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Nexgen Named the Official Car Care Company of SpeedTour

By
Official Release
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CHARLOTTE (February 10, 2025) — SpeedTour is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Nexgen, which names the organization the Official Car Care Company of SpeedTour.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nexgen was originally designed for professional car detailers and supercar owners, and has been trusted in the automotive industry for more than 20 years. Five years ago, Nexgen began selling its products commercially to allow consumers to experience the pride and happiness that comes with maintaining a pristine vehicle.

The company works hard to create products that are powerful and effective, employing rigorous testing by its networks of dealers and scientists before releasing formulas to the public. Nexgen products are made in the United States from the highest-quality components available. One of the company’s best sellers is its flagship ceramic spray, which brings the results of professional ceramic coating to consumers with more than ten times the ceramic of other brands.

“Nexgen is excited to be joining SpeedTour as their Official Car Care Company for the 2025 season,” said Michael Cantrell, CEO and co-founder of Nexgen. “Cleaning your car should be faster than turning a lap, and give you the same feeling you get when you take the checkered flag. Our family of detailing products provide powerful, professional results, matching the standards that SpeedTour exemplifies. We are looking forward to being in the pits with the race teams and in the garages of the fans this year.”

“We are excited to welcome Nexgen to the SpeedTour family,” said Michael Printup, COO of Parella Motorsports Holdings, the parent company of SpeedTour. “All of our customers—competitors, spectators and car show participants—have one thing in common: a passion for cars. We believe that Nexgen offers an unmatched product to both professionals and consumers, and we are thrilled to welcome them to our paddock.”

SpeedTour returns to the track for its season-opening Sebring SpeedTour at Sebring International Raceway, February 20-23.

About Nexgen: With over 20 years in the automotive detailing industry, Nexgen’s commitment to quality is second to none. Our proprietary formulations combine professional-grade results with DIY ease of use, and set us at the summit of the industry. Whether it’s an auto soap, ceramic coating, all-purpose degreaser, or any of our groundbreaking paint correction formulas, Nexgen has become an essential component of professional detailing businesses and auto dealerships. Nexgen products are developed based on principled, scientific research and real-world R&D. After thousands of internal product tests, we then collaborate with over 1000 professional detailers, car dealerships, and supercar owners to refine our formulas. This is how we ensure the highest quality results and fastest application time prior to bringing any product to market. Because we formulate, blend, bottle, and distribute our own products in the USA, we can maintain high standards for ingredients, safety, and quality. Our collection of DIY products is designed to be simple to use without compromising quality and strength. This product line includes everything needed for cleaning, maintenance, and protection of every surface–interior and exterior–on any vehicle. With an ever-expanding catalog, Nexgen continues to bring consumer-friendly auto care products with industry-leading results. Learn more about Nexgen by visiting getnexgen.com.

About Parella Motorsports Holdings: Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) owns several major road racing series and hosts racing festivals across the United States under the SpeedTour brand name. With Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas), Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.), Ligier JS F4 Series, International GT (IGT) and Prototype Sprint Series Association presented by Hankook (PSSA), events feature a diverse range of cars, including vintage and historic racecars, modern Trans Am vehicles, open wheel and sports cars. Additionally, PMH also holds the long-term commercial rights to SCCA Pro Racing, which sanctions Trans Am, FR Americas, F4 U.S., Formula Race Promotions and Formula 2000. With 24 events on the 2025 schedule, SpeedTour will exceed 6,000 entries. Featuring elements like racing, car shows and concerts, SpeedTour events often attract more than 25,000 spectators. Many events are live streamed at SpeedTour.TV, and covered by SpeedTour Magazine. By blending tradition with innovation, the organization strives to create unparalleled experiences for drivers, teams, sponsors and spectators. For more information about PMH and its SpeedTour events, visit speedtour.net.

Ryan Blaney to make 11th Daytona 500 start in 2025

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to mark Ryan Blaney’s 10th as a full-time competitor in the series and eighth in a row driving the No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry for Team Penske. As Blaney prepares to commence a new season of racing with an opportunity to achieve his first victory in the Daytona 500, he will do so with a milestone start in place for the event. By competing in this year’s season-opening event, Blaney will make his 11th career start in the Great American Race.

A third-generation racer from High Point, North Carolina, Blaney made his Daytona 500 debut in 2015, where he was piloting the No. 21 Ford entry for Wood Brothers Racing. By then, he had notched five victories between the Craftsman Truck and Xfinity divisions and was slated to compete in 20 Cup events with the Wood Brothers organization. Starting in 12th place for the 57th running of the Great American Race, Blaney ended up in 39th place after retiring late due to an engine issue.

The following season, Blaney, who was campaigning in his first full-time Cup season with the Wood Brothers, started in seventh place for the 58th Daytona 500 and settled in 19th place. He then notched his career-best result in the event during the 2017 season by finishing in second place. The latter result occurred amid a late fuel-mileage battle, where Blaney rocketed from seventh to second during the final lap and had enough fuel to cross the finish line behind race winner Kurt Busch.

The 2018 Daytona 500, which marked the 60th running of the Great American Race, generated a strong performance from Blaney, who transitioned to Team Penske and piloted the No. 12 Ford entry. After finishing in fourth place during the Clash and winning the first Daytona Duel event that awarded him the third-place starting spot for the main event, he proceeded to lead a race-high 118 laps during the 500. Despite contending for the victory with two laps remaining, Blaney was involved in a multi-car wreck that resulted with him pitting to have his car repaired. Nonetheless, he rallied to finish seventh during an overtime shootout.

Over his next six Daytona 500 starts, Blaney would accumulate three additional top-eight results and two top-four results. This includes his recent finish of 30th place after he was eliminated in a multi-car wreck with 11 laps remaining. Within the streak, he tied his career-best result in the Great American Race by finishing second in 2020 amid a final-lap harrowing accident. During the latter event, Blaney drafted veteran Ryan Newman past Denny Hamlin on the final lap during an overtime restart and was set to draft Newman to the victory when he bumped and sent Newman head-on and upside-down entering the frontstretch. With the lead in his possession, Blaney was then edged at the finish line by a hard-charging Hamlin by 0.014 seconds, which marks the second-closest finish in the history of the Daytona 500. Two years later in 2022, Blaney attempted to make a race-winning move on teammate Austin Cindric on the final lap entering the frontstretch when the latter stalled the former’s momentum by making contact and resulted with Blaney getting loose and wrecking on the frontstretch after finishing in fourth place.

Through 10 previous starts in the Daytona 500, Blaney has recorded three top-five results, five top-10 results, 186 laps led and an average-finishing result of 17.2 as he continues to pursue his first victory in the Great American Race. A victory in 2025 would result with Blaney delivering the first 500 victory for Team Penske’s No. 12 team since Ryan Newman made the last accomplishment in 2008 and the 18th overall for the Ford nameplate. In addition, Blaney would become the first member of the Blaney racing family and the 44th competitor overall to win the Great American Race. Blaney’s father, Dave, made 12 career starts in the 500 and notched a career-best 14th-place result in 2005 while driving for Richard Childress Racing.

This week, Blaney, who was the championship runner-up this past season after he previously won his first Cup Series title in 2023, will participate in a single-car qualifying session on Wednesday, February 12, and in one of two Duel events on Thursday, February 13, to determine his starting lineup for this year’s Daytona 500. The qualifying session on Wednesday will begin airing at 8:15 p.m. ET on FS1 while the Duels will begin airing at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

The 2025 Daytona 500 is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, February 16, with a starting broadcast time of 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Sheehan and Mike Cope Racing Confident with 2025 Trans Am Ambitions

By
Official Release
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Sebring, FLORIDA – February 10, 2025 – The 2025 CUBE3 Architecture TA2® Series, presented by Pirelli gets underway with the traditional curtain raiser at Sebring in Florida, February 20 – 23. Tom Sheehan will be back for the season with the No. 97 Vixen Cycle LTK Mustang as part of the Mike Cope Racing Team.

Among those Trans Am drivers hunting their first Championship is New Hampshire’s Tom Sheehan, who is looking to advance his position in the standings. At Sebring, 14 of the 33 cars entered in the TA2 race will be competing in the TA2 Pro Am Challenge. Tom was fast and set great pace in the Challenge in 2024 and now has his eyes firmly on the prize of a first title. Tom has previously won the Ironman award for his renowned strength and endurance and as one of the most experienced pilots in the muscle car series. We spoke to Tom in the run up to the start of the new season and he was in a typically positive mood as he and his team prepared for heading south to the Florida sunshine.

“I am grateful to be part of Trans Am and TA2,” stated Tom Sheehan. “It’s been a short off-season. Jason, Travis and Mike have been working hard getting the team ready for 2025. The whole Cope organization is tremendous. Pre-season testing was promising. I feel rejuvenated – working hard on fitness and mental strength. I am ready to compete for wins. Sebring is the first race and I am focused and believe in the mission. My job is to harvest my best results. Vixen Cycle is back and they have been a great partner. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Life is good!”

The introduction of the Pro Am Championship was welcomed by the drivers and teams in TA2 and Tom took full advantage of the new classification at the World Wide Technologies Raceway in Madison, Illinois in May where Tom scored his first win in the iconic American car series. Tom added podium finishes at Road America, Watkins Glen and Pittsburgh International Race Complex to finish the season with 834 Championship points and the P3 overall in the 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Pro Am Challenge.

Tom’s likely first taste of the track in 2025 is at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, February 20 with a second test scheduled for 4:20 p.m. on the same day. Tom’s No. 97 Vixen Cycle Co / LTK / Cope Mustang is in action the following day both for practice at 11:20 a.m. with qualifying in two groups later in the afternoon. The race itself is over 27 laps of a circuit Tom knows well, with the green flag schedule at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, February 22.

Follow Tom’s social media channels via his Facebook page, Damon Racing, Instagram account (@TomSheehanTA97), and X account (@TomTA2_97). For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies and the line of high-quality products go to: https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com.

About Vixen Cycle Co.
Founded by women with a passion for motorcycles, Vixen Cycle Co is a trailblazing brand that not only caters to female riders but also empowers and equips them with a unique blend of stylish clothing and motorcycle parts. Our clothing line is a testament to meticulous design, offering a wide range of trendy and functional apparel that allows women to embrace their love for motorcycles without compromising on style. From sleek and stylish designs to powerful and efficient motorcycle parts, Vixen Cycle Co is committed to enhancing both the look and performance of Harley Davidson motorcycles.

About LTK Insulation Technologies
Putting LTK insulation jackets and covers to work on your project saves real money and time for your firm.

No matter the application, take charge of protecting your hydronic and process controls and valves with a quality insulation cover. With LTK Insulation Technologies, you can be proactive and save money and headaches with high quality material. Insulating in-line controls in your process facility or central hydronic HVAC system from heat loss and condensation. Cover the range of your challenging conditions with an LTK Pro-Fit or LTK Fast Fit Insulation Jacket.

With LTK Insulation Technologies, your imagination is the only limit. Go LTK today!

Haas Factory Team Advance | Daytona 500

By
Official Release
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Daytona 500 Event Info:
Date: Sunday, Feb. 16
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Format: 200 Laps, Stages: 65-65-70
TV: FOX
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Wednesday: 10:05 a.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Wednesday: 8:15 p.m. ET, D500 Qualifying (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Thursday: 7 p.m. ET, Duels (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 5:35 p.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 3:05 p.m. ET, Practice (FS2, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2:30 p.m. ET, Daytona 500 (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • The 2025 NASCAR season officially kicks off this week at ‘The World Center of Racing’ for the 67th running of ‘The Great American Race.’
  • Coverage from Daytona kicks off Wednesday with practice and single-car qualifying to determine the front row for the Daytona 500. The Duels Thursday night will determine the remaining starting lineup for Sunday’s 500-mile race.

41 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: HaasTooling.com

Custer at Daytona International Speedway
Starts: 6
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

  • Custer will make his 7th start at Daytona International Speedway, and has started inside the top-20 in three of those races.
  • This will be his fourth career start in the Daytona 500, where he has a best finish of 11th back in 2021.

RFK Advance | Daytona 500

By
Official Release
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Daytona 500 Event Info:
Date: Sunday, Feb. 16
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Format: 200 Laps, Stages: 65-65-70
TV: FOX
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Wednesday: 10:05 a.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Wednesday: 8:15 p.m. ET, D500 Qualifying (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Thursday: 7 p.m. ET, Duels (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 5:35 p.m. ET, Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 3:05 p.m. ET, Practice (FS2, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2:30 p.m. ET, Daytona 500 (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

  • The 2025 NASCAR season officially kicks off this week at ‘The World Center of Racing’ for the 67th running of ‘The Great American Race.’
  • Jack Roush has 12 wins all-time at Daytona across NASCAR, including eight in the Cup Series.
  • Coverage from Daytona kicks off Wednesday with practice and single-car qualifying to determine the front row for the Daytona 500. The Duels Thursday night will determine the remaining starting lineup for Sunday’s 500-mile race.

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Kroger

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal

60 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

RFK Historically in The Duels
Overall Wins: 3 (Matt Kenseth, 2012; Brad Keselowski, 2022; Chris Buescher, 2022)

  • Three years ago, in 2022, RFK went into Daytona and swept both duel races as Keselowski won the opening duel race, and Buescher followed up with a win in the second qualifying race.
  • Prior to 2022, Matt Kenseth had Jack Roush’s lone win in the Duels as he went on to win the 2012 Great American Race.
  • Keselowski earned a seventh-place finish in last year’s qualifying event, while Buescher took home 10th place. Preece, while racing for Stewart-Haas Racing, finished 13th.
  • Keselowski historically has 16 starts in the Duels with the one win and seven top-10s.
  • Buescher will be making his 10th start in the Duels on Thursday. He’s finished top-10 in the Duels in seven-straight outings and has finished inside the top-10 in all but one Duels race that he’s been in since 2016.
  • Preece has run in five Duels and has three top-10s, with a best finish of fifth back in 2021.

Keselowski at Daytona International Speedway
Starts: 31
Wins: 1 (July 2016)
Top-10s: 8
Poles: —

  • Keselowski makes his 32nd overall start at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway this weekend, and 16th start in the Daytona 500. In 15 D500 starts, Keselowski has two top-10s and a best finish of third (2014).
  • Most recently, Keselowski was caught up in a late-race crash in the 2024 rendition of the ‘Great American Race,’ and went on to finish 33rd. Last summer, Keselowski earned the most points of any driver in the field and led the charge with an eighth-place finish.
  • Overall, Keselowski has eight top-10s at DIS, four of which were inside the top five.
  • Overall Keselowski has 11 starts inside the top-10 at Daytona with four starts in third. Last season he started 16th in the 500.
  • Keselowski’s new crew chief, Jeremy Bullins, has two career wins at Daytona, including the most recent race in August 2024 as Harrison Burton’s crew chief. He also won the Daytona 500 in 2022 with Austin Cindric.
  • In Xfinity Series action, Keselowski made 15 starts at Daytona with seven top-10s and a best finish of second (twice – 2012, 2014). He also made three Truck Series starts with a seventh-place run in 2005.

Buescher at Daytona International Speedway
Starts: 18
Wins: 1 (August 2023)
Top-10s: 8
Poles: —

  • Buescher makes his 19th start at Daytona this weekend, and 10th in the ‘Great American Race.’
  • In 18 starts he has eight top-10s and five top fives. He won the 2023 race at Daytona as Keselowski pushed him to the win.
  • His best Daytona 500 finish came four years ago when he finished third. Last season, Buescher ran 18th in the 500.
  • Buescher has an 18.1 average qualifying effort, and started top-10 in three-straight races from 2022-23. He started 19th in last season’s 500.
  • He also made three Xfinity Series starts at DIS with a best finish of second in the 2015 season-opening event.

Preece at Daytona International Speedway
Starts: 10
Wins: 0
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

  • Preece makes his 11th overall start at DIS, and sixth in the Daytona 500. In 10 starts overall, he has three top-10 finishes.
  • His best Daytona 500 finish came in 2021 when he ran sixth in the No. 37 car for JTG-Daughtery Racing. In his last start in the D500, Preece finished 23rd.
  • In 2021, Preece finished in the top-10 in both Daytona races, one of two drivers to do so that season.

RFK Historically in the Daytona 500
Wins: 2 (Matt Kenseth, 2009 & 2012)

  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth was the first to drive a Jack Roush owned Ford into victory lane for the Daytona 500, earning the victory in 2009. He led just seven laps – the final seven – after starting from the 39th position en route to his first of two Daytona 500 victories over a span of four seasons.
  • Jack Roush has won two poles in the Daytona 500, one coming from Greg Biffle in 2004 and the other in 2012 with Carl Edwards. Biffle earned the 2004 pole after a speed of 188.387 and went on to finish 12th. Edwards had a pole speed of 194.738 and finished eighth in the 2012 Daytona 500.

Todd Gilliland and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse Team Daytona 500 Competition Notes

By
Official Release
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Daytona 500

Date: Sunday, February 16, 2025
Event: Race 2 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Daytona International Speedway (2.5-miles)
#of Laps: 200
Time/TV/Radio: 2:30 PM ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Todd Gilliland Notes

Todd Gilliland will make his fourth Daytona 500 showing this weekend and first in the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Gilliland has proven himself as a superspeedway racer, leading laps in the Daytona Duels and other superspeedways, as well as qualifying on the front row in last year’s August race at the Daytona International Speedway.

The Daytona 500 will be Gilliland’s first race with the Love’s Travel Stops brand. Love’s Travel Stops has been a cornerstone partner of Front Row Motorsports (FRM), going into their 12th season with FRM. Additionally, Gilliland’s dad, David, carried the Love’s Travel Stops colors during his time at FRM.

Gilliland will team up with his former NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) crew chief, Chris Lawson, for the 2025 season. Lawson led Gilliland to his first win in the Front Row Motorsports No. 38 Ford F-150 at the Circuit of The Americas in 2021. Additionally, the duo earned back-to-back K&N Pro Series West Championships in 2016 and 2017.

“I’m looking forward to Daytona,” said Gilliland. “Speedweeks is a fun time; the fans, media day, and just the anticipation of the race really makes for a fun week. I have a new team this year, but a talented one at that. Front Row Motorsports showed a lot of speed on the superspeedways last season, and I know this group can continue that momentum into this season and get the win.”

Road Crew

Driver: Todd Gilliland
Hometown: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
Hometown: Medway, Ohio

Car Chief: Joe Marra
Hometown: Somers, New York

Engineer: Marc Rullo
Hometown: Ringwood, New Jersey

Engineer: Kevyn Rebolledo
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Spotter: Brit Andersen
Hometown: Branford, Connecticut

Underneath Mechanic: Michael Brookes
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Interior Mechanic: Chance Burke
Hometown: Siler City, North Carolina

Tire Specialist: Billy John
Hometown: Pitman, New Jersey

Engine Tuner: Tim Meyer
Hometown: Beatrice, Nebraska

Transporter Co-Driver: Christian Boller
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Joe Haresky
Hometown: Victorville, California

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Danny Olszowy
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

Rear Tire Changer: Justin Fox
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jordan Goodine
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Jackman: Courtney Edmonds
Hometown: Burlington, North Carolina

Fueler: Zeke Nance
Hometown: Calhoun, Georgia

ABOUT LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS

Love’s has been fueling customers’ journeys since 1964. Innovation and perseverance continue to lead the way for the family-owned and -operated business headquartered in Oklahoma City with more than 40,000 team members in North America and Europe. The company’s core business is travel stops and convenience stores with 640 locations in 42 states. Love’s continues its commitment to offer products and services that provide value for professional drivers, fleets, four-wheel customers, RVers, alternative fuel and wholesale fuel customers. Giving back to communities Love’s serves and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace are hallmarks of the company’s award-winning culture.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

ZZ TOP FRONT MAN BILLY GIBBONS ANNOUNCED AS AMBETTER HEALTH 400 GRAND MARSHAL

By
Official Release
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HAMPTON, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2025) – Atlanta Motor Speedway announced today ZZ Top lead singer and guitarist Billy F Gibbons will be the grand marshal for the upcoming Ambetter Health 400.

As part of his grand marshal duties, Gibbons will say the most famous words in motorsports, compelling the starting field to life when he says, “Drivers, start your engines.”

“Time to roll…fast and faster!” Billy F Gibbons will growl as motors rev.

With his signature beard and African headgear, Billy F Gibbons is instantly recognizable and best known as the centerpiece of ZZ Top. His iconic vocals and riffs played a major role in the band’s ascent to becoming one of the country’s top rock bands with renowned tracks like “La Grange”, “Tush”, and later “Give Me All Your Loving” and “Sharp Dressed Man”. Over the course of more than five decades more than 50 million ZZ Top albums have been sold as well as a significant number of Billy F Gibbons solo albums. Billy and his ZZ Top bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, his friend and admirer.

His solo releases include the Afro-Cuban flavored “Perfectamundo”, the bluesy, “The Big Bad Blues”, and the hard rockin, “Hardware” all of which are underscored by what he refers to as the “Three T’s”: Tone, Taste and Tenacity. More recently he’s released “Livin’ It Up Down In Texas” as heard on the soundtrack to the hit series Land Man. It was written by Gibbons also with Billy Bob Thornton, the series star, and Nashville singer/composer and Land Man actor Mark Collie.

Gibbons will kick off the Ambetter Health 400, the main event of Atlanta’s spring NASCAR weekend. The weekend features races across all three of the sanctioning body’s national touring series, including the Fr8 Racing 208 and Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250.

Tickets and camping accommodations for the Feb. 21-23 Ambetter Health 400 NASCAR weekend are available at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

About the Ambetter Health 400 weekend:

Atlanta’s spring NASCAR weekend is headlined by the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, with intense, superspeedway pack racing that challenges NASCAR’s best and dazzles fans.

The race weekend also features the 11th year of Atlanta’s same-day NASCAR doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. The thrills of the Fr8 208 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race all happen in one action-packed day.

More information on the Feb. 21-23, 2025, Ambetter Health 400 weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.

Chase Elliott to make 10th Daytona 500 start in 2025

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A week after achieving an exhibition victory in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, Chase Elliott enters the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with early momentum that he strives to utilize to contend for a second series’ championship at this season’s conclusion. As Elliott prepares to officially commence his 10th campaign as a Cup competitor in this year’s 67th running of the Daytona 500, he will do so with a milestone start in place for the latter event. By competing in the 500, the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) Chevrolet entry will make his 10th career start in the Great American Race.

A second-generation racer from Dawsonville, Georgia, Elliott rose to early prominence prior to his Daytona 500 debut in 2016 when he claimed the pole position for the event. By then, he had replaced four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon to pilot the No. 24 HMS Chevrolet entry as Gordon had retired from full-time competition following the 2015 season. By notching his first Cup career pole in his first qualifying session driving the No. 24 car, Elliott became the youngest pole winner for the Daytona 500 in history at 20 years of age. He also became the first rookie candidate to achieve the pole for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway since Austin Dillon made the previous accomplishment in 2014.

Despite leading the first three laps during his first Daytona 500 from pole position, Elliott’s event went south on the 19th lap when he got sideways and made contact with Carl Edwards entering the frontstretch. As Elliott proceeded to spin towards the frontstretch, he plowed the No. 24 Chevrolet through the tri-oval grass and damaged the front splitter. The damage was enough to knock Elliott out of contention as he settled in 37th place, 40 laps down.

Amid an early exit during his first Daytona 500 campaign, Elliott responded back with vengeance in 2017 by capturing his second consecutive pole for the 59th running of the Great American Race. As a result, he became the first competitor to notch Daytona 500 poles in consecutive seasons since Ken Schrader made the previous accomplishment from 1988 to 1990. In addition, he delivered the third consecutive 500 pole for the No. 24 HMS team and for crew chief Alan Gustafson, the latter of whom became the first crew chief to achieve three consecutive Daytona 500 poles since Elliott’s uncle, Ernie, notched the previous feat from 1985 to 1987 with Elliott’s father, Bill.

Four days later, Elliott then won the first of two Daytona Duels after he led 25 laps and fended Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick and the field. As a result, Elliott, who achieved his first non-points victory in the Cup division, became the first competitor to win a Daytona 500 pole and a Daytona Duel event in the same season since his father, Bill, made the previous accomplishment in 1986, a year where the latter would proceed to win the main event. While trying to mirror his father’s accomplishment, Chase Elliott, who led 39 laps, was leading with three laps remaining when he ran out of fuel. As a result of both running out of fuel and losing the draft, he drifted back to 14th place in the final running order.

Compared to his first two Daytona 500 career starts, Elliott did not capture the pole position for the 60th running of the Great American Race in 2018. Nonetheless, he recorded a second consecutive Daytona Duel victory that enabled him to claim the fourth-starting spot for the main event. By then, he was sporting the No. 9 alongside his HMS Chevrolet entry. During the main event, however, Elliott, who led four laps, was racing in second place midway into the second stage period when contact from Brad Keselowski got the former sideways and hitting the Turn 3 outside wall head-on. The vicious accident strapped Elliott with a 33rd-place result in the final running order. The 2018 incident would mark the first of three consecutive Daytona 500 events where Elliott concluded the season-opening race with wrecked race cars despite finishing 17th during his latter two starts in 2019 and 2020.

After wrecking out in his previous three Daytona 500 starts, Elliott, who would claim his first Cup Series championship in 2020, notched a career-best runner-up result in the Great American Race during the 2021 season. His result occurred after he dodged a vicious final-lap multi-car wreck and was edged by Michael McDowell at the moment of caution. Since then, Elliott is coming off respective Daytona 500 results of 10th, 38th and 14th, the latter of which was made this past season.

Through nine previous starts in the Daytona 500, Elliott has achieved two poles, one top-five result, two top-10 results, 85 laps led and an average-finishing result of 20.2 as he continues his pursue for his first victory in the Great American Race. A victory by Elliott in 2025 would make him the 44th competitor overall to win the Great American Race and the first time a competitor named Elliott won the 500 since his father, Bill, made the last accomplishment in 1987. In addition, HMS would become the winningest team of the Daytona 500 at 10 and the Chevrolet nameplate would achieve its 27th 500 victory.

This week, Elliott, who finished in seventh place in the 2024 driver’s standings, will participate in a single-car qualifying session on Wednesday, February 12, and in one of two Duel events on Thursday, February 13, to determine his starting lineup for this year’s Daytona 500. The qualifying session on Wednesday will begin airing at 8:15 p.m. ET on FS1 while the Duels will begin airing at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

The 2025 Daytona 500 is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, February 16, with a starting broadcast time of 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Matt Crafton returns to ThorSport Racing for 25th Truck season in 2025

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Matt Crafton will campaign in his 25th consecutive season as a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor and continue to pilot the No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 entry for ThorSport Racing.

The news comes as the three-time champion from Tulare, California, is coming off his 24th consecutive Truck season, where he recorded a single top-five result, seven top-10 results, a single lap led and an average-finishing result of 16.1. After missing the Playoffs for the first time in his career, he finished in 14th place in the final driver’s standings.

Crafton, who grew up competing in go-karts before he worked his way up to compete in the Featherlite Southwest Series, made his Truck Series debut during the 2000 finale at Auto Club Speedway, where he drove the No. 88 entry for SealMaster Racing, ThorSport Racing’s former name, to a ninth-place result. Since the start of the 2001 season, he has campaigned as a full-time competitor in the series. Aside from competing at Kevin Harvick Inc. in 2004, he has competed at ThorSport Racing through 24 seasons and has piloted the No. 88 entry in all but one of his starts with the latter organization.

Through 567 consecutive starts as a Truck Series competitor, Crafton has notched three championships, 15 race victories, 16 poles, 135 top-five results, 328 top-10 results, 2,716 laps led and an average-finishing result of 11.6.

At 567 consecutive starts, Crafton has the most starts overall and the most consecutive starts in the Truck circuit to date. With three championships, he is tied with Jack Sprague for the second-most titles in the series. With 15 victories, Crafton is also ranked in 10th place on the series’ all-time wins list, with his latest race victory occurring at Kansas Speedway in July 2020.

Currently, Crafton holds the record for the most Playoff appearances in the Truck Series at eight (2016-23) and has finished in the top-10 mark in the final driver’s standings 19 times. To date, he is also the only competitor to notch back-to-back Truck titles between 2013 and 2014 and the only competitor to claim a title amid a winless season in 2019.

A key component that is new for Crafton entering the 2025 season is his crew chief as Josh Hankish will work atop the No. 88 pit box to guide the three-time series champion for his 25th consecutive campaign. Hankish made his debut as a Truck Series crew chief this past season, where he worked for ThorSport’s No. 66 Ford team that competed in 19 events and was split between Luke Fenhaus, Conner Jones, Johnny Sauter and Cam Waters. Jeriod Prince, who was Crafton’s crew chief in 2024, has been assigned to ThorSport’s No. 13 Ford team that will be piloted by Jake Garcia for a second consecutive season.

With his plans for the upcoming season set, Matt Crafton’s 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is scheduled to commence next Friday, February 14, at Daytona International Speedway for the Fresh From Florida 250. The event’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Noah Gragson and the No. 4 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang Dark Horse Team Daytona 500 Competition Notes

By
Official Release
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Daytona 500

Date: Sunday, February 16, 2025
Event: Race 2 of 38
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Daytona International Speedway (2.5-miles)
#of Laps: 200
Time/TV/Radio: 2:30 PM ET on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM channel 90

Noah Gragson Notes

  • This year’s Daytona 500 will be Gragson’s fourth overall and first with Front Row Motorsports (FRM). In the “Great American Race”, Gragson has a career best finish of 9th, earning the finish in 2024 with Stewart-Haas Racing and crew chief Drew Blickensderfer.
  • Gragson is no stranger to success at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, averaging a 15.3 finishing position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and even capturing the checkered flag in 2020 with JR Motorsports.
  • Rush Truck Centers will join Gragson and the No. 4 team for the prestigious event. Joining Gragson at FRM, the 2025 season will mark Rush Truck Center’s 16th year of NASCAR partnership. “Rush Truck Centers is proud to continue our active involvement in NASCAR with this move to FRM as the primary sponsor of Noah Gragson and the No. 4 team,” said W.M. “Rusty” Rush, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Rush Enterprises. “We’ve been involved in racing since 2010 and have a passion for winning – in business and on the track. We see that same passion in Noah and the entire FRM team, so we are excited to be part of the storied history of the No. 4 car as we begin this new chapter in our NASCAR story,” Rush continued. Rush Truck Centers is the official truck dealer and service center for Noah Gragson and Front Row Motorsports.
  • Cummins joins Rush Truck Centers this weekend at Daytona. Cummins Inc., a global power solutions leader, is comprised of five business segments – Components, Engine, Distribution, Power Systems and Accelera by Cummins – supported by our global manufacturing and extensive service and support network, skilled workforce and vast technological expertise. From buses that transport kids to and from school to the trucks that carry essentials, to construction, mining equipment, trains and ships, and critical backup power for places like data centers and hospitals, Cummins powers the future through innovations that make people’s lives better. Cummins is committed to its Destination Zero strategy – the company’s commitment to sustainability and helping its customers successfully navigate the energy transition with its broad portfolio of products. Learn more at cummins.com.

“I’m fired up to be back at Daytona,” said Gragson. “Finishing top 10 last year has our team motivated to push for an even better finish this season. The Clash showed us a few areas where we can improve, and as a team, we feel confident and ready to get the season started strong.”

Road Crew

Driver: Noah Gragson
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Joey Forgette
Hometown: Iron Mountain, Michigan

Engineer: Dillon Silverman
Hometown: Chico, California

Engineer: Scott Bingham
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Mechanic: Chris Trickett
Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Tony Infinger
Hometown: Fort Valley, Georgia

Tire Specialist: Chris Aunspaw
Hometown: Zelienople, Pennsylvania

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Spotter: Nick Del Campo
Hometown: Blauvelt, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Nate “Cookie” Eller
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

Pit Crew

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Adam Riley
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Tire Carrier: Will Cooper
Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama

Jackman: Nate McBride
Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia

Fueler: Ray Hernandez
Hometown: Orlando, Florida

ABOUT RUSH TRUCK CENTERS

More than a dealer network, Rush Truck Centers is the premier solutions provider for the commercial vehicle industry. With more than 150 Rush Truck Centers dealerships across the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, no one can match our network reach and scale. We provide our customers an integrated, one-stop approach to the service and sales of new and used trucks and commercial vehicles, aftermarket parts, service and collision repair capabilities, alternative fuel systems, vehicle technology solutions, and a range of financial services including financing, insurance, and leasing and rental options. Since 1965, we’ve earned our reputation for excellence, fairness, positive attitude and solutions that exceed customer expectations. That’s why we can say with confidence; when it comes to trucking, no one offers you more. Visit rushtruckcenters.com or follow us on social media: X @rushtruckcenters, Instagram @rush_truck_centers and facebook.com/rushtruckcenters

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

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