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Spire Motorsports The Great American Getaway 400 Race Advance

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  • In 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Spire Motorsports has logged three top-20 finishes. Carson Hocevar, driver of the team’s No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet ZL1, posted a team-best 17th-place finish in last season’s 400-mile event at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Hocevar, respectively.
  • The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VisitPA.com will be streamed live on Amazon Prime, Sunday, June 22 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 17th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

  • Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Dorman Products Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway.
  • Dorman Products celebrates their fifth season as Spire Motorsports partner with their first appearance as the primary sponsor on the No. 7 Chevy. The Colmar, Pa.-based company gives professionals, enthusiasts and owners greater freedom to fix motor vehicles. For over 100 years, Dorman has been driving new solutions, releasing tens of thousands of aftermarket replacement products engineered to save time and money and increase convenience and reliability. Founded and headquartered in the United States, Dorman is a pioneering global organization offering an always-evolving catalog of products, covering cars, trucks and specialty vehicles, from chassis to body, from underhood to undercarriage, and from hardware to complex electronics.
  • The 26-year-old driver has four Cup Series starts under his belt at “The Tricky Triangle,” earning a venue-best 21st-place result in 2022. His average finishing position at the 2.5-mile triangle is 25.8.
  • In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, Haley has three Pocono starts, resulting one top-10 finish. He recorded both his best qualifying effort (ninth) and finish (15th) in 2022.
  • Haley earned one top five and two top 10s in a pair of CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Pocono between 2017 and 2018.
  • In the ARCA Menards Series, Haley captured the win in the 2017 ModSpace 150 at Pocono after starting second and leading 28 laps. He made two starts in the series at the Long Pond, Pa., venue, earning one top-five and two top-10 finishes.
  • Last week in Mexico City, Haley was competing for position in the top 10 when he was tagged from behind by a spinning competitor on Lap 7, causing significant damage to the rear end of the No. 7 Chevy. After making adequate repairs to the severely-bent black-and-yellow Gainbridge machine, the team returned to the track one lap behind the leaders. The team received the lucky dog during the Stage Two break to return to the lead lap and nurse the damaged No. 7 home to a 24th-place finish.

Justin Haley Quote
Coming off of Mexico, how do you feel about Dorman aboard your Chevy and thoughts on Pocono?
“I’m excited to have Dorman on our No. 7 Chevrolet. Dorman has been a great partner for Spire and it’s really cool to give them their first chance to be on the car at their home track where I’ve had success in the past. We learned a lot over the past couple of weekends on the No. 7 car and I’m looking forward to a solid weekend in Pocono.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

  • Ryan Sparks has called seven races at Pocono Raceway, earning a pair of event-best 19th-place finishes with Corey LaJoie in 2022 and 2024.
  • The Winston Salem, N.C., native has called 182 NASCAR Cup Series races where he’s earned three top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

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

  • Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway.
  • The Glendale, Ariz., native owns 22 starts at “The Tricky Triangle,” earning two top tens and leading 14 laps in NASCAR Cup Series competition. He registered a venue-best sixth-place finish in 2022 after starting 25th.
  • Last Sunday at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, McDowell qualified fifth and remained within the top 10 for the duration of Stage One and Stage Two. Unfortunately, an untimely caution scrambled the team’s long-run strategy, pinning McDowell in 13th with 32 laps remaining. The road-course ace made several tactical passes on his competitors to drive inside the top 10, eventually cracking the top five with two laps remaining.
  • With ten races remaining before the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, McDowell sits 18th on the grid, 43 points below the cutline. He entered last week’s Viva Mexico 250 23rd in the playoff picture.
  • Through the first 16 races of the 2025 campaign, McDowell owns an average starting position of 14.8, including six starts inside the top 10. 
  • The No. 71 team earned a $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during last month’s visit to North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The crew’s blazing 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning the title of the fastest team on pit road.
  • McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, Phoenix Raceway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The No. 71 stands as the only Cup Series team to earn the award three times.
  • McDowell secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. His 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap in NASCAR’s seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.

Michael McDowell Quote
Coming off your first top five as a Spire Motorsports driver last week in Mexico, what are your thoughts heading into Pocono?
“I think Pocono is another great opportunity to put together a strong week. It is a unique place, especially over the tunnel turn with how narrow the track gets, but it is a track we have had success at in the past. I hope that we can continue to build off of our top-five run in Mexico and if you look at the next couple of tracks, there are a lot of places where we have had success. Atlanta, Chicago, Sonoma are real opportunities for us to earn some points, shake up the in season tournament, and win races for Spire Motorsports. I am really looking forward to this stretch.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

  • Crew chief Travis Peterson heads to Pocono to call his fourth Cup Series event at “The Tricky Triangle.” He earned a venue-best 19th-place result with McDowell in 2023.
  • As a race engineer at Hendrick Motorsports, the West Bend, Wisc., native helped Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and the No. 88 team to a runner-up finish at Pocono in June 2016.
  • Peterson has called 92 races in NASCAR’s premier series, securing one win, five top fives, 19 top 10s and seven pole awards.

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

  • Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet ZL1 for Spire Motorsports, is set to make his second NASCAR Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway in Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400.
  • Hocevar started 15th in last year’s event at Pocono and finished 17th in the 160-lap event.
  • The 22-year-old driver will also return to the No. 7 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Friday. Hocevar owns three prior starts in the series at the Tricky Triangle, with a best finish of fifth in the 2022 race.
  • Friday’s race will mark the fourth CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event for Hocevar, who took home the win six weeks ago at Kansas Speedway.
  • Delaware Life is an insurance and annuity company that empowers financial professionals with a wide array of customizable solutions. A subsidiary of Group 1001 Insurance Holdings LLC, Delaware Life focuses on delivering a seamless experience for advisors. The company understands how important it is to find the right fit for every client, every situation and every individual need. Delaware Life is passionate about equipping advisors with annuities that give their customers peace of mind and a successful future, allowing them to plan with confidence for whatever’s next.

Carson Hocevar Quote
How will another double-duty weekend help you at a track as tricky as Pocono?
“Track time is going to be an advantage this weekend. Pocono can be really difficult, you have to be able to get through each corner and they’re all different. The way the car or truck gets through the tunnel turn is going to feel completely different from how it gets through Turn One or Three. Then there’s the long straightaway and the bumps, and all the unique things that can impact a race at Pocono. I think we’ll do well. We’ve been able to find things at each type of track that play in our favor and I feel like we’ll be able to build on all of those things to make the adjustments we need.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

  • Crew chief Luke Lambert will call his 20th Cup Series race from Pocono this Sunday. The crew chief has led drivers to five top-10 finishes at the three-turn, 2.5-mile track, with the most recent of those coming in 2020 with Christ Buescher.
  • In one NASCAR Xfinity Series start, Lambert led Noah Gragson to victory on the strength of 43-laps led in the 90-lap event.

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 the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Weekly Preview 06.18.25

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Official Release
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The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono

This Week in Motorsports: June 16 – 22, 2025

  • NCS/NXS/NCTS: Pocono Raceway – June 20-22
  • ARCA: Elko Speedway – June 21
  • NHRA: Virginia Motorsports Park – June 21-22
  • FORMULA DRIFT: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (Englishtown, NJ) – June 19-21

PLANO, Texas (June 18, 2025) – It’s a busy weekend for Team Toyota in motorsports, starting off with NASCAR heading to Pocono Raceway for its annual summer visit with all three national series. The ARCA Menards Series continues its stretch of races with a visit to Elko Speedway in Minnesota. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads to Virginia Motorsports Park for its ninth race of the 2025 season. Finally, Formula DRIFT is back on track at Englishtown Raceway Park in New Jersey.

NASCAR National Series – NCS/NXS

Camry drivers look to continue Pocono prowess … Pocono Raceway has been a strong track for multiple Toyota drivers who are eager to return to the “Tricky Triangle” this weekend, including Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. Hamlin, who returns to his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota Camry XSE this weekend, is the all-time leader in career wins at Pocono with seven – most recently winning in 2023. He also has 16 top-fives and 23 top-10s in 35 career starts in the Pocono Mountains. Reddick comes into this weekend with four straight top-10s at Pocono and his 23XI Racing teammate, Wallace, has three top-10s in the last four Pocono races.

Nemechek posting career-best numbers early in 2025 … Last weekend’s sixth-place result in Mexico City continued the strong start to the 2025 Cup Series season for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s John Hunter Nemechek. The driver of the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE has earned a career-best five top-10 finishes in 16 races this season, including a top-five at the season-opening Daytona 500. Nemechek makes his fourth career Cup Series start at Pocono this weekend and is a former winner there with his victory in the Truck Series in 2021.

Sawalich comes to Pocono after career-best result … The sixth-place finish for William Sawalich in last weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Mexico City was the best of his young career. The finish was the Minnesotan’s third top-10 finish this season, as he now enters his debut at the “Tricky Triangle” of Pocono Raceway this weekend.

Bonsignore returns to the No. 19 … For the first time since Rockingham in April, Justin Bonsignore is back behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for JGR this weekend in Pocono. Saturday will be the fifth start of the season for Bonsignore and the sixth of his career as he looks to improve upon his career-best finish of 16th, which he earned at Homestead back in March.

Friesen back in truck after milestone win … Last time out for the NASCAR Truck Series, Stewart Friesen drove his No. 52 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro to victory lane at Michigan in dramatic fashion for his first win since 2022. The Canadian is now locked into the 2025 Truck Series Playoffs and looks for another solid run at Pocono this weekend after finishing seventh last year.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series

Reaves aims for another solid night … In his national ARCA Menards Series debut at Berlin Raceway last weekend, Max Reaves finished in the runner-up position, continuing his strong start to 2025. Reaves returns to the No. 18 JGR Camry this weekend at Elko Speedway in hopes of capturing his first national ARCA Menards Series win to go along with his three ARCA Menards Series East victories from earlier this season.

NHRA – Top Fuel/Funny Car

Capps, Torrence coming off big victories … Last time out for NHRA, Toyota earned a sweep in the nitro categories with victories by Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Ron Capps (Funny Car), the first triumph by Torrence since Seattle 2024 and the first for Capps since the U.S. Nationals in 2023. Wins by both drivers aided them dearly in the series points standings as the summer stretch of races continues this weekend.

Kalitta seeks Virginia repeat … Former Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta comes back to Virginia Motorsports Park in search of a second straight victory after his triumph a season ago. The Michigan native also seeks to continue his dominance in qualifying this season, aiming for his sixth No. 1 qualifier spot and sixth in the last eight races.

Formula DRIFT

Castro comes to Englishtown off career-best result … Jhonnattan Castro enters Englishtown this weekend after a career weekend three weeks ago in Orlando, finishing runner-up in Formula DRIFT’s “Scorched” round. The result boosted the Dominican to fourth in the Formula DRIFT PRO points standings where he sits just 30 points back of points leader and Toyota teammate, Fredric Aasbø.

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 32 electrified options.

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

FUNNY CAR VETERAN RON CAPPS RETURNS TO RICHMOND WITH MOMENTUM ON HIS SIDE

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Official Release
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DINWIDDIE, Va. (June 18, 2025) – Three-time Funny Car champion Ron Capps snapped a 33-race winless streak when he won two weeks ago in Bristol. Capps and the rest of the stars of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series return to racing this weekend at the fifth annual American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park for another weekend of action-packed racing.

Capps wheeled his 12,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2023 two weeks ago in Bristol, providing a much-needed boost to the team. Capps hopes the win the carry some momentum into Richmond as the summer heats up for NHRA teams.

The stop in Richmond is the third event in a busy four-race June, meaning Capps could be rolling at an ideal time in the loaded Funny Car ranks.

“Coming off a win like we did at Bristol where we saw conditions change so rapidly, it always goes back to me bragging about the NAPA team with (crew chief) Dean “Guido” Antonelli and being able to adapt quickly,” Capps said.

“Coming up to an event that has all three qualifying runs on Saturday and then the race on Sunday, it’s looking like it’s going to be a great show for the fans. And one thing about the VMP facility, when they redid the track, they really did it right. It’s one of the best track surfaces on tour and with the conditions we’re expecting to see this weekend, it’s going to test every team. We feel great, but you can never count anything out with the Funny Car class with it being as tough as it is right now.”

Last season, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in Richmond during the two-day event. This year’s event, which is the ninth of 20 races during the 2025 season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, will be broadcast on FOX broadcast network and FS1, including eliminations coverage beginning at 4 p.m. ET on FOX on Sunday, June 22.

This weekend’s American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals will give teams a unique challenge with its two-day format featuring three qualifying sessions on Saturday and race day on Sunday. Also scheduled for the weekend will be the popular Mission #2Fast2Tasty. With his win in Bristol, Capps will rematch with semifinalist Dave Richards while Bristol runner-up Paul Lee will take on Daniel Wilkerson.

Sweeping the weekend won’t be easy, as the Funny Car class continues to be a highly competitive class with six different winners earning race wins through eight races.

Leading the points is reigning Funny Car world champion Prock. However, he suffered back-to-back first round loses in Epping and Bristol. Phoenix winner Paul Lee sits second in points while Prock’s John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is third after his two wins this season. Others to watch will be Epping winner J.R. Todd, as well as four-time champion and Virigina native Matt Hagan.

“We’ve talked time and time again about this point in the season, where we’ve got a lot of races back-to-back, it’s hot out, hotter track temperatures, trickier conditions for the drivers and crew chiefs to navigate,” Capps said. “With our upcoming race this weekend in Richmond, it’s looking like it’s going to be very warm and that bodes well for our team.”

Former Top Fuel champion Kalitta won his second American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals last season over his teammate Shawn Langdon. The Kalitta Motorsports teammates have dominated the Mission #2Fast2Tasty this season, winning six of the seven Challenges this season. The other winner was motorsports legend and points leader Tony Stewart, thanks to his two wins on the season.

Herrera, the two-time reigning champion, once again leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle points. He has two wins on the season and currently leads six-time champion Matt Smith. Other riders to watch will be Bristol winner Richard Gadson, Smith’s wife, Angie, as well as Chase Van Sant, Steve Johnson and Jianna Evaristo.

Along with action in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, fans can also enjoy racing in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle, providing a full weekend of non-stop entertainment.

Race fans aged 21 and older will have the chance to enjoy American Rebel Light – America’s Patriotic, God Fearing, Constitution Loving, National Anthem Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer – at the facility while taking in the incredible action on the track. Andy Ross, Chairman and CEO of American Rebel Beer and singer-songwriter, will also provide entertainment with a concert with his band during the jam-packed event.

All weekend, fans will be invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits. The stage hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, autograph sessions and more. Richmond race fans can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce each driver and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. Fans are also invited to congratulate the winners at the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday.

As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their cars, get autographs and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying roars into action with three rounds of qualifying on Saturday, June 21 at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET, leading into a can’t-miss raceday with eliminations beginning at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 22. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 2 p.m. on Sunday on FS1, leading into eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals, visit nhra.evenue.net/list/RV. For more information about the NHRA, including the 2025 schedule, visit www.NHRA.com.

About American Rebel Light Beer

American Rebel Light Beer is a product of American Rebel Beverage, LLC; a wholly owned subsidiary of American Rebel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AREB). Since its launch in September 2024, American Rebel Light Beer has rolled out in Tennessee, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and Virginia and is adding new distributors and territories regularly. Produced in partnership with AlcSource, American Rebel Light Beer is a domestic premium light lager celebrated for its exceptional quality and patriotic values. It stands out as America’s Patriotic, God-Fearing, Constitution-Loving, National Anthem-Singing, Stand Your Ground Beer. For more information about launch events and availability follow us on social media @AmericanRebelBeer or visit americanrebelbeer.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 Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock 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.

RFK Advance | Pocono

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Official Release
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The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono

Pocono Event Info:
Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Format: 160 Laps, 400 Miles, Stages: 30-95-160
TV: Prime
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 12:35 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 1:45 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2 p.m. ET, Cup Race (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • The NASCAR Cup Series heads north to Pocono Raceway for the 17th points race of the season as ‘The Tricky Triangle’ hosts its lone race date on the calendar.
  • Jack Roush has four Pocono wins all-time, while the three-turn track stands as one of Brad Keselowski’s best (former winner in 2011). Pocono was also the site of Chris Buescher’s first victory in the Cup Series, way back in 2016 in one of his first seasons in Cup.
  • Chris Buescher recorded his second top-10 finish on a road course this season in Mexico City, along with Circuit of the Americas back in March (7th).
  • Ryan Preece has won a stage in both road-course races this year, the only Cup Series driver to do so this season.

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

17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Esperion

  • In its continued effort to promote heart health, RFK Racing partner Esperion will host a one-mile Wellness Walk at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 21, following the conclusion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
  • Chris Buescher will lead the walk, which will take place on the front stretch and pit road, and is accessible to all fans, including those in the grandstands and the infield.

60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Kroger / Scott 1000

Keselowski at Pocono
Starts: 27
Wins: 1 (2011)
Top-10s: 16
Poles: 1 (2016)

  • Keselowski enters the weekend in line for his 28th Cup start at Pocono. He carries a 10.8 average finish, his second-best of any track on the circuit.
  • Most recently he finished seventh a season ago, and 16th in 2023. Overall, he has 16 top 10s, 11 of which were in the top five, with one win at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ in 2011.
  • Keselowski has led laps in 15 different Cup races in Pocono, including a race-best 95 in 2014 when he ran second. That marked one of four P2 finishes at the track, with the other runner-up results coming in 2015, 2016 and 2019.
  • Keselowski has finished top 10 in six of the last nine Pocono races, and in 12 of the last 16.
  • He has one pole all-time (2016) with an average starting position of 12.0 and 11 starts inside the top 10.
  • Outside of Cup action, Keselowski made one start each in the Xfinity and Truck Series, winning the 2017 Xfinity race in the No. 22.

Buescher at Pocono
Starts: 15
Wins: 1 (2016)
Top-10s: 2
Poles: 1 (2021)

  • Pocono marks the site of Buescher’s first-ever Cup win, which came in 2016 while driving at Front Row Motorsports. After weather played a factor with 133 laps completed, NASCAR red-flagged and ultimately called the race early, giving Buescher his first-career victory in NASCAR’s top series.
  • Overall, at Pocono, Buescher has two top 10s in 15 starts with an average result of 20.0. He finished 11th a season ago.
  • Buescher’s average qualifying effort stands at 19.4 with two career top-10 starting spots – including the pole in 2021 when NASCAR inverted the field after race one of a doubleheader, and in 2022 when he qualified fifth.
  • Buescher also made four ARCA starts at Pocono in 2011-12, recording one runner-up finish followed by a third-place run and two fifth-place finishes.

Preece at Pocono
Starts: 8
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: 1 (2020)

  • Preece is set for his ninth Cup start at Pocono this weekend, where he posted a career-best finish of eighth at the track in 2021.
  • He holds a 25.5 average starting position at Pocono, including the pole in 2020 when NASCAR inverted the field after race one of a doubleheader.
  • Preece has also made two NXS starts, two NCTS starts, and two ARCA starts at Pocono, including a runner-up finish in the Truck Series in 2022.

RFK Historically at Pocono
Cup Wins: 4 (Carl Edwards, 2005, 2008); Kurt Busch (2005); Greg Biffle (2010)

  • It’s Tricky, it’s Tricky (Tricky) Tricky (Tricky): RFK has run 224 Cup races at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ dating back to 1988. An RFK Ford has visited victory lane on four occasions in the Cup series, with the first coming in 2005 with Carl Edwards. Kurt Busch followed with a win in the July race of that same year, one of his three victories for Jack Roush in 2005. Three years later, Edwards found winners circle again in 2008, and Greg Biffle carded the organization’s most recent win at the 2.5-mile track back in 2010.
  • Runner-Up: RFK has finished in the second position 13 times at Pocono with six different drivers. All in all, RFK has finished first or second 17 times at the triangular track.
  • Tale of the Tape: Overall RFK has 74 top-10 and 45 top-five results at Pocono along with three poles and the four wins. Mark Martin earned back-to-back poles in 1990 and 1991, before capturing his third in 1996.

RFK Pocono Wins

2005-1 Edwards Cup

2005-2 Busch Cup

2008-2 Edwards Cup

2010-2 Biffle Cup

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Mexico City: Buescher 10th, Preece 15th, & Keselowski 25th.

Points Standings (17: 16th, 60: 17th, 6: 32nd): Buescher sits 19 points above his teammate Preece for the final playoff spot. Keselowski is in 32nd after a 25th-place finish in Mexico City.

JR Motorsports — NXS Pocono Raceway Preview

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Official Release
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JR Motorsports Xfinity Team Preview
TRACK – Pocono Raceway (2.5-mile triangular-oval track)
NXS RACE – Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 3:30 p.m. (ET)

Carson Kvapil

No. 1 – Bass Pro Shops / Clarience Technologies Chevrolet

Kvapil 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 15

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 3

Top 10s: 5

Laps Led: 61

Avg. Finish: 15.1

Points: 7th

Carson Kvapil heads north this weekend for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Pocono Raceway.

On tracks 2 miles in length and greater, the 22-year-old Mooresville native has made five starts amassing one top-five and two top-10s, his best finish is fourth at Daytona International Speedway earlier this season.

According to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics Kvapil currently ranks fourth in quality passes in the NXS coming out of last week’s race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Through the opening 15 events of his rookie season, Kvapil has earned a best finish of second, coming at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.

Carson Kvapil

“Pocono is another track I haven’t had the opportunity to race at yet, so I am really looking forward to getting out there this weekend. JRM is known for bringing strong cars so I am sure my No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Clarience Technologies team will unload a fast piece on Saturday. Hopefully we can qualify well and put ourselves in position to contend for the win at the end.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 Carolina Carports Chevrolet

Allgaier 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 15

Wins: 3

Top 5s: 10

Top 10s: 10

Laps Led: 638

Avg. Finish: 10.9

Points: 1st

Justin Allgaier heads to Pocono on the strength of three top-fives and five top-10s in nine career NXS starts at the triangular track.

Allgaier has twice finished in the runner-up position at Pocono, including in this event last year where the JRM driver led a race-high 30 laps and won the opening stage before coming home in second.

Allgaier has led at least one lap in seven of his nine starts at Pocono, including in the last six consecutive races dating back to this event in 2019.

This weekend marks the return of Carolina Carports onboard the No. 7 Chevrolet.

Justin Allgaier

“We have been so close at Pocono in recent years. Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and all the guys on this Carolina Carports team have given me really strong cars in the past and I know we are going to be just as fast on Saturday. Pocono is such a unique track, but it’s one that I have always enjoyed coming to. Hopefully we can have a smooth day and execute the way we have all year long to this point and come away with a shot at the win in the end.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 TMC Chevrolet

Smith 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 15

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 3

Top 10s: 7

Laps Led: 40

Avg. Finish: 14.6

Points: 10th

Sammy Smith has competed at the “Tricky Triangle” three times in his NXS career. In those, Smith has started no worse than ninth and finished in the top 10 twice.

Smith’s best finish at Pocono came in 2023 where he qualified and finished sixth.

According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Smith is ranked third for the most laps run in the top-15 this season (2,272).

TMC Transportation will share the TV panel this weekend with ARAUCO, a company who serves North America with excellence in manufacturing, distribution and service to customers in construction, casework, fixture, fabrication, commercial design, and paper making.

Sammy Smith

“I’m looking forward to Pocono this weekend. We’ve run well there in the past and I feel good about the work this team has put into preparing to get this No. 8 TMC Chevrolet in Victory Lane.”

Connor Zilisch

No. 88 Registix Chevrolet

Zilisch 2025 NXS Stats

Starts: 14

Wins: 1

Top 5s: 4

Top 10s: 6

Laps Led: 206

Avg. Finish: 13.9

Points: 5th

Connor Zilisch will be making his first Pocono start in the NXS on Saturday afternoon. Zilisch finished fifth last week at Mexico City, his third consecutive top-five. In 14 starts this season, Zilisch has four top-fives and six top-10 finishes. He led twice for 17 laps at Mexico City and has now led a lap in 10 races this season (206 laps total).

Zilisch won the pole at Mexico City, his fourth pole of the 2025 NXS season and his fifth in 18 career starts. He has won the pole in all three road-course starts in his young career. His four poles overall are the most by any NXS driver this season (no other driver has more than two).

The driver of the Registix Chevrolet enters Pocono with four top-10 finishes on non-drafting superspeedway tracks, including second-place efforts at Charlotte and Nashville.

Zilisch enters Pocono fifth in the NXS driver standings, 14 points ahead of sixth-place Sheldon Creed. He leads the battle for Sunoco Rookie of the Year by 21 points (430-409) over Carson Kvapil.

Connor Zilisch

“I think Pocono will be a good track for us. We’ve had some good momentum lately. We’re coming off three top-fives in a row and we’re looking to keep that up and have another good showing. I’ve never been to Pocono, but I’ve done quite a bit of SIM time preparing for this weekend. Pocono is definitely a unique racetrack with all three corners being different but I know this No. 88 Registix team will bring a fast car for us to compete for a win.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Pocono Raceway: JR Motorsports has competed at Pocono Raceway a combined 35 times in the NXS since 2016. In those starts at the 2.5-mile track, the organization has recorded one win, 10 top-fives and 22 top-10s. The average finish is 11.6.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Connor Zilisch will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS-Byron/Bowman souvenir rig on Saturday, June 21 at 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET

Josh Bilicki Tapped to Drive No. 44 Chevrolet in Road Course Races with Niece Motorsports

By
Official Release
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Salisbury, NC (June 18, 2025) – Accomplished driver, Josh Bilicki, has joined Niece Motorsports to make select NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts in the team’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST beginning on June 28 at Lime Rock Park.

Bilicki, a NASCAR veteran who has made over 225+ starts in the top three national series (Cup, Xfinity, and Truck), began his racing career competing on road courses. Starting in go karts before moving up through the sports car ranks, Bilicki has won several races in different racing disciplines.

In addition to his debut with the team in Lime Rock, Bilicki’s schedule will later include a start in the inaugural NCTS race held on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL layout on October 3.

“I’m excited to join Niece Motorsports and feel like this is a great opportunity for all of us,” said Bilicki. “I haven’t raced in the Truck Series in a few years now, and the starts I made were for a really small team, so I’m excited to race for a team capable of racing for the win. That’s a goal of mine, and every year, I want to be in equipment that I feel can win. This is an opportunity that we could capitalize on, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we fought for the win in both races.”

Supporting his efforts will be longtime partner, Trim-Tex Drywall Solutions. Specializing in drywall corner bead and accessories, Trim-Tex is recognized worldwide as a leading drywall solutions manufacturer. The company will serve as Bilicki’s primary sponsor in Lime Rock and secondary sponsor at Charlotte.

“Josh has been a great ambassador for Trim-Tex since 2011″, said Joe Koenig, CEO of Trim-Tex. “We’ve proudly supported him from his amateur racing days, through professional sports car racing to NASCAR. We’re proud to have Josh represent us on the track and look forward to cheering on the No. 44 at Lime Rock.”

“Trim-Tex is the longest-lasting sponsor I’ve had in my career,” continued Bilicki. “I actually used to work at a drywall distribution yard before I raced and sold their products. So, it’s really cool how that relationship blossomed. Joe and I are very close. We race together in a sports car endurance series, and just won Daytona a few weeks ago in a 14-hour race. They have been on my car – starting in Mazda MX-5’s all the way up to NASCAR – since 2011, so it would mean a lot to me to bring him a NASCAR win. We’ve won in the sports car a lot, but never in NASCAR, so that would be very meaningful.”

Also joining Bilicki’s multi-race program at Niece Motorsports will be the non-profit organization, Lemons of Love. The organization works closely with cancer patients to deliver care packages filled with items to ease the side effects of chemotherapy. To learn more about their mission, visit LemonsOfLove.org.

This is now the fifth driver to be added onto the No. 44 team’s talented roster lineup. Joining teammates, Bayley Currey, Ross Chastain, Conner Jones, and Matt Gould, Bilicki aims to impress on the road courses.

Now in its 10th season of competition, Niece Motorsports is tracking for success on a weekly basis. So far this year, the team has garnered three top-fives and 14 top-10 finishes, while continuing to battle for a Playoffs berth.

“We are thrilled to welcome a talent like Josh Bilicki to our team for Lime Rock and Charlotte,” said Cody Efaw, CEO of Niece Motorsports. “His feedback will be invaluable as we try to improve our road course program across the board, as we know he will put in a ton of effort to get the most out of his truck. The No. 44 team has improved significantly this year, and I think rotating these different drivers keeps ideas flowing for us to be successful on a weekly basis. I look forward to seeing what he can do in our equipment.”

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series heads to a new venue in Lime Rock Park next Saturday at 1:00 PM ET. The LiUNA! 150 will be presented live on FOX, the NASCAR Racing Network (NRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
About Trim-Tex: Trim-Tex Drywall Solutions, a world recognized manufacturer of drywall corner bead and accessories, is no stranger to the motorsports industry. Along with their CEO, Joe Koenig, Trim-Tex has been involved in the motorsports industry as a sponsor, team owner, and a competitor for nearly three decades.

About Lemons of Love: Lemons of Love is a nonprofit organization that delivers care packages to individuals undergoing cancer treatment to provide comfort and support. Each package is thoughtfully filled with items that help ease the side effects of chemotherapy and remind recipients they’re not alone. In addition to care packages, Lemons of Love offers free programs and resources to build community and spread hope.

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

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

HFT Advance | Pocono

By
Official Release
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The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono

Pocono Event Info:
Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Format: 160 Laps, 400 Miles, Stages: 30-95-160
TV: Prime
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 12:35 p.m. ET, Xfinity Practice (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 1:40 p.m. ET, Xfinity Qualifying (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 12:35 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 1:45 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Xfinity Race (CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2 p.m. ET, Cup Race (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • The NASCAR Cup Series heads north to Pocono Raceway for the 17th points race of the season as ‘The Tricky Triangle’ hosts its lone race date on the calendar.
  • This weekend marks the fourth of five races in the “Driving 4 a Difference presented by the Gene Haas Foundation,” a new in-season Ford tournament within the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
  • Sheldon Creed leads the tournament after four races with 112 points, followed by teammate Sam Mayer (97), Harrison Burton (70), Ryan Sieg (57) & Kyle Sieg (25).
  • Mayer holds the third-best average finish (11.1) of full-time Xfinity drivers this season, behind Austin Hill (10.1) and Justin Allgaier (10.9).
  • Cole Custer recorded his best finish of the season last weekend in Mexico City (8th), and best Cup Series result since Bristol of 2022 (8th).

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 Pocono (Cup)
Starts: 7
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Custer makes his eighth Cup start at Pocono this weekend, where he has a 23.3 average finish. His best finish came in 2020 when he crossed the line in P16.
  • His best start was fifth in 2020, when NASCAR inverted the field after race one of a doubleheader, and he boasts a 26.4 average starting position.
  • Custer has also made six NXS starts at Pocono, where he has found victory lane twice in 2019 and 2024.

Creed at Pocono (Xfinity)
Starts: 3
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: 1 (2024)

  • Creed is set to make his fourth Xfinity start at Pocono on Saturday, where he has a pair of top-5 finishes. He finished P4 last season after leading seven laps, and came home in fifth in 2022.
  • He started on the pole last season, one of three in his career, and carries an average starting position of 3.3 into this weekend.

Mayer at Pocono (Xfinity)
Starts: 4
Wins: —
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

  • Mayer is in line for his fifth Xfinity start at Pocono this weekend, coming off a 10th-place finish in last season’s race. He recorded a runner-up result in 2023, and was P6 in 2022.
  • He has started inside the top 10 once, a P8 start in 2023, and has an average starting position of 13.0.

Where They Stand

Cup Points Standings (41: 34th): Custer is 34th in the Cup Series points standings through 16 races this season with 204 points.

Xfinity Points Standings (41: 7th, 00: 8th): Mayer sits seventh in the Xfinity points standings with 487 total points on the season, behind the six winners, while Creed is in eighth place with 415 points heading into Pocono this Saturday.

Why Your Next Stop in Toledo Should Be a Semi-Trailer Parts Store

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

Toledo, Ohio—a historic crossroads of American industry and innovation—is far more than a pit stop on I-75. Nestled along the western tip of Lake Erie, the city has long been a hub for transportation and logistics. If you’re a trucker, fleet operator, logistics manager, or even a DIY hauler, Toledo should be more than just a place to grab a coffee or refuel. It should be your go-to destination for one critical reason: semi-trailer parts.

Here’s why the next time you’re in the area, a visit to a local semi-trailer parts store could save you time, money, and maybe even your next delivery.

The Heartbeat of the Midwest Supply Chain

Toledo’s geography makes it a logistical goldmine. Located at the intersection of several major highways—like I-75, I-80, and I-90—Toledo serves as a natural link between Detroit, Chicago, and the East Coast. It’s no surprise, then, that the city has become a backbone of the American freight industry.

Because of its strategic location, Toledo is home to a large number of transportation companies, warehouses, and freight operations. This concentration has led to a booming semi-trailer service industry, including a dense network of shops specializing in semi-trailer parts.

These stores aren’t just retail outlets; they’re crucial pieces in the supply chain puzzle, supporting everything from quick roadside repairs to large-scale fleet maintenance.

A Trucking Lifeline in an Emergency

Imagine you’re in the middle of a long haul. You hit a pothole just south of Toledo, and suddenly your trailer’s brake chamber starts acting up. What do you do? Waiting hours for roadside assistance isn’t just inconvenient—it’s expensive. But pull off the exit and you might find exactly what you need at a well-stocked semi-trailer parts store.

Toledo’s trailer parts shops often specialize in fast service, offering immediate access to hard-to-find components like:

  • ABS sensors
  • Slack adjusters
  • Landing gear
  • Air brake chambers
  • Hub caps
  • Suspension bushings
  • Lights, seals, and gaskets

Many stores also offer free consultation, helping you find compatible parts based on your trailer’s make, model, and year. This reliability can turn a potential disaster into a manageable pit stop.

Inventory Depth and Specialty Options

One of the major advantages of shopping for semi-trailer parts in Toledo is the incredible inventory depth.

Because the city supports such a large logistics network, suppliers are stocked for nearly every type of trailer—flatbeds, refrigerated units, dry vans, drop decks, tankers, and even custom builds. Whether you need OEM parts or high-quality after-market alternatives, Toledo’s parts stores have it all.

Need something niche? Many local suppliers specialize in rare parts or hard-to-source brands and offer expedited delivery options to minimize downtime.

Competitive Pricing and Value-Added Services

Price always matters—especially when you’re maintaining a fleet. One major perk of buying semi-trailer parts in a competitive market like Toledo is cost efficiency. With numerous parts shops competing for your business, pricing stays fair and often beats what you’ll find in smaller, less competitive markets.

And it’s not just about price tags. Many of these businesses offer value-added services that make life easier, such as:

  • Free part installation with purchase
  • Core return programs for remanufactured components
  • Technical troubleshooting by certified experts
  • Bulk ordering discounts for fleet operators
  • Mobile delivery or same-day pickup

You’ll often find that the experience of shopping locally in Toledo yields more value than ordering blindly online.

Local Knowledge and Relationship-Based Service

What sets a great semi-trailer parts store apart isn’t just the size of its inventory—it’s the knowledge behind the counter.

Toledo’s best stores are often family-owned or long-established businesses with decades of experience. Their staff doesn’t just “sell” parts—they understand the specific needs of truckers operating in the Midwest. They can tell you what brands hold up in winter weather, which air suspensions are most cost-effective over time, and what DOT regulations you’ll need to keep an eye on depending on your routes.

Better yet, these shops often build strong relationships with repeat customers. As a regular, you’ll benefit from:

  • Faster service turnaround
  • Flexible credit terms
  • Early notifications on sales or hard-to-find inventory
  • Custom ordering based on your truck’s service history

That kind of personalized support can be a game-changer in a world where time is money.

Supporting the Local Economy

When you spend your money at a semi-trailer parts store in Toledo, you’re not just buying a part—you’re supporting the local economy. These businesses employ local workers, pay local taxes, and keep dollars circulating within the community.

Working with local suppliers can also offer fleet managers long-term strategic advantages, such as easier access to regional logistics support and better collaboration with other area vendors.

Technology-Driven Convenience

Many Toledo-based parts suppliers are modernizing their operations. From mobile apps that let you check inventory in real-time to online ordering platforms with live chat support, the industry is moving forward fast.

Some suppliers even offer tech-enabled perks like:

  • VIN-based part lookup
  • Fleet tracking integration
  • Preventive maintenance alerts via email/SMS
  • Loyalty rewards programs

These advancements mean that even if you’re not physically in the store, you can still benefit from its expertise and speed, especially if you pass through regularly.

Sustainability Through Repairs and Reuse

In an age where sustainability is more important than ever, many semi-trailer parts stores in Toledo also support environmentally responsible practices. From refurbishing used parts to participating in recycling programs for metals, plastics, and oils, these stores are doing their part to make trucking greener.

Some even offer remanufactured components that meet OEM standards at a fraction of the cost—and carbon footprint—of new parts.

More Than Just a Shop

Stopping at a semi-trailer parts store in Toledo isn’t just a smart move—it’s a strategic one. These shops serve as a critical support network for America’s freight industry, offering unmatched inventory, expertise, and service in one of the country’s most important trucking hubs.

Whether you’re an independent owner-operator or the manager of a nationwide fleet, the value of having a reliable parts supplier in your corner cannot be overstated. So next time you roll through northwest Ohio, don’t just gas up and go. Pull in, stock up, and experience firsthand why Toledo is the Midwest’s best-kept secret for semi-trailer parts.

Spire Motorsports MillerTech Battery 200 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • In five NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series appearances at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Spire Motorsports has earned three top-10 finishes. Austin Hill (2022) and Chase Purdy (2024) both combined for team-best sixth-place results at “The Tricky Triangle.” 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.
  • Spire Motorsports will honor teammate Tony Witt who tragically lost his life Friday, June 6. Witt served as a suspension mechanic for the team’s NASCAR Cup Series’ operation and had been with the organization since March 2022. He was journeyman competitor who made the move from Wisconsin to North Carolina in the mid 90s to work alongside fellow Wisconsin racer Robbie Reiser on his fledgling NASCAR Xfinity Series team. Since then, he made stops and won races at Darrell Waltrip Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, among others, prior to his time with Spire. Witt leaves behind two sons, Dalton and Tyler, mother Jo Anne and brothers Todd and Jon. He was preceded in death by his late wife Paula. The team will honor Witt’s memory with a decal on all four of its NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series entries this weekend in Pocono.
  • The MillerTech Battery 200 will be televised live on FS1 Friday, June 20 beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 14th 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.

Patrick Emerling – Driver, No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Patrick Emerling will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 07 GOAT Power Bikes Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.
  • Emerling is a full-time competitor on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the world’s premier asphalt modified series. He’s racked up eight victories in addition to 49 top-five and 91 top-10 finishes in 164 starts. The 2021 championship runner-up currently sits sixth in the division’s championship point standings with a victory in February’s season opener at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway. In the tour’s most recent event last weekend at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway, Emerling registered his third top-five finish of the season after crossing the line in third.
  • Friday’s 200-mile event will mark the northeasterner’s fourth CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start and first behind the wheel of a Spire Motorsports Silverado. He earned a series-best 19th-place result last month at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway in the No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Silverado.
  • The Orchard Park, N.Y., native has made three starts at “The Tricky Triangle” in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning a venue-best 26th-place result in 2023 in his own Emerling-Gase Motorsports Chevy.
  • The 32-year-old has competed in 59 NASCAR National Touring Series events, collecting his first-career top 10 in February at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
  • Frequently described as ‘The Harley Davidson of E-Bike Brands,’ GOAT Power Bikes leads the charge for building powerful, affordable, and reliable e-bikes that empower riders to conquer any terrain. GOAT’s base model bikes have a 48MPH top speed with a price point of under $2,800, making them the best bang for your buck for anything in its class.
  • The eight-time Whelan Modified Tour winner will be at the controls of Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-073 Friday afternoon. Chase Purdy earned a chassis-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in 2023 when it was the property of Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Patrick Emerling Quote
While you have limited seat time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, you have prior Xfinity Series experience at Pocono. How do you anticipate the truck’s aero and braking characteristics will differ through Pocono’s three unique corners; particularly in Turn One and Turn Three?
“The truck is going to have more downforce and drag, meaning more on-throttle time and less braking compared to the Xfinity car. They will also race quite different. Every corner at Pocono is unique and you can lose a lot speed and momentum with the smallest mistakes. With my background in modified racing, the truck may potentially suit my driving style more so than the Xfinity car does.”

Atop the No. 07 Box – Crew Chief Allen Hart

  • Allen Hart calls the shots for the No. 07 team, an entry that has seen a rotating roster of drivers throughout the 2025 campaign.
  • As a race engineer at JR Motorsports, the Midland, Mich., native helped Justin Allgaier to a runner-up finish in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Pocono Raceway. He led 13 laps and fell 0.615 seconds short of the victory to Brad Keselowski.
  • Last time out at Michigan International Speedway, the No. 07 team and driver Corey LaJoie managed a top-five result despite a shot at the win late in the going. After restarting on the front row for a trio of NASCAR Overtime attempts, aged Goodyear rubber left the driver vulnerable to his competitors on fresher tires and was forced to settle for a fifth-place finish.
  • 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 13 races, No. 07 team sits ninth in the division’s owner’s championship point standings on the strength of one win, four top-five and five top-10 finishes.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 7 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado, will make his fourth and final CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start of the season in Friday’s MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway.
  • In his three starts behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Silverado in 2025, the 22-year-old has collected one win and paced the field for 131 laps. A potential top-five run at Texas Motor Speedway turned sour when he lost voltage under green-flag conditions, and a potential hometown victory at Michigan International Speedway went awry when contact with a competitor in the closing laps cut his left-rear tire.
  • The five-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series winner owns three prior starts in the series at “The Tricky Triangle.” He registered a fifth-place result in 2022.
  • The 2024 Cup Series Rookie of the Year started 15th and finished 17th in last year’s 160-lap Pocono Cup Series race.
  • Last month, Hocevar and the No. 7 team claimed victory in the Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway. He led 75 of the event’s 134 laps and survived last-lap contact with a competitor en route to his fifth victory in the series and first aboard a Spire Motorsports-prepared Silverado.
  • The Portage, Mich., native is a veteran of 80 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, earning five wins, 22 top fives and 34 top 10s while leading 731 laps. He made the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs in all three full-time seasons, reaching the Championship 4 in 2023.
  • Delaware Life is an insurance and annuity company that empowers financial professionals with a wide array of customizable solutions. A subsidiary of Group 1001 Insurance Holdings LLC, Delaware Life focuses on delivering a seamless experience for advisors. The company understands how important it is to find the right fit for every client, every situation and every individual need. Delaware Life is passionate about equipping advisors with annuities that give their customers peace of mind and a successful future, allowing them to plan with confidence for whatever’s next.
  • Hocevar will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-089 Friday afternoon, the same truck he parked in Victory Lane at Kansas in its only prior appearance.

Carson Hocevar Quote
How will another double-duty weekend help you at a track as tricky as Pocono?
“Track time is going to be an advantage this weekend. Pocono can be really difficult, you have to be able to get through each corner and they’re all different. The way the car or truck gets through the tunnel turn is going to feel completely different from how it gets through Turn One or Three. Then there’s the long straightaway and the bumps, and all the unique things that can impact a race at Pocono. I think we’ll do well. We’ve been able to find things at each type of track that play in our favor and I feel like we’ll be able to build on all of those things to make the adjustments we need.”

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.
  • Pattie will team up with Carson Hocevar for the fourth and final time in 2025 this weekend. The paiting collected a victory together last month at Kansas Speedway.
  • Kyle Busch emerged victorious in the first of two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races for the 50-year-old shot caller in 2023. The win tallied the 100th and final for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
  • In Cup Series action, the Zephyrhills, Fla., native called 28 events, collecting seven top 10s, highlighted by a runner-up finish with Juan Pablo Montoya in 2009 and a fourth-place result in 2014 with Clint Bowyer.
  • Through 13 races, the No. 7 team sits seventh in the division’s owner’s championship point standings on the strength of two wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes.
  • 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 be behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway.
  • In two prior CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, the newly minted 23-year-old earned a venue-best 10th-place finish in last season’s CRC Brakleen 175. He has also made one start in both the Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series at “The Tricky Triangle.”
  • Last time out at Michigan International Speedway, a flat tire on the 250-mile event’s opening lap forced the Washington, D.C., native to pit road under green-flag conditions, ultimately falling a lap down. Caruth earned the free pass at the conclusion of Stage Two, returning to lead-lap status. Soon after on a Lap-77 restart, contact with a competitor sent the No. 71 Chevrolet into the outside retaining wall, causing significant damage to the right side and rear of the Silverado. The damage was deemed too significant to continue and the ream was credited with a 31st-place finish.
  • In last month’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Caruth held off hard-charging Corey Heim and Layne Riggs to earn his second-career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory. After hitting pit road for the final time in the third position, the No. 71 pit crew nailed the stop, putting the driver out front to start the Final Stage. He led the final 51 laps en route to the win.
  • Through the first 13 events on the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar, Caruth has earned one win, three top fives and seven top 10s, while pacing the field for 186 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-078. The truck was the same Caruth parked in Victory Lane last month at Nashville, the second win for the chassis following Nick Sanchez’s Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway triumph in 2024.

Rajah Caruth Quotes
Coming out of an off week, how do you reset and prepare for the next two weekends at very different race tracks?
“It was nice to have a little bit of time off to reset around the family. Going into Pocono, I’m just excited to get back on track. I’ve improved a lot there since my first ARCA race in 2022. Our trucks are improving and we’re doing a great job working together as a team. The prep doesn’t change and I’m confident the HENDRICKCARS.COM Silverado our team put together will be able to compete up front.”

This year’s race at Pocono has been extended to 70 laps to 80. How does that change your mindset on how you will approach the day?
“It doesn’t change much other than you will have to be a little more mindful about your tires. They are durable, but you will be running a lot of laps on a set. You want to make sure you aren’t cording them or oversaturating the tire. Otherwise, fuel conservation will be a big focus. A lot of these Pocono races comes down to who can save the most fuel, so I will be clutching and coasting under caution and cutting the engine when I have the opportunity.”

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

  • Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called nine CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events at Pocono Raceway, tallying one top five and three top 10s, highlighted by a runner-up finish with Tyler Ankrum in 2019. More recently, he led the charge for the part-time No. 7 entry that secured a venue-best sixth-place result for the team with Austin Hill in 2022.
  • The Boylston, Mass., native adds 19 Cup Series races worth of experience at the “Tricky Triangle,” including a third-place result with Martin Truex, Jr., in June 2007, one-week removed from his first NASCAR Cup Series triumph at Dover (Del.) Motor 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 their 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 MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono Raceway .
  • Last time out at Michigan International Speedway, Perez de Lara picked up his second top 10 of the season as he partook in a spirited drive in the final two attempts at NASCAR Overtime. He ultimately crossed the line in the ninth position.
  • The Mexico City native will make his second career start at “The Tricky Triangle” and his first in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In the 2023 ARCA Menards Series’ Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150, the 2024 series champion started third and took the lead on Lap 7. He led 16 until he was ultimately was passed by eventual race winner, Jesse Love, on Lap 22.
  • 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 15 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, 14 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 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender 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-082 on Friday. Rajah Caruth drove the truck to a pair of top 10s during his 2024 NASCAR CRAFSMAN Truck Series playoff run.

Andres Perez de Lara Quotes
What are your thoughts on heading to Pocono for the first time in the truck?
“I am excited to head up to Pocono for the first time in a truck. This is one of the tracks I was most excited to go to this year and one I circled on my calendar that could be a good fit. The track has a great atmosphere with a lot of history and presents a lot of challenges. I ran ARCA there in 2023 and had a solid day, leading laps and spending most of the day in the top five. Pocono is unlike any track we race at. Each turn is unique and presents its own set of challenges. You have to be good everywhere to make speed. I think we will have what it takes to go out and get a good result.”

Last weekend, you were able to make your Xfinity Series debut in your hometown. How will this experience translate over to the truck series?
“Any time you can get seat time you are learning something. I had to start in the back due to some issues that came up during practice. I passed some cars at the start which gave me a ton of confidence, especially in my first start in the Xfinity car. I was running within the top 15 towards the end of the race until I got turned. That’s just road racing these days. This was definitely a boost in confidence heading into the second half of the season, especially with three road-courses coming up on the schedule.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

  • Walter has called two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at “The Tricky Triangle”. His best effort coming with Tyler Ankrum in 2020, when the duo collected a work-man like ninth place finish.
  • In last year’s event at Pocono Raceway, Walter and Rajah Caruth finished in the 10th position after qualifying third
  • Between NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the Albion, N.Y. native 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 the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.

‘Roll On Eighteen Wheeler, Roll On’

By
Official Release
-

Rick Ware Racing Transporter Driver Chris Avery Logging Mucho Miles En Route to Pocono

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 18, 2025) – After last Sunday’s inaugural Viva Mexico 250 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, NASCAR Cup Series crew members were back in their respective homes by Monday night, most in time for dinner.

Chris Avery, meanwhile, had just crossed back into the United States. Home was still another 20 hours away.

Avery drives the 18-wheeler for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) that carries the team’s No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse to all 38 races on the Cup Series schedule. He departed Mexico City a few hours after the checkered flag dropped to begin his 1,974-mile trek back to RWR’s NASCAR facility in Concord, North Carolina.

“Time-wise, this was our longest trip of the season,” Avery said. “When we go out to Sonoma, California, that’s actually our longest trip mileage-wise, but this one was more involved because of the border crossing and just traveling in another country.”

The Cup Series’ race in Mexico City was its first international points-paying event in 67 years. There was some teeth-gnashing and hand-wringing when it came to the logistics of moving NASCAR’s small city to and from Mexico City in between the June 8 race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and this Sunday’s race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, a route which will total nearly 5,000 miles. Avery, however, already had a good idea of what to expect. He drove racing transporters internationally, specifically, all across Europe for teams competing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

“I’ve been driving for about 25 years,” Avery said. “I’ve done a lot of work in sportscar racing, and I had the chance to travel all over the world. Matter of fact, 20 years ago, we won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Avery was the transporter driver for Champion Racing, which won the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans with drivers JJ Lehto, Marco Werner and Tom Kristensen in an Audi R8. Ironically, Champion Racing was the last customer team to win the twice-around-the-clock endurance race until this past weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, AF Corse, stood atop the podium with its No. 83 Ferrari and drivers Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Philip Hanson.

“We started with right-hand drive trucks, and that was a little bit interesting and took some getting used to. Eventually, we got left-hand drive trucks and that definitely felt more natural,” Avery said.

How does one break into the world of hauling millions of dollars of racing equipment to events in the United States and abroad?

“As a kid, I watched races with my dad, and he was always a Bill Elliott fan, and a big Ford fan,” said Avery, who grew up in New Bern, North Carolina. “With that always in my head, I eventually got a job hauling showcars for a motorsports marketing agency, Cotter Promotions. Starting in 1997, I drove a big dually pickup all over the country, and one of the cars I hauled was for Cale Yarborough Motorsports. I was able to work with the team at some of the races. I worked my butt off and proved myself to them, and they invited me back to help some more and I became their hauler driver in ‘98.”

Driving a showcar hauler while operating with an always-on mentality earned Avery the nickname “Showtime.” He eventually transitioned away from Cale Yarborough Motorsports and pivoted to sportscar racing, where he did more than just drive.

“My wife and I created a trucking logistics company that specialized in motorsports,” Avery said. “For European teams coming to the U.S. to race, we operated their haulers. From the paperwork needed to get their equipment into the states to actually driving their trucks to races, we did it all.”

Avery returned to NASCAR in 2022, driving the Wood Brothers Racing transporter. He moved to Spire Motorsports in 2024 and joined RWR ahead of the 2025 season. His worldly background prepared him well for this Michigan-to-Mexico-to Pocono journey.

“The prep for Mexico started in January,” Avery said. “There were numerous – more than I can even explain – emails between NASCAR and the teams just to make sure that we had all of our paperwork and all of our manifests. And the paperwork was probably the single largest endeavor, which took months to get through, making sure everybody had passports, making sure everybody was cleared through customs, not only going into Mexico, but getting back into the United States too.

“Then, about a month out, we were looking more at the individual logistics of everything we needed to do. We put plans in place to make sure that when we got to Michigan to do our swap out, everything that needed to go on the hauler to Mexico actually made it onto the hauler, that every ‘T’ was crossed and every ‘I’ was dotted, so that we could be as efficient as possible, because there truly wasn’t any time to waste. We had to get on the road as quickly as we could out of Michigan and focus on the logistics of physically getting to Mexico.”

Avery and his hauler-driving counterparts made it to Mexico City on time, just like they manage to do week-in and week-out during the longest season in all of professional sports. With experience in their back pockets, returning to the United States was even quicker.

“As soon as we hit the U.S. border, it was standard operating procedure,” Avery said. “We have a day-and-a-half turnaround at the shop and we’ll be back on the road to Pocono on Thursday.”

The long hours, exacting details and tight timelines don’t faze Avery. After all, it is the routine of a NASCAR hauler driver.

“We’re the first ones to leave the shop. We’re the last ones to get back to the shop. Every morning when we’re at the racetrack, we’re the first one in the gate. I’m the one at the hauler every week. I make sure that the generator’s on, the coffee pot’s got fresh coffee in it, and I try to be standing at the back door to greet the guys as they show up to walk in the door every single week, every day of every weekend, that we’re out racing,” Avery said.

“Here in the Cup Series, the level of professionalism that these guys have, all of these hauler drivers, is second to none. I’ve never worked with a better, close-knit group of guys that are willing to do what they can to help you, regardless of what team you’re affiliated with.”

Cody Ware, driver of RWR’s No. 51 Parts Plus Ford Mustang, knows full well the value Avery and his brethren bring to the sport. After all, the work on the car and the preparation for the race is for naught if the car doesn’t show up on time at the racetrack.

“Without the truck driver, we can’t go racing,” Ware said. “That hauler is our home away from home. We spend three days a week in the hauler, some weeks more. Knowing that I can just sit down in the lounge, relax a little bit, and then 30 minutes before practice, grab my firesuit and shoes, because I have no doubt they’re going to be right there in my locker, like they always are, just gives you peace of mind when you have a million other things in your head about what you need to do out on the racetrack.”

Avery has already driven more than 22,000 miles this year as the season hits its halfway mark this weekend at Pocono. There are still many more miles ahead of him, with an estimated year-end tally of 68,000 miles.

“You’ve got to love racing to do this and make a career out of it,” Avery said. “I’m also lucky in that I have a very supportive wife who knows racing and understands its demands, especially as it relates to trucking. Gina keeps me grounded and organized at home so I can do my job seamlessly out here on the road.

“I love what I do and I’m going to do it until I get to the point that either I can’t or I’m not good at it.”

That’s a good thing, since it is a 586-mile drive to Pocono before the second-half of the NASCAR season gets underway, a run that will include westward trips to Sonoma, Las Vegas and Phoenix and northbound trips to Watkins Glen, New York, and Loudon, New Hampshire.

“I don’t rest until the season’s over,” said Avery, who after Pocono will return to RWR’s North Carolina base before heading further south to Atlanta for the June 28 Quaker State 400. “We do a lot in preparation to make sure that everything is ready to go, and that goes back to our preparation in January. We were doing things to this tractor and this trailer, maintenance-wise to prepare for all of these long hauls. We make no assumptions in this business. When there’s a question or a need, we address it. I’ll relax in November when I get back from Phoenix.”

Avery will arrive in Pocono early on Friday, and after getting the RWR hauler washed and its wheels polished, he will park inside the Cup Series garage that afternoon. On Saturday, Avery will welcome the crew when the garage opens at 7 a.m. EDT. On-track activity begins later that day with practice at 12:35 p.m. EDT followed by qualifying at 1:45 p.m. The Great American Getaway 400 goes green on Sunday at 2 p.m. All of the action will be broadcast live by Prime Video and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Rick Ware Racing:

Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age 6 when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries would force Ware out of the driver’s seat and into full-time team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with his wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that competes full-time in the elite NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX).

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