wide open. They’re vehicles made for the journey as much as the destination. Perfect for scenic routes, unexpected stops, and, most importantly, for people who want their travel plans to feel wide open, not locked to the pavement.

The Maui Experience: Why the Vehicle Matters

There’s no shortage of jaw-dropping drives on Maui. The Road to Hana alone makes the case for renting something capable and fun. With hundreds of curves, waterfalls just beyond the bends, and dense jungle hugging the pavement, it’s a route made for Jeeps. Narrow paths, uneven shoulders, and coastal viewpoints that tempt you to pull over at every opportunity, this is where a Jeep shines.

Then there’s Haleakalā. Driving up to see the sunrise above the clouds, navigating the climb and descent with control and ease, having a vehicle that can handle altitude and wind with comfort, it all adds up to a smoother trip. And that’s before even touching the red dirt roads and remote beaches where a sedan simply can’t follow.

Skip the Lines, Start the Adventure

One of the most underrated joys of booking a Jeep rental in advance is skipping the airport rental counter completely. No paperwork shuffle, no surprise vehicle switch, no long queue of equally tired travelers. The best services make sure your Jeep is prepped, gassed, and waiting right where you need it.

For those using the best jeep rentals, the process becomes seamless. Book ahead, fly in, grab the keys, and go. That early morning snorkel trip? You’ll be there in time. That sudden change in weather? No worries. The flexibility kicks in immediately, and your time stays your own.

Built for Every Kind of Traveler

Jeeps aren’t just for thrill-seekers or off-road enthusiasts. They’re surprisingly versatile. For families with gear and snacks to juggle, they offer space and rugged reliability. For couples looking for scenic drives and spontaneous stops, they deliver freedom and a little edge. For solo travelers on a mission to see every hidden cove? They’re the key to unlocking roads less traveled.

And thanks to models ranging from two-door Wranglers to four-door Rubicons with advanced safety features, there’s a Jeep that fits every comfort level. Even luxury-trim packages are available for those who want a little refinement with their ruggedness.

What to Look for When Booking

Not all rentals are created equal. Look for a company that specializes in Jeeps, not just one that includes them. Specialists tend to maintain their fleet better, offer upgrades that matter (like all-terrain tires or removable tops), and provide real insight into which model suits your trip best.

Good service also means clear communication. You want to know the Jeep you booked is the Jeep you’ll receive. No last-minute vehicle swaps, no vague answers about availability. Companies that put effort into customer service also tend to have the best-maintained vehicles and the smoothest check-in processes.

And don’t forget the extras. Does the rental include a cooler? Beach chairs? Detailed local maps? These small touches can make a big difference, especially on longer drives or when you’re chasing the sunset without a firm plan.

Returning Is Just as Easy

Nothing ruins the post-vacation glow like a clunky return process. When a rental service builds their system around the airport, the transition home becomes just as easy as arrival. Drop-off is quick, and often contactless, with no shuttle vans or third-party garages in sight. Park, lock, leave.

Many Maui-based Jeep rental agencies that serve the airport keep return times flexible, so you’re not sweating over late-night departures or early check-ins. Some even allow you to drop the keys at the terminal itself. That final bit of ease lingers long after you’re back through security.

Jeep Life: More Than Just a Ride

There’s something about cruising Maui in a Jeep that just feels right. You notice more. Smell more. Hear more. The sun hits your shoulders during golden hour, the ocean breeze finds your skin, and the road feels like it belongs to you. It’s not just transportation, it’s part of the trip.

There’s a kind of emotional shift when you’re driving something that feels built for the terrain. The worry of “can we make it up that road” disappears. You stop checking Google Maps for road conditions and start looking for little side roads that look interesting. It creates room for spontaneity, and on vacation, that’s often where the best memories hide.

Planning Ahead for the Best Experience

To make sure a Jeep is waiting when you land, book early, especially during peak travel seasons. Spring breaks, summer holidays, and winter escapes tend to fill up fast. Pre-booking guarantees availability and usually locks in the best rates too.

Check reviews, not just for the rental agency, but for the specific model if possible. See how others used the Jeep on similar trips, and learn what to expect from real-world use. And always ask about insurance options that include off-road coverage, just in case the adventure takes a bumpier turn.

Final Thoughts

There’s no reason to let logistics hold back your vacation. Your Vacation, Your Trail: Jeep Rentals Ready at the Airport Gate is more than a helpful headline, it’s a real promise. Freedom, flexibility, and comfort wrapped into one rugged vehicle, ready the moment your plane hits the tarmac.

The best jeep rentals make it easy to trade long waits and limited options for fresh air and open roads. Whether you’re chasing waterfalls, climbing volcanic peaks, or drifting between beaches at your own pace, the right Jeep makes every part of the island feel accessible. And in a place like Maui, that’s not just useful. That’s essential.

How Criminal Defense Attorneys Charge and What Influences Their Fees

By
SM
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Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

Hiring a criminal defense attorney is often one of the most important decisions a person can make when facing legal trouble. Alongside the emotional and practical challenges, there’s usually a financial side that needs careful thought. Understanding defense attorney pricing can feel overwhelming at first, but knowing the factors that influence fees and how attorneys typically charge can help avoid surprises. Fees vary widely depending on the seriousness of the charges, the complexity of the case, and the attorney’s experience. Recognizing these elements up front empowers clients to make informed choices and focus their energy where it counts, on building a strong defense.

Different Ways Attorneys Charge for Their Services

When exploring legal representation, it’s common to encounter several billing methods. Flat fees, hourly rates, retainers, and contingency fees all come up in different contexts, but criminal defense usually leans towards the first three.

Flat fees are often used for more straightforward cases or specific services, like handling a misdemeanor or a single court appearance. This approach can be reassuring because it gives a clear price upfront, so clients know what to expect financially. However, if the case grows more complicated or moves towards trial, additional costs might arise.

Hourly rates are common in more complex criminal cases where the amount of work can vary significantly. Attorneys track the time spent on research, court appearances, meetings, and paperwork. While hourly billing is flexible and fair in many ways, it can be difficult to predict the total cost at the outset. Transparency from the lawyer about how hours accumulate is crucial to maintaining trust throughout the process.

Some lawyers require a retainer, which is essentially an upfront payment that covers part or all of the anticipated work. This retainer acts like a deposit; as the lawyer works on the case, fees are drawn from it. Clients may be asked to replenish it if the retainer runs out. Understanding how retainers work and what happens if the case requires more time than expected can prevent confusion.

What Influences the Cost of Criminal Defense

Several factors can drive up or down the price tag of a criminal defense attorney’s services. These aren’t arbitrary, but rather tied to the effort, skill, and resources necessary to handle each unique case.

First, the nature and severity of the charges can and will play a major role. Defending against a minor charge like a traffic violation or petty theft is usually less costly than tackling serious felonies involving complex investigations or potential prison time. More serious charges often require more preparation, expert witnesses, and extended court appearances, which add to legal expenses.

The complexity of the case is another key element. Cases involving multiple defendants, cross-jurisdictions, or intricate legal questions tend to demand more time and expertise. When evidence includes technical reports, surveillance, or forensic analysis, the attorney may need to consult with specialists, which can increase costs.

Experience and reputation of the attorney also factor in. Seasoned lawyers with a successful track record often charge higher fees, reflecting their ability to navigate the system efficiently and potentially achieve better results. For many, this investment pays off through strategic defense, negotiation skills, and courtroom expertise that can reduce charges or secure favorable outcomes.

Geographical location can impact prices too. Attorneys in larger cities or regions with higher living costs may charge more, while smaller towns may offer more affordable options. Still, the quality and dedication of the attorney should always be weighed over location alone.

Beyond the attorney’s own charges, clients should be prepared for other costs associated with mounting a defense. These extra fees can come as a surprise if not discussed ahead of time.

Court filing fees are standard for many cases and vary depending on the jurisdiction and the nature of the charges. Some paperwork and motions require payment to the court, and these fees can add up over the course of a case.

Hiring expert witnesses is often necessary in complex cases. These professionals provide testimony that can support or challenge evidence, from forensic analysts to medical experts. Expert witnesses charge their own fees, which can sometimes run into thousands of dollars depending on their specialty and time required.

Private investigators may also be employed to uncover facts or locate witnesses that help build a stronger defense. Their services, like those of experts, are additional expenses separate from the attorney’s fees.

Travel expenses, copying and mailing costs, and other administrative charges can further increase the total. A clear discussion about what is included in the attorney’s fees and what is billed separately helps manage expectations.

Why Open Communication About Fees Matters

Many clients face stress not just from legal troubles, but also from uncertainty about the financial impact. That’s why discussing fees openly with a potential criminal defense attorney should be a priority. Transparency helps prevent surprises and builds a trusting attorney-client relationship.

Good lawyers are upfront about their billing methods and explain how costs might evolve. They provide written fee agreements that detail payment schedules, what services are covered, and what could cause extra charges. Clients who ask questions and seek clarification are better positioned to make decisions that fit their budget and legal needs.

Also, some attorneys might be willing to offer payment plans or other arrangements to make quality defense more accessible. Finding a lawyer who balances affordability with experience and dedication is key. Remember, cheaper isn’t always better, and investing in the right representation can save money and trouble in the long run.

Once fees are agreed upon, it’s important for clients to stay engaged and informed. This means keeping track of expenses, asking for updates on billable hours or additional costs, and maintaining clear communication with the attorney.

Understanding defense attorney pricing helps clients see the bigger picture, that legal fees cover not just the time spent in court, but hours of preparation, negotiation, strategy, and paperwork behind the scenes. This perspective can make it easier to appreciate the value of professional legal help.

In the end, hiring a criminal defense attorney is a partnership. Both client and lawyer share the goal of protecting rights and pursuing the best possible outcome. Knowing how fees work, what influences costs, and what to expect financially lays the groundwork for a strong, honest collaboration.

Final Thoughts

Navigating the legal system is never simple, and facing criminal charges adds layers of complexity and stress. Alongside these challenges, financial concerns often weigh heavily. That’s why understanding defense attorney pricing is not just practical, but empowering.

Whether the charges are minor or serious, knowing how criminal defense attorneys charge and what factors influence their fees allows clients to make clear, confident decisions. With open communication, careful planning, and the right legal team, it’s possible to focus on the defense ahead rather than worrying about unexpected costs.

Every case is unique, and so is every client’s situation. Taking the time to explore fees, ask questions, and choose the best representation for both legal needs and budget sets the stage for navigating the road ahead with clarity and strength.

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