HEIM BATTLES BACK TO LEAD TOYOTA AT MARTINSVILLE Corey Heim wins both stages, leads 149 laps before being involved on-track incident
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 28, 2025) – Corey Heim had the dominate truck for the second consecutive race as the Toyota Development Driver won both stages and led 149 of 200 laps, before being involved in an on-track incident on a restart with the second and third-place trucks with 32 laps to go. Despite two additional cautions in the final laps, the Georgia-native had an impressive drive as he took his Mobil 1 Tundra from 26th all the way back to 6th to lead Toyota.
Stewart Friesen (ninth) and Lawless Alan (10th) gave Toyota three Tundras in the top-10. For Alan, the top-10 was his best non-superspeedway finish in the Truck Series in his TRICON Garage debut.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) Martinsville Speedway Race 5 of 23 – 105.2 Miles, 200 Laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Daniel Hemric*
2nd, Tyler Ankrum*
3rd, Jake Garcia*
4th, Chandler Smith*
5th, Ben Rhodes*
6th, COREY HEIM
9th, STEWART FRIESEN
10th, LAWLESS ALAN
12th, GIO RUGGIERO
18th, JUSTIN CARROLL
20th, PATRICK STAROPOLI
21st, TANNER GRAY
24th, TONI BREIDINGER
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
COREY HEIM, No. 11 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage
Finishing Position: 6th
What are the emotions right now and what can you take away from tonight?
“A lot of frustration of course. I really wanted to get a win for Toyota’s 500th Truck start. Obviously, I had the Tundra to do it today. I just feel like we got used up there a little bit. I don’t think he intended to cut my left rear down. I think if he intended to do that, he would have just wrecked me as it is. Just watching it here – he kind of jacked me up in (turns) one and two and then ran into me in (turns) three and four. It wasn’t anything malicious, but I don’t know, I would have liked to be cut a break in hindsight. I think if he was going to cut down my left rear he probably wouldn’t have done it but doesn’t stop me from being pretty frustrated. I’m super thankful for TRICON Garage and Toyota. Our Mobil 1 Tundra was really good today. I don’t know – I guess get a better restart I guess.”
First truck race of the season, first truck race with TRICON Garage and you end up with a top-10 finish. Can you tell us about your race?
“One of the big of things is – it is a lot of fun being fast. I can’t say enough about the TRICON guys bringing me a fast AUTOParkIt Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. It was one of the first times I feel like I’m leaving here, and I feel like I had a lot of fun. It was battle. We were running eighth-to-tenth the whole first two stages and then coming back on tires – it seemed like on every restart, we made the wrong choice, but then they started to go right for us. I almost broke into the top-five, but then we got shucked in the mayhem. Someone just sailed it off in there, and shipped me three-wide, but finished with a top-10. I’m happy with that. It was a lot of fun. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
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 31 electrified options.
Daniel Hemric came out on top amid a late turn of events and a late series of on-track carnages that wiped out a bevy of dominant front-runners. It was also his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career victory in the Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Friday, March 28.
The 2021 Xfinity Series champion from Kannapolis, North Carolina, led the final four of 200 scheduled laps. He started in fifth place, executing a methodically consistent event, keeping his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) Chevrolet entry intact. Hemric finished in the top 10 through the event’s first two stage periods, but it was no easy feat. He survived a flurry of late on-track carnages involving top front-runners Corey Heim, Kaden Honeycutt and Ty Majeski. He took advantage of the opportunity to battle for the race victory during an eight-lap dash to the finish.
During the eight-lap shootout, Hemric drafted teammate Tyler Ankrum to the lead. After trailing his MHR teammate over the next three laps, Hemric drew himself alongside Ankrum. He dueled with him for a lap before he muscled ahead and led with four laps remaining. With the lead in his possession, Hemric did not look back. He beat Ankrum by half a second to achieve his first career victory in his 55th series start. He also cashed in on the first Triple Truck Challenge bonus of the 2025 campaign.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Corey Heim notched his second consecutive Truck Series pole position of the 2025 season. He posted a lap at 96.347 mph in 19.654 seconds. Joining Heim on the front row was Ty Majeski, as the latter clocked in his best qualifying lap at 96.068 mph in 19.711 seconds.
When the green flag waved and the race started, pole-sitter Corey Heim gained an early advantage from the inside lane as he muscled his No. 11 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry away from Ty Majeski and the field entering the first two turns. Heim would proceed to lead the field through the backstretch before he cycled his way through Turns 3 and 4 and back to the frontstretch, where he led the first lap.
Over the next four laps, a series of early jostles for spots ensued within the field as Heim extended his early advantage to more than a second. Behind, Majeski fended off Kaden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith and Tanner Gray for the runner-up spot while Daniel Hemric occupied sixth place in front of Layne Riggs, Lawless Alan, rookie Connor Mosack and William Byron.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Heim maintained the lead by more than a second over Majeski while Honeycutt, Chandler Smith and Tanner Gray continued to follow suit in the top five. As Hemric, Riggs, Alan, Mosack and Byron also continued to trail in the top 10, Jake Garcia, Rajah Caruth, Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton and rookie Giovanni Ruggiero followed suit in the top 15 while Ben Rhodes Jack Wood, Matthew Gould, Corey Day and Grant Enfinger were mired in the top 20.
Two laps later, the event’s first caution flew when Ryan Roulette, who was racing in 34th place, got bumped by the leader Corey Heim, spun on the frontstretch and made light contact with the inside wall. The incident occurred as Heim was attempting to lap Roulette.
Another seven laps later, the event restarted under green. At the start, Heim fended off Honeycutt and Majeski through the first two turns to retain the lead as he led through the backstretch. As Heim proceeded to lead the following lap, Honeycutt muscled his way into the runner-up spot over Majeski as Majeski was trapped on the outside lane. This allowed Tanner Gray to draw even with Majeski over the following lap while behind, Chandler Smith and Riggs battled in front of Mosack and Hemric.
Then on Lap 23, the caution returned when Riggs, who was racing behind Majeski and Tanner Gray in fifth place, received a bump from Mosack that sent Riggs spinning in Turn 4. Amid the incident, the field scattered to avoid hitting Riggs as the latter managed to continue without sustaining any significant damage to his No. 34 Infinity Communications Group Ford F-150 entry.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 31, Heim used the inside lane to muscle away from Honeycutt, Majeski and the field through the first two turns. With Heim clearing the field and pulling away through the backstretch, he would lead the following lap while Honeycutt fended off Majeski for the runner-up spot. By then, Mosack was in fourth place ahead of Chandler Smith and Tanner Gray while Byron navigated his way into ninth place behind Hemric and Alan. In addition, Ben Rhodes occupied 10th place ahead of Friesen, Giovanni Ruggerio, Rajah Caruth, Jake Garcia and Matt Crafton.
Just past the Lap 35 mark, Heim extended his advantage to nearly eight-tenths of a second over Honeycutt as Majeski, Mosack and Tanner Gray continued to pursue in the top-five mark. With a series of on-track battles ensuing within the field, Heim continued to extend his advantage as he led by more than a second over Honeycutt by Lap 40.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 50, Heim, who was navigating his way through lapped traffic, captured his third Truck stage victory of the 2025 season. Honeycutt followed suit in second place as Majeski, Mosack, Tanner Gray, Chandler Smith, Hemric, Lawless Alan, Byron and Stewart Friesen scored in the top 10, respectively.
Under the stage break, some led by Rajah Caruth and including Giovanni Ruggiero, Jake Garcia, Matt Crafton, newcomer Luke Baldwin, Jack Wood, Matthew Gould, Grant Enfinger, rookie Andres Perez de Lara, Matt Mills, Dawson Sutton, Patrick Staropoli, Spencer Boyd and Justin Carroll pitted their respective entries while the rest led by Heim remained on the track.
The second stage period started on Lap 61 as Heim and Honeycutt occupied the front row. At the start, Heim launched ahead of Honeycutt from the inside lane through the frontstretch as he led entering the first two turns. As Heim cleared the field and led through the backstretch, Majeski dueled with Honeycutt for the runner-up spot while a majority of the field behind trailed while stacked in two lanes. Heim would proceed to lead the next lap while Honeycutt used the outside lane to muscle ahead of Majeski and claim the runner-up spot.
By Lap 65, Heim maintained a steady advantage over Honeycutt, Majeski, Mosack and Tanner Gray while Chandler Smith, Hemric, Byron, Alan and Corey Day raced in the top-10 mark. Soon after, Friesen overtook Day for 10th place and Hemric would engage in a tight side-by-side battle with Chandler Smith for sixth place. In addition, newcomer Luke Baldwin muscled ahead of Rajah Caruth to claim 14th place and Riggs would join the latter battle. Amid the battles, Heim stretched his advantage to more than a second over Honeycutt at the Lap 70 mark.
At the Lap 80 mark, Heim continued to lead by more than a second over Honeycutt as the lead lap field scrambled to navigate through the lapped traffic. Amid the scramble, Majeski, Mosack and Tanner Gray trailed in the top five while Heim led by nearly two seconds by Lap 90.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 100, Heim, who extended his lead to more than two seconds amid heavy lapped traffic, cruised to his second consecutive Truck stage victory of the event and the fourth of the 2025 season. Honeycutt settled in second ahead of Majeski, Mosack and Hemric while Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, Byron, Tyler Ankrum and Lawless Alan were scored in the top 10, respectively.
During the stage break, a majority of the front-runners led by Heim pitted while the rest led by Caruth, including those who pitted during the previous stage period, remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Heim exited pit road first and he was followed by Majeski, Honeycutt, Hemric, Mosack, Riggs, Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, Byron and Ankrum, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Ben Rhodes was penalized for a crew member jumping over the pit wall too soon prior to a pit stop.
With 88 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Caruth and Matt Crafton occupied the front row. At the start, Caruth launched his No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST ahead from the inside lane and he led through the backstretch while Crafton fended off the field to retain second place. As Caruth led the following lap, a series of late jostles for spots ensued between those who pitted versus those who did not. With the field fanning out, the caution returned when Luke Baldwin, who was fighting for a top-20 spot, made contact with Day and hopped the curb after getting squeezed by the latter entering Turn 1, which resulted with Baldwin getting sideways and spinning the No. 66 Mohawk Northeast Inc. Ford F-150 entry to the bottom of the track in Turns 1 and 2.
The next restart period began with 80 laps remaining and featured Caruth gaining another strong start from the inside lane as he rocketed ahead entering the first two turns while teammate Jack Wood battled Crafton for the runner-up spot. Soon after, Heim, who navigated his way up to fourth place, made a bold move beneath Wood to pass the latter entering Turn 3 and battle Crafton for the runner-up spot entering the frontstretch. Heim would then muscle ahead of Crafton and pursue the leader Caruth for the following lap while Majeski overtook Jack Wood for fourth place.
Then, with 77 laps remaining and amid a series of battles within the field, Heim navigated his way past Caruth through the backstretch to return atop the leaderboard. As Heim started to pull away, Wood, who was beating and banging with several front-runners, started to slip back as he got shoved up towards the outside lane and had a tire rub on his No. 91 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST entry. With Wood proceeding under race pace and the field still jostling for late spots, Heim proceeded to lead by more than half a second over Caruth as Caruth was starting to be pressured by Majeski for the runner-up spot.
Down to the final 60 laps of the event, Heim was leading by more than two seconds over Majeski while Honeycutt, Chandler Smith and Caruth trailed in the top five. Behind, Hemric, Crafton, Ankrum, Byron and Ruggiero trailed in the top 10 ahead of Enfinger, Tanner Gray and Riggs while Friesen and Alan bumped and battled fiercely for 14th place in front of Rhodes, Baldwin, Gould, Garcia and Dawson Sutton.
Then, with nearly 50 laps remaining, the caution flew when Corey Day, who was racing in the top 20, was bumped by Dawson Sutton and sent spinning backwards towards the outside wall in Turn 2, where he would hit the wall and sustain damage to his No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST entry. During the caution period, some, including Caruth, Crafton, Lawless Alan, Enfinger, Byron, Tanner Gray, Riggs, Ruggiero and Rhodes pitted while the rest, led by Heim, remained on the track.
With the event restarting under green with 46 laps remaining, Heim rocketed ahead from the inside lane while Chandler Smith, Honeycutt and Majeski went three-wide through the backstretch while battling for the runner-up spot. Amid the three-wide action, the trio remained dead even against one another for a full lap until Majeski prevailed from the outside lane by muscling ahead. With Majeski in the runner-up spot, Honeycutt also fended off Chandler Smith for third place while Heim had stretched his lead to more than a second. The caution would then return with 44 laps remaining when Baldwin, who was racing in seventh place, got bumped by teammate Jake Garcia and sent for a spin in Turn 4. As the field scattered while trying to avoid Baldwin, the latter made contact with Gould while Day was also sent for a spin.
As the event restarted under green with 35 laps remaining, Heim rocketed ahead from the inside lane while Majeski briefly struggled to launch from the outside lane. Then, through the first two turns, Honeycutt, who restarted behind Heim, got into the rear of Heim as the latter got sideways. This allowed Honeycutt to get alongside Heim through the backstretch before he bumped and tried to duel with Heim through Turns 3 and 4.
Then, through the frontstretch, Heim, who got bumped by Majeski, sustained a flat left-rear tire amid his contact with Honeycutt and went up the track, where he then spun his No. 11 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry and drew a caution. As Heim plummeted below the leaderboard and pitted for repairs, Honeycutt emerged with the lead ahead of Majeski, Ankrum, Chandler Smith and Hemric, respectively.
Down to the final 27 laps of the event, the race restarted under green. At the start, Honeycutt and Ankrum, the latter of whom opted to start alongside Honeycutt from the outside lane on the front row, briefly dueled through the first two turns before Honeycutt muscled ahead entering the backstretch. As Honeycutt led, Majeski made his move beneath Ankrum for the runner-up spot. With Honeycutt proceeding to lead with 25 laps remaining, Majeski fended off Ankrum for the runner-up spot while Hemric, Chandler Smith and Jake Garcia followed suit.
Then, as the field fanned out with more bumping and jostling for late spots ensuing, the caution returned when Tanner Gray, who was racing in 20th place, got bumped by Enfinger, which resulted with Gray spinning in Turn 3. As Enfinger went up the track, he then sent Jack Wood for a spin as all three came to a rest with damage to their respective trucks.
The beginning of the next restart, with 15 laps remaining, featured Majeski shoving Honeycutt ahead of Ankrum through the frontstretch. In the process, Honeycutt fended off Majeski and Ankrum through the backstretch before Majeski made his move beneath Honeycutt through Turns 3 and 4. Then, as Majeski drew himself alongside Honeycutt in a side-by-side battle for the lead through the frontstretch, Majeski got sideways and made contact with Honeycutt that sent both spinning up the track in Turn 1.
In the process, Honeycutt backed his No. 45 AutoVentine/Precision Chevrolet Silverado RST entry into the outside wall while Majeski sat backwards up towards the wall. Amid the incident, Ankrum emerged as the new leader while Hemric, Garcia, Chandler Smith, Andres Perez de Lara and Friesen were in the top six, respectively.
During the following restart with eight laps remaining, Ankrum and teammate Hemric rocketed away from the inside lane while Garcia, who restarted on the outside lane and on the front row, stumbled at the start. As a result, Garcia was challenged by Chandler Smith for third place while Ankrum retained a narrow lead over Hemric for the following lap.
With six laps remaining, Riggs, who was racing in sixth place despite sustaining a left-front tire rub amid late contact, nearly spun after Alan ran into the rear of Riggs through the first two turns. Despite keeping his truck straight, Riggs lost a bevy of spots and dropped out of the top-10 mark. With the race also remaining under green flag conditions, Hemric started to intimidate teammate Ankrum for the lead as the latter led with five laps remaining.
Then, with five laps remaining, Hemric made his move beneath teammate Ankrum’s No. 18 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado RST entry for the lead through the backstretch. They then bumped through Turns 3 and 4 while continuing to race dead even for the top spot through the frontstretch. As they navigated past Crafton, who was limping his truck around the track at a slow pace, Hemric would continue to duel with Ankrum for nearly a full lap before he used the inside lane to storm his No. 19 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST entry ahead through Turns 3 and 4. Despite Ankrum fending off Garcia for the runner-up spot, Hemric would lead with three laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hemric, who spent the previous two laps placing a reasonable gap between himself and teammate Ankrum, remained in the lead by half a second over Ankrum. With Ankrum unable to mount a late charge nor get close to Hemric’s rear bumper, Hemric was able to smoothly navigate his way around the Martinsville circuit for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and claimed his first elusive checkered flag in the series.
With his first career win, Hemric became the 126th competitor overall to win in the Truck Series division and the first competitor to notch a first Truck career victory at Martinsville since Todd Gilliland made the previous accomplishment in October 2019. The victory was also Hemric’s first across NASCAR’s top three national touring series since he achieved both his first Xfinity Series career victory and championship at Phoenix Raceway in November 2021.
Hemric’s victory was the first for crew chief Joshua Graham and the third consecutive Martinsville win for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s No. 19 Chevrolet entry after the entry was steered to both Martinsville victories a year ago with Christian Eckes.
As an added bonus, Hemric, who performed his celebratory trademark, the backflip, on the frontstretch, was awarded the first Triple Truck Challenge bonus of $50,000 in 2025. This made the North Carolina native the 16th competitor overall to achieve the series’ bonus at least once.
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Man, I’ve been losing my voice here all week,” Hemric said on the frontstretch on FS1. “We found the way there at the end. I want to race Tyler [Ankrum]. Obviously, we got a long season ahead. I want to race him as clean as I could, but I’ve walked out of here twice thinking there’s a missing spot in my dining room for a clock. It’s cool to finally get one here. This truck’s now three-for-three here. That’s the exact same chassis. Huge, huge congrats. Thanks to everyone at [McAnally-Hilgemann Racing], [owners] Bill McAnally, Bill Hilgemann for this opportunity.
“I said I want to come back here and, not come back here to get back anywhere, just come back here to win, to stay humble, just enjoy this journey, man. I’m so thankful for the path I’ve been on and I see this extra 50 grand we won, so thanks to Craftsman and what a series. Super, super proud just to be here…So sweet to have a clock there sitting in the home here soon.”
Tyler Ankrum, who was within reach of notching his second series victory and first since Kentucky Speedway in July 2019, settled in second place for his third top-five result of the 2025 season. Amid the disappointment, Ankrum acknowledged teammate Hemric’s late move and drive to victory.
“Congratulations to Daniel, I can’t think of a nicer guy to win,” Ankrum said. “Yeah, he gave me the bumper, but you’re going to do that at Martinsville. I honestly would much rather have a teammate give me the bumper for the win, so we can just get a win for [McAnally-Hilgemann Racing].”
Jake Garcia finished in third place for his first top-five result of the 2025 campaign. Chandler Smith and Ben Rhodes claimed top-five results.
Corey Heim led a race-high 149 laps and won the event’s first two stages. He rallied to finish in sixth place after a late spin while battling for the win.
“A lot of frustration, of course,” Heim said. “[I] Really wanted to get a win for Toyota’s 500th Truck start, but obviously, [I] had the Tundra to do it today. Just feel like we got used up there [by Kaden Honeycutt with 35 laps remaining] a little bit. I don’t think he intended to cut my left-rear tire down. I think if he wanted to do that, he would’ve just wrecked me as it is. It doesn’t stop me from being pretty frustrated at him to begin with. I just feel like [I] just needed a better restart, I guess.”
Rookie Andres Perez de Lara, Rajah Caruth, Stewart Friesen and Lawless Alan completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Layne Riggs came home in 11th place, Ty Majeski settled in 13th place ahead of William Byron, Tanner Gray fell back to 21st place ahead of newcomer Luke Baldwin and Kaden Honeycutt ended up in 26th place. In addition, Matt Crafton limped home in 27th place, Grant Enfinger retired in 29th place due to not meeting the Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) procedure and Corey Day ended up in 32nd place due to a suspension damage from his late pair of incidents.
There were five lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 69 laps. In addition, 23 of 35 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the fifth event of the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series season, Corey Heim leads the regular-season standings by 20 points over Ty Majeski, 36 over Chandler Smith, 54 over Daniel Hemric, 62 over Stewart Friesen and 65 over Tyler Ankrum.
Race Results:
1. Daniel Hemric, four laps led 2. Tyler Ankrum, 10 laps led 3. Jake Garcia 4. Chandler Smith 5. Ben Rhodes 6. Corey Heim, 149 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner 7. Andres Perez de Lara 8. Rajah Caruth, 17 laps led 9. Stewart Friesen 10. Lawless Alan 11. Layne Riggs 12. Giovanni Ruggiero 13. Ty Majeski 14. William Byron 15. Matt Mills 16. Dawson Sutton 17. Spencer Boyd 18. Justin Carroll 19. Jack Wood 20. Patrick Staropoli 21. Tanner Gray 22. Luke Baldwin 23. Matthew Gould 24. Toni Breidinger, one lap down 25. Connor Mosack, two laps down 26. Kaden Honeycutt, two laps down, 20 laps led 27. Matt Crafton, three laps down 28. Nathan Byrd, four laps down 29. Grant Enfinger – OUT, DVP 30. Cody Dennison, five laps down 31. Alan Waller, 26 laps down 32. Corey Day – OUT, Suspension 33. Frankie Muniz – OUT, Rear End 34. Norm Benning – OUT, Brakes 35. Ryan Roulette – OUT, Handling
Next on the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway for the Weather Guard Truck Race. It will also be the second Triple Truck Challenge event and is scheduled for April 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
Connor Zilisch achieved his second NASCAR Xfinity Series pole position of the 2025 season for the Marine Corps 250 at Martinsville Speedway on Friday, March 28.
The event’s starting lineup was determined through a standard practice and qualifying procedure, as the field was split into two 25-minute practice sessions apiece. Next, they rejoined forces and participated in a two-lap qualifying session (impound). The groups and qualifying order were determined by metrics that included 70% based on previous race finish by owner and 30% based on owner points standings, with the best scoring competitors placed in the second group.
Zilisch was the sixth-fastest competitor during Friday’s practice but improved upon that during the qualifying session. He steered his No. 88 Carolina Carports/JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro entry to a pole-winning lap at 95.213 mph in 19.888 seconds, which was enough to claim the top-starting spot over his teammate Carson Kvapil.
It was Zilisch’s first Xfinity pole since the race at Circuit of the Americas in early March and his first at a short-track venue.
“Last time I was here [at Martinsville] in the Truck [Series], I qualified, I think, 27th,” Zilisch said on the CW Network. “[I] Went from completely one end of the spectrum to the other. I’m really proud of this entire JR Motorsports team. We’ve had four fast cars at the track every week. Really excited to have this Carolina Carports Chevrolet out front for tomorrow.”
Zilisch will share the front row with teammate Carson Kvapil, the latter of whom clocked in his best qualifying lap at 95.089 mph in 19.914 seconds. Austin Hill, Jesse Love and Harrison Burton will start in the top five, respectively.
Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones, newcomer Corey Day, rookie Daniel Dye and Sammy Smith completed the top-10 starting lineup.
Notably, the following names that included rookie Taylor Gray, Ryan Sieg, rookie William Sawalich, Aric Almirola, Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, rookie Christian Eckes, rookie Nick Sanchez, Jeremy Clements and Josh Williams qualified 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 26th, respectively. In addition, Jeb Burton, who did not post a qualifying lap, will round out the starting field in 38th place.
With 40 competitors vying for 38 starting spots, Dawson Cram and Tyler Tomassi were the two competitors who did not qualify for the main event.
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
1. Connor Zilisch, 95.213 mph, 19.888 seconds
2. Carson Kvapil, 95.089 mph, 19.914 seconds
3. Austin Hill, 94.732 mph, 19.989 seconds
4. Jesse Love, 94.486 mph, 20.041 seconds
5. Harrison Burton, 94.369 mph, 20.066 seconds
6. Justin Allgaier, 94.364 mph, 20.067 seconds
7. Brandon Jones, 94.336 mph, 20.073 seconds
8. Corey Day, 94.242 mph, 20.093 seconds
9. Daniel Dye, 94.195 mph, 20.103 seconds
10. Sammy Smith, 94.176 mph, 20.107 seconds
11. Taylor Gray, 94.153 mph, 20.112 seconds
12. Dean Thompson, 94.115 mph, 20.120 seconds
13. Ryan Sieg, 94.073 mph, 20.129 seconds
14. William Sawalich, 93.999 mph, 20.145 seconds
15. Aric Almirola, 93.915 mph, 20.163 seconds
16. Sam Mayer, 93.826 mph, 20.182 seconds
17. Anthony Alfredo, 93.826 mph, 20.182 seconds
18. Sheldon Creed, 93.808 mph, 20.186 seconds
19. Christian Eckes, 93.590 mph, 20.233 seconds
20. Nick Sanchez, 93.391 mph, 20.276 seconds
21. Myatt Snider, 93.318 mph, 20.292 seconds
22. Blaine Perkins, 93.125 mph, 20.334 seconds
23. Jeremy Clements, 93.111 mph, 20.337 seconds
24. Ryan Ellis, 92.947 mph, 20.373 seconds
25. Thomas Annunziata, 92.933 mph, 20.376 seconds
26. Josh Williams, 92.860 mph, 20.392 seconds
27. Parker Retzlaff, 92.805 mph, 20.404 seconds
28. Matt DiBenedetto, 92.778 mph, 20.410 seconds
29. Brennan Poole, 92.592 mph, 20.451 seconds
30. Kris Wright, 92.218 mph, 20.534 seconds
31. Mason Maggio, 92.034 mph, 20.575 seconds
32. Brad Perez, 92.025 mph, 20.577 seconds
33. Patrick Staropoli, Owner Points
34. Garrett Smithley, Owner Points
35. Kyle Sieg, Owner Points
36. Greg Van Alst, Owner Points
37. Carson Ware, Owner Points
38. Jeb Burton, Owner Points
The 2025 Marine Corps 250 at Martinsville Speedway is set to occur on Saturday, March 29, and air at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 28, 2025) – Since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway has been cranking out memorable finishes on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. The track’s unique design, a .533-mile short track, lends itself to drama seemingly every time the checkered flag waves.
For NASCAR drivers, putting a victory on your resume from Bristol Motor Speedway, which has also been christened, “The Holy Grail of Short Tracks,” is a goal that seems as real as a drink of water but as hard to get as a million dollars.
The lucky few who have won at Bristol are celebrated and elevated within the sport. The all-concrete track with super high banks has been called “tricky”, “nasty”, “tough”, “challenging” and many other words that are deemed too salty for print. Tempers often flare among angry drivers who were battling for the same small slice of real estate along the high-speed bulling. When tempers boil-over the mayhem and chaos begins.
There have been many lists compiled over the years of greatest wins, most memorable victories, wildest endings and fan-favorite finishes. Today’s list takes a deeper dive into the context of racing at Bristol’s spring race. There have been five victories during the spring Food City 500 that have been deemed “tough as nails” because the consequences of the race were particularly rough on the winning driver.
As the tradition-rich Food City 500 weekend is only two weeks away, April 11-13, please review these incredible finishes where the drivers had to dig deep within themselves to ultimately grab a win at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The following list goes in chronological order from most recent to oldest.
2007 – Kyle Busch outlasts field to win the debut of the Car of Tomorrow The 2007 Food City 500 featured the debut of NASCAR’s new Car of Tomorrow and Kyle Busch claimed one of his first Bristol victories at the event in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy Impala. Tony Stewart was the class of the field that day and led 257 laps before a fuel-pump ended his day. Busch took over from there and grabbed the hard-earned trophy. Breaking in a new car is always a difficult task, and to get the assignment of breaking in the car at Bristol must’ve been a tall order for all of the drivers, but Busch made the most of it. Most of his fellow competitors had a consensus complaint that the car was difficult to drive and even more difficult to set up. Nonetheless, it was such a pivotal moment in NASCAR history as the car was designed with specific safety initiatives that have proven to work miracles in crashes in later years.
1990 – Davey Allison overcomes backstretch pit stall to win in a wild photo finish In one of the closest finishes in Bristol history, Davey Allison clipped Mark Martin by mere inches to take the victory in the 1990 spring race. Adding to the lore of this win was the fact that Allison’s team was pitted on Bristol’s backstretch as a result of his 19th place qualifying position. As a bunch of cars were in contention in the final laps, Ricky Rudd and Sterling Marlin tangled in turn two on the final lap which gave way to Allison and Martin to go side by side to the finish line in the dramatic race to the checkers. The result was so close NASCAR had to confirm the top two positions by using the start/finish line camera. As a jubilant Allison headed to Victory Lane, an angry Marlin headed to Rudd’s hauler to discuss their final lap encounter.
1985 – Dale Earnhardt wins without power steering on Tennessee high banks Growing his legend by leaps and bounds, Dale Earnhardt literally manhandled his Chevy Monte Carlo to take a grueling victory in the 1985 spring race. His power steering failed early in the race and the Intimidator had to drive the final 400 laps without it. He led throughout the race and was trailing Ricky Rudd late in the race. Earnhardt took advantage of a late race caution and managed to pass Rudd with 18 laps to go. He never looked back, and defeated an all-star lineup of rivals including second-place Rudd, Terry Labonte, Buddy Baker and Rusty Wallace, who rounded out the top five. After the victory, when asked if he would want to ever do that again, Earnhardt said simply with a grin, “No.”
1979 – Rookie Dale Earnhardt stuns with Cup victory at Bristol Rookie driver Dale Earnhardt, 28 at the time, scored his first Cup Series victory at the 1979 Bristol spring race in grand fashion by holding off superstars Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for the victory. Earnhardt led 161 laps of the race and took the lead for good with 27 laps to go. He finished three seconds ahead of Allison and proved he belonged on the biggest stage with the world’s best stock car racers. “This was a win in the big leagues, the Grand Nationals,” Earnhardt famously said in Victory Lane. “It was against top caliber drivers. It wasn’t some dirt track back home.” He remains the only rookie to ever win a Cup Series race at Bristol. Longtime NASCAR reporter Kenny Bruce summed the day up best: “The seven-time series champion won nine times at Bristol, but the ’79 victory, with team owner Rod Osterlund and colorful crew chief Jake Elder was where it all began. How many Cup rookies have won at Bristol? Just one. Earnhardt.”
1973 – Cale Yarborough has record day by leading all the laps After years of disappointment at Bristol, Cale Yarborough finally got it done and in record-setting fashion as he led all 500 laps of the 1973 Southeastern 500. It took two weeks to finish the race due to a weather delay, but even that minor inconvenience couldn’t deter Yarborough. Calling his No. 11 machine the smoothest ride he ever had, Yarborough started on the pole and never trailed in the race. He joins Jeff Burton as the only two drivers in NASCAR history to lead every lap of a Cup race in the modern era.
Fans will definitely want to be at Bristol Motor Speedway when the next tough as nails victory takes place. It could be on April 13 during the Food City 500 when many of the best drivers in the sport, including Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe, put it all on the line to grab the famed BMS Trophy and BMS Gladiator Sword.
The highly-anticipated weekend opens with the WEATHER GUARD Truck Race, a 250-lap race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series under the lights on Friday, April 11 (7:30 p.m., FS1 and PRN Radio), and continues Saturday afternoon on April 12 with the SciAps 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (5 p.m., The CW, PRN Radio) and then culminates Sunday afternoon with the historic Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race (April 13, 3 p.m., FS1 and PRN Radio).
In addition to cheering on their favorite drivers on the track, Bristol Motor Speedway fans will definitely want to take advantage of so many activities to make a complete weekend of family fun. There will be great video entertainment provided by Colossus TV, the world’s largest center-hung video screen, premium VIP experiences, tailgating, on-site camping, concerts and other entertainment at the Food City Fan Zone Stage headlined by Trackside Live with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts, great food and beverages in the concession stands throughout the property, and so much more.
To purchase tickets for the Food City 500 or any of the BMS NASCAR events in 2025, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call the BMS ticket sales center at (866) 415-4158.
About Bristol Motor Speedway Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events, including an upcoming Major League Baseball game. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2025, the venue will transform into a baseball stadium to host the MLB Speedway Classic featuring the Atlanta Braves vs. the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2nd. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and from 2021-2023 the track converted to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
Corey Heim notched his second consecutive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career pole position in recent weeks by claiming the top-starting spot for the Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Friday, March 28.
The event’s starting lineup was determined through a standard practice and qualifying procedure, where the field was split into two 25-minute practice sessions apiece before rejoining forces and participating in one two-lap qualifying session (impound). The groups and qualifying order were determined by metrics that included 70% based on previous race finish by owner and 30% based on owner points standings, with the best scoring competitors placed in the second group.
During the Martinsville qualifying session, Heim, who was the third-fastest competitor and who was the final competitor to qualify, clocked in a pole-winning lap at 96.347 mph in 19.654 seconds, which was enough to topple the reigning Truck Series champion Ty Majeski by 0.057 seconds for the top-starting spot.
With his second consecutive Truck Series pole of the 2025 season, Heim also notched his ninth series pole and his first at Martinsville. He is a former winner at Martinsville, where he won amid a rain-shortened event in 2023. After falling short of notching a dominant victory due to late power issues last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Georgian will attempt to redeem himself and notch his third Truck victory through the series’ first five scheduled events for Friday night’s main event at the Paperclip-shaped venue. Heim will also strive to claim the first Triple Truck Challenge bonus of $50,000 as the program will occur over the next three Truck events, including the upcoming races at Bristol Motor Speedway and Rockingham Speedway, respectively, in April.
Ty Majeski, who is pursuing both his first series’ victory at Martinsville and first Triple Truck Challenge bonus, will start alongside Heim on the front row after he posted his best qualifying lap at 96.068 mph in 19.711 seconds. Kaden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith and Daniel Hemric will start in the top five, respectively.
Tanner Gray, Layne Riggs, Jake Garcia, Lawless Alan and Rajah Caruth completed the top-10 starting grid for the Truck Series race at Martinsville.
Notably, the following names that include rookie Connor Mosack, Stewart Friesen, William Byron, Matt Crafton, Corey Day, rookie Giovanni Ruggiero, Matthew Gould, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, rookie Andres Perez de Lara, Tyler Ankrum, rookie Toni Breidinger, newcomer Luke Baldwin, rookie Frankie Muniz and Norm Benning will start 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 27th, 31st and 33rd, respectively.
With 35 competitors vying for 35 starting spots, all of the competitors made the main event at Martinsville.
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
1. Corey Heim, 96.347 mph, 19.654 seconds
2. Ty Majeski, 96.068 mph, 19.711 seconds
3. Kaden Honeycutt, 95.976 mph, 19.730 seconds
4. Chandler Smith, 95.961 mph, 19.733 seconds
5. Daniel Hemric, 95.815 mph, 19.763 seconds
6. Tanner Gray, 95.545 mph, 19.819 seconds
7. Layne Riggs, 95.420 mph, 19.845 seconds
8. Jake Garcia, 95.371 mph, 19.855 seconds
9. Lawless Alan, 95.352 mph, 19.859 seconds
10. Rajah Caruth, 95.232 mph, 19.884 seconds
11. Connor Mosack, 95.223 mph, 19.886 seconds
12. Stewart Friesen, 95.022 mph, 19.928 seconds
13. William Byron, 94.970 mph, 19.939 seconds
14. Matt Crafton, 94.960 mph, 19.941 seconds
15. Corey Day, 94.917 mph, 19.950 seconds
16. Giovanni Ruggiero, 94.913 mph, 19.951 seconds
17. Jack Wood, 94.870 mph, 19.960 seconds
18. Matthew Gould, 94.699 mph, 19.996 seconds
19. Grant Enfinger, 94.680 mph, 20 seconds
20. Ben Rhodes, 94.666 mph, 20.003 seconds
21. Andres Perez de Lara, 94.420 mph, 20.055 seconds
22. Dawson Sutton, 94.406 mph, 20.058 seconds
23. Matt Mills, 94.383 mph, 20.063 seconds
24. Tyler Ankrum, 94.214 mph, 20.099 seconds
25. Toni Breidinger, 93.910 mph, 20.164 seconds
26. Spencer Boyd, 92.951 mph, 20.372 seconds
27. Luke Baldwin, 92.556 mph, 20.459 seconds
28. Alan Waller, 92.303 mph, 20.515 seconds
29. Justin Carroll, 92.276 mph, 20.521 seconds
30. Nathan Byrd, 92.092 mph, 20.562 seconds
31. Frankie Muniz, 91.909 mph, 20.603 seconds
32. Cody Dennison, 91.847 mph, 20.617 seconds
33. Norm Benning, 89.523 mph, 21.152 seconds
34. Ryan Roulette, 89.498 mph, 21.158 seconds
35. Patrick Staropoli, 89.494 mph, 21.159 seconds
The 2025 Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 at Martinsville Speedway is set to occur on Friday, March 28, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
Jesse Love will aim to make his inaugural presence as a NASCAR Cup Series competitor at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13.
Love, a 20-year-old native of Menlo Park, California, will be piloting the No. 33 Chevrolet entry for Richard Childress Racing (RCR). The organization Love competes in the Xfinity Series on a full-time basis. C4 Ultimate Energy will be serving as his sponsor for the event at Bristol.
The news comes as Love is currently campaigning in his second full-time season in the Xfinity circuit with RCR. The Californian commenced the 2025 campaign by winning the February season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. He finished in the top nine in his next five starts and is currently ranked third in the driver standings.
“Racing in the Cup Series has always been my main goal and dream,” Love said in a released statement. “Everything that I have done up to this point in my career has been building to this moment. To make my Cup Series debut at this age is very special, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to make it with RCR. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms over the last year and the organization feels like family.”
Love is a champion of the ARCA Menards Series (2023) and a two-time champion of the ARCA Menards Series West division (2020 & 2021). He made his first appearance across NASCAR’s top three national touring series in 2023, where he campaigned in his first three Craftsman Truck Series events with TRICON Garage.
During the three-race stint, he finished as high as fourth and no lower than 13th. Beginning in 2024, Love moved up to the Xfinity circuit with RCR. This past season, he notched his first career victory at Talladega Superspeedway, qualified for the Playoffs and finished in eighth place in the driver’s standings. He also captured the 2024 Xfinity Rookie-of-the-Year title.
Through 39 career starts in the Xfinity Series, Love has notched two victories, six poles, nine top-five results, 23 top-10 results, 394 laps led and an average finishing result of 11.2. As Love continues his season-long pursuit of the 2025 Xfinity championship, he will also attempt to become the fifth competitor over the previous four years to compete in at least a single Cup Series event behind the wheel of RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet entry.
“I’m excited to have Jesse make his Cup Series debut in the No. 33 Chevrolet,” Richard Childress, chairman and chief executive officer of RCR, added. “From the moment I started watching Jesse race, I knew that he had the talent. He has a passion for wanting to win and doing the best possible for his team.
“To be a great driver, you have to have passion behind the wheel and Jesse has that. We’ve seen him develop over the last year since he joined RCR, and I look forward to helping him compete at the highest level of our sport.”
Love is currently the second competitor to be confirmed to pilot RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet entry for at least a single event throughout the 2025 Cup Series season. Austin Hill, Love’s Xfinity teammate at RCR, is scheduled to pilot the No. 33 entry in five events, beginning at Darlington Raceway on April 6.
Future driver plans for RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet entry and Love’s Cup Series schedule for the remainder of the 2025 season remain to be determined.
Jesse Love’s NASCAR Cup Series debut attempt is scheduled at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13 for the Food City 500. The event’s start is slated to commence at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.
C4 Ultimate Energy Will Serve as Primary Partner on the No. 33 Chevrolet
WELCOME, N.C. (March 28, 2025) – Richard Childress Racing announced today that NASCAR Xfinity Series standout Jesse Love will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 13. Love will pilot the No. 33 C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet on the high banks of the Last Great Colosseum.
“Racing in the Cup Series has always been my main goal and dream,” said Love. “Everything that I have done up to this point in my career has been building to this moment. To make my Cup Series debut at this age is very special, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to make it with RCR. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms over the last year and the organization feels like family.”
Love has quickly climbed the motorsports ranks and continues to add to an impressive resume. During his Xfinity Series rookie campaign in 2024, the 20-year-old claimed his first series win, a series-leading five poles, and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Love became the youngest champion in NASCAR history by clinching his first ARCA Menards Series West title at the age of 16 in 2020. The Menlo Park, California native then posted a dominating performance by winning half the races and the championship in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season.
Earning his first Xfinity Series victory of 2025, Love captured the checkered flag in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway and has already locked his team into the Playoffs.
“I’m excited to have Jesse make his Cup Series debut in the No. 33 Chevrolet,” said Richard Childress, chairman and chief executive officer of RCR. “From the moment I started watching Jesse race, I knew that he had the talent. He has the passion for wanting to win and doing the best possible for his team. To be a great driver, you have to have passion behind the wheel and Jesse has that. We’ve seen him develop over the last year since he joined RCR, and I look forward to helping him compete at the highest level of our sport.”
Nutrabolt, owner of C4®, is the No. 1 selling global pre-workout brand and one of the fastest growing energy drink companies in the country. Making its C4 Ultimate Energy product line-up more delicious and even cooler, Nutrabolt recently introduced the Frost collection – a product extension available in three flavors that will also unveil a unique can technology that transitions from silver to blue when the can is cold and ready to drink.
The green flag for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway will wave at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 13. Watch live television coverage on FS1 and listen to flag-to-flag coverage on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. For more information, please visit rcrracing.com.
About Nutrabolt:
Nutrabolt is a fast-growing, global active health and wellness company with a portfolio of market leading performance-oriented brands that energize and fuel active lifestyles. The company’s disruptive and innovative products compete in the Functional Beverage and Active Nutrition segments, under three consumer-loved brands: C4® (one of the fastest-growing energy drink brands in the United States and the #1 selling global pre-workout brand), XTEND® (America’s #1 Amino Acid supplement brand), and Cellucor® (an award-winning sports nutrition brand created in 2002). Since its founding 20 years ago, Nutrabolt has set out to meet the discerning needs of performance athletes and fitness enthusiasts, while appealing beyond this core group to include consumers around the globe who are making healthy, active living a daily priority.
About Richard Childress Racing:
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2025 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (No. 8 Chevrolet) and 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Jesse Love (No. 2 Chevrolet) and Austin Hill (No. 21 Chevrolet).
Octagon to Provide Content Development, Distribution, and Fan Engagement Consultation
INDIANAPOLIS (March 28, 2025) – The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is shifting into high gear, announcing today that Octagon has been named as the NHRA’s content strategy and media rights advisor.
Octagon, an industry leader in international sports marketing and media rights consulting, will support the NHRA in the development of a long-term content, media, and overarching distribution program. The powerhouse partnership is set to leverage and optimize the NHRA’s expansive content lineup, to drive deeper engagement among current and new fans, as well as advance the NHRA’s long-standing track record of delivering incredible excitement to fans everywhere.
Harnessing the NHRA’s massive content offerings, which include the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series on FOX, the Lucas Oil Series, and Congruity Pro Mod Series, to the action-packed streaming of NHRA.tv, to NHRA’s growing AVOD (ad-supported video on demand) channels, to NHRA’s YouTube and social channels, Octagon will conduct in-depth research and platform analysis to maximize all content opportunities.
“We’re thrilled to bring Octagon on board as our content strategy and media rights advisor,” NHRA Vice President of Broadcasting Steve Reintjes said. “They’re jumping in to fine-tune the incredible content we produce, from our FOX shows that bring nitro to big audiences, to NHRA.TV’s live racing, our FAST platforms, and the millions following along on YouTube and social media. Octagon’s insight will help us keep fans fired up while contributing to efforts like TV negotiations and broadcast planning beyond 2026.”
“The incredible excitement of NHRA racing, and the remarkable collection of content platforms across the series, is matched only by the hugely passionate and dedicated fan base, and long-standing track record of strong viewership,” said Daniel Cohen, Executive Vice President, Media Rights Consulting, Octagon. “From broadcast to streaming and social, we’re delighted to work together to further enhance the NHRA’s overall content design, packaging, and distribution strategy efforts, to continue to amplify the sport and drive increased engagement with current and new fans in as many ways possible.”
The NHRA’s work with Octagon builds on a decade of adrenaline-charged coverage with FOX Sports, a partnership that currently runs through the 2026 season and has delivered NHRA’s 330-mph thrills to viewers across the United States. In addition to supporting future TV negotiations, Octagon will further explore how NHRA’s FAST platforms – like Roku Channel, Samsung TV+, Sling Free Stream, and Tubi – can connect with untapped audiences, blending innovation with the sport’s raw power to help welcome new fans to the dragstrip.
For more information on NHRA, visit NHRA.com or follow NHRA on social media for the latest updates.
ABOUT OCTAGON
Octagon is the preeminent integrated marketing, creative, and talent management agency in global sports and entertainment. The agency creates distinctive marketing campaigns for some of the largest brands and Fortune 500 companies across the globe and represents more than 900 of the most prominent and influential athletes, talent, and properties in the world.
For more than 40 years, Octagon has consistently pushed the boundaries of the industry with ground-breaking marketing campaigns, experiential and hospitality services, industry-leading data, insight, and strategy capabilities, as well as an unmatched talent management portfolio of the most high-profile and successful athletes and personalities. See more at octagon.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.
RALEIGH, N.C. (March 28, 2025 – The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division announced today that NC By Train, the state’s passenger rail service, will run a special train from Raleigh to Rockingham Speedway for NASCAR’s return in April.
“After the overwhelming success of the Open Express to the U.S. Open in 2024, we’re thrilled to work with our partners at Amtrak and the Rockingham Speedway to provide another unique opportunity to take NC By Train to an iconic North Carolina event,” said state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. “Special trains like this provide the chance to introduce even more people to the amazing passenger rail service available in our state.”
The “Rockingham Special” train will run for one day only on April 19 between Raleigh Union Station and the Rockingham Speedway.
“We are delighted to work with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and other partners to offer this one of a kind transportation option to the Rockingham Speedway,” Amtrak Vice President Ray Lang said. “This is an exciting event, and we welcome this opportunity to give fans an enjoyable, stress-free way to travel.”
The morning train will depart Raleigh Union Station at 9 a.m. with stops in Cary at 9:15 a.m. and Southern Pines at 10:28 a.m. The train will arrive at Rockingham Speedway at 11:06 a.m. and let passengers off adjacent to the speedway near Gate E. The evening train will depart from Rockingham Speedway at 7:30 p.m. with stops in Southern Pines at 8:08 p.m. and Cary at 9:21 p.m. The Rockingham Special will return to Raleigh Union Station at little after 9:30 p.m.
“Our thanks to the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division, Amtrak and CSX for providing this special train for fans attending the NASCAR events at Rockingham Speedway,” said promoter Bob Sargent, President of Track Enterprises. “We’re fortunate to have NC By Train passenger rail tracks run right by the speedway and excited to have this turnkey experience available to our fans. It is certainly the way I’d like to travel to and from the race!”
“Rockingham Special” train tickets are $25 each way and available for purchase now on Amtrak’s website. Tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis and seating is limited. Tickets must be bought in advance of travel. When purchasing your ticket(s) online, type or select “Rockingham” for your destination and return trip. Food and beverages will be available to purchase on board. Visit Amtrak.com for ticket prices and more information.
NCDOT encourages people to skip the hassles of traffic and parking and take advantage of the convenient, safe and affordable transportation available on NC By Train with its large seats, charging outlets at each seat and free WiFi.
Visit NC By Train for more information and to plan a trip. Follow us on social media at Twitter/X and Instagram @NC_By_Train and NC By Train on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Fans can log on to racetherock.com for continuing details, schedule updates or to purchase tickets for NASCAR’s April 18-19 return to Rockingham Speedway. Tickets are also available for purchase in person at Rockingham City Hall Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., and on Fridays from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Both single day and weekend ticket packages are available.
About Rockingham Speedway …
Located in Richmond County, N.C., Rockingham Speedway opened as a flat, one-mile oval on Oct. 31, 1965. It was reconfigured to a one-mile (1.017 miles) high-banked, D-shaped oval in 1969.
In 2018, a new ownership group took over the facility and renamed it Rockingham Speedway & Entertainment Complex. On Nov. 18, 2021, N.C., Governor Roy Cooper signed the 2021-2022 North Carolina state budget allocating $9 million to support reinvestment in the facility. The state funds, along with ownership investment, allowed for redevelopment of the racetrack including the racing surface and extensive repairs. Today, the facility hosts a wide variety of events including karting, road racing, endurance racing, concerts and more. In 2025, Rockingham Speedway will welcome the return of NASCAR for the first time since 2013.
About Track Enterprises …
Track Enterprises has been promoting motorsports events since 1985. Based in Macon, Ill., a dedicated staff, led by longtime promoter Bob Sargent, organize and promote upwards of 80 races a year across the eastern half of the United States. Track Enterprises was responsible for the highly-acclaimed return of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series to the Milwaukee Mile in 2023.
Collection Available March 28, Merging NASCAR and Women Empowerment
Charlotte, NC (March 28, 2025) – Girl Tribe Co., a local Charlotte women-owned business, is teaming up with America’s No.1 motorsport for the first time to launch an exclusive apparel collection. The collection will feature nine distinctive styles, blending fashionable, race-inspired pieces that capture the spirit of NASCAR while honoring the empowerment of women.
Debuting today, Friday, March 28, the collection will be available for purchase at the Girl Tribe Co. store located in South End, Charlotte, as well as NASCARShop.com and GirlTribeCo.com.
“Partnering with Girl Tribe Co. allows us to bring a unique and innovative collection to new and longtime NASCAR fans alike,” said Megan Malayter, vice president licensing and consumer products at NASCAR. “This collection blends the spirit of motorsports while celebrating and empowering women, and we’re excited to see how fans embrace it both at the track and beyond.”
Founded in 2014 by Charlotte natives and high school best friends Carrie Barker and Sarah Baucom, Girl Tribe Co. is a women positive graphic apparel brand designed to connect and celebrate women. Built on passion for supporting and uplifting women, the company was created by besties, for besties – a place where women can connect, shop, and feel empowered.
“This will be our first launch for the Girl Tribe Co x NASCAR collection, and we cannot wait to see which products resonate with the fans, as their feedback will guide us in developing future collections and understanding how customers interact with our line,” said Girl Tribe Co. co-founder Sarah Baucom. “Growing up in Charlotte, NASCAR has always been synonymous with Sunday Fundays at the track. We are thrilled to bring our aesthetic into this sport!”
“Social media has helped women curate cute outfits to cheer on their favorite driver at the track, and we’re eager to bring more options for officially licensed wearable women’s NASCAR apparel to the market,” she added.
Girl Tribe Co. is a Charlotte based graphic apparel brand designed to connect and celebrate women. Founded in 2014, HIGH SCHOOL best friends Carrie Barker and Sarah Baucom shared a vision and passion for supporting and uplifting women. Girl Tribe Co. was created by besties, for besties as a place where women can connect, shop, and feel empowered! Headquartered in Charlotte, NC we design, print, and ship all of our products locally with a complete ALL WOMEN team! “We are not just a brand; we are a movement that celebrates and empowers women every day.
ABOUT NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 15 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
