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Spire Motorsports All-Star Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • The 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race will mark Spire Motorsports’ 14th appearance in NASCAR’s annual all-star showcase. This year’s 350-lap event, held for the first time at Dover Motor Speedway, will consist of two 75-lap stages featuring all participating drivers. Following the completion of Stage 1, the top 26 teams will be inverted for the start at the second segment. The Final Stage will consist of 26 drivers, including 19 competitors already locked into the feature by virtue of a win in 2025 and 2026. Additional entries will include past champions, the 2026 Fan Vote winner and a select few drivers who earn the best combined finish over the first two stages.
  • Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Daniel Suárez, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
  • Spire Motorsports has made two prior appearances in the NASCAR All-Star Race. In 2020, Justin Haley qualified via his win in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Carson Hocevar raced his way into the 2025 event after winning the All-Star Open.
  • The NASCAR All-Star Race from Dover Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Sunday, May 17 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). NASCAR’s annual all-star festivities will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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

  • Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Cal Ripken, Sr., Foundation Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
  • Suárez has competed in six previous editions of NASCAR’s annual all-star weekend, dating back to 2017. He first broke into the spotlight that year, capturing a victory in the All-Star Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway before going on to finish 15th in his All-Star Race debut. In six total appearances, Suárez has earned two top-five, three top-10 and five top-20 finishes.
  • The Monterrey, Mexico native made his most recent All-Star Race appearance last season at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, where he ran with the leaders early, but a mid-race incident left him 23rd in the final rundown.
  • Suárez started on the pole for the 2023 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway and finished seventh. He won the 2022 All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to finish fifth in the main event.
  • Across 13 previous Cup Series starts at Dover, Suárez has led 28 laps, earned one top-five, five top-10 and nine top-20 results. His series/venue best came in May 2018, where he finished third at the one-mile, concrete oval.
  • The 34-year-old racer is a veteran of 335 Cup Series starts and has notched two wins, 25 top fives and 78 top-10s in NASCAR’s premier division. Suarez has led 908 laps and earned three poles since 2017.
  • After 12 races, Suárez sits 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings. The two-time Cup Series race winner has one top five, two top 10s and is averaging a 15.0 finish – five positions better than this time last season.
  • The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF) empowers communities with clean, safe places for underserved youth to play, learn, and grow. Since 2018, Group 1001 and the CRSF have combined efforts to build 17 youth development parks and install 20 STEM centers nationwide. Group 1001 employees have joined CRSF to host and volunteer for four Community Enhancement Projects. CRSF and Group 1001 have impacted over 100,000 youth in their joint effort to promote active lifestyles and educational opportunities. For more information, visit https://ripkenfoundation.org/.

Daniel Suárez Quote
With no points on the line, how are you feeling going into the All-Star race at Dover?
“Dover is one of my favorite racetracks and I always enjoy going there. It’s a lot of fun. It’s like a roller coaster – super-fast and exciting. You can really feel the speed there, and it’s truly one of a kind, nothing like the other tracks on the schedule. It’s also great going there with no points involved because there’s a lot more freedom. I’m excited to see how the All-Star race plays out.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

  • Ryan Sparks has called 214 NASCAR Cup Series races, earning five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes since making his Cup Series debut atop the pit box in 2020.
  • In total, Sparks has called six NASCAR All-Star Opens since 2020 and earned an event-best fourth-place result with Corey LaJoie during the 2022 edition at Texas Motor Speedway.
  • Sparks joined Spire Motorsports in 2021, where he served as both Crew Chief and Competition Director, leading the organization’s competitive and technical efforts. In 2026, Sparks serves in a singular role as crew chief for Daniel Suárez.
  • Sparks brings more than a decade of experience across all three of NASCAR’s national series, highlighted by 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing and contributions to title-winning campaigns in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (2011) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2013).

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

  • Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 RCA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during this weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race festivities at Dover Motor Speedway.
  • RCA, the quintessential American consumer electronics brand, returns to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026 by partnering with McDowell and Spire Motorsports for three races beginning this weekend, when the famed one-mile oval hosts NASCAR’s All-Star Race for the first time in the venue’s storied, 50-plus year history. Following the all-star weekend, RCA will return to McDowell’s No. 71 Chevy Sept. 19 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Oct. 5 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
  • McDowell has 25 starts at the one-mile, concrete oval in America’s first state, spanning 16 seasons. Over those 25 races, the veteran racer has recorded four top-20 and 10 top-25 finishes. He earned a series/venue best 13th-place finish in last year’s 400-miler, where he qualified seventh, also a venue best.
  • Last weekend at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, McDowell and his Travis Peterson-led team qualified on the outside pole and earned a season-best runner-up finish. The solid effort propelled the veteran racer from 23rd to 21st in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings where he now sits just 10 points outside the top 20.
  • The Glendale, Ariz., native has logged five NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts Dover, securing his best finish of 11th in 2009.
  • The No. 71 team earned a $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during last year’s NASCAR’s all-star eeekend at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The crew’s blazing 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning them the title of the fastest team on pit road.
  • RCA has its own celebrated, winning history in the NASCAR Cup Series and previously sponsored Cale Yarborough Motorsports. Drivers Jeremy Mayfield and John Andretti both spent time in an RCA-sponsored entry throughout the mid-90’s, with Andretti taking the company to Victory Lane in the 1997 Pepsi 400 after fighting off Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt to collect the checkered flag.
  • RCA is one of the most recognized names in the electronics industry, delivering innovative and reliable technology that has been entertaining families for over 100 years. Consumers throughout the world depend on the RCA brand to provide products and services that feature the latest technology and design, are easy to use, and deliver the highest value and longevity. Generations of families continue to rely on the RCA brand for their home entertainment and lifestyle. RCA is a global trademark of established, Inc.

Michael McDowell Quote
How will the All-Star Race change how drivers race at Dover?
“Dover has always been a tough one for me. At the same time, it’s an incredible track with a lot of speed and history. The commitment it takes, the speed, the drop into turn one. It still takes my breath away. Qualifying has always been nerve‑racking, but that is part of what makes Dover special. I love the challenge, even though the results haven’t always been there, we have improved a good bit over the last few years. We had our best finish there last summer, and our Spire Motorsports organization has a lot of speed this season, so I am confident going into Dover for the All-Star Race. You can be a little more on edge with your decision making. Everyone wants to win the million dollars, but a bad day won’t set you back in the points, so having the All-Star Race in Dover will be a bit different. You’ll see some guys get a little more aggressive, especially at the end of each segment when guys are looking to make the transfer. I am excited to get there and see how the new format plays out and super excited to see if our guys can go back-to-back in the pit crew challenge.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

  • Last season, the pairing of Peterson and McDowell qualified seventh and earned a venue-best finish of 13th at the historic Delaware track.
  • In his last two Dover attempts, the West Bend, Wis., native holds an average starting position of 7.5, both with McDowell at the wheel.
  • In addition to McDowell’s seventh-place qualifying effort last season, Peterson played a key role in Chris Buescher’s pole-position while serving as a race engineer for RFK Racing in 2022.

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

  • Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 MINER Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway, his second appearance in NASCAR’s annual all-star festival of speed.
  • Hocevar qualified for this season’s 350-lap event by virtue of his first career Cup Series’ win three weeks ago at Talladega Superspeedway. The 23-year-old driver raced his way into his first NASCAR All-Star Race last season at North Wilkesboro Speedway after winning the All-Star Open.
  • Through 12 races, Hocevar sits seventh in points, 30 markers out of sixth. His one win, three top fives, five top 10s, 342 points scored, average starting position of 10.2 and 14.6 average finish are all career highs through the first 12 points-paying races of the 2026 season. The team’s average starting position is a whopping 12 positions better than last season, and its average finishing position has improved by nearly seven spots compared to this point in 2025.
  • Last Sunday at Watkins Glen International, the Portage, Mich., native qualified 11th and finished 28th.
  • The 2024 Cup Series Rookie of the Year notched a venue-best 22nd-place finish at Dover in 2024, his first of two starts at the venue in NASCAR’s premier division.
  • Aside from his NASCAR Cup Series duties, Hocevar will also pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday afternoon’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series ECOSAVE 200.
  • In his lone CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Dover in 2020, Hocevar started 20th and earned a respectable 12th-place finish in just his fourth start in the division.
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Carson Hocevar Quotes
What are your thoughts on knowing you are locked into the All-Star Race before arriving on site?
“It is super cool knowing we are already in the show. No matter what happens, we can plan on running all 350 laps and being in contention at the end. Ultimately, it is just another race, which I obviously want to win.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

  • Crew chief Luke Lambert is in his third season at Spire Motorsports and fourth with driver Carson Hocevar. In 92 races together, the duo has logged one win, two pole awards, six top-five and 20 top-10 finishes.
  • The 16-year veteran crew chief has called 20 NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover Motor Speedway, notching one top five and two top 10s highlighted by Ryan Newman’s fourth-place result in June 2017.
  • The Mount Airy, N.C., native has called three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Dover, tallying two top fives and three top 10s including a pair of venue-best fourth-place finishes with Elliott Sadler and Noah Gragson in September 2012 and April 2022.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.
The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent victory came May 1, 2026, when Carson Hocevar won the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

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

Parker Retzlaff extends strong start in 2026 with seventh top-10 result at The Glen

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Parker Retzlaff extended his strong start to his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign with Viking Motorsports this past weekend at Watkins Glen International by notching a strong seventh-place result.

The 23-year-old Retzlaff from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, was announced to drive the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro entry for Viking Motorsports less than a week after capping off the 2025 O’Reilly season with Alpha Prime Racing.

Since joining forces with Viking Motorsports, Retzlaff has only finished outside the top-14 mark twice through 13-scheduled O’Reilly events this season. Despite not leading a single lap in the early portions of this season, he has accumulated a total of two top-five results and seven top-10 results. Retzlaff’s latest top-10 result occurred at The Glen, where he notched an eighth-place result during the first stage period and proceeded to finish in seventh place when the checkered flag flew.

Retzlaff’s pair of top-five results that he has achieved this season are the most he has garnered in a single season since 2024 and his top-10 totals are the most he has accumulated since 2023. With 20 O’Reilly events remaining to the 2026 season, he has a golden opportunity of notching career-high stats with top-five and top-10 totals and contend for his first victory in the series.

A year ago, Retzlaff was mired in 21st place in the driver’s standings and he held an average finishing result of 19.0. He also did not qualify for the Circuit of the Americas race, the third event on the schedule. This season, Retzlaff has qualified for all 13-scheduled events. He has an average finish of 12.7 and is ranked in ninth place in the standings. With a 41-point cushion above the top-12 cutline, Retzlaff has 11 regular-season events to maintain the cushion to make his first-ever appearance in the Chase as a potential title contender.

Following his top-10 result at The Glen, Retzlaff took a moment to praise his team, Viking Motorsports, which is campaigning in its third season in the O’Reilly division and had notched only a total of five top-10 results before the 2026 season. With an enhanced alliance with Richard Childress Racing, Retzlaff strives to maintain the strong start for both himself and Viking Motorsports for the remainder of the 2026 season that would enable them to make the Chase.

“I’ve been very excited even from the start of the year,” Retzlaff said. “I didn’t feel like this was off the table. I felt like we needed to be a Playoff team and we needed to show up every week, and I think that we’ve done that. Just got to keep doing it every week and just keep getting better.”

Parker Retzlaff’s 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season continues this upcoming weekend at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware, for the BetRivers 200. In four previous starts at Dover, Retzlaff has finished in the top 20 in all of his starts, with his highest-finishing result being a 10th-place run during the 2024 season.

The 2026 BetRivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Saturday, May 16, at 4 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.

Daniel Hemric regains Truck momentum with first top-five result of 2026 at Watkins Glen

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The early stages of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season have not commenced with an ideal start for Daniel Hemric and the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) Chevrolet Silverado RST team.

A year ago at this time, Hemric, who returned to full-time Truck competition with MHR before the 2025 season, was third in the driver’s standings. He also had a victory at Martinsville Speedway, four top-five results, six top-10 results, an average-finishing result of 7.78 and a guaranteed berth to the Playoffs all but solidified.

Flashforward to this season, Hemric, who remained at MHR for a second Truck campaign, had notched three top-10 results through seven scheduled events. However, he was mired in 13th place in the standings. In addition, his average finishing result was 17.1. He had three results of 24th or worse entering this past weekend’s event at Watkins Glen International.

During The Glen, Hemric maximized an opportunity that commenced with a strong third-place qualifying result towards a strong performance during the main event. After winning the first stage period and navigating his way back towards the front after pitting before the second stage’s conclusion, Hemric then took advantage of pitting under caution with 13 laps remaining to have enough fuel to reach the event’s conclusion. The late decision to pit paid off for Hemric and the No. 19 MHR Chevrolet team, with the driver persevering through four restarts, including an overtime shootout, and three ensuing cautions for on-track chaos to settle in fourth place for his first top-five result of the 2026 season.

Hemric’s fourth-place result boosted the 2021 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion from Kannapolis, North Carolina, up three spots from 13th to 10th in the standings. As a result, he is seven points above the top-10 cutline to be Chase eligible as the series’ season is down to its final 10-race stretch before the Chase commences. He also improved his average-finishing result to 15.5, tallied his top-10 total results to four and led his first five laps of this season en route to the first stage victory at The Glen.

Despite falling three spots shy of notching his second series victory at The Glen, Hemric took the positives, which included the points and result, gained from this past weekend, as he strives to regain momentum throughout the remainder of this year’s Truck season.

“It was good to just have a good day,” Hemric said after The Glen on FS1. “I feel like we maximized our day in all forms. [I] Just appreciate everyone sticking with us in this No. 19 group. Appreciate [crew chief] Kevin Bellicourt and his leadership. We’ve had a tough go at it here for the No. 19 group since kicking this season off. Just really proud to have a good day and look forward to continuing this forward.”

Daniel Hemric’s 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season continues with the upcoming ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware. While the Truck Series has not competed at Dover in nearly six seasons, Hemric previously competed there in the Truck circuit in 2015 and 2016, finishing fourth and ninth, respectively. He has also made six O’Reilly starts and three Cup starts at Dover, where he has notched a combined five top-10 results between the latter two series.

The 2026 ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Friday, May 15, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

Ryan Blaney Going For Second Career All-Star Race Win This Weekend

By
Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ford Racing Media Zoom Call
Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is a previous winner of the NASCAR All-Star Race, which is taking place on Sunday afternoon for the first time at Dover Motor Speedway. Blaney, who registered his All-Star win in Texas in 2022, spoke about having the annual event at a new track while also commenting on his recent multi-year contract extension with Team Penske earlier today.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ARE YOU TRYING TO GET POINTS NO MATTER WHAT AS FAR AS STAGES GO, OR IS THERE A POINT WHERE YOU JUST HAVE TO SPLIT THE STAGE? “I think it’s just all kind of situational. Road courses get interesting and it just depends where you’re at. I look at The Glen, we were sixth, I think, and we talked about certain decisions on who is flipping in front of us, what kind of stage points can we get, you’re gonna pay the penalty in the next stage for sure if a bunch of guys do flip, but points are incredibly valuable. We ended up finishing third in that stage at The Glen and that’s eight points, eight positions, so do you think your car is good enough to make that back up? Or if you’re 15th and you don’t think you’re gonna have a great day, do you play the stage game in those situations. So I think it all just varies. We talk a lot about that stuff and a lot of it you can plan, but you never know what everyone else is gonna do, so a lot of it is calling it in the situations that you’re in – whether it’s my crew chief or me understanding the spot you’re in. So points are very valuable. I know Reddick is a ways out there leading the points right now, but we’re pretty close to the 9 and the 11 and there’s a handful of guys right behind us, so that stuff you always have to keep in mind, but it varies week to week depending on where you’re running and what kind of car you think you have.”

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING TO NASHVILLE AS THE DEFENDING WINNER? “I enjoy Nashville. The racetrack is really unique. One of the bigger concrete tracks that we go to and just changes a lot throughout the race and throughout the day. It was really cool to get a win there. I have a lot of friends who live in that area, so it’s always fun to see them and celebrate with them after the race or see them before the weekend or whatever. We always draw a great crowd. I feel like we have a lot of dedicated fans in that area that really come out and support the weekend, so it meant a lot to win there last year. It’s a tough night, for sure, of dealing with the track changing like I talked about. The people that I know out there, it makes it even more special when you can see them and celebrate with those guys, so I look forward to going there and hopefully we can repeat what we did.”

WITH THE ALL-STAR RACE COMING UP AND THE PIT CREW CHALLENGE BEING PART OF QUALIFYING. IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR CREW TO SHOW THEIR STUFF AND HAVE YOU GUYS DONE ANY EXTRA WORK? “I feel like those guys have made a lot of improvements. We made some changes on our group a few weeks ago and they seem to be gelling really well. I feel like they’ve had a really good last few weeks and just getting their confidence to where it needs to be. Confidence is a huge thing not only on the racetrack and stuff like that, but those guys too. How do you get them back because I know those guys can be up there with the best. As far as extra reps this week? Not really. Those guys practice the same every week. They’re in there practicing a few days a week and kind of refining their stuff. With the Glen last week of backward pit stops, they have to switch back into normalcy, which they’re very good at and very used to. I look forward to seeing what those guys can do. That’s a big part of the qualifying. Obviously, there’s the lap and getting to pit road and leaving pit road, but that’s a big chunk of time is on pit road to where those guys can really shine, so I’m looking forward to seeing what those guys can do. They’re really excited for it and for showing everybody else what they can do. I’ve got their back 100 percent of the way, so I can’t wait to see what they’ve got.”

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE FIRST TWO SEGMENTS OF THE ALL-STAR RACE SINCE YOU HAVE A GUARANTEED SPOT IN THE FINAL ONE? “I don’t know. That’s a great question. You hope you don’t get run over by some of those guys that need to get in and trying to get your best average that you can to set yourself up for the end. No matter where you start, where you re-rack in the second run of the race, it’s all about trying to optimize your finishing position. We’re gonna be aware. I’l. be aware of who is not locked in and you just kind of take into account that this person might be desperate to get in, which they have to do everything they need to do to try to race for a million dollars. You just take all of that into account and who you’re racing around and the situation that you’re in. It’s a little bit different than what we’ve seen for sure with the whole field being grouped together, which is interesting, but it’s part of racing every week. You know what guys are willing to do and I think this week guys are willing to do a little bit more just because they don’t have to worry about points. In their case, they’re just trying to get into the show and the final act I guess you could say, so you’ve got to be aware of who is where, who is in what spot and go from there.”

YOU SIGNED THE CONTRACT EXTENSION LAST WEEK. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE EVOLUTION OF HOW YOU’VE BECOME A PERFECT FIT AT TEAM PENSKE AND DOES THE MUSTACHE EVER COME UP FOR YOU WITH ROGER? “To start off, it’s been a dream to be over there as long as I have. It’s crazy. I sit down and I look back through these talks that we’ve had and going forward and sitting down 14 years ago I walked through the door at that place. It’s crazy to me that I’ve spent almost half of my life at that organization and with those people. Roger has let me be my own person. He’s just kind of let me be who I am, my own personality, and at the same time I have respect for what that team is built for, obviously. I’d say I’ve probably pushed the limits a little bit years ago when I started the long hair and doing the playoff beard and things like that, but RP let me do it and he just wanted me to be my own person and things like that. I think Roger’s biggest thing is how you treat people, whether that’s people who work for Roger, the partners, that goes on us too. How is your relationship with our partners and the people there? That’s really all he cares about, I believe at the end of the day, is are your functioning to what you need to do. Are you doing the work? Are you cordial with everybody? Are your partners happy? Do you have good relationships with them, and I’ve been really lucky to have that while being able to maybe not look the Penske driver look. So, I thank him for letting me be me. I’ve gone through a lot of looks with the too long hair, too big of a beard, the mustache and he’s let me do it. I get jokes every now and then from him about it, especially when I started the playoff beard type thing, but he’s just always joked around with that, so I appreciate him letting me be me. At the same time, I’m always grateful for him allowing me to do that.”

IS THERE A MUSTACHE CLAUSE IN YOUR CONTRACT? “No. I just showed up with it a photos, so there is no mustache clause in my contract that I can or cannot have.”

JOEY LOGANO SAID YOU ARE PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST, DRIVERS ON THE TRACK. HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE HIM WHEN HE’S STRUGGLING AND HOW DOES THE WHOLE SCENARIO LOOK FOR TEAM PENSKE NOW? “Those were really kind words from Joey. I really appreciate him speaking about me that way. That really means a lot. I’ve looked up to Joey for a long time. It’s been a pleasure to be his teammate and push each other every single week, I feel like, and really learn from each other. I’ve learned a ton from him by just sitting down and having a conversation with how he approaches things. I think that’s unbelievable. I think Joey is above and beyond the work ethic that he does and the talent level that he has. I think it’s very unfair that even though he’s had a rough month that people are counting him out. He’s gonna rally. That team is gonna rally and do what they need to do to come back and they’re gonna do that. I think our group, Team Penske, I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot. We’re working really hard on the mile-and-a-halves. That seems to be the point of interest for us and kind of our number one priority, but I feel like we made a step at Texas compared to what we were at Kansas, so that’s positive. I look forward to see where we’re gonna be at Charlotte next weekend, but everything else, I feel like our road course program is strong. All three of us qualified well. It’s unfortunate that the 22 had that issue. Our short track program is getting to where it needs to be. I think it’s pretty solid, and the speedway stuff we’ve done a good job of working together, so I feel like we’re operating pretty well. There are a couple things here and there that I think we need to get a little bit stronger at, but I like where this group is at, but it’s always about pushing forward.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ALL-STAR RACE FORMAT THIS WEEKEND AT DOVER? “They’ve moved that All-Star Race around a good bit the last handful of years from Charlotte and Texas and North Wilkesboro. Bristol we ran one year and that’s fine. I think the Clash and the All-Star Race you have the luxury of going that, so I hope the package that we’re bringing is gonna be interesting at Dover. We’ll see what that does. I know they treated the track a little bit differently than what they have in the past to try and get it wider faster, so that’s a positive. The weather up there actually looks like perfect racing weather. It’s gonna be fairly warm and that place needs warm conditions to run well, just those concrete racetracks, to put rubber down. The format, it is what it is. I feel like it’s definitely different with having the Open cars in it for the first half of the race – for them to try to get into the final segment – so that will be something interesting. I personally don’t really care where it goes. You can move that race around. Would I enjoy seeing it at Charlotte a week before the 600 like we used to have? Yeah, because I feel like that’s always a fun lead up to the 600 because you can make a whole week out of it. But, I think it’s interesting. They can always throw new formats at it and new places. To me, I don’t really care what the format is or where we race. I’m gonna go anywhere you tell me and gonna try to give it my best and go try to win a bunch of money. That’s really what it is at the end of the day. It doesn’t really matter to me where it’s at.”

AT THIS POINT, DOES EVERYONE TALK IN THE SHOP ABOUT HOW TO BEAT SVG ON THE ROAD COURSE? “Speaking from a driver’s standpoint, it’s incredibly impressive and unbelievable how good he is at road courses. I mean, I knew it. When he was coming over here and they announced it before we ran Chicago I’m like, ‘We’re in trouble because I’ve watched him in V8 Supercars.’ I’m good buddies with Scottie Mac (Scott McLaughlin). He would talk about Shane. I’ve seen them battle and I’m like, ‘This guy is gonna be a big, big problem at these places,’ and he is. He’s proven me right. He’s the new benchmark and it’s a really high benchmark to try to reach. I feel like everyone is trying to work twice as hard to get there and we’re not making much progress, to be honest with you. He was able to get beat at COTA this year, which broke his streak, but he’s just incredibly impressive with what he does. People always say, ‘Well, you have data. You just look at what he’s doing and do it.’ I’m like, ‘It’s so hard to replicate that, especially at a road course.’ It’s hard enough on an oval. It’s hard to replicate what he’s doing because there are a million little things that he’s doing that all adds up that makes him better than the rest of us. It’s tough, but we don’t accept defeat going into road courses. We work really hard to say, ‘OK, how do we run the best that we can?’ We know where the best guy is gonna be, that’s Shane, and how do we get close? How do we get there and just try to race with him to where we can be in contention. But I do think we’re making good progress. I thought COTA we were right there. The Glen, it was a funky race for us. We didn’t flip the first stage and kind of picking our way through the second one, and then I hit the 24 when he spun out and kind of damaged us, but we still fought back to finish fairly decent, so I’m looking forward to San Diego. Sonoma, I thought we had a good piece last year. It’s impressive what he’s doing. We’re working really hard to get there, it’s just a matter of are we gonna get there? It’s hard to deny how amazingly impressive that guy is.”

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF THE ALL-STAR RACE CAME BACK TO CHARLOTTE AND TO HAVE TWO WEEKS AT HOME GIVEN THE GRIND THIS SEASON IS? “Yeah, it would be nice, but I’m not gonna sit here and complain about the length of the season, where we have to go, when we have to go. We’re pretty lucky to be doing this. My wife understands that this is the life and I’m gonna be gone a lot and this is just what it is, so I don’t really ever want to complain like, ‘Man, I wish we had more weekends off.’ Personally, yeah, maybe to give my body a rest and to be home more, but I don’t want to ever complain about that because we are very privileged in what we do and I’m very lucky to be in the spot that I’m in, getting to compete at the highest level every single Sunday. So, that’s really why I say I don’t really care where it’s at. We’ll travel wherever we’ve got to go to go do our job. I’ll tell you, it is harder to leave home, but we do have a job to do and, fortunately for me, we understand that and know that. Yeah, it’s changed a little bit, but I’m never gonna complain about the length of the season or where we’re going because I could easily be sitting on the couch every single week and that would be no fun.”

CARSON HOCEVAR SAID HIS TEAM GIVE HIM A WIDE BERTH TO BE HIMSELF AND YOU SAID THE SAME THING. ANOTHER DRIVER SAYS HE DOESN’T GET THAT KIND OF SUPPORT FROM HIS TEAM. DOES WINNING MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN GETTING SUPPORT FROM YOUR TEAM OR DOES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT? “I definitely think it plays a little role in it. If you’re running competitively week in and week out, winning races, yeah, I feel like you do have a little bit more of a leash. If you’re screwing around and not in the shop or anything like that through the weeks, and you’re running really bad, then you’re probably gonna have a pretty short leash. It’s like, the reason you’re not running good is because you’re not around. I don’t know. That’s with everything. If you can do a great job on the track and stuff like that, yeah, you’re gonna have a little bit more leeway, so I do think that plays a slight role in it, but every team is different. Every owner expects something different. I’ve been lucky that Roger has let me do my process of what I’ve done. I’m these days in the shop. I kind of go about things a certain way and he’s let me do that, but to answer your question, it plays a little role – maybe not hugely, but a little bit.”

ARE THERE ANY UNEXPECTED THINGS YOU’VE SEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON AS WE GO INTO THE ALL-STAR RACE? “I’m looking at Tyler Reddick 180 points away from me 12 races into the season. Everyone is getting our butt kicked out there by that guy and they’ve done a great job. I don’t think, this is not to dog Tyler or that team or anything, but I don’t think anyone expected them or anybody to have the amount of wins that they have this early in the season. That just hasn’t really been done recently, so they’ve done a great job of that, but I would say that’s the only unexpected thing like, ‘Dang, he’s got five wins in 11 races or whatever it is.’ That’s pretty dang impressive. His batting average is very high, but everything else I look at the points through it and there are a couple. Joey has had a rough stretch here recently and he’s dropped, so that’s unfortunate. He’s gonna claw his way back, so I don’t really look at it. I look at the points every week now like a hawk. I’m surprised how much I look at the points compared to what I used to, just with this format. ‘Did I gain on this guy? Did I lose on this guy? Where is the pack at?’ That’s something I didn’t think I’d do as much as I am, so, yeah, I guess those things are something that’s stood out to me, but I don’t really sit around and ponder on it. It’s just kind of random thoughts.”

IS IT A GOOD THING TO SEE THE GUY IN FIRST PLACE ALREADY RUNNING AWAY WITH IT? “It’s not a good thing for me. It’s a good thing for him, for sure. I think it’s been great. I had a great talk with Dale Jr. when I was on his show last week and Dale loves this format. He’s watching like a hawk during the races from an outside perspective of he knows where everyone is sitting in points. If this guy has a bad day, that’s really gonna hurt. If this guy has a good day, he’s gonna jump up a lot in the standings. And then just little battles beyond. Like if I’m racing with guys I’m around in points, I know what I’m going for. If I’m running around the 9 or the 11 or something like that, those are hard battles because it’s like, ‘Man, I just need to out point this guy and I can creep back in on him.’ I think it just adds a bigger element to that side of it, which is good. I think it’s really interesting to be a part of. I hope it’s been good to watch, and I think the people have liked it, so I think it’s doing what it needs to do and we’ll see where it is. I think the big storyline now is can anyone eat into Reddick’s lead? That’s another storyline that’s been pretty big in my mind. Can anybody get there? We’ve got just over half of the regular season left to get there. Maybe it’s possible and maybe it’s not. And then you’ve got all these really close battles. At the top there are some gaps, but you get from fifth on back and it’s a dogfight, and around that cutline is a dogfight. It’s interesting to watch back the races of how that stuff goes because I watch battles when I re-watch the races on Sunday night and, like I said, I know where the points are at so I’m watching like, ‘These guys are racing hard because they’re right next to each other in points.’ They know that every point matters when they’re racing around that guy, so I think it’s more exciting. You have to be more methodical on our side. As we go through these races I feel like it’s a little bit more important for us not to have failures, not to have mistakes. I think the pressure is higher because if you have a bad day, it’s really gonna hurt you. So, yeah, I’ve been really enjoying myself.”

Front Row Motorsports and Hard Rock Casino Tejon Announce Partnership

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Official Release
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Plays Trifecta with Zane Smith, Noah Gragson, and Chandler Smith

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 12, 2026) – Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and Hard Rock Casino Tejon are betting big in California. Hard Rock Casino Tejon today announced a partnership with FRM that is highlighted by three primary races across California to promote its casino located in Mettler, California, and to further connect the brand with racing fans and communities throughout the state.

Hard Rock Casino Tejon will be the primary sponsor of Huntington Beach, California, native Zane Smith, and Chandler Smith during the debut of the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at the Naval Base Coronado on June 19 and 21, respectively.

The famous Hard Rock Cafe, with a location inside the Hard Rock Casino Tejon, will be a major associate sponsor on both the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and the No. 38 Ford F-150 during the Anduril 250 and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race at San Diego.

“I really can’t be more excited to represent such an iconic brand in my home state,” said Zane Smith. “I’ve been looking forward to this race since it was announced, and now to have Hard Rock Casino Tejon and Hard Rock Cafe with us, it’s just going to make the weekend even better.”

“I have to echo what Zane says about this partnership,” said Chandler Smith. “Getting the opportunity to debut the Hard Rock Casino Tejon and Hard Rock Cafe livery first on the track is a privilege, and I hope to keep the momentum of firsts going for this amazing group as we bring them to victory lane in San Diego. Our organization is building great momentum across the board and having new partners join us alongside that growth is something that truly gets me excited!”

Noah Gragson, a West Coast fan favorite, will also carry the Hard Rock Casino Tejon colors. He will race with the brand in San Diego as a major associate and then the following weekend at Sonoma Raceway, on Sunday, June 28, Gragson will have full livery of Hard Rock Casino Tejon on the side and hood of his No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

“It’s pretty awesome to carry the Hard Rock Casino Tejon colors out in California, both in San Diego and in Sonoma,” said Gragson. “It’s an iconic brand. I am going to hang out with Zane at the casino on June 24 between races and sign some autographs and take photos with fans. It’s just a great way for us to come back to the West Coast.”

Recently opened as a new entertainment destination in Kern County, Hard Rock Casino Tejon is the California home for gaming, entertainment, and dining, including the famous Hard Rock Cafe and the Rock Shop. Hard Rock Casino Tejon features a 150,000-square-foot casino with over 2,100 slot machines and over 60 table games. It is the home for entertainment and gaming for those in Southern California and the Central Valley.

“This partnership with Front Row Motorsports, Zane Smith, Noah Gragson, and Chandler Smith at two major NASCAR events in San Diego and Sonoma reflects our commitment to connecting with fans across California and creating memorable entertainment experiences both on and off the track,” said Chris Kelley, President of Hard Rock Casino Tejon.

Fans will be able to meet Gragson and Smith at the Hard Rock Casino Tejon with details coming soon.

ABOUT HARD ROCK

Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in nearly 80 countries spanning more than 300 venues including owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops®, Live Performance Locations and Cafes. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia with more than 88,000 pieces displayed at locations around the globe. The Unity™ by Hard Rock global loyalty program rewards members for doing the things they love across participating properties. In addition, Hard Rock Digital spotlights the sports betting and iGaming experience with products remixed in the spirit of Hard Rock for players worldwide.

HRI has received numerous industry, destination and workplace awards across the travel, hospitality, gaming, entertainment and food & beverage sectors. HRI currently holds investment grades from primary investment-grade rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (BBB) and Fitch Ratings (BBB). For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit teamfrm.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

HendrickCars.com Announces ‘Four-Car Salute to America’ NASCAR Paint Scheme Initiative

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Official Release
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The brand will celebrate America’s 250th through its racing partnerships

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 12, 2026) – HendrickCars.com, the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group, today unveiled its HendrickCars.com “Four-Car Salute to America” NASCAR paint scheme initiative in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

“Few milestones carry the significance of our nation’s 250th anniversary,” said Rick Hendrick, chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group. “We felt it was important to recognize this moment in history in a way our teammates would be proud of and fans would genuinely connect with. Our racing partnerships provided a natural platform to do that, especially during three of NASCAR’s most patriotic weekends. As Hendrick Automotive Group celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, we’re humbled by the opportunities this country has provided our company, our teammates and their families.”

Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway will kick off HendrickCars.com’s “Four-Car Salute to America” campaign with four drivers across three organizations. Teams fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, JR Motorsports and Spire Motorsports will run coordinated red, white and blue paint schemes under a single HendrickCars.com sponsorship banner at the 1.5-mile track. The program kicks off Friday, May 22, with Kyle Busch and the Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition. It continues Saturday, May 23, when the Hendrick Motorsports No. 17 Chevrolet of Corey Day and the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet of Rajah Caruth carry their paint schemes into the NASCAR O’Reilly Series (NOAPS) event. The race weekend will conclude Sunday, May 24, with defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet flying patriotic colors in the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600.

Following their May 22-24 debut, the special HendrickCars.com schemes will hit the track during two more patriotic events: the June 20-21 NASCAR San Diego weekend at Naval Base Coronado and the July 4-5 Independence Day weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. The full schedule is listed below.

Memorial Day weekend will offer added meaning with Larson carrying the name of fallen U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Christopher Malm on his hood. The Marin County, California, native was tragically killed after putting himself in harm’s way by pushing people out of the path of an uncontrolled vehicle in 2022.

Malm (Aug. 23, 1997-Sept. 1, 2022) was a devoted American soldier, leader and protector whose life was defined by his service to others. He entered the U.S. Army in 2015 as a forward observer and later served with the 82nd Airborne Division. During his honorable military career, Malm served alongside his fellow paratroopers during deployments to the Middle East and Afghanistan.

HendrickCars.com “Four-Car Salute to America” Paint Scheme Schedule

DateTeam  DriverCar  Series Track
May 22Spire MotorsportsKyle BuschNo. 7TruckCharlotte
May 23Hendrick MotorsportsCorey DayNo. 17NOAPSCharlotte
May 23JR MotorsportsRajah CaruthNo. 88NOAPSCharlotte
May 24Hendrick MotorsportsKyle LarsonNo. 5CupCharlotte
June 20Hendrick MotorsportsCorey DayNo. 17NOAPSSan Diego
June 21Hendrick MotorsportsKyle LarsonNo. 5CupSan Diego
July 4Hendrick MotorsportsCorey DayNo. 17NOAPSChicagoland
July 4JR MotorsportsChase ElliottNo. 88NOAPSChicagoland
July 5Hendrick MotorsportsKyle LarsonNo. 5CupChicagoland

ABOUT HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP:

Representing 133 franchises and 26 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 11,000 people in its 96 dealership locations, 22 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit HendrickCars.com.

ABOUT HENDRICKCARS.COM:

HendrickCars.com is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop more than 30,000 new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.

ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards East at Toledo Speedway: Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging

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Official Release
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  • The ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East will come together for the first of four 2026 combination races in Saturday’s Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging at Toledo Speedway. The race will pay full points for both series and the winner will be credited with a victory in both series.
  • The Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging will be the 86th ARCA Menards Series race at Toledo Speedway since the first in 1963. Only one track – Salem Speedway – has held more ARCA Menards Series races in series history.
  • The Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging will be the third ARCA Menards East race at Toledo Speedway and the first since 2020.
  • Jake Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) leads the ARCA Menards Series championship standings headed into the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging by 12 points over Ryan Vargas (No. 91 Maples Motorsports Chevrolet). Both Bollman and Vargas will be making their first ARCA Menards Series start at Toledo Speedway.
  • Spire Motorsports development driver Tristan McKee (No. 77 Zeigler Chevrolet) leads the ARCA Menards Series East championship standings by seven points over defending race winner Max Reaves (No. 18 Cook Out Toyota). McKee won the first two ARCA Menards East races in 2026 at Hickory Motor Speedway and Rockingham Speedway, while Reaves won the most recent series race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. McKee finished third at Toledo in 2025.
  • Current ZMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car points leader Caden Kvapil (No. 24 Sigma Performance Services Chevrolet) will make his ARCA Menards Series debut in the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging. Kvapil – younger son of 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil and brother of former CARS Tour champion and current NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship contender Carson Kvapil – finished eighth in the ASA STARS National Tour CorvetteParts.net Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway last September. Kvapil drives for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s JR Motorsports team in the CARS Tour.
  • Phoenix Raceway winner and Richard Childress Racing development driver Carson Brown (No. 28 K&L Ready Mix Chevrolet) will make his third ARCA Menards Series start in the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging. Brown finished second in his most recent start at Watkins Glen International last weekend. Brown is also chasing the ASA STARS National Tour championship and has started off the season with a pair of victories at New Smyrna Speedway and Five Flags Speedway. He finished sixth in the CorvetteParts.net Glass City 200 last September in his first Toledo Speedway appearance.
  • Andy Jankowiak (No. 71 DAK’s Markets Chevrolet) will make his 50th career ARCA Menards Series start in the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging. Jankowiak, who won at Talladega Superspeedway and sits third in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, has two previous starts at Toledo Speedway, with his best finish a seventh-place run in his most recent Toledo start in 2023. Jankowiak is 14 markers out of the points lead.
  • Reigning ARCA Menards East champion Isaac Kitzmiller (No. 79 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) will be making his first appearance at Toledo Speedway alongside his father Jason (No. 97 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet). Isaac enters the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging third in the ARCA Menards East standings with two third-place efforts at Hickory and Rockingham as his season’s best. Jason’s efforts will be overseen by ten-time ARCA Menards Series champion and ten-time Toledo Speedway winner Frank Kimmel.
  • Jackson McLerran (No. 95 JSJ Construction / Firemark Property Management Toyota) enters the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging fourth in the ARCA Menards East standings. McLerran, who has three top-ten finishes including a season-best sixth at Rockingham, will have former Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway pro late model champion and MAN Motorsports teammate Hunter Wright calling the shots from the pit box at Toledo Speedway.
  • The 30 cars entered for the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging represents the largest ARCA Menards Series entry list at Toledo Speedway since 2015, a race won by Todd Gilliland.
  • Should the race need to be extended to overtime, there will be unlimited attempts at a two-lap “green, white, checkered” finish. Should the caution flag wave once the white flag has been displayed, there will be unlimited attempts at a one-lap “green and white together followed by checkered” finish.
  • The Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging will be conducted with two five-minute breaks at or near lap 75 and lap 125. Teams can change tires and add fuel, but not simultaneously. Teams will have 12 tires at their disposal for the event (practice, qualifying, and race) and can use them at their discretion. The only time teams can change tires without penalty is during the two breaks. All changes outside of the break must be for a damaged/flat tire and must be approved by ARCA officials.
  • Mason Mitchell holds the ARCA Menards Series track qualifying record at Toledo Speedway, set in 2014, at 15.682 seconds/114.781 miles per hour.
  • Frank Kimmel holds the ARCA Menards Series track race record at Toledo Speedway, set in a 150-lap race in 1998, at 86.400 miles per hour.
  • The pace car for the Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging will be the same Pontiac Grand Ville convertible that was the pace car at ARCA-sanctioned Mt. Clemens Race Track and Toledo Speedway in 1973. The car has been restored and provided by former ARCA Menards Series driver Roger Blackstock. Blackstock, from Richmond, Michigan, has 170 career ARCA Menards Series starts and finished ninth in the series standings in 1994 and 1996.
  • The Owens Corning 200 Presented by CGS Imaging is set for 7 pm ET on Saturday, May 16. The race will be televised live on FS1. Live timing & scoring data and live race audio will be available on ARCARacing.com; for up-to-the-minute updates please follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly known as Twitter).

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 
Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

Ticket sales for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham start this week

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Official Release
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Multi-day grandstand ticket holders from the 2025 event will receive priority access to select their seats

MARKHAM, Ontario (May 12, 2026) – The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is excited to announce that ticket sales for the inaugural race in Markham, Ontario, will officially commence this week. Fans who held multi-day reserved grandstand tickets from the 2025 event will receive priority access to select their seats first for the Aug. 14-16 event.

These fans will receive a notification on Wednesday, May 13, with further details and the opening time of their selection window. This exclusive period will remain open until Sunday, May 24, at 11:59 p.m. ET allowing these 2025 purchasers to secure their place at the new 12-turn, 3.52-kilometre (2.19-mile) temporary street circuit. Those who purchase their tickets during the priority access period will receive traditional renewal benefits, including complimentary access to the Aviva IndyCar Paddock, as well as have the opportunity to upgrade their tickets to the Champions Club or Champions Club+ at an additional cost. The Rookie Racers program will also be available for purchase during his renewal period.

“The anticipation for the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is at an all-time high, and we can’t wait for fans to begin securing their new seats starting this week,” said president Jeff Atkinson. “We are deeply grateful for the years of support that brought us here and helped us continue to keep this iconic Ontario racing tradition alive. We are excited to kick off this new era in Markham and for what is to come for the future of racing in Ontario.”

Public ticket sales for all available multi-day tickets will open Tuesday, May 26, at 10 a.m. ET.

Fans can choose from four strategic grandstand locations, each placed at the circuit’s highest-intensity racing points:

Pit Lane Grandstand: Located within the Unionville GO parking lot, this is a premier view of the unique, double-sided pit lane and the final dash to the checkered flag.

Turn 3 Grandstand: Positioned outside Turn 3 and located in a central location of the festival site, fans will witness the field charging from Turn 2 into this 90-degree left-hand turn.

Remington Turn 5 Grandstand: Spectators will see late braking and passing into the hairpin before accelerating down the high-speed, long back straight.

Turn 8 Grandstand: This grandstand provides a vantage point of the technical left-hand turn as drivers accelerate toward the sweeping right-hander of Turn 9.

As announced in September 2025, the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is moving to a temporary track which is being built in the eastern precinct of Markham’s downtown, between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, Unionville GO tracks, and Highway 407. This new track will offer fans great sightlines within the festival site for both reserved grandstand and general admission ticket holders.

For additional event information, visit hondaindy.com. Follow Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham on social media using @ontarioindy and #indyON for the latest updates. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers, including access to the pre-sale ticket window on May 25th.

About Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham:

Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a new 12-turn, 3.52-kilometre (2.19-mile) temporary circuit in the Greater Toronto Area using the downtown streets of Markham, Ontario. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday, offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada raising over $1.1 million from the event since 2010. As one of Ontario’s largest annual sporting events, the first Ontario Indy street race was held in 1986 in downtown Toronto. Now located in York Region, the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is the sole Canadian race for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, like Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward and Kyle Kirkwood and features teams including Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske, Arrow McLaren and Andretti Global, respectively. This event has also historically hosted Canadian racing legends like Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens and more. Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Feb. 27-March 1, 2026), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2027 CR-V Hybrid (July 3-5, 2026) and OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 7-9, 2026).

For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @OntarioIndy or follow the event on X at @Ontario_Indy and Instagram at @OntarioIndy using #indyON.

Ford Racing NASCAR – NASCAR All-Star Race Advance

By
Official Release
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NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE (DOVER)
Friday, May 15 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 5 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, May 17– NASCAR Cup Series, 1 p.m. ET (FS1)

NASCAR is taking its annual All-Star Race to Dover Motor Speedway for the first time and there will be at least five Ford Racing drivers in the final 26-car, 200 lap segment for Sunday’s scheduled race. Joey Logano (2016 and 2024) has a pair of All-Star Race wins to his credit while Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney has one (2022).

LOCKED IN

As noted above, there are five Ford Racing drivers who are locked in for the final 200-lap segment that will feature 26 cars. Josh Berry, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano are all guaranteed spots after posting at least one victory last year. The remaining drivers can make their way into the field through either the fan vote or by having one of the lowest combined finishing positions from the first two segments.

MULTIPLE ALL-STAR WINNERS

Logano’s win in 2024 put him in a select group of Ford drivers who have won the NASCAR All-Star Race more than once. The only others to do it are Davey Allison and Mark Martin. Allison was the first driver to win the non-points exhibition in back-to-back years (1991-92) and then Jimmie Johnson joined him (2012-13). Martin’s victories came in 1998 and 2005 driving the famed No. 6 Ford for car owner Jack Roush. Logano could become the fifth person overall to win the event more than two times if he finds Victory Lane on Sunday.

RYAN BLANEY: “When I was growing up, the All-Star race was always a fun two weeks at Charlotte. You go from the All-Star race, to the [Coca-Cola] 600. Watching dad go through it was always unique, understanding it’s a ‘no holds barred’ type of race. I was fortunate enough to win it a few years ago, and I think it’s unique that they’ve switched it around. Everyone knows what you’re going for, and no one’s worried about points. You make a weekend out of it, especially when you get to go to new places. Moving that race to a different racetrack like Dover is fun. Throw everything out the window, old money racing.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI: “I like the schedule variation of moving the tracks around year-over-year. I don’t think Dover has ever had an All-Star race. The format for the All-Star race is compelling, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. There are a lot of unknowns.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC: “I love Dover. It’s one of my favorite tracks whether we’re going there racing for one million dollars or for a bunch of points. I’m just glad we’re going. It should be an interesting race having all the cars out there under a new format. It’ll be a cool place for it. I don’t know if they have Miles [the Monster] holding the cash, but I’ll try to take it from him.”

TODD GILLILAND: “It’s going to be interesting. It’s a good opportunity to try something different at Dover. I’m excited about the resin on the racetrack, and for someone who has yet to make an All-Star race, I’m getting to run more of it than probably ever. Considering the format and from a fan’s perspective, it’s exactly what you want. When I’m watching other races, I’m like ‘Yeah, let’s invert the Top-10.’ When you’re in the car, it can be challenging because the leaders get pushed to the back. But, it should be really entertaining and as a competitor, I hope that I’m in that Top-20.”

LOGANO DOMINATES NORTH WILKESBORO

In 2024, Joey Logano dominated the NASCAR All-Star Race like nobody ever had, leading all but one of the 200 laps and winning the $1 million bonus for the second time in his career. Logano won the pole, thanks in part to his pit crew that put together a solid pit stop in a modified qualifying format, and never looked back once the green flag fell. He bolted to the lead on the softer tire compound that Goodyear made available, in addition to the regular tires usually used on race weekends, and controlled the race until the checkered flag.

BLANEY NETS TEXAS ALL-STAR WIN

Ryan Blaney drove to his first victory in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2022 as he led 84 of the 140 laps. The triumph came in his sixth start in the annual All-Star exhibition, which was held for just the second time at the 1.5-mile Fort Worth track. Blaney had to outlast the field in an overtime session, forced by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s crash with Blaney just a short distance from the checkered flag. The caution lights illuminated to force the extra laps, but Blaney — thinking he had won — had lowered his window net on what he thought was the cool-down lap. After struggling to get it fastened, he held on in the final two-lap dash to the end.

LOGANO AND KESELOWSKI FINISH 1-2

Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski made All-Star history as they became the first teammates to sweep the top two spots in the All-Star Race when they did it in 2016. Logano came out on top of a side-by-side battle with Kyle Larson in the final two laps, getting clear with just over one lap to go after Larson hit the outside wall coming off turn two. That enabled Keselowski to get the runner-up spot and successfully commemorate the 50th Anniversary of car owner Roger Penske’s career in motorsports. It marked Ford’s 11th All-Star Race win and first in five years since Edwards won in 2011.

ELLIOTT THRILLS HOMETOWN FANS WITH ATLANTA WIN

The first time Ford won the All-Star Race was in 1986 when Bill Elliott drove his Thunderbird to Victory Lane, but that race is remembered for another trivial fact as well. That marked the only time, prior to this year, that the event has been run at a track other than Charlotte Motor Speedway. Elliott’s home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway served as host on Mother’s Day that year, a date NASCAR traditionally does not race. With only 10 cars making up the field, Elliott darted to the lead from his outside front row starting position and never gave it up as he led all 83 laps en route to a popular victory with the fans.

WALTRIP-WOOD FIRST-TIME WINNERS

Michael Waltrip’s win in 1996 marked his first victory in NASCAR’s top division and was the first in the event for Wood Brothers Racing. Waltrip almost didn’t get into the big show because he had to battle it out in the preliminary Winston Open, where he grabbed the final transfer spot by holding off Johnny Benson to finish fifth. That meant he started last in the 20-car main event, which was called the Winston Select. After the first two 30-lap segments had been completed, Waltrip found himself fourth for the final 10-lap shootout. He passed Rusty Wallace for third after an aborted restart, and then was riding behind Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte, who were battling side-by-side. As the two entered turn one with eight laps to go, they made contact which slowed them down enough to allow Waltrip to dart to the inside and pass both of them for the lead. He held on the rest of the way to post his first win of any kind in NASCAR’s top division.

MONSTER MILE DEBUTS

This weekend will mark the first race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Dover Motor Speedway since 2020, which means a number of current Ford Racing drivers have little or no experience on the Monster Mile. In fact, the only one with more than two starts is Ben Rhodes, who has six overall and four straight top 10 finishes. Rhodes, who raced at Dover for the first time in 2014, was fifth in ‘20. Chandler Smith and Ty Majeski each have one start while Jake Garcia, Cole Butcher and Layne Riggs will all be making their series debuts.

SMITH AND RIGGS IN TOP THREE

The Front Row Motorsports tandem of Chandler Smith and Layne Riggs come into this weekend’s race ranked second and third respectively in the series point standings. Each driver has one win with Smith’s coming in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway and Riggs getting his on the street course in St. Petersburg. The ThorSport duo of Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski are sixth and seventh.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES

ALL-STAR RACE WINNERS

1986 – Bill Elliott (Atlanta)

1991 – Davey Allison (Charlotte)

1992 – Davey Allison (Charlotte)

1994 – Geoffrey Bodine (Charlotte)

1996 – Michael Waltrip (Charlotte)

1998 – Mark Martin (Charlotte)

2002 – Ryan Newman (Charlotte)

2004 – Matt Kenseth (Charlotte)

2005 – Mark Martin (Charlotte)

2011 – Carl Edwards (Charlotte)

2016 – Joey Logano (Charlotte)

2018 – Kevin Harvick (Charlotte)

2022 – Ryan Blaney (Texas)

2024 – Joey Logano (North Wilkesboro)

NASCAR CUP SERIES DOVER WINNERS

1969 – Richard Petty

1978 – Bobby Allison (2)

1980 – Bobby Allison (1)

1981 – Jody Ridley and Neil Bonnett

1985 – Bill Elliott

1986 – Ricky Rudd (2)

1987 – Davey Allison and Ricky Rudd

1988 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1990 – Bill Elliott (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)

1997 – Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin

1998 – Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin

1999 – Mark Martin (2)

2004 – Mark Martin (1)

2005 – Greg Biffle (1)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (1)

2007 – Carl Edwards (2)

2008 – Greg Biffle (2)

2011 – Matt Kenseth (1)

2018 – Kevin Harvick (1)

2020 – Kevin Harvick (2)

FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES DOVER WINNERS

2000 – Kurt Busch

2006 – Mark Martin

2015 – Tyler Reddick

2019 – Johnny Sauter

The Ford Mustang is the world’s best selling sports car and one of its most popular race cars. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke regional one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 17 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines. Learn more about Mustang at www.FordRacing.com .

Fleetio Joins 23XI Racing as Primary Partner with Corey Heim for Coca-Cola 600, Bringing “Your Fleet’s New Pit Crew” to the Track

By
Official Release
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Partnership with 23XI and No. 67 team brings Fleetio’s maintenance-first approach to one of NASCAR’s most demanding races

BIRMINGHAM, AL – May 12, 2026 – Fleetio, the leading fleet maintenance and optimization platform, announced today a partnership with 23XI Racing, headlined by Corey Heim, driver of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE, who will compete with Fleetio at the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24, 2026. The partnership puts Fleetio’s “Your Fleet’s New Pit Crew” campaign on one of motorsports’ most demanding stages – a 600-mile proving ground where preparation, intelligence, and a team mindset decide who survives and who wins.

In NASCAR, the driver doesn’t win alone. The crew does the unseen work that turns a fast car into one that delivers under pressure by anticipating problems, executing in seconds, and never sleeping on the job. With 8,500 fleets on the platform, serving over 1 million vehicles per year, and managing over 9 million service records per year, Fleetio plays that same role for fleet operators by embedding intelligence directly into their maintenance workflows. This gives teams access to benchmarks and AI-driven decision support in one place, helping them reduce avoidable costs and giving them the choice and control to operate with the systems that fit their needs.

“Fleet operations and racing both come down to the crew and how well they execute over time. That’s the philosophy we have built Fleetio around – helping teams anticipate issues, act quickly, and earn our place alongside our customers every day. The Coca-Cola 600 is the perfect stage to show how that plays out in high-stakes conditions with thin margins,” said Jon Meachin, CEO of Fleetio. “On the track and in the bay, the work that goes into preventing a breakdown is just as important as the way the crew responds to one. Fleetio is that crew for the fleets we serve, running the maintenance operation that keeps vehicles on the road.”

“Speed and execution are at the heart of our team’s success, and we always enjoy partnering with innovative brands that share those same characteristics,” said Steve Lauletta, 23XI team president. “Without the people at Airspeed who drive and manage our trucks being prepared to tackle and anticipating challenges, our team would be at a disadvantage. We look forward to welcoming Fleetio to 23XI for the Charlotte race.”

Behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE is Corey Heim, one of NASCAR’s fastest-rising stars. Heim captured the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship after a record-setting season that included 12 wins and 1,625 laps led. In the Truck Series, Heim earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2022 and has amassed 25 wins and 14 pole awards. As he begins making his mark in the Cup Series and sets out for his 11th career Cup Series start, Heim brings that same competitive pedigree to the 23XI and the No. 67 team.

“I’m excited to compete in my first Coca-Cola 600 and look forward to having a partner like Fleetio with me that really understands the importance of teamwork during challenging situations,” said Heim. “I’m sure I will learn a lot throughout the race, and I’m fortunate to have a great crew and teammates around to help me prepare for the race before we get to the track.”

The partnership will feature Fleetio-branding and color scheme on the No. 67 Toyota at Charlotte. Representing Fleetio’s role in equipping maintenance teams with the tools to keep vehicles in service when uptime is on the line, Heim and the No. 67 pit crew will also have head-to-toe branded uniforms for the race. Fleetio will continue its presence with 23XI during the season, including additional associate sponsorships with Heim and current Cup Series leader Tyler Reddick at Talladega in the fall.

Amazon Prime Video will stream the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET as the network’s first NASCAR broadcast of the year.

Your fleet’s new pit crew. Ready when you are. Take a closer look at the Fleetio-branded No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE and the 23XI Racing partnership driving it across the finish line at https://www.fleetio.com/lp/nascar.

About Fleetio
Fleetio is the leading fleet maintenance and optimization platform, helping fleets, repair shops, and partners efficiently manage their assets by providing resources fueled with data-driven recommendations and expert insights. Fleetio sets the industry standard as an operating system built to support real execution through embedded intelligence, automation, and connected maintenance workflows. Leveraging its comprehensive fleet ecosystem, the company supports over 8 million vehicles, including 8,500 fleets across 100+ countries, and processes over 13 million repair orders per year through a network of 110,000 repair shops. Fleetio equips fleet professionals with the tools they need to extend asset life, reduce downtime, and confidently deliver results for their business.

About 23XI Racing

23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made history on October 4, 2021, when he captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI its first-ever victory. 23XI expanded to a two-car organization in 2022 with Cup Series Champion and Hall of Famer Kurt Busch driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry. With a win at Kansas Speedway in May of 2022, Busch earned 23XI the team’s first-ever playoff berth. Tyler Reddick joined the team in 2023 to drive the No. 45 car. In 2024, Reddick won the Regular Season Championship and raced to a spot in the Championship 4, a first for both the team and Reddick. In 2026, Reddick made history by winning the first three Cup Series races of the season, including the Daytona 500. 23XI currently features the lineup of Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE, Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE and Riley Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE. Corey Heim currently serves as the team’s development driver and races occasionally in the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE. The team operates out of Airspeed, a state-of-the-art facility in Huntersville, N.C.

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