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Author: Andrew Kim

  • Burt Myers, Team AmeriVet participating in 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray

    Burt Myers, Team AmeriVet participating in 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray

    Burt Myers will be joining forces with Team AmeriVet in an attempt to compete in this year’s NASCAR Cup Series’ Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

    Myers, a 12-time Bowman Gray track champion, a two-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion and a three-time SMART Modified Tour champion from Walnut Cove, North Carolina, will be piloting Team AmeriVet’s No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for his inaugural appearance in NASCAR’s premier series. Myers’ team will be led by veteran crew chief Tony Eury Jr.

    Should Myers qualify for the main event at Bowman Gray, it would also mark his second start across NASCAR’s top three national touring series (Cup, Xfinity & Truck). He made his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in 2009, where he finished 19th while driving for Green Light Racing.

    “I’m very excited to be a part of such a monumental event,” Myers said in a released statement. “Every short-track driver dreams of an opportunity like this. For mine to happen at my home track and to be able to continue my NASCAR family legacy means the world to me.”

    Team AmeriVet debuted in NASCAR as the Money Team Racing during the 2022 season, where Kaz Grala achieved the organization’s first entrance in a Cup Series event for the 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. After finishing in 26th place during the 500, Grala would then compete at Circuit of the Americas and at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, the latter event in which he recorded the organization’s best on-track result of 23rd place, before IndyCar star Conor Daly drove for the organization at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Daly would return for two Cup events in 2023, including the 65th running of the Daytona 500.

    This past season, the Money Racing Team rebranded to its current name, Team AmeriVet, under a new ownership and supported by AmeriVet Securities, a finance broker that is a service-disabled veteran-owned business. Ty Dillon piloted the organization’s No. 50 Chevrolet entry during the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 this past May before Xfinity Series competitor Jeb Burton piloted the entry during the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November.

    “I couldn’t be more excited to kick off the racing season at The Clash with Burt Myers,” Rebecca Auchmoody, team owner of Team AmeriVet, said. “This event will help us grow as a team with Burt’s experience and Tony Jr. as crew chief; it will contribute towards improving team performance. It’s also an incredible opportunity for us to continue our mission of supporting veterans through our 50 Vets a Week program. Last season, we were proud to relieve $125,000 in veteran debt after the race in Phoenix, and our goal this time is to exceed that amount. Each race gives us a platform to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who have served, and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together at The Clash.”

    With Myers’ announcement of his participation for the Clash festivities, he becomes the second short-track ace to be confirmed to attempt to qualify for the event. In mid-December, Tim Brown, Bowman Gray’s winningest competitor at 101 and another 12-time track champion from Cana, Virginia, was announced as the driver of the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry for his bid to participate in the Clash.

    The 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is scheduled to occur on February 2 with a broadcast starting time of 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Jimmie Johnson confirms two-race Cup schedule for 2025 season

    Jimmie Johnson confirms two-race Cup schedule for 2025 season

    Jimmie Johnson revealed his NASCAR Cup Series racing schedule for the 2025 season that will feature the seven-time champion from El Cajon, California, pilot his No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE entry from Legacy Motor Club (LMC), his own organization, for select events.

    For the 2025 season, Johnson will attempt to qualify for this year’s 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, an event he has won twice (2006 & 2013), scheduled for February 16. He will then compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, an event he has won four times (2003-05, 2014), on May 25. During both events, Carvana will return to sponsor his entry.

    The news comes as Johnson, who is in his third consecutive season as a co-owner of LMC, is coming off a nine-race Cup campaign during the 2024 season, which included competing in the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the series’ return of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Throughout his nine-race campaign, the Californian notched an average-finishing result of 30.6 and recorded a season-best 26th-place finish during the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway last November.

    “I’m thrilled to be returning to competition in 2025,” Johnson said in a released statement. “These two races hold a special place in my heart, and I’ve always loved the energy and excitement that surrounds them. The DAYTONA 500 is a crown jewel of NASCAR – there’s nothing like it. Charlotte Motor Speedway is where I made my first start in the NASCAR Cup Series, and it’s always felt like ‘home’ to me.”

    Johnson made his first three career starts in NASCAR’s premier series in the closing events of the 2001 season while driving the No. 48 Chevrolet entry for Hendrick Motorsports. Since becoming a full-time Cup competitor in 2002 before retiring from full-time competition in 2020, he established a Hall of Fame career that included winning 83 career events and seven championships, which placed him in a tie with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series championships. Johnson is also the only competitor to win five of his titles in consecutive seasons, which he accomplished from 2006 to 2010.

    After retiring from full-time NASCAR competition following the 2020 season, he spent the next two years competing in the NTT IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing before he returned to NASCAR competition on a part-time basis and in an ownership role for LMC that had been rebranded from Petty GMS Motorsports and Richard Petty Motorsports. During his inaugural season as a co-owner/driver of LMC, he competed in three Cup events, including the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. He also represented Garage 56, a NASCAR-endurance team that involved Hendrick Motorsports, during the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans as he competed alongside former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button and former Le Mans champion Mike Rockenfeller.

    Amid Johnson’s two-scheduled Cup starts in 2025, a significant milestone start is on the line. Should Johnson qualify for both of his crown-jewel events, he will become the 21st competitor overall to reach 700 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Since Johnson is entering this year’s Daytona Speedweeks without a charter for his No. 84 LMC Toyota entry, he will have to rely on either his speed during the Busch Light Pole Qualifying session on February 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET or through his result in the Daytona Duels scheduled for February 13 at 7 p.m. ET to outduel additional non-chartered entries and earn a starting spot for the Great American Race. Both sessions will air on FS1.

    The 2025 Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 16 with a coverage time slated to commence at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Matt DiBenedetto retained by Viking Motorsports for full-time Xfinity campaign in 2025

    Matt DiBenedetto retained by Viking Motorsports for full-time Xfinity campaign in 2025

    Viking Motorsports took to social media to officially reveal that Matt DiBenedetto will be returning to the organization for a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign in 2025.

    The 33-year-old DiBenedetto from Grass Valley, California, will be piloting Viking’s No. 99 entry that has been re-numbered from 38. In addition, the organization, which collaborated with RSS Racing for its first appearance in NASCAR in 2024, will be fielding Chevrolets after switching manufacturers from Ford this past December. Don Sackett, the CEO of SciAps Inc., will continue to serve as the owner of the organization that will now be technically aligned with Richard Childress Racing.

    The announcement of Viking’s competition plans in 2025 comes as DiBenedetto competed in 28 Xfinity events with Viking in 2024. Beginning at Richmond Raceway in mid-March 2024 through the finale at Phoenix Raceway, the Californian recorded three top-10 results, an average-finishing result of 23.2 and finished in 26th place in the final driver’s standings. His best on-track results throughout this past season were a pair of seventh-place finishes at Iowa Speedway in June and at Michigan International Speedway in August, which also marked his career-best results in the series ever.

    The 2025 season is scheduled to mark DiBenedetto’s ninth with at least one start in the Xfinity Series division, but his first as a full-time competitor. The most events that DiBenedetto has competed in an Xfinity season was 29 of 33 in 2014, where he was driving for The Motorsports Group.

    Through 97 previous starts in the Xfinity circuit, DiBenedetto has recorded five top-10 results, 19 laps led and an average-finishing result of 30.4 as he strives to both achieve his first series’ victory and first Playoff berth. In addition to his Xfinity Series stats, DiBenedetto has made 248 career starts in the Cup Series, where he has recorded 31 top-10 results and made the 2020 Playoffs. He has also made 43 career starts in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he notched his first career victory at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022.

    With his plans for this upcoming season set, Matt DiBenedetto’s 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign with Viking Motorsports is scheduled to commence at Daytona International Speedway on February 15 with a starting broadcast time at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

  • JR Motorsports to attempt Cup debut with Justin Allgaier in 2025 Daytona 500

    JR Motorsports to attempt Cup debut with Justin Allgaier in 2025 Daytona 500

    JR Motorsports (JRM) will attempt to etch a new chapter to its illustrious racing legacy by fielding a NASCAR Cup Series entry for the first time on this year’s 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

    Justin Allgaier, the reigning Xfinity Series champion from Riverton, Illinois, who pilots the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro entry for JRM in the Xfinity division, has been named the driver of JRM’s No. 40 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry throughout the upcoming Daytona Speedweeks as he attempts to secure the organization’s first participation in both a NASCAR’s premier series event and in the Great American Race.

    With Allgaier named the driver of JRM’s first Cup entry, Greg Ives, the 2014 Xfinity championship-winning crew chief, will work atop the pit box of the No. 40 entry that will be sponsored by Traveller Whiskey, the latter of which was created by 10-time Grammy Award-winning artist and country singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton.

    The news comes as JRM is coming off its 19th consecutive campaign in the Xfinity circuit, where the organization achieved its fourth championship with Allgaier, the latter of whom notched his first championship within NASCAR’s top three national touring series in his 14th campaign in the Xfinity Series. Throughout the 2024 season, Allgaier also notched two race victories and utilized consistency throughout the Xfinity Playoffs en route to his first title. He has amassed 25 career victories through 471 current starts in the Xfinity circuit.

    To date, Allgaier has made 82 career starts in the Cup Series division. He made his first four career starts in NASCAR’s premier series in 2013 before he spent the following two seasons as a full-time Cup competitor, all of which occurred with Turner Scott Motorsports. After scaling back down to the Xfinity circuit to join JRM, beginning 2016, the Illinois native would only make a total of seven additional Cup starts in five over the next nine seasons (2016, 2020-22, 2024). His most recent Cup start was the 2024 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he piloted the No. 5 Chevrolet entry for Hendrick Motorsports as an interim competitor for Kyle Larson, the latter of whom was competing in the Indianapolis 500 and was unable to participate in the Coke 600 overall due to inclement weather.

    Should Allgaier qualify for this year’s Daytona 500, it would mark his third overall start in the Great American Race and his first since the 2015 Cup season. Currently, Allgaier’s best result in the Daytona 500 is 27th, which occurred in 2014. His best result in a Cup event is eighth, which occurred at Bristol Motor Speedway in April 2015.

    “This is an incredible honor to be driving JR Motorsports’ inaugural entry into the Cup Series, and to do it with not only Dale and Kelley, but Chris Stapleton and Traveller Whiskey makes this even more special,” Allgaier said. “Entering into the DAYTONA 500 has been a goal of this company for a long time and I know that we are going to have everything we need to go out and contend for the win. This is going to be special for sure.”

    The news of JRM’s attempted Cup debut for the 2025 Daytona 500 also brought excitement for both Chris Stapleton and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the latter of whom is the team owner of JRM and a two-time champion of the Great American Race. Since debuting in the Xfinity division in 2005, JRM has amassed 88 career victories, including seven in 2024 and once with Earnhardt Jr. as the driver at Richmond Raceway in April 2016. The organization is set to field four full-time entries in 2025, with Allgaier and Sammy Smith along with rookies Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch scheduled to compete as full-time competitors. Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen, both of whom compete in the Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing, will also pilot a fifth JRM entry in select Xfinity events for the upcoming racing season.

    Ironically, JRM’s announcement of its attempted Cup debut comes 10 years and three days to the date, January 12, where the organization first announced its expansion from the Xfinity circuit by fielding a part-time entry in the Craftsman Truck Series division, an expansion that would result with the organization competing in the series on a full-time basis for only the 2016 season and nab a total of two victories during the 2015 season.

    “We’ve been waiting for the right moment for JR Motorsports,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “With Justin winning the Xfinity Series championship and Chris Stapleton’s undeniable star power, the planets aligned for this perfect opportunity to enter this year’s DAYTONA 500.”

    “Traveller Whiskey joining JR Motorsports for their inaugural entry into the Cup Series at the DAYTONA 500 feels like a very natural partnership,” Stapleton added. “I’m honored to be apart of this historic moment with Dale and Kelley [Earnhardt Miller], and excited to see Justin race the No. 40 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet in Daytona.”

    JRM is an unchartered entry for this year’s Daytona 500 festivities. This means that Allgaier will have to earn a starting spot for the Great American Race. He will have to either rely on his speed during the Busch Light Pole Qualifying session on February 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET or through his result in the Daytona Duels scheduled for February 13 at 7 p.m. ET to outduel additional non-chartered entries. Both sessions will air on FS1.

    The 2025 Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 16 with a coverage time slated to commence at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • NASCAR confirms Mike Wallace ineligible for Daytona 500

    NASCAR confirms Mike Wallace ineligible for Daytona 500

    Mike Wallace has not received approval from NASCAR to contend for a starting spot for the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway scheduled for February 16, 2025.

    The decision was announced on January 13, only 11 days after MBM Motorsports announced that the 65-year-old Wallace would attempt to qualify for a starting spot in this year’s Great American Race in the team’s No. 66 Ford. After evaluating Wallace’s recent on-track activities, NASCAR flipped the script and deemed him ineligible to compete in the 2025 Daytona 500, which is scheduled to occur nearly a month from now.

    The decision was based on the fact that Wallace has not competed across NASCAR’s top three national touring series since August 2020, when he competed at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course venue while driving for J.D. Motorsports. He has also not competed in any large venues within NASCAR’s premier series, the Cup division, since he made his recent Daytona 500 start in 2015, where he finished 36th while driving for Premium Motorsports.

    To date, Wallace has made 11 career starts in the Great American Race. During his 11 starts, he recorded three top-10 results and notched a career-best result of fourth place during the 2007 event while driving for Phoenix Raceway.

    In total, Wallace has made 115 career starts in the Craftsman Truck Series division, 497 in the Xfinity circuit and 197 in the Cup competition. While his best result in the Cup division is a runner-up result at Phoenix Raceway in October 2001 while driving for Team Penske, he has amassed four career victories in the Xfinity division and five in the Truck Series division. His latest Xfinity victory occurred at Daytona in July 2004 while driving for Biagi Brothers Racing. His latest Truck victory occurred at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2011 while driving for Kevin Harvick Inc.

    Following the news of NASCAR’s decision, Wallace took to Facebook to express both his disappointment on not being eligible to compete and his endorsement to MBM Motorsports.

    “Daytona 500 NON update! To my utter shock and devastation at 4:00 today NASCAR [competition] director Elton Sawyer called me to inform me that NASCAR has decided not only to not approve me for Daytona 500 but at this time not approved to race in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series in 2025 but could go through [their] process to possibly get approved for 2026. This comes as a total shock as the President of NASCAR last week in a real phone call told me all was good and he will see me in Daytona. I owe this posting to all my fans and [non-fans] who were so supportive through the great messages and postings of support as they say I inspired them! Please -Please show your Love and support to Carl Long and the complete MBM Motorsports team as this has now put them in a terrible position as I was not just the driver but also committed to sponsorship for their Daytona 500 effort, I had sponsorship commitments for the effort around me and. Help them find an approved driver and plenty of money!”

    MBM Motorsports also took to social media to express the team’s disappointment in not having Wallace as the driver throughout the 2025 Daytona Speedweeks. Nonetheless, the organization remains committed to recruiting another competitor with funding for the team’s No. 66 entry to make a bid for a starting spot in the upcoming Daytona 500.

    The 2025 Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • NASCAR reveals new & updated rules policies for 2025 season

    NASCAR reveals new & updated rules policies for 2025 season

    NASCAR revealed a series of new and updated rule changes that were made to the sport’s rule book on Friday, January 10, and that will be implemented for the upcoming racing season.

    The first item that was both revealed and is new to NASCAR highlights the creation of the “Open Exemption Provisional” (OEP) rule, which would enable “world-class competitors” opportunities to be guaranteed starting spots for an event, pending a pre-approval, case-by-case process from NASCAR. The OEP policy, which would mirror a similar policy called “promoter’s choice provisional” that would enable special or invited competitors to compete in events involving certain forms of short-track competition, would become a factor in the event if a Cup entry list for an upcoming race exceeds the maximum starting list of 40 cars.

    Within this format that restricts any current full-time Cup competitor from being eligible, an OEP entry would still be eligible for race victories and an automatic berth to the Cup Series All-Star Race. The entry, however, would not be eligible for any race points, prize money, championship points or automatic berths to the Playoffs.

    Thus far, Trackhouse Racing submitted a request to use an OEP policy to guarantee four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves and the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team, which is unchartered, a starting spot for this year’s 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Any additional uses of the OEP for the upcoming 2025 season remains to be determined.

    Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Another rule that received a critical update was NASCAR’s Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP). Beginning in 2025, any entry driven or towed to the garage after being involved in an on-track incident will not be automatically ruled out of a race. Instead, teams will be granted an opportunity to repair and have their respective cars return to the track.

    The seven-minute clock will still be implemented across all racing venues, minus Atlanta Motor Speedway which runs on an eight-minute clock. The time limit in the clock represents the time all teams will receive to attempt to repair the cars on pit road. Any team that does not complete the repairs on pit road by the time the time limit expires will have to have their respective entries taken to the garage. Compared to the previous eight seasons, where any team that violates the DVP clock would automatically be ruled out of the event, the repairs can still be made for the entries to return.

    Within the DVP update, an entry that is unable to return to pit road after being involved in an accident or is left with flat tires will be towed to the garage. In addition, any team that attempts to continue a race after their DVP time session expires will be penalized. This comes after numerous competitors and teams vocally and repeatedly criticized the original DVP policy throughout the 2024 season, including the Playoffs.

    Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    A third critical component that was updated by NASCAR was the sport’s use of assessing Playoff waivers to competitors who miss even a single event throughout a season, especially throughout a regular-season stretch. We saw an occurrence of this last May when the 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson did not participate in the start of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway due to competing in the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and after having his Memorial Day double-duty attempt foiled due to Mother Nature. Despite being absent at Charlotte, Larson was still granted a waiver to be eligible for the 2024 Playoffs.

    Within the updated waiver policy for the 2025 season, any driver who is suspended, misses a race or is absent for any reason aside from medical or emergency is subject to forfeit all past and future Playoff points earned throughout a season and before the Playoffs, even if granted a waiver. Competitors who are granted waivers for Playoff eligibility would commence the Cup Series’ post-season run for the championship with a maximum of 2,000 points once the Playoff standings are set.

    Such medical or emergency reasons that include a competitor missing a race for the birth of a child and a family emergency would not result in any Playoff points being forfeited. Another exemption that matches the criteria of no points being forfeited is if a competitor is unable to compete an entire racing season due to age restrictions.

    Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    Additional rules that were revealed from NASCAR’s rule book include the following:

    • The penalty structure for any rule violations by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). These violations include manufacturer points being docked and/or both wind tunnel hours and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) test runs being revoked. Additional penalties include vehicle test sessions being limited, a code of conduct being enforced and event-roster protocols being implemented.
    • The use of suspensions being deferred without any form of appeal for an upcoming event after an assigned penalty is issued. This policy only applies for technical penalty purposes while any other form of suspension would be made with immediate effect.
    • The performance integrity, where NASCAR’s definition of the “100% rule” would solely focus on any form of manipulation occurring that would affect the outcome of any event or championship scenarios.
    • The practice and qualifying procedures across all racetrack types, were revealed on December 12.

    With the new rules revealed, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to commence at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the Cook Out Clash on February 2 with a coverage start time at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, scheduled for February 16 with a coverage start time at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

    Meanwhile, the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is scheduled to commence at Daytona on February 15 with a start time at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network while the Craftsman Truck Series season will commence the day prior, February 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • JR Motorsports reveals crew chief lineup for 2025 Xfinity season

    JR Motorsports reveals crew chief lineup for 2025 Xfinity season

    JR Motorsports (JRM) took to social media to reveal its crew chief lineup for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season which features the return of four familiar names and one new name calling the shots atop their respective numbered pit boxes and paired drivers.

    Beginning next season, Cory Shea will be serving as an Xfinity crew chief for JRM’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro entry which will be fielded as the “all-star” entry. Shea makes his move atop the pit box as a crew chief after recently serving as a car chief for veteran Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 JRM team that achieved the 2024 Xfinity Series championship. Thus far, Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen, both of whom compete in the Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing, have been confirmed to pilot the No. 9 “all-star” entry for select events (nine total combined).

    Speaking of JRM’s No. 7 team, Jim Pohlman, the reigning Xfinity championship-winning crew chief, will remain both atop the pit box of the No. 7 Chevrolet team and paired up with Allgaier as both strive to defend their title for the 2025 season. Pohlman first joined JRM as an Xfinity crew chief in 2023, where he navigated Allgaier and the No. 7 team to four victories and a runner-up result in the final standings. This past season, the duo captured two regular-season victories, made the Championship 4 round and outdueled the competition during the finale at Phoenix Raceway to win the title, which marked Allgaier’s first in the series after 14 previous attempts and during his seventh appearance as a Championship 4 contender.

    Currently, Pohlman, who first served as a crew chief for Sheldon Creed at Richard Childress Racing for four Xfinity events in 2022, has achieved six victories, three poles, 25 top-five results and 41 top-10 results as a crew chief in the series.

    Like Pohlman, Phillip Bell will be returning as a crew chief for JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro team which will be piloted by Sammy Smith, the latter of whom returns for a second consecutive driving campaign at JRM in 2025. Bell, who embarked in his first season as a NASCAR crew chief last year, initially spent the first 23 scheduled events working atop the pit box of JRM’s No. 9 team and driver Brandon Jones. Then starting at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September, he shifted to JRM’s No. 8 team and was paired with Sammy Smith for the final 10 scheduled events. During the span, Bell notched his first victory as a crew chief after Smith won at Talladega Superspeedway in October, which enabled the duo to transfer to the Playoff’s Round of 8 and settle in 11th place in the final driver’s standings.

    Through his first full-time season as an Xfinity crew chief (33 races total), Bell notched one victory, two poles, three top-five results and nine top-10 results as he prepares to lead the No. 8 JRM Chevrolet team and Smith on a full-time basis in 2025.

    Meanwhile, Andrew Overstreet will be paired up with incoming Xfinity rookie Carson Kvapil, the latter of whom will be driving the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet entry for his first full-time campaign in the division amid a successful campaign in late model competition. Previously, Kvapil achieved the 2021 CARS Super Late Model Tour title and back-to-back CARS Late Model Stock Tour titles between 2022 and 2023. This past season, Kvapil also won the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 and the Icebreaker 125.

    Overstreet, who first served as an Xfinity crew chief for driver Sam Mayer for three events in 2022, was a crew chief for JRM’s No. 88 “all-star” Chevrolet team that appeared in a total of 17 events in 2024. At Watkins Glen International this past August, Overstreet achieved his first Xfinity career victory as a crew chief after he navigated Zilisch to his first career victory in his series’ debut from pole position. In addition to Zilisch, Overstreet spent the 2024 season working with Kvapil, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Connor Mosack and Bubba Pollard with the No. 88 team. He also served as a crew chief for JRM’s No. 1 team and Mayer for a single event this past season.

    Through 21 appearances as an Xfinity crew chief, Overstreet has achieved one victory, two poles, 10 top-five results and 14 top-10 results as he strives to lead Kvapil to both his first victory and Playoff berth.

    Like teammate Overstreet, Mardy Lindley will be paired with another incoming Xfinity rookie, that being Connor Zilisch as he will be piloting the No. 88 JRM Chevrolet for his first full-time campaign in the series. Lindley became an Xfinity crew chief for JRM for the first time in 2023 after spending the previous two seasons as a Craftsman Truck Series crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Paired with Sam Mayer and the No. 1 team, Lindley led both the driver and team to four victories and a Championship 4 berth, where they settled in third place in the final standings. This past season, Lindley and Mayer notched three victories and ended up in ninth place in the final standings after both fell short of reaching the Championship 4 round for a second consecutive season.

    Through 62 appearances as an Xfinity crew chief, Lindley has achieved seven victories, one pole, 19 top-five results and 30 top-10 results as he strives to navigate Zilisch to additional victories and his first Playoff berth in 2025.

    The 2025 season is scheduled to mark JR Motorsports’ 20th consecutive season as a full-time team in the Xfinity Series division. Since its inception, the organization has accumulated a total of 88 victories and four championships. The organization has also notched a combined 35 poles, 534 top-five results, 1,045 top-10 results and 14,308 laps led through a 19-year span as they strive for more on-track success for the upcoming racing season.

    With the crew chief lineup set, JR Motorsports’ 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is scheduled to commence at Daytona International Speedway on February 15. The event’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

  • Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen join JR Motorsports for part-time Xfinity campaigns in 2025

    Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen join JR Motorsports for part-time Xfinity campaigns in 2025

    Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen will both be piloting the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro entry for JR Motorsports (JRM) for select events throughout the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    Chastain, a native of Alva, Florida, will make his first Xfinity start of the upcoming season at Circuit of the Americas (March 1) before he then competes at Darlington Raceway (April 5), Nashville Superspeedway (May 31), Dover Motor Speedway (July 19) and at Iowa Speedway (August 2).

    Meanwhile, teammate van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion from Auckland, New Zealand, will make his first Xfinity start with JRM in the series’ inaugural event at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City (June 14) before he returns to drive the No. 9 entry for the following road-course events at the Chicago Street Course (July 5), Sonoma Raceway (July 12) and at Watkins Glen International (August 9).

    The news comes as both Chastain and van Gisbergen are scheduled to compete as full-time Cup Series competitors for Trackhouse Racing in 2025. It will be Chastain’s fourth consecutive season at Trackhouse while van Gisbergen will embark on his first full-time campaign in NASCAR’s premier series.

    This past season, Chastain, a five-time Cup Series race winner who won at Kansas Speedway in September, competed in four Xfinity events with DGM Racing, where he recorded two top-10 results and a season-best sixth-place finish at Watkins Glen this past August.

    Through 208 current Xfinity starts, Chastain has recorded two victories, one pole, 24 top-five results, 53 top-10 results, 961 laps led and an average-finishing result of 16.6. The 2025 season will mark the Floridian’s 12th year with at least one start in the Xfinity circuit. JRM will become the 11th team Chastain has driven for as he strives to utilize the extra seat time in the Xfinity circuit to gain a competitive edge in the Cup competition.

    “I think there is a lot of benefit to getting seat time on Saturdays in the Xfinity Series,” Chastain said. “Getting an opportunity to do it with JR Motorsports is too good an opportunity to pass up. I know every time I climb in their Chevrolets, we will have a chance to win.”

    Compared to Chastain, teammate van Gisbergen campaigned in his first full-time stint in the Xfinity Series at Kaulig Racing this past season. Throughout the 33-race schedule, he notched his first three career victories at Portland International Raceway, Sonoma and Chicago, respectively, between June and July. Despite settling in the runner-up spot in the final Rookie-of-the-Year standings, van Gisbergen tallied a total of three poles, seven top-five results, 10 top-10 results, 100 laps led and an average-finishing result of 16.5, which was also enough to finish in 12th place in the final standings.

    Previously, van Gisbergen won in his Cup Series debut at Chicago while driving Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 entry in 2023. Amid the excitement of being named a full-time Cup competitor for the 2025 season, the New Zealander also values the extra seat time gained within NASCAR’s lower series to be competitive and be a frequent front-runner among NASCAR’s elite.

    “I’m trying to get as much experience as I can,” van Gisbergen said. “JR Motorsports is one of the top teams and won the championship with Justin Allgaier. I can’t wait to get started.”

    With JRM’s No. 9 Chevrolet entry serving as the organization’s “all-star” entry, both Chastain and van Gisbergen will compete alongside JRM’s full-time Xfinity competitors that include the reigning champion Justin Allgaier, junior driver Sammy Smith and rookies Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch in 2025.

    Additional details for the JRM’s No. 9 “all-star” entry for the 2025 Xfinity Series have not been determined.

    With their part-time Xfinity Series campaigns in 2025 set, Ross Chastain will make his first series start with JRM at Circuit of the Americas on March 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network while van Gisbergen will make his first start at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on June 14 at 4:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

  • Reaume Brothers Racing expands to fielding three full-time Truck entries in 2025

    Reaume Brothers Racing expands to fielding three full-time Truck entries in 2025

    Reaume Brothers Racing (RBR) will be fielding three full-time entries for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

    The news comes as RBR took to social media on Thursday, January 9, to reveal its acquisition of the No. 2 from Rev Racing. As a result, RBR’s newly formed No. 2 Ford F-150 entry will be fielded alongside the Nos. 22 and 33 entries for the entire Truck schedule this upcoming season. While the drivers of the Nos. 2 and 22 entries remain to be determined, the team confirmed in mid-October that Frankie Muniz, a former actor and ARCA Menards Series competitor from Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, will pilot the No. 33 Ford entry for his first full-time Truck campaign in 2025.

    The 2025 season will mark RBR’s eighth consecutive year participating in the Truck Series. This past season, Lawless Alan piloted the team’s No. 33 Ford entry on a full-time basis, where he recorded a fifth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in October before he finished 24th in the final driver’s standings. RBR also fielded the No. 22 Ford on a full-time basis, where the entry was piloted between nine competitors, and the No. 27 Ford on a part-time basis, the latter of which was driven between Muniz, Stephen Mallozzi and Keith McGee.

    Through a combined 250 starts, RBR entries have achieved a total of two top-five results, four top-10 results, three laps led and an average-finishing result of 26.5 as they strive to gain a competitive edge for the upcoming Truck season.

    Over the previous two Truck seasons, Rev Racing fielded the No. 2 as a full-time Chevrolet Silverado RST entry for Nick Sanchez, the 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion. After Sanchez captured the 2023 Rookie-of-the-Year title, he claimed his first two series victories at Daytona International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway this past season. Sanchez would also make the Playoffs during both seasons and notched a career-best fifth place in the final standings in 2024.

    Entering the 2025 season, Sanchez has graduated to the Xfinity Series and is set to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro entry for Big Machine Racing. Meanwhile, Rev Racing’s status of competing in the Truck Series for the 2025 season remains to be determined. The status of veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion, who was atop the No. 2 Rev Racing pit box in 2024, is also unknown.

    The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season for Reaume Brothers Racing is scheduled to commence at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, with the event’s broadcast time to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Dean Thompson joins Sam Hunt Racing for first full-time Xfinity campaign in 2025

    Dean Thompson joins Sam Hunt Racing for first full-time Xfinity campaign in 2025

    Dean Thompson will team up with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) and pilot the No. 26 Toyota Supra entry for a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign in 2025.

    The news comes as the 23-year-old Thompson from Anaheim, California, is coming off his third full-time campaign in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series division and his second at TRICON Garage, where he finished in 16th place in the 2024 driver’s standings on the strengths of six top-10 results, four laps led and an average-finishing result of 18.9.

    “I’m very excited to join the Sam Hunt Racing group and continue to pursue my dreams in NASCAR,” Thompson said. “The team made me feel at home after the two races we shared last year. Everything clicked with us, and we are both in a spot where we could fulfill each other’s needs to help our growth as a race team and driver. I’m lucky to have this opportunity to take the next step, which most can only dream of reaching, and I’m grateful to share it with such an awesome group of people.”

    Thompson, who grew up competing in quarter midgets and late models, claimed both the Irwindale Late Model Track Championship and the California State Title honors in 2020. the Californian also claimed the rookie-of-the-Year title in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series, and competed for High Point Racing in the ARCA Menards Series West division in 2021. From 2021 to 2024, Thompson would record his first career pole at Pocono Raceway in 2023, two career-best runner-up results, five top-five results and 11 top-10 results through 12 ARCA Menards Series career starts.

    In 2021, Thompson made his NASCAR Truck Series debut during the finale at Phoenix Raceway for Niece Motorsports, where he finished 21st. The following season, he campaigned with Niece on a full-time basis, where he recorded an average finishing result of 25.2 and finished in 23rd place in the final standings before he spent his next two seasons competing with TRICON Garage.

    During the 2024 season, Thompson made his Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Sam Hunt Racing in May, where he finished 34th. Five months later, he made his second series start at Talladega Superspeedway, where he notched a season-best 20th-place result.

    Thompson’s promotion to the Xfinity circuit makes him SHR’s second full-time competitor since Kaz Grala in 2023. Since debuting during the 2019 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, SHR has featured a total of 24 competitors, including both Thompson and Grala, campaigning in at least one event with the organization. Through a combined 179 Xfinity starts, SHR has notched 11 top-five results, 26 top-10 results and 26 laps led as the organization strives to gain more consistency and be competitive on the track for the 2025 season.

    “We’re all excited to bring Dean into the SHR family to develop in the Xfinity Series full-time in 2025,” Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing, said. “He is extremely tough, has a great personality, and works hard behind the scenes to make the most of his opportunities.

    Dean understands the challenges that await any rookie and is completely committed to becoming a well-rounded, mature race car driver who can put himself in a position to succeed every single week.

    “Our goals are aligned, and we are ready to get to work.”

    With his plans for the 2025 season set, Dean Thompson’s first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is scheduled to commence at Daytona International Speedway on February 15 at 5 p.m. ET on the CW Network.