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STAGE SET TO CROWN CHAMPIONS AT 59TH ANNUAL IN-N-OUT BURGER NHRA FINALS IN POMONA

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Official Release
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POMONA, Calif. (Sept. 18, 2024) – With one race complete in the 2024 NHRA Countdown to the Champions playoffs, drivers are one step closer to the incredible championship setting at the 59th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at famed In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip on Nov. 14-17.

The In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals marks the final event of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and will see champions crowned on drag racing’s biggest stage.

Will a new driver claim the title for the first time, or will a seasoned veteran take home another NHRA championship? One thing is for certain: It all comes down to Pomona.

Intensity will be at a fever pitch with a can’t-miss atmosphere leading up to the joys of championship glory at one of the most historic venues on the NHRA tour. Action at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip will include a pair of qualifying runs on both Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations, where history will be made and champions will be crowned. Fans will get unparalleled access to the action as it all goes down to close out an incredible 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Chad Green (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won last year’s event, while Kalitta (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all clinched world titles in Pomona. The race will again be broadcast on FS1 to close the season in style, including eliminations at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 17.

The Top Fuel ranks is the tightest category amongst the professional divisions with only six points separating the top three. Justin Ashley leads the way, after collecting wins at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals as well as Charlotte and Brainerd. But just a point behind is three-time champion and Reading winner Antron Brown, who also earned wins in Chicago, Norwalk and Sonoma. Shawn Langdon, who is a mere six points back, earned early wins this year at the season opener in Gainesville and Phoenix and will be looking for his second Top Fuel world championship. Last year’s In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals saw a spectacular, winner-take-all final round between Kalitta and Leah Pruett, with Kalitta earning the win and his first world championship. The veteran is currently fourth in the standings after collecting wins in Las Vegas, Epping and Richmond.

Funny Car has seen six different winners this season but has been dominated by class newcomer Austin Prock. He has earned six wins this season, including the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals and the first race of the playoffs in Reading. Bob Tasca III sits second and has three wins to his credit this year from Las Vegas, Norwalk and Sonoma. Third place is held by Jack Beckman, who has stepped in for sixteen-time champion John Force, while other championship hopefuls in the loaded category include former champion J.R. Todd, who won the season opener in Gainesville, defending world champ Hagan and three-time world champ Ron Capps.

Competition in Pro Stock continues to be a battle of the powerhouse teams of Elite Motorsports and KB Titan Racing. Leading the points is standout Stanfield, who is on the hunt for his first professional championship for Elite Motorsports. He has five wins this season, including Reading to kick off the playoffs. Just nine points back is Dallas Glenn from the KB Titan camp. Glenn has three wins this year and has been in the top three all season. Reigning and six-time champion Enders is third, while five-time champion and the flagship driver for KB Titan, Greg Anderson, is fourth thanks to his wins at Phoenix and Charlotte.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle field has continued to be dominated by reigning champion Herrera. Herrera has seven wins on the season, including most recently in Indy. Only three other drivers have claimed wins this season: 2023 Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant, who won in Seattle, six-time champion Matt Smith, who picked up a win in Sonoma, and Hector Arana Jr., who has the most recent winner on tour in Reading. Herrera current leads Smith by 17 points, with Gadson and Arana Jr. close behind.

This year’s In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals also features a can’t-miss experience for racing and car enthusiasts alike. The Top Eliminator Club offers the best seats in the house, a premium experience and a number of exclusive benefits at one of the biggest races of the season.

In Pomona, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 1 and 3:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 15, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, Nov. 17. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday and then eliminations on FS1 at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the 59th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. Included in the premium experience by purchasing Top Eliminator Club tickets is a members-only hospitality center, complimentary food and beverages, members-only souvenir store, exclusive drivers appearances, a gift bag, a premium view of the staging lanes and much more.

For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: Six-Hour Brickyard Battle

By
Official Release
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First of back-to-back endurance rounds to close Corvette Z06 GT3.R’s first IMSA season

DETROIT (September 18, 2024) – Of all the things that the Corvette Racing program has accomplished in more than a quarter-century of IMSA competition, one significant achievement is missing: a kiss on the bricks.

Three of the first-year Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are set to contest Sunday’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks from historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After returning last year to the Brickyard road course in a sprint race the first time since 2014, both Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA are part of a huge 56-car grid in what is now a fifth race for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup – this one six hours – on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar.

In GTD PRO, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will seek its second victory of the season with a pair of Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs – the No. 3 for Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims (class winners at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) and the No. 4 for Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg.

The Pratt Miller Corvettes showed strong performance at each of the three previous endurance rounds this season – Daytona, Sebring and Watkins Glen. Chevrolet leads the Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship with just Indianapolis and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans left in the season. Points at Indianapolis will be awarded at the three- and six-hour marks.

In GTD, AWA will compete in a 23-car class – the largest entry in any of the race’s four categories – with its No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and the trio of Orey Fidani, Matt Bell and Lars Kern. The team has positive momentum on its side with back-to-back, top-six finishes in class… one of only four entrants in GTD to accomplish that feat in the last two races. A year ago, AWA won at Indianapolis in the LMP3 class.

Fidani and Bell also scored maximum points for the Bob Akin Award in the last round at VIR to grow Fidani’s lead in that championship. If he can hold that position for the next two races, Fidani and AWA will earn an automatic invitation to the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.Rs IN 2025 WEATHERTECH CHAMPIONSHIP

Although there still are two races remaining in the 2024 season, fans of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program can expect to see familiar names and faces in the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Both Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA have confirmed their full-season entries into next year’s series with identical efforts to what will be on-hand at Indianapolis this weekend.

The two-car, Pratt Miller-run Corvette team will return with the same core lineup of Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 3 and No. 4 Z06 GT3.Rs in GTD PRO.

For GTD, AWA’s duo of Matt Bell and Orey Fidani will return in the No. 13 Corvette with Lars Kern joining for the 2025 long-distance races as part of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. ET on Sunday, September 22. The final three hours will air live on NBC starting at 3 p.m. ET with live streaming at 11:30 a.m. on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday afternoon’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Indianapolis being more of an endurance round is a nice change from the last couple of times I was there. I think that plays into the strength of our team with race strategy and execution being a big part of it. So I hope we are up there fighting at the front. The Corvette has been really strong throughout the summer. Even at VIR when we had our issue, the car was fast and we could be near the front. It’s been awhile since we had a long-distance race win. This would be a great time to fix that, so let’s see.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “You tend to get on top of things at Indianapolis quite quickly. It should be pretty straight-forward for us. But any six-hour race always throws up surprises. So the length of the race will add a decent amount of strategy into the mix, which should make things interesting from that point of view. I would hope that it’s a track where we’re fairly strong. Our Corvette is pretty decent in low speeds – to be honest it’s good in all corners! – but in low speed we generally seem strong as well, which is nice.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It will be three endurance races in a row for me with six hours at Indy this week, eight more in SRO and then ramping up for Petit Le Mans. It’s certainly helpful, as I’ve already seen this year, to use lessons learned from the SRO event to the IMSA event. We will be able to do the same between the Six Hours and the Eight Hours. Endurance racing is what this car has been designed for. It will be a good test of all of the work that these guys have done over the year to get the car as reliable as it can be and prove the reliability of the car of a nice, long stretch of endurance races.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The last time I was at Indianapolis, we won it. So I have some very good memories of the circuit. I do like the track. Drivers are like that! When they do well they like the track, and when they don’t do well they hate the track. We aren’t really objective! So I really enjoy Indy and I’m looking forward to this event. It’s a bit longer than our normal sprint races. I’m looking forward to going there. It’s a fantastic place and hopefully we can kiss the bricks at the end.”

AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really looking forward to this race. We are arriving off the back of a strong result in VIR, and a productive test at Indianapolis recently, so we are feeling confident. There are a few unknowns with this race being the first IMSA endurance event at Indy. Last year’s sprint race was already pretty chaotic and that was less than half the length! We feel confident that we have a good car, and now we just need to focus on adapting to whatever the race throws at us.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m excited to see what Indianapolis Motor Speedway has in store for us. We’re heading into the final stages of the season and it would be amazing for us to get another strong result. I think we’re all curious to see how an endurance event will shake out at this track, but we’re feeling good and we know we have the ability to be successful here. It will be great to have Lars returning with us as well.”

2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

GTD PRO Drivers Standings

  1. Laurin Heinrich – 2519
  2. Ross Gunn – 2502
  3. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 2408
  4. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2358
  5. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 2318
  6. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 2217

GTD PRO Teams Standings

  1. No. 77 AO Racing – 2519
  2. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2502
  3. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 2408
  4. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2358
  5. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2318
  6. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2217

GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings

  1. Porsche – 2579
  2. Aston Martin – 2540
  3. Lexus – 2427
  4. Chevrolet – 2426
  5. Ford – 2329

GTD Drivers Standings

  1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 2718
  2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 2434
  3. Mikael Grenier – 2178
  4. Parker Thompson – 2114
  5. Albert Costa Balboa/Manny Franco – 2060
  6. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 1826

GTD Teams Standings

  1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 2718
  2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 2434
  3. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 2178
  4. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 2060
  5. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan – 1921
  6. No. 13 AWA – 1826

GTD Manufacturers Standings

  1. Mercedes-AMG – 2882
  2. Lamborghini – 2300
  3. BMW – 2296
  4. Lexus – 2276
  5. Aston Martin – 2255
  6. Chevrolet – 2078

CORVETTE RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS: By the Numbers

  • 2: Previous starts at Indianapolis in IMSA competition for the Corvette Racing program – 2014 and 2023
  • 2: Races at the Indianapolis Road Course in the next three weeks for Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs – this weekend’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Indianapolis Eight Hours in GT World Challenge America.
  • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
  • 27: Manufacturer victories for Chevrolet in 47 races at Indianapolis races at IMS across its stock car, open-wheel and sports car programs. It includes wins this year in the Indianapolis 500 (Josef Newgarden) and Kyle Larson (Brickyard 400). In IMSA competition, Action Express Racing won the last time the series raced at Indy in a Corvette Daytona Prototype. A Chevrolet Camaro also won at IMS in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2012 and 2014.
  • 28: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Barber Motorsports Park, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
  • 51: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. DXDT Racing’s Bryson Morris joined the list at Road America in GT World Challenge America
  • 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
  • 138: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 116 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and 10 in GT World Challenge America
  • 305: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August at Road America in IMSA
  • 391,312.14: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

Corvette Racing at Indianapolis

2014

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM

2023

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTD PRO

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Bristol NXS Advance (Cole Custer | Riley Herbst)

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Official Release
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COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST
Bristol NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

  • Event: Food City 300 (Round 26 of 33)
  • Date: Friday, Sept. 20
  • Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
  • Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
  • Time/TV/Radio: 7:30 p.m. EDT on CW/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

  • Cole Custer is ready to head to a track that has suited him well in the past for Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. After a tough race last Saturday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International that yielded a disappointing 21st-place result for the road course ace, the driver of the No. 00 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse is welcoming the new scenery in the mountains of East Tennessee. While the past month has been a roller coaster of emotions after losing the regular-season points lead at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Custer arrives for the regular-season finale at Bristol second in the driver standings, 43 points behind leader Justin Allgaier. Custer is locked into the seven-race, 12-driver Xfinity Series Playoffs, which kick off next weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Custer is seventh in the playoff standings with eight playoff points.
  • Friday night’s Food City 300 will mark Custer’s eighth Xfinity Series start at Bristol. In his prior seven visits to the high-banked, .533-mile, concrete oval, Custer has scored five top-10 finishes and started from the pole three times – August 2018, April 2019, and last September. He led 25 laps in the April 2019 race en route to his best Bristol finish of third, which he followed up in last September’s night race with a fourth-place finish after leading 109 laps from the pole. He has an additional nine Bristol starts outside of the Xfinity Series – four in the NASCAR Cup Series, three in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Best of those was a sixth-place finish in the 2016 Truck Series race.
  • Returning to the No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend is HighPoint.com, the leading provider of technology infrastructure solutions that is headquartered in Sparta, New Jersey. HighPoint has been a partner of Stewart-Haas Racing since 2020, when the company supported Chase Briscoe’s NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, a collaboration that netted a series-best nine victories. HighPoint has climbed the NASCAR ladder with Briscoe and has helped Stewart-Haas maximize its IT investments. As an IT Solutions Integrator focused on all things that connect, HighPoint helps its customers with the selection and supply of network infrastructure, mobility, collaboration, data center, security solutions and the risk-mitigated implementation and management of its technology. The company, founded in 1996, is a minority-owned business that serves markets in its nearby Tri-State Region (New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware) and the Southeastern United States via its presence in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as globally with offices in Amsterdam and London. To learn more about HighPoint’s solutions, visit HighPoint.com.
  • Custer will sport a unique pair of gloves this weekend at Bristol as part of the Driven to Give Glove Program in collaboration with the Dale Jr. Foundation. At the conclusion of Friday night’s race, Custer will autograph a pair of Simpson gloves featuring a red skeleton with his Cole Custer logo, and they will be auctioned off to raise money for the foundation. From Friday night through Sept. 23, the gloves will be up for bid at www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

  • Riley Herbst hopes to keep his strong runs rolling Friday night under the lights in the Food City 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. While the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse earned a 13th-place finish last Saturday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, it wasn’t indicative of his strong run, during which he ran well inside the top-10 all day. He’s looking forward to racing Friday night on the .533-mile, concrete oval in East Tennessee. Herbst’s success on short tracks has been notable throughout his Xfinity Series career. Of his 23 Xfinity Series short-track starts, he has earned seven top-fives and 15 top-10s with 40 laps led. In the past four seasons since joining SHR in 2021, Herbst has finished in the top-10 at each of the short tracks on the schedule at least once, with a best of third at Bristol in September 2021. He hopes to add to those numbers and close the deal at Bristol with another victory and another five playoff points prior to the start of the Xfinity Series Playoffs Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
  • Friday night’s race will mark Herbst’s sixth Xfinity Series start at Bristol. Of his five prior starts, Herbst has four top-10 finishes highlighted by his third-place run in September 2021 behind the wheel of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. In last September’s race under the Bristol lights, he finished seventh. Since joining SHR in 2021, he’s never finished outside the top-10 at Bristol. He has an additional three starts there outside the Xfinity Series – two in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Best of those outings was his 10th-place effort in the 2016 K&N East race.
  • The last time Bristol hosted the Xfinity Series regular-season finale in 2022, Herbst finished fifth, his second consecutive top-five at the track. He started 12th and proved his resiliency after a spin on lap 13 that put him outside the top-20. He worked his way up to 15th by the end of the first stage, then found himself back inside the top-10 during most of the second stage before ultimately finishing fifth. In the final stage, he struggled with the balance of his Ford Mustang, but a strategy call by his No. 98 team on lap 270 for four fresh tires and fuel proved to be just the call he needed. He was able to restart fifth with 20 laps to go and stayed there to secure his third career Bristol top-10. Herbst only added to those numbers with his top-10 finish last September. Currently, he’s on a four-race top-10 streak at Bristol.
  • Like his teammate Cole Custer, Herbst will once again be supporting the Dale Jr. Foundation this weekend. His custom pair of Monster Energy green skeleton gloves will join the Driven to Give Glove Program effort to benefit the Dale Jr. Foundation. The initiative supports Nationwide Children’s Hospital and its efforts to help courageous patients and their families in areas of pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and cancer prevention. After Friday night’s race, Herbst will autograph his gloves and put them up for auction at www.thedalejrfoundation.org from Friday night through Sept. 23.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Bristol is a strong track for you. Not only do you have three poles there, you also have five top-10 finishes in seven prior starts. What do you need to do this weekend to seal the deal and bring home your first win at the track?

“We just need to stay out of trouble and be the best of the best. Every driver in this field loves Bristol and many perform well at it. If we want to have a shot to win, then we need to be perfect all weekend. We have to unload fast and be able to hold off the field. Bristol is also a track that is so small that you can get caught up in some trouble really fast. Honestly, we just have to be prepared for anything. I know the No. 00 team will give me a fast Ford Mustang this weekend, now it’s just about capitalizing on it. HighPoint.com is back on the car this weekend and I’m hoping we can park them in victory lane for their final race of the season.”

The 2024 regular season is coming to a close at Bristol. Talk about your journey this season and your outlook on the playoffs.

“Man, it’s been a year. We’ve seen some highs and lows, but overall I wouldn’t trade any moment. It was frustrating going through so much of the season without a win, but it wasn’t like we weren’t performing well. We were able to grab ahold of the top spot in the points standings and hold onto it without a win for quite a while. We got our first win at Pocono, but then we’ve had some bad luck since then. It sucks because we lost the points lead and continue to find trouble. This final stretch of races saw three superspeedway-style races, an intermediate, and a road course. We haven’t been able to capitalize on those superspeedway races and it hurt us big time. Even if we’re not regular season champions, though, we’ve accomplished so much as a team. We’re not ones to count out for the playoffs, either. I didn’t win the regular-season championship last year, but I took home the big title at Phoenix. If we can make it through the first round, the second round is the bread and butter for Stewart-Haas Racing. We just have to be smart at the first three races to make it through to the Round of 8.”

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You’ve repeatedly talked about Bristol being your favorite track on the Xfinity Series schedule. What is it about this short track that appeals to you?

“I think it’s just short-track racing in general that appeals to me. Most of the guys in the garage will say this, but these types of tracks take us back to our roots. Bristol is obviously unique with its layout, but I think it still has the same elements as other short tracks. That track is hectic. It’s so crazy. It’s so fast. It’s a little half-mile, and it’s high-banked. It’s so much fun to go and battle there and rub some fenders. I’m excited to head back to Bristol after our third place in 2021, a fifth-place run in 2022, and a seventh-place result last year. We’ve brought speed to short tracks this year and haven’t really gotten the finishes we deserved. I’m hoping we can get the job done and find victory lane again this weekend. We don’t have the pressure of making the playoffs on us now, so we can just focus on winning and getting more playoff points.”

This is the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season finale. While you’ve had a roller coaster of a year, you’ve had some pretty strong moments to make you look like a strong competitor for the 2024 championship. What do you need to do to bring home the title at Phoenix?

“We need to be solid and make the most of each and every race. This elimination-style playoffs make it so you have to be consistent, but you also have to make the most of each race. I’ve never made it out of the Round of 12 before, but if we can do that this year, then we’ll have a strong chance of making it to the Championship 4 at Phoenix. I scored the most points of any driver in the field in last year’s Round of 8 and I wasn’t even in the playoffs. Just imagine if we were. The Round of 12 is all about survival, but I have faith in this No. 98 Monster Energy team. We’ve had fast cars every weekend, but trouble seemed to find us a lot. If we can just be consistent and get strong finishes, we’ll have a shot to run for the championship.”

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s / Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse

By
Official Release
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Bristol Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 18, 2024) – The Bristol Night Race is next on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar with Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team making their second return of the season to the Last Great Colosseum.

McDowell returns to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile coming off a recent Top-10 at Watkins Glen International, last weekend. His best career-finish at Bristol came last year when he finished sixth in the fall event, he also finished 11th in the spring race earlier this year.

PEAK Performance returns to the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse to promote their exclusive line of PEAK products available at the over 600 Love’s Travel Stops across the country. PEAK is a leader in automotive and heavy-duty products ranging from PEAK Global Antifreeze, Final Charge, PEAK Windshield Wash, and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. All products can be found at Love’s Travel Stops.

Track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series will start Friday, September 20th with practice and qualifying at 4:00 pm ET. Saturday’s night race will be September 21st at 7:30 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on the USA Network or listen via the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 34 Love’s / Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“There’s definitely no shortage of challenges at Bristol, and everything is amplified under the lights. It brings an entirely different atmosphere to the track. Our team has improved every weekend, and we are close to breaking through, and taking that next step up in performance with our Love’s/Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“The Bristol night race is one of my favorite events every year. We ran really well last fall in this race and hopefully this time it goes more like that than the spring race this year with the tires. We built some momentum with a strong run at Watkins Glen and hopefully we can stay in the Top-10 again all race and be there when it counts.”

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. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team 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.

Layne Riggs and the No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops / Peak Ford F-150

By
Official Release
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Bristol Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 18, 2024) – Layne Riggs is back behind the wheel this weekend at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Coming off of his Milwaukee Mile win, Riggs and the team look to take another trip to Victory Lane and improve on their Spring Bristol result.

PEAK Performance joins the Love’s Travel Stops Ford F-150 to promote their exclusive line of PEAK products available at over 600 Love’s Travel Stops across the country. PEAK is a leader in automotive and heavy-duty products ranging from PEAK Global Antifreeze, Final Charge, PEAK Windshield Wash, and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. All products can be found at Love’s Travel Stops.

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be back in action this Thursday, September 19th with practice and qualifying kicking off track activity at 3:00 pm ET. The 200-lap race is scheduled for Thursday evening at 8:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on FS1 or listen in from the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops / Peak Ford F-150:

DRIVER LAYNE RIGGS:

“I think everyone is still celebrating our Milwaukee win. It’s a true testament to how hard Dylan (Cappello) and the No. 38 team works. There are still races left on the schedule that I think we have a shot at. Bristol is one of those races. We had a solid 10th-place finish in the spring, but I believe we can improve on that and even get the win.”

CREW CHIEF DYLAN CAPPELLO:

“We’re all super proud of Layne’s (Riggs) win. It was a special moment for him with it being his first career win, but it also meant a lot to me as it was my first win as a crew chief. We want to do it again and I can see Bristol being a place where that can happen. The short track style of racing is right up Layne’s alley. I think it’s going to be a good night for us.”

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. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team 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.

Kaulig Racing Weekly Preview | Bristol Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Race Notes

Bristol Motor Speedway
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Saturday, September 21 at 7:30PM EDT
USA | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

  • Kaulig Racing has made six NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a best finish of seventh.
  • So far in the 2024 season, Kaulig Racing has earned one runner-up finish, eight top 10s, 19 top 20s and led 54 laps.

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Barger Precast Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger has made 24 NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has led 54 laps, earned two top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 24.1.
  • Allmendinger has made 12 NCS starts in the 2024 season and has earned three top-10 finishes and led 13 laps.

“Bristol is a track I love driving in the Cup car at. It’s a place we’ve run in the top 10 before and we can go there and have a strong night. Mentally, you have to make sure you’re up to the challenge of 500 laps around that track and I always love the test of that. The Cup race in the spring was insane. Probably one of the craziest races I have been a part of with the way the tires were. I felt like we learned there, and we’ve made a cars a little bit better since then, but I’m not sure how the tire strategy will play out and if it will be the same way.” – AJ Allmendinger on Bristol Motor Speedway  

Daniel Hemric No. 31 Mountain Dew Doritos Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Hemric has made three NCS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a best finish of 12th.
  • So far in the 2024 NCS season, Hemric has earned four top 10s, nine top-20 finishes and has led 14 laps.
  • Hemric has currently completed more laps than any other driver in the 2024 season with 7,287 of 7,327 laps completed (99.5%).

“I’m looking forward to getting back on track at Bristol in this awesome No. 31 Mtn Dew Doritos Camaro ZL1. The entire garage had a unique experience back in the spring, as everyone was trying to figure out how to make the best educated guess on where the weekend’s going to go from a tire-wear and track-migration standpoint. We’re doing the best we can to be prepared for all scenarios. It’s going to be fun to just enjoy another Cup show under the lights and try to put our best effort forward.” – Daniel Hemric on Bristol Motor Speedway  

Race Details

Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 300
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Friday, September 20 at 7:30PM EDT
The CW | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

Kaulig Racing has made 22 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NXS, earning one win, four top fives and 11 top-10 finishes.
In 2021, AJ Allmendinger gave Kaulig Racing its sole victory at the half-mile track in spectacular fashion while also clinching the NXS regular season title.
So far in the 2024 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned three wins, 11 top fives, 27 top-10 finishes and led 223 laps.
 
 Josh Williams, No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • Josh Williams has made 10 starts in the NXS at Bristol Motor Speedway. He recorded one top 10 there, which came in 2020.
  • Williams sits 17th in the NXS points standings with four top 10s and 14 laps led.

“Bristol is a wildly cool track. We’ve got a good amount of people coming from Alloy Employer Services, and hopefully, they’ll enjoy the show. I’m excited to get there on Friday, and I think we’ll have a fast Chevy Camaro that can drive to the front.” – Josh Williams on Bristol Motor Speedway  

AJ Allmendinger, No 16 Barger Precast Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger has made three NXS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has led one lap, earned one win and three top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 5.7.
  • Allmendinger’s NXS victory at Bristol Motor Speedway came in 2021 with Kaulig Racing. Allmendinger crossed the finish line sideways, winning the race and the Regular Season Championship.
  • So far in the 2024 NXS season, Allmendinger has earned five top fives, 13 top-10 finishes and led 116 laps. Allmendinger is currently scored fifth in driver standings.

“Bristol in the Xfinity car is a lot of fun. Cars run the bottom, they run the top and they slide around. We’ve had really good speed there in the past and I have the best memory of winning there, spinning across the line in 2021. It’s a track that we know we’ve had success at; Daniel [Hemric] was really close to winning last year in the Xfinity car. Our short track program is pretty strong; we can go there and run up front all night. Looking forward to getting back to Bristol and having a great night to give us momentum going into the playoffs and a strong run to go try to win the championship.” – AJ Allmendinger on Bristol Motor Speedway  

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen will make his first-career NXS start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend in the Food City 300.
  • Last weekend, Van Gisbergen secured his sixth top-five finish of his NXS career, four of which have come on road courses.
  • The New Zealand native will carry the white-and-red WeatherTech livery. For decades, WeatherTech has delivered on its promise of quality and craftsmanship through a commitment to American-made auto, home and pet products. More information can be found at weathertech.com.
  • Van Gisbergen and his No. 97 Kaulig Racing team currently sit 12th in the driver standings and third in the playoff standings.
  • Appearance alert: Come see Van Gisbergen at the Chevrolet activation in the fan zone on Friday at 4:30 p.m. local time.

“I’m excited to get to Bristol on Friday and race under the lights. I’ve never been to this track, so I’m going to be learning every lap, but that’s what’s fun about it. It’s the last regular season race of the year and it’s going to be epic! Hoping for another solid weekend with my No. 97 WeatherTech team and looking forward to carrying some big momentum into the playoffs.” – Shane van Gisbergen on Bristol Motor Speedway  
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Toyota Racing Weekly Preview 09.18.24

By
Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: September 16 – 22, 2024

NCS/NXS/NCTS/ARCA: Bristol Motor Speedway – Sept. 19-21
NHRA: zMAX Dragway – Sept. 20-22

PLANO, Texas (Sept. 18, 2024) – NASCAR is back at Bristol Motor Speedway for a jam-packed weekend of racing with four races over the span of three days. The Cup Series and Xfinity Series each hold cutoff races this weekend, with the Cup Series completing its Round of 16 and the Xfinity Series completing its regular season. The Truck Series’ race is the penultimate of its Round of 10, while the ARCA Menards Series holds its third-to-last race of 2024, which is also the ARCA Menards Series East championship race.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series also returns to action this weekend with the second race of the Countdown to the Championship at zMAX Dragway outside of Charlotte.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Points update at Round of 16 cutoff … With Saturday night’s race marking the Round of 16 cutoff in the Cup Series, here’s where the Playoff Toyota Camry XSEs sit. Christopher Bell is second in the Playoff standings, currently 46 points to the good, joined above the cutline by Tyler Reddick (sixth) who is 30 points to the good and Ty Gibbs (12th) who is six points above. Denny Hamlin enters the weekend six below the cutline, and Martin Truex Jr. is currently 14 points under.

Hamlin seeks Bristol threepeat … With his championship hopes on the line this weekend, Hamlin returns to Bristol where he goes for his third consecutive win on the half-mile concrete oval. The 43-year-old won the night race a year ago, following it up with a victory in the hectic spring race earlier this year. Another Bristol triumph would secure Hamlin his 55th career win, his fifth at Bristol, and a spot in the Round of 12.

Full-time GR Supras locked in Playoffs as cutoff arrives … Ahead of Friday’s cutoff for the Xfinity Series Playoffs, both full-time Toyota GR Supra drivers, Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed, have locked themselves into the postseason. Smith is currently fourth in the Playoff standings behind his two wins so far this season and Creed is currently 10th with his 145-point cushion to the cutline.

Truex makes 100th Xfinity Series start … This weekend marks a milestone race as Ryan Truex will make his 100th career Xfinity Series start when he takes the green flag on Friday in the No. 20 GR Supra. It’s been a career year for Truex in the Xfinity Series with two wins (Dover and Daytona) and five top-10s. This will also be Truex’s fifth Xfinity start at Bristol.

Heim, Gray in good positions heading to Bristol … With just two races remaining in the Round of 10, Corey Heim and Taylor Gray sit in solid spots in the Truck Series Playoff standings. Heim is third in the standings, 41 points to the good, while Gray sits fifth, 13 points above the cutline going into Thursday night.

Heim looks to continue Bristol success … Bristol Motor Speedway has been a favorable spot for Heim so far in his Truck Series career. In three starts, the 22-year-old has finished inside the top-10 each time, including a victory last year. Another top-10 finish or better will be paramount as Heim seeks to lock himself into the next round of the Playoffs.

Sawalich doing double duty again … William Sawalich is back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Tundra TRD Pro this Thursday for TRICON Garage, while also competing in the ARCA Menards Series race earlier in the afternoon. This will be Sawalich’s third Trucks start at Bristol and the 12th overall Trucks start of his career.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series | ARCA Menards Series East

Sawalich vies for another championship … In Thursday’s race at Bristol, Sawalich aims for his second consecutive ARCA Menards Series East championship. The Minnesotan currently sits 16 points behind first heading into the weekend. He’s made one ARCA start in his career at Bristol in 2023, which resulted in a victory from pole. Repeating at the half-mile concrete oval may result in crowning Sawalich as champion again.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Ashley takes over points lead … With his No. 1 qualifying effort and semifinals appearance at Maple Grove, Justin Ashley now takes over the Top Fuel points lead after the first Countdown to the Championship race. He’s followed by Maple Grove race winner Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence as Toyota continues to hold the top-five in Top Fuel. Billy Torrence holds 10th going into Charlotte. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd remains fourth, with Ron Capps sixth and Alexis DeJoria rising to seventh after her semifinals run last weekend.

Kalitta seeks Charlotte repeat … During his magical run to the Top Fuel world championship a year ago, Kalitta captured victory in the Carolina Nationals in taking the first two races of the Countdown. The driver of the Mac Tools Toyota dragster aims to repeat at zMAX Dragway this weekend to get himself back towards the top of the point standings as the championship push intensifies.

Toyota streaks roll on to Charlotte … With Brown’s victory at Maple Grove last weekend, and the all-Toyota final of he and Langdon, Toyota kept two of its streaks in NHRA going. Toyota has now made 38 consecutive final rounds in either Top Fuel or Funny Car after this past weekend, and Brown’s win gives Toyota 14 victories in the last 16 races, dating back to Kalitta’s win in Pomona last November.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

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

JR Motorsports — NXS Bristol Preview

By
Official Release
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JR Motorsports Team Preview
TRACK – Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
NXS RACE – Food City 300 (300 laps / 159.9 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Sam Mayer

No. 1 – Carolina Carports Chevrolet

Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 25

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 10

Laps Led: 137

Avg. Finish: 18.8

Points: 13th

  • Sam Mayer heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start at “The Last Great Colosseum”.
  • In three previous starts at the Tennessee short-track, Mayer has tallied one-top five and two top-10’s with a best of fourth coming at this event in 2022.
  • The young driver has a winning history at Bristol as he won two races in one night in 2020 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series. Crew chief, Mardy Lindley was atop the pit box for his ARCA victory that evening.
  • In 22 starts on tracks measuring a mile or less in length, the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet has earned one win (Iowa, 2024), nine top-five and 12 top-10 efforts.

Sam Mayer

“Bristol is one of my favorite tracks so I am super pumped that we are finally headed back there this week. Last year we had some bad luck, but this track has treated me so well in the past and Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and the team have been working so hard in the shop. So I have no doubt that when we unload in Bristol, we will be in contention for a solid finish. Carolina Carports is back on board as well and I am looking forward to hopefully sending them to Victory Lane Friday night under the lights.”

Justin Allgaier

No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet

Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 25

Wins: 2

Top 5s: 7

Top 10s: 15

Laps Led: 589

Avg. Finish: 13.2

Points: 1st

  • Justin Allgaier heads to Bristol as the defending NXS winner at the hallowed short track, taking the victory after leading a race-high 110 laps in this event last season.
  • Additionally, Allgaier has led 90 or more laps in seven consecutive events at Bristol, dating back to the spring of 2019.
  • Overall, Allgaier has led a total of 1,114 laps in “Thunder Valley,” the most of any track that the veteran driver has competed on in the NXS.
  • To accompany the 1,114 laps led, Allgaier has scored a combined two wins (including the first of his NXS career in 2010), 11 top fives and 15 top 10s at Bristol.
  • With one race remaining in the regular season, Allgaier currently holds a 43-point lead in the championship standings.

Justin Allgaier

“Bristol has been such a special place throughout my career. I’ve always loved coming here and hopefully we can be just as strong this weekend as we have been over the last few years with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. We know what we need to do when we unload, and I feel extremely confident that we will be in contention for the win when it counts and come away with the regular season championship.”

Sammy Smith

No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet

Smith 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 25

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 5

Top 10s: 13

Laps Led: 55

Avg. Finish: 15.3

Points: 10th

  • On tracks up to one mile in length, Sammy Smith has 17 starts in the NXS. In those starts, he has tallied one win (Phoenix 2023), five top-fives, 12 top 10s.
  • Smith has run at Bristol twice in his NXS career, qualifying sixth both times and finishing with one top-10.
  • Heading into the last race of the regular season, Smith sits 43 points above the playoff cutline.
  • This week, Sept. 15-21, is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. To celebrate, JRM and Pilot Flying J created a special paint scheme to run at Bristol as a thank you to our hauler drivers and Pro Drivers everywhere.

Sammy Smith

“I’m looking forward to running under the lights this Friday at Bristol as we contend for our position in the playoffs. I’ve had good runs there in the past and JRM has always brought strong cars there so I’m excited to get there and close out the regular season on a high note.”

Brandon Jones

No. 9 Menards / Pelonis Chevrolet

Jones 2024 NXS Stats

Starts: 25

Wins: 0

Top 5s: 1

Top 10s: 6

Laps Led: 30

Avg. Finish: 20.2

Points: 14th

  • Brandon Jones has made 14 starts at Bristol in the NXS and has recorded three top fives and six top 10s, including a runner-up finish during the 2022 season.
  • Additionally, Jones has five starts at Bristol in the NCTS, earning one top-five and three top-10s.
  • Over 47 starts on short tracks in the NXS the 27-year-old Georgia native has one win, seven top fives and 17 top 10s.
  • Pelonis, a trusted brand in home comfort for over 25 years, will be making its third of four appearances on the hood of Jones’ Camaro this weekend. This will be the brand’s second appearance in “Thunder Valley” with Jones.

Brandon Jones

“Bristol is one of my favorite tracks, so I am looking forward to going back this weekend. We have had a lot of speed there in the past and I know this No. 9 team is working hard to make sure we unload another fast car on Friday. This is our last chance to make it into the playoffs, so we are going to give it everything we have. This team is capable of winning races and I am ready for the results to show what we’re able to do.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

Earnhardt Jr. NXS Career Stats

Starts: 146

Wins: 24

Top 5s: 71

Top 10s: 95

Laps Led: 3716

Avg. Finish: 10.8

Points: N/A

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to Bristol this weekend for the NXS race, hoping to build on last year’s performance where he led 47 laps and was in the hunt for victory until a mechanical issue cut his evening short.
  • When driving JRM machines in the NXS at Bristol, Earnhardt Jr. owns three top-five finishes in five starts, the best being a third-place effort in 2011.
  • Twenty years ago, in 2004, Earnhardt Jr. swept the weekend at Bristol, winning the NXS race on Friday night and dominating the NASCAR Cup Series event on Saturday. Combined, he led 420 of the 756 laps run that weekend.
  • This weekend, the NXS and NCS, drivers in both series will wear Earnhardt Jr.’s signature skeleton gloves, which will be auctioned off for benefit of The Dale Jr. Foundation next month. Each driver will sign one of the gloves and Earnhardt Jr. will autograph the other.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“We are bringing back the same car as last year, that we totally stripped and rebuilt. I hope it handles as well because we were so fast here last year in the Hellmann’s Chevrolet. The Bristol Night race is just an awesome event, and I always look forward to running here with the crowd, the lights, and the excitement.”

JRM Team Updates

JR Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Bristol Motor Speedway a combined 93 times in the NXS since its first trip there in 2006. In those starts at the .533-mile short-track, the organization has recorded four wins, 25 top-fives and 56 top-10s, with an average finish of 12.7.

Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Friday, Sept. 20 from 4:20 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. ET.

Food City Fan Stage: JRM drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones will be appearing at the Food City Fan Stage on Friday, Sept. 20 from 5:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. ET.

Ryan Truex to make 100th Xfinity start at Bristol

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images).

Ryan Truex is set to achieve a milestone start in his ninth season with at least one start in the NACAR Xfinity Series division. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway, the part-time competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing will make his 100th career start in the Xfinity circuit.

A native of Mayetta, New Jersey, Truex made his inaugural presence in the Xfinity Series at World Wide Technology Raceway in July 2010. By then, he had achieved the 2009 ARCA Menards Series East championship and was still contending in the series full-time to defend his title. Driving the No. 00 Toyota Camry for Diamond Waltrip Racing, Truex started 19th and finished 28th in his Xfinity debut after being involved in a single-car incident with nearly 20 laps remaining.

Following his Xfinity debut, Truex would make six additional starts in the Xfinity circuit throughout the remaining 16 events on the schedule. During the schedule, he split driving duties between Diamond-Waltrip Racing’s Nos. 00 and 99 Toyota entries. Within the six-race stretch, Truex notched a season-best 12th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in August. He also recorded two 15th-place results at Kansas Speedway and at Gateway in October.

The following season, Truex, who had claimed his second consecutive ARCA East title in 2010 and was initially attempting to campaign for the 2011 Xfinity Rookie-of-the-Year title with Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, ended up competing in 10 of the 14-scheduled events with the team, where he piloted the No. 99 entry to eight top-20 results, including an eighth-place run at Richmond Raceway in late April. Then after finishing 20th at Chicagoland Speedway in June, he was released by Pastrana-Waltrip Racing due to a lack of sponsorship.

Three months later, he returned at Atlanta Motor Speedway behind the wheel of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota Camry, where he finished 11th before notching a strong fourth-place result at Richmond during the following event. He would proceed to finish 13th, eighth and 10th, respectively, during his next three starts with the Gibbs organization before making a brief return to Diamond-Waltrip Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October, where he ended up in 34th place after being involved in an accident during the second half of the event. Truex’s 17th and final Xfinity start of the season occurred at Phoenix Raceway in November with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he ended up in eighth place. In total, Truex notched a total of five top-10 results throughout his 17-race schedule.

The 2012 Xfinity season was an eventful one for Truex, who made a total of 11 Xfinity starts in five entries between three organizations. He commenced the season by making his first series start at Daytona International Speedway with Tommy Baldwin Racing in February, where he ended up in 31st place after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. He then finished in the top 11 in two starts with Joe Gibbs Racing and ended up in 32nd place with RAB Racing at Texas Motor Speedway in April during his next three series starts.

Then at Dover Motor Speedway in June, Truex, who started on the pole for the first time in his career and had led 43 of 200 laps, was within striking distance of achieving his first Xfinity career victory. However, he was pinned behind the lapped competitors of Jamie Dick and Brad Teague, allowing teammate Joey Logano to quickly narrow the deficit and overtake Truex with five laps remaining, thus resulting in the latter settling in a career-best runner-up result. Making six additional starts in the remaining 19 events on the schedule between Joe Gibbs Racing and RAB Racing, Truex racked up two additional top-10 results before the season’s conclusion.

After qualifying the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Mustang entry for Marcos Ambrose at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August 2013 while being a development competitor for the Petty organization, Truex, who did not compete in a single Xfinity event during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, returned to the Xfinity circuit for four events in 2015. Driving the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Biagi-DenBeste Racing, he managed to secure a season-best 17th-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.

In 2018, Truex inked a full-time ride in the Xfinity circuit for the first time in his career as he joined forces to pilot Kaulig Racing’s No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro entry. He commenced the season by finishing seventh at Daytona after contending for the victory amid five overtime shootouts before finishing in the top 15 during his next seven starts. Despite ending up in 38th place at Talladega in May after being involved in an early multi-car wreck, the New Jersey native proceeded to finish in the top 10 during his next 10 events before notching his first top-five result of the season at Mid-Ohio in August.

Despite finishing no higher than eighth during the final four regular-season events on the schedule, he managed to secure a spot in the 2018 Xfinity Series Playoffs. After finishing 11th, 16th and 10th, respectively, throughout the Round of 12, he was eliminated from title contention. Managing three top-15 runs during the final four events on the schedule, Truex settled in 12th place in the final driver’s standings. Overall, he racked up a total of 11 top-10 results, 26 top-15 results and an average-finishing result of 14.0 in his first full-time campaign in the Xfinity Series.

After losing his Kaulig Racing ride to Justin Haley following the 2018 season, Truex inked a part-time Xfinity campaign with JR Motorsports for the 2019 season. He commenced his part-time campaign on a strong note by finishing in the runner-up spot for the second time in his career at Phoenix Raceway in March behind Kyle Busch. He proceeded to finish eighth at Kentucky Speedway and seventh at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July before settling in 14th at Las Vegas in September and 10th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in October. He then ended up in 38th place in his sixth and final Xfinity start of the season at Kansas Speedway in October following an early retirement due to an engine issue.

Three years later, Truex returned to the Xfinity Series for another part-time campaign, this time for the season opener at Daytona with Sam Hunt Racing before returning to Joe Gibbs Racing for a five-race campaign in the No. 18 Toyota Supra. He commenced the season by finishing 12th at Daytona with SHR before ending up in 30th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after being involved in a late accident during his first start of the season with Gibbs. He would then proceed to finish seventh at Martinsville Speedway in April, 30th at Darlington Raceway in May and sixth at Texas Motor Speedway in June before capping off the season with a strong third-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July.

This past season, Truex achieved a breakthrough moment in his eventful career that started when he returned for a six-race campaign with Joe Gibbs Racing and in the team’s No. 19 Toyota Supra entry. He commenced his part-time campaign by finishing in the runner-up spot for the third time in his career at Phoenix in March before notching a third-place result at Atlanta the following weekend after avoiding a final lap accident.

Then after finishing within the top 20 during his next two starts at Martinsville and Talladega, Truex achieved his first elusive career victory both in the Xfinity Series and across NASCAR’s top three national touring series at Dover in April. The victory occurred in an event where he led a race-high 124 of 200 laps, swept both stages and beat runner-up Josh Berry by more than four seconds. He also got to cherish the victory with his older brother and former Cup Series champion, Martin Truex Jr. Ryan Truex would then end up in 35th place in his sixth and final Xfinity start of the season at Darlington after being swept up in an early multi-car wreck.

Returning for a third consecutive part-time Xfinity campaign with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024, both in the organization’s Nos. 19 and 20 Toyota Supra entries, Truex commenced the season by finishing 21st at Daytona after getting collected in a final lap incident. He would proceed to finish ninth during the following weekend at Atlanta before finishing seventh and 34th, respectively, during his next two starts in April. 

Then in the series’ return at Dover in late April, Truex persevered through two overtime attempts, including the last one as he muscled away from newcomer Carson Kvapil, to snatch his second Xfinity career win and his second in a row at the Monster Mile, this time while driving the No. 20 Toyota entry. Despite finishing no higher than 19th during his next two starts, the New Jersey native then elevated his racing status to a new height by scoring his third series victory at Daytona after fending off the field during an overtime attempt and claiming the checkered flag under caution. As a result, he notched the first Xfinity victory for both Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota at Daytona since Matt Kenseth made the last accomplishment in July 2013. During Truex’s recent Xfinity start at Atlanta, he finished 10th.

Truex’s upcoming Xfinity Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway is set to mark his 10th start of the 2024 season and eighth in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing entry, which is set to contend for this year’s Xfinity owners’ championship on the strength of seven victories, two of which were made by Truex, and 17 top-10 results through 25 events. Meanwhile, Truex’s plans for the 2025 season remain to be determined despite his continuous goal to return to full-time NASCAR competition and contend for more victories and a championship.

Through 99 career starts in the Xfinity Series, Truex has achieved three victories, one pole, 10 top-five results, 35 top-10 results, 222 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.6.

Ryan Truex is scheduled to make his 100th Xfinity Series career start at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 300. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Friday, September 20, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

Ben Beshore to call 100th Cup event at Bristol

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images.

In his return as a full-time crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ben Beshore, who works atop the pit box of the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota Camry XSE team piloted by John Hunter Nemechek, is poised to achieve a milestone feat. By participating in this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Beshore will call his 100th event as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series.

A native of The York, Pennsylvania, Beshore, who earned an engineering degree from Virginia Tech, previously worked for Brewco Motorsports in a variety of roles before becoming a race engineer for Roush Fenway Racing in 2007. Seven years later, he joined Joe Gibbs Racing and continued to work as a race engineer for Kyle Busch and the No. 18 team.

During the 2017 season, Beshore made his inaugural presence as a Cup Series crew chief at Pocono Raceway in June. The role was an interim one for Beshore, who was filling in for the suspended Adam Stevens after Stevens was suspended for four events due to a wheel that came off of Busch’s car amid an early pit stop during the previous event at Dover Motor Speedway.

During the Pocono event, Busch, who started on the pole and led a race-high 100 laps, ended up in ninth place. Beshore would then navigate Busch and the No. 18 team to a seventh-place result at Michigan International Speedway and a fifth-place finish at Sonoma Raceway, respectively, before he was suspended from participating at Daytona International Speedway in July amid a lug nut infraction as Busch’s No. 18 entry had two loose lug nuts following the post-race inspection process at Sonoma.

After returning to his role as race engineer for the remainder of the 2017 season and the entire 2018 season, Beshore scaled back to the Xfinity Series to work as a crew chief for JGR’s No. 18 Toyota entry that was piloted by seven different competitors throughout the 2019 season. During the season, he notched four victories, all occurring with Busch, and led the No. 18 team to a 12th-place finish in the final owner’s standings. The following season, Beshore was paired with Harrison Burton in the Xfinity circuit. Together, the duo notched four victories, 15 top-five results, 22 top-10 results, 291 laps and an average-finishing result of 10.0. After qualifying for the 2020 Xfinity Series Playoffs before being eliminated following the Round of 12, Burton would settle in eighth place in the final standings and claim the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year title.

In 2021, Beshore returned to the Cup Series and reunited with Kyle Busch as he was named as the full-time crew chief of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota entry. In their first event together, Busch won the Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course after he overtook Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott amid a last-lap tussle. The duo recorded two top-five results and five top-10 results during the first 10-scheduled events before Beshore achieved his first Cup points-paying victory at Kansas Speedway in May. Busch, who celebrated his 36th birthday on race day, fended off the field and a hard-charging Kevin Harvick during a two-lap shootout. Beshore and Busch would then achieve a second victory of the season at Pocono Raceway in June after Busch overtook teammate Denny Hamlin prior to the final lap and had enough fuel to coast the No. 18 Toyota across the finish line in first place. To go along with an additional seven top-five results and nine top-10 results for the remaining 15 regular-season events, the duo qualified for the 2021 Cup Series Playoffs.

After recording three top-nine results throughout the 2021 Playoff’s first six events, Beshore and Busch were able to transfer from the Round of 16 to 8. Then, Beshore was suspended from participating in the Round of 8 opener at Texas Motor Speedway following a lug nut infraction with two loose lug nuts amid the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course post-race inspection process. Returning for the following Playoff event at Kansas Speedway in mid-October, Busch finished 28th and second at Martinsville Speedway throughout the Round of 8 but missed the cutline to the Championship 4 round by three points. The duo would proceed to finish seventh in the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November before Busch settled in ninth place in the final standings.

Beshore’s 2022 season started on a rough note after he was suspended from the inaugural Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as a result of another lug nut infraction involving two loose lug nuts stemming from the 2021 finale at Phoenix. Returning atop the pit box for the 64th running of the Daytona 500, Beshore’s season with Busch commenced with a sixth-place finish followed by four additional top-10 results during the next seven events on the schedule. Then at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in April, Beshore and Busch notched their first victory of the season after Busch overtook a spinning Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe on the final lap to notch his 60th series victory. Despite finishing in the top five four additional times for the final 15 regular-season events, Beshore and Busch secured a spot into the Cup Series Playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Their title hopes, however, came to an early end after finishing no higher than 26th throughout the Round of 16. Then coming off two consecutive third-place finishes at the Charlotte Roval and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, Beshore was suspended for four races for a loose wheel violation that occurred at Las Vegas. The suspension would cause Beshore to miss the remainder of the 2022 Cup Series season as Busch, who was down to his final four events with Joe Gibbs Racing, ended up in 13th place in the final standings.

This past season, Beshore returned to the Xfinity Series to work as the crew chief of the No. 20 JGR Toyota team piloted by John Hunter Nemechek. Together, the duo notched a season-high seven victories, two poles, 17 top-five results, 24 top-10 results, 1,083 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.5. In addition to making the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs, they transferred all the way into the Championship 4 round and contended for the title at Phoenix. However, Nemechek got shuffled during an overtime shootout and ended up in 28th place after being involved in a final lap accident, which relegated Nemechek to fourth place in the final standings.

Nine days after the 2023 season concluded, Beshore was promoted back to the Cup Series as a crew chief for Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE entry piloted by Nemechek, who made his return to the Cup circuit following a three-year absence. Through 28 scheduled events, the duo of Beshore and Nemechek recorded only three top-10 results, with their highest finish being a sixth-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. With an average-finishing result of 24.7, they are mired in 34th place in the 2024 drivers’ standings with eight races remaining on the schedule.

Through 99 previous Cup appearances, Beshore has achieved three victories, one pole, 23 top-five results and 42 top-10 results while working with a total of two competitors.

Ben Beshore is scheduled to call his 100th Cup Series career event as a crew chief in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 21, with the event’s coverage to occur at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

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