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Author: Briar Starr

  • Josef Newgarden paces Friday’s lone practice session at St. Pete

    Josef Newgarden paces Friday’s lone practice session at St. Pete

    Just four days removed from his Lap 1 crash during the season opener at Barber Motorsports Park, Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 Team Penske machine went to the top of the charts in the first NTT IndyCar Series practice of the weekend. Newgarden put the No. 2 Team Penske Chevy first with a time of 1.00.8029 and 106.574 mph ahead of his Team Penske teammate Will Power.

    “We definitely have an opportunity,” Newgarden said about pacing practice. “We’re here. We have a good chance with this crew all the time. I always feel confident every race. Yeah, it was a decent start for us. I think we need to be better in some areas. I also conversely think we improved in some other areas where we were weak last year. We’ve made improvements. We need to make probably a little bit more to try to stay on top, but we definitely got a shot.”

    While Newgarden certainly started off the weekend on the right foot, he knows the race win isn’t a given as the Top 10 spots were separated by a second in one of the most competitive practice sessions IndyCar has seen in quite some time.

    “No apprehension was observed,” Newgarden added about the competitive practice. “I think they’ve been pretty quick to get on it. I didn’t see anybody taking it easy. Typically tight in INDYCAR. It was no different today. I think the track was really high grip, honestly, more so than what I was expecting. That’s probably what brought the times tighter. Normally when it grips up, we get really close as far as the entire pack. Yeah, it’s going to be tough. You got to be on it. Can’t make even the littlest mistake. That can set you back pretty far.”

    There were a few notables that occurred during the session. First, the start was delayed due to a timing/scoring issue which caused the clock to stop with 39 minutes remaining. Eventually, practice resumed and saw a couple of cars go off track, most notably the No. 14 of Sebastien Bourdais who went off track in the Turn 10 runoff area. Bourdais tried getting his A.J. Foyt Racing machine refired, but the car stalled out causing a red flag. He was given a five-minute time penalty for bringing out the red in the closing moments.

    Will Power, Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, Simon Pagenaud, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, and Graham Rahal rounded out the Top 10. Last week’s winner Alex Palou finished the session in 20th.

    The NTT IndyCar Series will be back in action Saturday morning with the final practice session scheduled at 9:45 a.m./ET and qualifying scheduled for 1:45 p.m. ET, all live on Peacock with a subscription.

    Practice One Results

    1. Josef Newgarden
    2. Will Power
    3. Colton Herta
    4. Alexander Rossi
    5. Simon Pagenaud
    6. Scott Dixon
    7. Felix Rosenqvist
    8. Scott McLaughlin
    9. Pato O’Ward
    10. Graham Rahal
    11. Marcus Ericsson
    12. Rinus VeeKay
    13. Ryan Hunter-Reay
    14. Sebastien Bourdais
    15. Jack Harvey
    16. Conor Daly
    17. James Hinchcliffe
    18. Takuma Sato
    19. Romain Grosjean
    20. Alex Palou
    21. Ed Jones
    22. Max Chilton
    23. Dalton Kellett
    24. Jimmie Johnson
  • Alex Palou scores first career IndyCar victory at Barber

    Alex Palou scores first career IndyCar victory at Barber

    In his first drive with Chip Ganassi Racing, Spaniard Alex Palou was able to fend off a hard-charging Will Power to win his first-ever IndyCar victory at Barber Motorsports Park Sunday afternoon.

    Palou completed the race using a two-stop strategy and had one of the best cars throughout the 90 lap event. He made his final pit stop on Lap 61 (29 to go) and came out ahead of Power by just 2.3 seconds. Through the remaining 10 laps, Power tried closing in with the push to pass and was getting close as lap traffic was holding up Palou. However, Palou closed the deal and scored his first checkered flag in his 15th IndyCar start.

    “I didn’t know what to say,” Palou said. “It was an amazing weekend. It was a really exciting race, really exciting qualifying. So yeah, I don’t know what to say to be honest. Like I’m super, super proud of the team. The team did an amazing job, as you could see on qualifying. We had three cars in the Fast Six, which it’s amazing. It was my first Fast Six, and today they just gave me the best car. I just had to do the obvious things right, as Chip likes to say, and we kept it simple. We went for a two-stop, we were able to manage our fuel mileage and our tires, so I’m just super, super happy.”

    While Palou and Power had their own battle just past halfway on lap 45, there was another battle for the lead that ensued during the early portions of the race. Pole sitter Pato O’Ward and second-place starter Alexander Rossi were class of the field in the early going. While O’Ward and Rossi were maintaining the top two spots, there was a caution on Lap 1. The No. 2 of Josef Newgarden got loose off Turn 4 and touched the grass slightly, which made his Chevy spin in front of the field. Multiple drivers were collected including the No. 7 of Felix Rosenqvist, the No. 26 of Colton Herta, the No. 59 of Max Chilton, the No. 28 of Ryan Hunter-Reay and the No. 21 of Rinus VeeKay.

    After the early pile-up, the race restarted on Lap 7 but was briefly brought under yellow again with new IndyCar comer and rookie, Jimmie Johnson, spinning in Turn 13. Johnson didn’t hit anything and was able to keep the No. 48 machine going. On Lap 18, the first round of green-flag pit stops occurred. Race leader O’Ward and second place Rossi pitted at the same time. O’Ward’s team was fast enough that the crew kept him out in front of Rossi. While O’Ward and Rossi made their pit stops, Palou swiped the lead on Lap 22 and battled with Power. Palou didn’t make his stop until Lap 31 while Power stayed out for a few laps and pitted on Lap 33.

    Strategy would be the story of the race as the race went on a long green-flag run toward the end of the finish. There was a close moment on Lap 45 between leader O’Ward and the No. 14 of Sebastien Bourdais. Bourdais almost made contact with O’Ward and barely sent O’Ward off the track in Turn 5. But, O’Ward was still able to hang on to the car without further incident.

    At the halfway mark on Lap 45, Palou regained the lead and held Power to an 8.4-second advantage. Before the final round of pit stops, Power erased the lead to 4.7715 seconds. Power stayed out one lap later than Palou before making his last stop on Lap 62. With the stops complete on Lap 68, Palou led by 2.3 seconds. With a win in sight, Palou had to keep pushing as second place Power had more push to pass in the 104 seconds left in the remaining laps. And as for Palou, the Chip Ganassi driver had to worry about traffic ruining his momentum.

    On the white flag lap, Power closed the gap to 1.1160 seconds. The Aussie kept using his push to pass, but not to his full advantage as Power was slightly worried about fuel. In the end, Palou won in his first start with Ganassi and gave Ganassi their 114th NTT IndyCar Series victory. Power had to settle for the 76th podium of his career by finishing 0.4016 seconds behind race-winner Palou.

    “Yeah, obviously went from a three stopper to a two stopper with all those yellows at the beginning, which I didn’t mind,” Power said about his runner-up finish. “I know we’re very good at getting fuel and lap time, but Alex pulled away extremely fast. I was surprised. I actually thought he was on a three stopper. But I think he had a very good middle stint saving fuel, and we came out close to him. I still had to save a bit of fuel at the end there, so in the last few laps I could use Push-to-Pass. Made a little mistake which made the gap not possible to close. Very happy with the day, though. Really, really just wanted a solid start to the season, and that’s what we got here so far.”

    There were two cautions for eight laps and 10 lead changes among five different leaders. Palou led three times for 56 laps en route to victory.

    Official Results following the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park:

    1. Alex Palou, led 56 laps
    2. Will Power, led four laps
    3. Scott Dixon
    4. Pato O’Ward, led 25 laps
    5. Sebastien Bourdais, led four laps
    6. Rinus VeeKay, led one lap
    7. Graham Rahal
    8. Marcus Ericsson
    9. Alexander Rossi
    10. Romain Grosjean
    11. Jack Harvey
    12. Simon Pagenaud
    13. Takuma Sato
    14. Scott McLaughlin
    15. Ed Jones
    16. Conor Daly
    17. James Hinchcliffe, 1 lap down
    18. Dalton Kellett, 1 lap down
    19. Jimmie Johnson, 3 laps down
    20. Max Chilton, 4 laps down
    21. Felix Rosenqvist, OUT, Contact
    22. Colton Herta, OUT, Contact
    23. Josef Newgarden, OUT, Contact
    24. Ryan Hunter-Reay, OUT, Contact
  • Pato O’Ward wins Barber Pole for Sunday’s IndyCar opener

    Pato O’Ward wins Barber Pole for Sunday’s IndyCar opener

    On the eve of the 2021 IndyCar season opener, the NTT IndyCar Series returned to Barber Motorsports Park for the first time since 2019. Last year, IndyCar was scheduled to compete at its annual event, but the race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Patricio O’Ward started his season off right in the Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. The Monterrey, Mexico native was a part of the Firestone Fast Six after advancing and qualified on the pole after setting a time of 1:05.8479 late Saturday afternoon to earn the second pole of his IndyCar career. The pole gave Arrow McLaren SP its ninth during their IndyCar tenure.

    “It was a good day. Practice one and two were really messy. Got really dicey there with the traffic and people being on different laps into the sequence. We didn’t quite get an idea of what real pace we had. But I knew exactly what I needed to go faster. My engineer put his magic to work.

    “We had a really, really quick car in reds. We maintained our very good pace in blacks that we had in practice two. It was good, man. It feels really good to be on pole for the first qualifying session of the NTT INDYCAR Series 2021. These Arrow McLaren SP people have been working really hard. They deserve this. We’ve got a job to finish off.”

    Despite a miserable 2020 season with only five podiums, Alexander Rossi looks to rebound and start 2021 on the right foot. So far, the Andretti Autosport driver has done so by qualifying second.

    “It was great to be back in competition settings here in Barber,” Rossi said. “This track is pretty wild now that they did the repave, a lot of grip. Yeah, it started out pretty strong this morning. We were happy with the starting balance of the car. Then practice two was messy, just a lot of red flags. We were able to get a lap in.

    “Yeah, I mean, it’s tough to come up short, as short as we did in qualifying, because you can think about a couple of areas through the lap where you made mistakes, maybe could have made a difference. Ultimately it’s much better than we’ve ever had around Barber. I think our best starting spot in years past was eight. A big step up. We have a good shot at it tomorrow.”

    Rossi’s previous best qualifying effort at Barber was eighth twice, in 2019 and 2018.

    There were a few incidents that brought out the red flag during qualifying. In group two, James Hinchcliffe locked up his tires and hit the inside wall hard in Turn 5 with seven minutes remaining. After a brief red flag, cars rejoined the track, but another red flag eventually slowed the session as Felix Rosenqvist’s car went off track in Turn 17 in the final minutes of group two. While Rosenqvist was originally sixth, his fastest lap time in the session was deleted due to bringing out the red flag.

    In the Firestone Fast Six, the finishing results were O’Ward, Rossi, Palou, Power, Dixon, and Ericsson.

    An IndyCar warm-up session is scheduled for Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. CT live on Peacock with a subscription. The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama green flag is slated for 2:42 p.m. local time, live on NBC and IndyCar radio.

    Official Starting Line Up for the 2021 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama:

    1. Pato O’Ward
    2. Alexander Rossi
    3. Alex Palou
    4. Will Power
    5. Scott Dixon
    6. Marcus Ericsson
    7. Romain Grosjean
    8. Josef Newgarden
    9. Colton Herta
    10. Conor Daly
    11. Jack Harvey
    12. Scott McLaughlin
    13. Ed Jones
    14. Rinus VeeKay
    15. Simon Pagenaud
    16. Sebastien Bourdais
    17. Ryan Hunter-Reay
    18. Graham Rahal
    19. Takuma Sato
    20. Max Chilton
    21. Jimmie Johnson
    22. Felix Rosenqvist
    23. Dalton Kellett
    24. James Hinchcliffe

  • John Hunter Nemechek claims second win of 2021 at Richmond

    John Hunter Nemechek claims second win of 2021 at Richmond

    John Hunter Nemechek continued his 2021 season success Saturday afternoon at Richmond Raceway after taking the lead with 17 to go from his teammate Chandler Smith. Nemechek led the final 17 laps en route to his eighth career Truck Series victory.

    “It’s a never-give-up attitude,” Nemechek said after the race. “I just can’t thank Kyle, everyone at Toyota and all our great partners. It’s pretty cool to be able to come out and here do what we did. We had a really fast truck and I’m super proud of all my guys and thankful for them.”

    Stages 70-70-110 made up the 250-lap race from Richmond Raceway. Ben Rhodes was on the pole via the qualifying metric system.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 70

    Rhodes led through the first three laps of the stage before Grant Enfinger took the lead on Lap 4. Enfinger maintained the lead throughout the rest of the 66 laps and was only somewhat challenged as the Alabaman went on to take his first stage win of the season. Nemechek, Kyle Busch, Rhodes, Austin Hill, Carson Hocevar, Raphael Lessard, Todd Gilliland, Derek Kraus, and Stewart Friesen were the Top 10. During the stage break, Friesen was penalized for too fast on pit road as Spencer Boyd and Tyler Ankrum were both penalized for an uncontrolled tire.

    Stage 2: Lap 79 – Lap 140

    Just two cautions slowed the pace during the second stage. The first occurred on Lap 84 when the No. 12 of Tate Fogleman crashed in Turn(s) 3 and 4 after making contact with the No. 1 of Hailie Deegan and the second on lap 100, when the No. 10 of Jennifer Jo Cobb crashed off Turn 4.

    Nemechek showed early prominence in the second stage and took the stage victory. Stage 1 winner Enfinger followed closely behind in second, Rhodes was third as Austin Hill fourth, Busch fifth, Zane Smith, Lessard, Gilliland, Kraus, and Chandler Smith rounded out the Top 10. Unfortunately for Hill, he was penalized for speeding on pit road during the stage break and had to restart at the back for the final stage.

    Stage 3: Lap 150 – Lap 250

    Numerous cautions plagued the final stage which made the race run a little long. In fact, there were seven cautions during the final 100 laps. The final yellow of the race came out with 37 to go when the No. 02 of Kris Wright wrecked on the backstretch. Friesen, Lessard, Gray, and Deegan were involved as well.

    The yellow set up a restart with 29 to go with Chandler Smith looking for his first career win. The Talking Rock, Georgia native had a battle of his own as his team owner, Busch, was closing in, as was Nemechek. Smith held the lead momentarily before being passed by eventual race winner Nemechek with 17 to go.

    Nemechek made the pass on Smith to bring home his first Richmond win of the year with Busch, Ankrum, Smith and Johnny Sauter rounding out the top five.

    There were nine lead changes among six different drivers and 11 cautions for 79 laps. Race winner Nemechek led three times for 114 laps to claim the victory and gained six playoff points to his credit.

    Official Results following the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway:

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, won Stage 2, led 114 laps
    2. Kyle Busch, led 26 laps
    3. Tyler Ankrum
    4. Chandler Smith, led 24 laps
    5. Johnny Sauter
    6. Todd Gilliland
    7. Ben Rhodes, led four laps
    8. Grant Enfinger, won Stage 1, led 71 laps
    9. Sam Mayer
    10. Austin Hill
    11. Sheldon Creed
    12. Carson Hocevar
    13. Stewart Friesen
    14. Zane Smith
    15. Derek Kraus
    16. Spencer Davis
    17. Hailie Deegan
    18. Matt Crafton, led 11 laps
    19. Austin Wayne Self
    20. Danny Bohn
    21. Timmy Hill
    22. Timothy Peters
    23. Raphael Lessard, 1 lap down
    24. Tanner Gray, 1 lap down
    25. Dawson Cram, 2 laps down
    26. Jett Noland, 3 laps down
    27. Spencer Boyd, 3 laps down
    28. Chase Purdy, 5 laps down
    29. Ryan Reed, 5 laps down
    30. Keith McGee, 6 laps down
    31. Cory Roper, 7 laps down
    32. Norm Benning, 10 laps down
    33. Josh Reaume, 10 laps down
    34. Howie DiSavino III, 29 laps down
    35. Kris Wright, OUT, Accident
    36. Codie Rohrabugh, OUT, Accident
    37. Brett Moffitt, OUT, Handling
    38. Jennifer Jo Cobb, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    39. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Accident
    40. Ryan Truex, OUT, Rear Gear

    Up Next: The Camping World Truck Series will head to Kansas Speedway on Saturday, May 1, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Kyle Busch dominates Atlanta Truck Series race for 60th win

    Kyle Busch dominates Atlanta Truck Series race for 60th win

    Kyle Busch took home his 60th career Truck Series victory on Saturday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch started second and led the majority of the race by leading 102 of the 130 laps before grabbing the checkered flag.

    “It’s just a great opportunity to race in great stuff with KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), Cessna Beechcraft. This Toyota Tundra was awesome. I can’t say enough about my guys, everybody at Kyle Busch Motorsports,” Busch said.

    Stage 1:

    When the race started, it was all Kyle Busch Motorsports up front with John Hunter Nemechek and Busch swapping the lead multiple times. Early on, two-time champion Matt Crafton led the first three laps before Busch took the lead. Busch led through the competition caution on Lap 15 and continued to lead until the last lap of Stage 1. Nemechek then passed Busch off Turn 4 and would grab the stage victory. Busch, Austin Hill, Stewart Friesen, Ross Chastain, Derek Kraus, Crafton, Zane Smith, Sheldon Creed, and Johnny Sauter completed the Top 10.

    Stage 2:

    Stage 2 was a carbon copy of Stage 1 with Nemechek once again winning the stage. During the stage break, there were four drivers that were penalized. Derek Kraus was penalized for a crew member over the wall too soon, Friesen was penalized for an uncontrolled tire and Tyler Ankrum and Austin Wayne Self were penalized for being too fast on pit road.

    Stage 3:

    As the final stage started to wind down, pit road began to heat up with the final round of green-flag pit stops that occurred with 33 laps to go. Race leader Busch didn’t make his pit stop until three laps later with 30 laps to go. Around 23 to go when the pit stops were complete, Busch cycled back to the top of the leaderboard and maintained the lead for the remainder of the race to win his sixth Truck Series Atlanta win.

    “It’s great to get back to Victory Lane. It’s cool to get back to Victory Lane in Billy Ballew’s (former NCWTS team owner) backyard here in Atlanta. We carried the Billy Ballew Motorsports decal today. If you need a deal on a sweet used car, go see him in Dawsonville. All of the Chase Elliott fans want to go there, but tell them that I sent ya,” Busch said.

    John Hunter Nemechek won both stages and ended up finishing third for his third top-five of the 2021 season.

    “Solid performance by our No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports team,” Nemechek said. “Overall, I feel good in our performance, just disappointed to come home third. Kyle (Busch, Team Owner) was really fast today. We had our ups and downs there toward the end, but kind of ran in the top three all day was a solid performance. Overall, won both stages and solid points day for us, continuing to move forward to Bristol Dirt next week.”

    There were three cautions for 16 laps and eight lead changes among four different leaders.

    Official Results following the FR8 Auctions 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
    1. Kyle Busch, led 102 laps
    2. Austin Hill
    3. John Hunter Nemechek, won both stages, led 21 laps
    4. Johnny Sauter
    5. Sheldon Creed
    6. Zane Smith
    7. Ross Chastain
    8. Matt Crafton
    9. Brett Moffitt
    10. Stewart Friesen
    11. Grant Enfinger
    12. Carson Hocevar
    13. Derek Kraus, 1 lap down
    14. Parker Kligerman, 1 lap down
    15. Ryan Truex, 1 lap down
    16. Ben Rhodes, 1 lap down
    17. Todd Gilliland, 1 lap down
    18. Tyler Ankrum, 1 lap down
    19. Tanner Gray, 1 lap down
    20. Spencer Davis, 1 lap down
    21. Hailie Deegan, 1 lap down
    22. Josh Berry, 1 lap down
    23. Austin Wayne Self, 2 laps down
    24. Chase Purdy, 2 laps down
    25. Jordan Anderson, 2 laps down
    26. Tate Fogleman, 2 laps down
    27. Cory Roper, 3 laps down
    28. Danny Bohn, 3 laps down
    29. Codie Rohrbaugh, 4 laps down
    30. Timothy Peters, 4 laps down
    31. Dawson Cram, 4 laps down
    32. Bret Holmes, 4 laps down
    33. Spencer Boyd, 5 laps down
    34. Ryan Ellis, 6 laps down
    35. Chandler Smith, 6 laps down
    36. Bill Lester, 7 laps down
    37. Akinori Ogata, 7 laps down
    38. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 13 laps down
    39. Raphael Lessard, OUT, Transmission
    40. Norm Benning, OUT, Too Slow

    Up Next: The Camping World Truck Series will visit Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night, March 27, for the first-ever Bristol Dirt Race.

  • Todd, Hart, Anderson, and Smith victorious at the GatorNationals

    Todd, Hart, Anderson, and Smith victorious at the GatorNationals

    Sunday afternoon marked the first time this season that the NHRA Camping World Drag Series opened up at the GatorNationals. 2021 was the 52nd time in GatorNationals history that NHRA competed on the historic drag strip and what an interesting Sunday it was.

    Three champions from last year Erica Enders in Pro Stock, Don Schumacher’s Matt Hagan in Funny Car, and Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence were both eliminated early on in the rounds which created a unique twist as the rounds wore on.

    Funny Car

    Ron Capps who took home the No. 1 qualifier spot following the Saturday qualifying sessions was looking to keep his win streak alive after winning the GatorNationals last year over Tim Wilkerson. Capps faced No. 16 Jim Campbell and won by going 3.923 seconds and 323.74 mph to advance to the quarter final round.

    Things were looking up for Capps, but his chances for a repeat quickly diminished in the second round. Capps was defeated by Bob Tasca and ended the 14 race winning streak for Don Schumacher Racing that started last year.

    With Tasca advancing over Capps, Tasca would wind up facing returning John Force Racing driver Robert Hight in the semi-final. Meanwhile, JR Todd advanced to the semi-final by gaining victories over Bobby Bode in Round 1 and Team Owner John Force in Round 2.

    In the semi-final, JR Todd defeated Cruz Pedregon and Hight won against Tasca to advance to the finals meaning Todd and Hight would face each other for the Wally.

    As the two cars got to the staging lanes for the final round, both Todd and Hight had a small pedal fest with both drivers smoking the tires. Hight was unable to hang on and JR Todd went onto win for the 19th time of his NHRA Funny Car career. The Gainesville victory was Todd’s first of his career.

    “It’s amazing to be among the legends who have won this race,” Todd said. “This is Don Garlits country down here in Gainesville. First off, I have to thank the legend Connie Kalitta for the opportunity to earn one of these trophies. Today was tough. No offense to all the other drivers out there, but in my opinion, Robert Hight is the best driver out here. That team sets the benchmark for the rest of us. Our DHL Toyota Camry went out there and blew the tires off and I thought, ‘Oh man, here we go.’ I just kind of rolled into the throttle, he never came by us and here we are holding another (Wally).”

    By finishing second, Hight earned his 30th career runner-up finish.

    Funny Car Results

    1. J.R. Todd
    2. Robert Hight
    3. Bob Tasca III
    4. Cruz Pedregon
    5. Tim Wilkerson
    6. Alexis DeJoria
    7. Ron Capps
    8. John Force
    9. Matt Hagan
    10. Paul Lee
    11. Bobby Bode
    12. Blake Alexander
    13. Dave Richards
    14. Chad Green
    15. John Smith
    16. Jim Campbell

    Top Fuel

    For Top Fuel, the 2020 and three-time champion Steve Torrence started out his weekend right by gaining the No. 1 qualifier spot and winning in round one over Joe Morrison. Torrence advanced to round two after 3.714 seconds and 328.06 mph and Morrison’s car could not get going.

    With Torrence continuing his Top Fuel dominance, Top Fuel newcomer Josh Hart was the biggest story out of the weekend. Hart qualified eighth and was squared up against No. 9 Clay Millican for round one. Hart got his first round victory with an ET of 4.529 seconds and 169.57 mph. In round two, Hart continued to advance after upsetting Steve Torrence when Torrence went up in smoke on the left lane. Hart would be paired with 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Ashley for his first semi-final apperance.

    During the warm-up, Ashley’s car had a mechanical malfunction which saw his Strutmasters car not leave the staging lane. When the Christmas tree lights went green, Ashley’s car sat idle and Hart once again powered to a 3.811 and 325.14 mph to the final round where he faced veteran Shawn Langdon. Langdon advanced to the finals by winning over a tire hazing Antron Brown.

    Hart ended up winning over the Team Kalitta entry of Langdon for his first ever Top Fuel victory in his first professional start. Hart’s ET was 3.826 and had an mph of 323.66 over Langdon’s 4.244 and 219.08 mph.

    “Never in a million years would I have thought this was going to happen,” Hart said. “I’ve wanted to do this for a really long time and to do it in Top Fuel is just amazing. (Crew chief) Ron Douglas gave me an amazing car and the guys have worked their butts off. It’s just amazing. That thing was a monster going down the track.”

    Top Fuel Results

    1. Josh Hart
    2. Shawn Langdon
    3. Antron Brown
    4. Justin Ashley
    5. Leah Pruett
    6. Billy Torrence
    7. Steve Torrence
    8. Doug Kalitta
    9. Brittany Force
    10. Mike Salinas
    11. Scott Palmer
    12. Doug Foley
    13. Clay Millican
    14. Arthur Allen
    15. Mike Bucher
    16. Joe Morrison

    Pro Stock

    On his 60th birthday, Greg Anderson picked up his fifth Gainesville win and the 95th victory of his career. The victory is his first since 2016. Anderson qualified his Summit Materials Camaro on the pole and was up against No. 16 Cristian Cuadra in round one. Anderson piloted to the second round after Anderson set an ET of 6.550 and 211.13 mph. In the second and third round, Anderson won over Alex Laughlin and Deric Kramer to advance to the final.

    Meanwhile, Troy Coughlin Jr in the JEGS machine scored victories against Aaron Stanfield, Fernando Cuadra Jr, and Mason McGaha to set up a final round match up between him and Anderson. The final round would mark the 119th time in Anderson’s career that he would face someone named Coughlin.

    However, the victory would go to Anderson who won by going 6.602 seconds and 209.33 mph.

    “It’s been a long time since I’ve held one of those trophies, and I’ve said it a million times in my career, you always wonder if you’ll be able to do it again,” Anderson said. “I guess you’re not human if you don’t have doubts, and it’s a shame to have those thoughts, but I think it’s good in a way because it drives you to work harder every day. You just want to have that feeling again so bad. To finally get back to the winner’s circle a year and a half later, and to do it on my birthday, well that makes this a win that I’ll never forget.”

    Four-time champion Erica Enders failed to make it out of the first round, as she was defeated by Fernando Cuadra Jr.

    Pro Stock Results

    1. Greg Anderson
    2. Troy Coughlin Jr
    3. Deric Kramer
    4. Mason McGaha
    5. Kyle Koretsky
    6. Alex Laughlin
    7. Matt Hartford
    8. Fernando Cuadra Jr
    9. Kenny Delco
    10. Erica Enders
    11. Dallas Glenn
    12. Val Smeland
    13. Chris McGaha
    14. Bob Benza
    15. Aaron Stanfield
    16. Cristian Cuadra

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    Pro Stock Motorcycle division also saw some unique twist this weekend. On Saturday afternoon during qualifying, four drivers Angie and Matt Smith, Angelle Sampey, and Hector Arana Jr all went over 200 mph.

    The defending champion Matt Smith qualified second, while Sampey earned the No. 1 qualifier. Both drivers advanced to the second round with Sampey gaining a victory over Michael Phillips and Smith winning over James Underdahl. With the top two drivers in qualifying advancing to the next round, the running order wouldn’t stay that way for long. Sampey was bumped out by Scotty Pollacheck over a hole shot. Pollacheck’s reaction time was .002 while Sampey’s was .015. Smith moved on to the semi-final after defeating Hector Arana Jr.

    Eventually, the final round match up would be set with Matt Smith going up against Ryan Oehler. Smith won for the 27th time of his career after hitting 200.65 mph and 6.785 seconds.

    “I just have to go up there and race my lane,” said Smith, a four-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion. “This bike was on mean this weekend. We weren’t able to quite get the E.T. we needed, but this bike was running the speed.”

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Results

    1. Matt Smith
    2. Ryan Oehler
    3. Steve Johnson
    4. Scotty Pollacheck
    5. Hector Arana Jr
    6. Angelle Sampey
    7. Karen Stoffer
    8. Chris Bostick
    9. Joey Gladstone
    10. Angie Smith
    11. Cory Reed
    12. Michael Phillips
    13. Kelly Clontz
    14. Jim Underdahl
    15. John Hall
    16. Jerry Savoie

    Funny Car Championship Points

    1. J.R. Todd, 114
    2. Robert Hight, -19
    3. Cruz Pedregon, -41
    4. Bob Tasca III, -42
    5. Ron Capps, -50
    6. Alexis Dejoria, -54
    7. Tim Wilkerson, -57
    8. John Force, -58
    9. Matt Hagan, -80
    10. Chad Green, -82
    11. Paul Lee, -82
    12. Blake Alexander, -82

    Top Fuel Championship Points

    1. Josh Hart, 113
    2. Shawn Langdon, -19
    3. Justin Ashley, -41
    4. Antron Brown, -41
    5. Steve Torrence, -49
    6. Billy Torrence, -51
    7. Leah Pruett, -56
    8. Doug Kalitta, -59
    9. Brittany Force, -78
    10. Mike Salinas, -79

    Pro Stock Championship Standings

    1. Greg Anderson, 123
    2. Troy Coughlin Jr, -30
    3. Deric Kramer, -46
    4. Mason McGaha, -51
    5. Matt Hartford, -64
    6. Kyle Koretsky, -67
    7. Alex Laughlin, -71
    8. Fernando Cuadra Jr, -72
    9. Erica Enders, -79
    10. Kenny Delco, -89

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship Standings

    1. Matt Smith, 119
    2. Ryan Oehler, -23
    3. Steve Johnson, -45
    4. Scotty Pollacheck, -46
    5. Angelle Sampey, -52
    6. Karen Stoffer, -64
    7. Hector Arana Jr, -65
    8. Chris Bostick, -68
    9. Joey Gladstone, -79
    10. Kelly Clontz, John Hall, Corey Reed, and Angie Smith tied for 10th.

    Up Next: The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will take a brief hiatus before heading to their second race of the season, scheduled for April 9-11 for the Lucas Oil Winternationals in Pomona, California.

  • Capps, Torrence, Anderson, Sampey earn No. 1 qualifiers for GatorNationals

    Capps, Torrence, Anderson, Sampey earn No. 1 qualifiers for GatorNationals

    On the eve of the 2021 NHRA season, the final two rounds of qualifying were held Saturday afternoon at the GatorNationals located in Gainesville, Florida.

    Funny Car

    After putting up a quick time Friday night of 3.895 seconds and 329.02 mph, NAPA Auto Parts driver Ron Capps was looking to keep his No. 1 spot for the two Saturday qualifying sessions. The time Capps set Friday night was against his Don Schumacher Racing teammate and 2020 Funny Car Champion Matt Hagan. On Saturday afternoon in the second round of qualifying, the San Luis Obispo, California native faced Tim Wilkerson and put up a time of 3.948 and 320.66 mph over Wilkerson’s 5.052 seconds and 150.28 mph.

    The run was still fast enough for Capps to hold the No. 1 qualifying spot through Round No. 3. In Round 3, Capps was up against Wilkerson again. As the Christmas tree lights went out, Capps ended up going 4.082 seconds and 163.65 mph. Despite the tire smoke coming to the line, the Don Schumacher Racing driver earned his 26th career No. 1 qualifier spot. Oddly enough, Capps is the defending race winner where he faced Wilkerson in the final round last year.

    “I’m just a small link and I just didn’t want to mess up,” said Capps, who has three wins at the historic facility. “I’ve got my first Camping World hat (for a No. 1 qualifier) and it’s great. It’s been fun and we’re excited, but tomorrow is race day. We’ve got a great crowd here, and I’m feeling good and I don’t want the dream to end, so hopefully, we can finish the job on Sunday.”

    While Capps stole the show in qualifying, all eyes were on John Force who, after Friday’s qualifying session, was 13th in the running order. In the first two attempts, Force was not locked in at all, meaning the 16-time Funny Car Champion had to make the third and final round count the most and he did. Force rocketed to 3.934 and 323.66 mph to lock into the show. Force will be making his first start since Arizona of last year. The Yorba Linda, California native has a total of eight career victories at the GatorNationals with his last win coming four years ago in 2017.

    Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations Ladder:

    No. 1 Ron Capps vs No. 16 Jim Campbell, No. 8 Matt Hagan vs No. 9 Bob Tasca III, No. 4 Robert Hight vs No 13 Bobby Bode, No. 5 John Force vs No. 12 Paul Lee, No. 2 Alexis Dejoria vs No. 15 John Smith, No. 7 Cruz Pedregon vs No. 10 Chad Green, No. 3 Tim Wilkerson vs No. 14 Dave Richards and No. 6 J.R. Todd vs No. 11 Blake Alexander.

    Top Fuel

    To no surprise to anyone, Steve Torrence was the quickest out of the Top Fuel category. The three-time Top Fuel champion put up a time of 3.699 to earn his 28th career No. 1 qualifier. His teammate and father Billy Torrence was the closest competitor as Billy ended up with a time of 3.735. Steve Torrence will be looking for a repeat, as the Texas native won this race last year after defeating Tony Schumacher, Doug Foley, Leah Pruett and his father Billy Torrence. He will face No. 16 qualifier Joe Morrison in the first round.

    “We need to maintain our focus and concentration on going laps and going rounds because there’s a lot of people targeting us,” said Torrence, a 40-time event winner. “We’re going to have to step up. Brittany (Force) is back, some other people are back and it’s going to be a competitive field, just as it always is. Getting in these things, you get jacked up and that run (Friday) was stout. We made a good run this afternoon and we’re excited to stay on top. The yellow (No. 1 qualifier) hats are nice, but we’re trying to get some of those winner’s hats, so we’ll see what we can do.”

    Krista Baldwin, who is a third-generation racer, and is the daughter of Top Fuel racer Bobby Baldwin and the granddaughter of NHRA racer Chris Karamesines, attempted to make her debut. On Friday afternoon, Baldwin had a time of 5.343 seconds and 125.74 mph meaning she had to make Saturday count if Baldwin wanted to race on Sunday. In the second round, she was a bit better at 181.81 and 4.503 seconds.

    Baldwin would need help in the final round, but unfortunately, she failed to qualify after veteran Doug Foley posted a time of 3.849 and 322.11 mph. Baldwin will have to wait another day to make her Top Fuel debut.

    Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations Ladder:

    No. 1 Steve Torrence vs No. 16 Joe Morrison, No. 8 Josh Hart vs No. 9 Clay Millican, No. 4 Doug Kalitta vs No. 13 Arthur Allen, No. 5 Brittany Force vs No. 12 Justin Ashley, No. 2 Billy Torrence vs No. 15 of Scott Palmer, No. 7 Mike Salinas vs No. 10 Antron Brown, No. 3 Leah Pruett vs No. 14 Mike Bucher and No. 6 Shawn Langdon vs No. 11 Doug Foley.

    Pro Stock

    Veteran Pro Stock racer and four-time Gainesville winner Greg Anderson was the quickest after three rounds of qualifying Friday and Saturday but earning the top spot wasn’t easy. Anderson faced 2020 Pro Stock Champion Erica Enders in the final round late Saturday afternoon. Both Anderson and Enders put on quite an epic battle but in the end, Anderson’s speed of 211.36 mph gave him his 107th No. 1 qualifier over his 23-year career.

    “It feels great,” Anderson said. “It’s been a long five months with no racing and that drives us crazy. This is what it’s all about, racing at the Gatornationals, and so far my car has just been flawless. We got the spot we wanted and we’re going to come out tomorrow – on my birthday – and see if we can get a blue (winner’s) Camping World hat.”

    Pro Stock Ladder for Sunday eliminations – Numbers represent where the driver qualified.:

    No. 1 Greg Anderson vs No. 16 Cristian Cuadra, No. 8 Chris McGaha vs No. 9 Alex Laughlin, No. 4 Deric Kramer vs No. 13 Val Smeland and No. 5 Kyle Koretsy vs No. 12 Dallas Glenn.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    The Pro Stock Motorcycle class quite possibly had the most interesting story out of qualifying Saturday. Four drivers, Angie Smith, Angelle Sampey, Hector Arana Jr. and Matt Smith all reached 200 mph for the first time ever at Gainesville. Angie Smith was the first to do so when she reached 200.47 mph and 6.880 seconds while facing Lance Bonham in the second round.

    However, at the end of the final qualifying session, the No. 1 qualifier went to the Matthews, Louisiana native, Angelle Sampey. Sampey put the Vance and Hines Mission Foods Suzuki Motorcycle on the pole with an ET of 6.742 and 200.00 mph. The No. 1 qualifier is Sampey’s 52nd of her career. This is Sampey’s second Gainesville No. 1 qualifier as her first came in 2007.

    “This is amazing. I posted a video of my team celebrating on the starting line because I don’t get to see them celebrate very often,” said Sampey. “I’m so proud to have Mission Foods on board this year. This feels like mission accomplished already, but I feel like I have so much more ahead of me. I’m just the lucky rider of this Suzuki. I’m still learning this motorcycle. It’s been a struggle but I’m still going.”

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Ladder for Round 1:

    No. 1 Angelle Sampey vs No. 16 Michael Phillips, No. 8 Scotty Pollacheck vs No. 9 Corey Reed, No. 4 Ryan Oehler vs No. 13 Jerry Savoie, No. 5 Karen Stoffer vs No. 12 Kelly Clontz, No. 2 Matt Smith vs No. 15 James Underdahl and No 7 Hector Arana Jr. vs No. 10 Angie Smith.

    Eliminations begin at 10 a.m. ET and can be seen on NHRA.TV with a subscription before switching over to FOX later in the morning.

  • John Hunter Nemechek dominates Las Vegas en route to victory

    John Hunter Nemechek dominates Las Vegas en route to victory

    Despite a final stage littered with six cautions, John Hunter Nemechek held off team owner and teammate Kyle Busch, to score his first victory under the Kyle Busch Motorsports banner.

    Nemechek started third and led 94 laps of the scheduled 134 to score the seventh Truck Series victory of his career at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    “Coming back to the Truck Series, that was the plan, that was the goal. We came into the year with the hashtag ‘here for wins’ and we are here for wins,” said Nemechek. “I definitely think experience paid off tonight.”

    Stages 30/30/74 made up the 134-lap race distance. Only one truck went to the rear, the No. 02 of Kris Wright, due to unapproved adjustments.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 30

    The first yellow of the night didn’t take long to fly. In fact, the yellow came out on Lap 1 for the No. 04 of Cory Roper, who spun in Turns 3 and 4 to slow the field.

    From there, the rest of the stage was caution-free, but there would be some noticeable incidents. On Lap 9, the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar came to pit road as Hocevar suffered a flat tire. Thirteen laps later, the No. 19 of Derek Kraus was on pit road after losing power.

    Despite these incidents, Nemechek dominated the first stage and took the stage victory. Sheldon Creed, Matt Crafton, Kyle Busch, Stewart Friesen, Christian Eckes, David Gilliland, Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith and Grant Enfinger completed the Top 10.

    Stage 2: Lap 36 – Lap 60

    Shortly after the restart for Stage 2, Busch reported that he had no oil pressure in his No. 51 Toyota Tundra. However, the Las Vegas native kept plugging along and passing trucks for position. Meanwhile, Zane Smith in the No. 21 was on pit road for a flat tire and then penalized for too fast on pit road.

    At Lap 48, Busch took the lead away from Nemechek and went on to win the second stage. Nemechek, Friesen, Crafton, Rhodes, Hill, Enfinger, Gilliland, Eckes and Akrum were the Top 10.

    Stage 3: Lap 67 – Lap 134

    As the green flag flew for Stage 3, there were multiple cautions that filled the stage. A couple of them were for hard hits. The first was on Lap 70 when the No. 44 of Conor Daly hit the Turn 1 wall, ending his night early. Thankfully, the IndyCar veteran would walk out of the Niece Motorsports entry unscathed. The second caution was brought out when a big crash erupted on Lap 98 as the No. 24 of Raphael Lessard was cleared too early going into Turn 1 and was spun by the No. 17 of David Gilliland. Due to the incident, Lessard and Gilliland collided, collecting several trucks including Hailie Deegan, Ryan Truex and Bret Holmes.

    The final caution of the night came out with 10 laps to go. The No. 26 of Tyler Ankrum and the No. 75 of Parker Kligerman wrecked each other on the backstretch causing another late-race restart with six laps to go.

    On the restart, Busch gave Nemechek a big push going into Turn 1 which allowed the Mooresville, North Carolina native to pull out front. After the push, Nemechek checked out and won by .686 seconds over Busch for his first NASCAR victory in two years.

    With Nemechek scoring the victory, Joe Nemechek and John Hunter became the first NASCAR family to score a NASCAR career win at the same track. Joe won the Busch Grand National Series (now the Xfinity Series) race back in 2003.

    There were nine cautions for 48 laps and nine lead changes among five different drivers.

    Official Results following the Bucked Up 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    1. John Hunter Nemechek, won Stage 1, led 94 laps
    2. Kyle Busch, won Stage 2, led 16 laps
    3. Austin Hill
    4. Stewart Friesen, led four laps
    5. Matt Crafton
    6. Zane Smith
    7. Grant Enfinger
    8. Parker Kligerman
    9. Christian Eckes
    10. Ben Rhodes
    11. Brett Moffitt, led 13 laps
    12. Todd Gilliland
    13. Austin Wayne Self
    14. Johnny Sauter
    15. Danny Bohn
    16. Sheldon Creed
    17. Chandler Smith
    18. Tate Fogleman
    19. Dawson Cram
    20. Spencer Boyd
    21. Chase Purdy
    22. Carson Hocevar, 1 lap down
    23. Kris Wright, 2 laps down
    24. B.J. McLeod, 2 laps down
    25. Jordan Anderson, 2 laps down
    26. Hailie Deegan, 4 laps down
    27. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 4 laps down
    28. Raphael Lessard, 4 laps down
    29. Jesse Iwuji, 5 laps down
    30. Derek Kraus, 8 laps down
    31. Norm Benning, 11 laps down
    32. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Crash
    33. Tyler Hill, OUT, Crash
    34. Cory Roper, OUT, Crash
    35. Bret Holmes, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    36. Ryan Truex, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    37. David Gilliland, OUT, Crash
    38. Conor Daly, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will visit Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 20 and is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET, live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Sammy Smith dominates Pensacola 200 en route to first ARCA victory

    Sammy Smith dominates Pensacola 200 en route to first ARCA victory

    After qualifying on the pole, Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Sammy Smith, in his second season with the team, scored his first ARCA Menards East Series victory at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Smith battled with Taylor Gray and then dominated the final segment by leading most of the laps.

    “I can’t thank the team enough, they did a really good job,” Smith told NBC Sports. “The first part of the race, we weren’t very good. We fought back and made some good adjustments. Can’t thank Mark McFarland (Crew Chief) and the whole Engine ice team enough for a great Toyota Camry.”

    The ARCA Menards East Series headed to Pensacola, Florida for the second race of the 2021 season. A total of 13 cars took the green flag, including Smith who qualified on the pole with a time of 17.49 seconds and 102.898 mph. There were two segment breaks, one at Lap 75 and another at Lap 150.

    Segment 1: Lap 1 – Lap 75

    There was plenty of action in the first segment, mainly between Taylor Gray and Smith. Smith and Gray swapped the lead multiple times before Smith had the advantage. The first caution of the race was on Lap 55 when the No. 12 of Stephanie Moyer, who was making her ARCA debut for Andy Hillenburg, was stalled in Turn(s) 3 and 4.

    The restart came on Lap 69, just six laps shy of the first halfway break. Gray, the Denver, North Carolina native, passed Smith for the lead and would remain the leader at the first segment break. Daniel Dye, Sammy Smith, Rajah Caruth, Mason Diaz, Parker Retzlaff, Joey Iest, Carson Kvapil, Max Gutierrez and Stephanie Moyer rounded out the Top 10.

    Second Segment: Lap 78 – Lap 150

    As the second segment got underway, there was a new leader in town as Daniel Dye, in the No. 43, took over the lead from Gray. Dye led for a brief while, but the lead ultimately went back to Gray. Shortly before halfway, Smith started to reel in race leader Gray and eventually passed Gray for the lead once again. Despite the back and forth between the two, Gray fought off Smith to be the leader once more at the second segment break. Smith, Dye, Caruth, Iest, Diaz, Retzlaff, Kvapil, Gutierrez and Moyer were the Top 10 when the red flag fell.

    Third segment: Lap 154 – Lap 200

    Just one caution slowed the final segment with 19 to go. The No. 12 of Moyer once again came to a stop in Turn 1, setting up a late-race restart with under 15 to go.

    The action got a little intense upfront as the leaders were jockeying for position and both Sammy Smith and Mason Diaz were looking for their first-ever wins in ARCA competition. However, when the checkered flag flew, Sammy Smith scored the victory by .044 seconds over Diaz.

    Unfortunately for Diaz, the Manassas, Virginia native, will have to wait for another race if he wants to have a shot at the victory.

    “(It) was actually a good night for us,” Diaz said to NBC Sports after his runner-up finish. “We restarted there in fifth in the last segment and worked our way through. On the last restart, I actually thought we had a chance for them, but I had nothing for them. Second place, that’s a good finish for us here. So far this year, nothing but top five’s and I hope we can carry that on.”

    There were four cautions for 15 laps and six lead changes among three different leaders.

    Official Results following the Pensacola 200 at Five Flags Speedway
    1. Sammy Smith, led 145 laps
    2. Mason Diaz
    3. Taylor Gray, led 53 laps
    4. Rajah Caruth
    5. Joey Iest
    6. Parker Retzlaff
    7. Max Gutierrez
    8. Stephanie Moyer
    9. Daniel Dye, led two laps, OUT, Radiator
    10. Richard Garvie
    11. Carson Kvapil, OUT, Vibration
    12. Dick Doheny, OUT, Electrical
    13. Wayne Peterson, OUT, Electrical

    Up Next: The ARCA Menards East Series’ next race is scheduled for Saturday, May 8 at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, live on NBC Sports Trackpass. A start time is yet to be announced for the event.

  • Interview – Q&A with Truck Series driver Ryan Truex

    Interview – Q&A with Truck Series driver Ryan Truex

    In this week’s interview, Speedway Media catches up with Niece Motorsports newcomer, Ryan Truex. Truex recently joined the team for a full-season and will contend for the 2021 Truck Series championship. During the interview, the Mayetta, New Jersey native discusses what he considers his best season, if he has any superstitions about racing and his “Welcome to NASCAR” moment, among other topics.

    SM: You’ve run 52 races in your Truck Series career over the past seven years and have come close to winning multiple times. In your opinion, what’s the best you’ve ever run? 

    RT: “I’d say my best season was 2017 with HRE (Hattori Racing Enterprises),” Truex said. “We were starting to build new trucks during that year and really started performing well and coming close to winning races. I knew the team was on the verge of winning races at the end of the year. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put something together for the following season and the rest is history.”

    SM: Following up on that question, you finished second twice in the series, once in 2016 at Daytona and then three years ago in 2017 at Loudon. Both times you had strong trucks. What do you think you could have done differently to score the victory or were those races just not meant to be? Is Daytona still a heartbreaker as you reflect back or is there a different race that you wish you had back?

    RT: “Daytona was a tough one because I felt like we were in the right position to race back to the checkered flag and have a great shot at the win. The caution just came out at the worst time when I was trying to build a run to take the lead back,” he said. “2017 Loudon was another tough one. We took the lead on a late restart and I did everything I could to hold (Christopher) Bell off, he just had a stronger truck than me at the end of the day. I believe things happen for a reason and that my time will come. I just have to keep working at it.”

    SM: Has there ever been a moment where you’ve gotten lost at a racetrack? If so, where did you get lost, and how did you get back to the right spot?

    RT: Road America 2018, it took me quite a while to find the garage area,” Truex said. “I ended up in a random corner like two miles from where I was supposed to be and had to open up maps on my phone and turn on satellite view to figure out where I was and where I needed to be.”

    SM: Most drivers have their ‘Welcome to NASCAR moment that’s happened during a race. When did you have that moment and how did you take that learning lesson moving forward? 

    RT: “One that sticks out to me is Talladega, 2012,” Truex said. “I was running an Xfinity car for JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) in a limited schedule. Back then we were still allowed to tandem draft at the superspeedways. I was running mid-pack, just riding, and none other than Dale Jr. latched to my bumper and pushed me all the way to the front. As soon as we got there, he left me out by myself and took the lead and I got pushed right to the back again. I like to imagine he was smirking behind that visor when he did that.”

    SM: In racing, many drivers are skeptical of myths or urban legends, things like the No. 13, no peanut vendors at the racetracks, etc. In your mind, what’s the craziest superstition you’ve ever heard as a racecar driver and do you believe in that superstition? 

    RT: “I don’t believe in superstitions but I’ve heard them all,” he said. “MTJ (Martin Truex Jr., Ryan’s brother) with the rabbit’s foot for Homestead in 2017 that Darrell Gwynn (former NHRA Driver) gave him is probably the craziest one that I’ve heard, but it obviously worked out pretty well.”

    SM: The Truck Series has really evolved from its beginnings in 1995 and has had a lot of storied drivers and unique races. If you could go back in time to race in a certain event, which event would you choose and why?

    RT: “I think the first year of the series would be cool to be a part of,” Truex said. “Lots of unique tracks and drivers and the atmosphere around the new series seemed like a really exciting thing to be involved with.”

    SM: Who is one race car driver that you believe will always have your back no matter what happens on the racetrack?

    RT: “I think the obvious answer is my brother (Martin Truex Jr.), but there are a few others out there that I have a lot of respect for and feel like that feeling is mutual,” he said. “Brett (Moffitt) and I have known each other for a long time and we’re teammates which makes it a great combo for us. I feel like (Matt) Crafton and (Johnny) Sauter have always been two drivers that I’ve always had a great relationship with on and off the track as well.” 

    SM: Sometimes people get mistaken for different people in real life and being on the grid. Has there been an instance where you were mistaken for somebody else?

    RT: “If I had a nickel for every time someone thought I was Kyle Larson, I could start my own truck team.”

    SM: As in most cases in racing, there are more bad days than good. Whenever you have a bad day at the tack, how do you pick yourself up and not let it ruin the rest of the day or the weekend?  

    RT: “I just have to remind myself that quitters never win and the bad days will always pass,” Truex said. “You can’t let yourself dwell too much on them.”

    SM: Rain delays are never fun during racing. How do you pass the time during a rain delay?

    RT: “Eat all the food.”

    SM: There are several new tracks on the Truck Series schedule, such as Bristol Dirt, Circuit of the Americus, Nashville returning to the schedule, Knoxville and Watkins Glen. Which of these tracks are you looking forward to the most and why?

    RT: “I have Watkins Glen circled on my calendar,” he said. “I’ve always run well there, and its a track I’ve been going to for a long time – since Martin was racing there in the Busch North Series. I feel like we will have a good shot at a win there.”

    SM: Wrapping this up, what’s one goal or expectation that you would like to achieve before the end of the year? 

    RT: “I’ve been around the national series level for a long time,” Truex said. “I’ve been very close to winning races multiple times and feel like I’ve proven I can get the job done, but I know I need to win. Bottom line. I think I have a team capable of doing it and my plan is to finally get some trophies this year.”

    Truex has made 53 Truck Series starts to date over a span of seven years, with 11 top-fives and 20 top-10 finishes with two poles along with 151 laps led. Additionally, the New Jersey native has made various starts in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series and won back-to-back NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series Championships in 2009 and 2010.

    Fans of Ryan Truex can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, you can check out his website here.

    Fans of Niece Motorsports can like them on Facebook, “follow” them on Twitter and Instagram. You can also visit their website here.

    Special thanks to Michelle Brachowski for coordinating this interview and many thanks to Ryan Truex for taking the time out of his busy schedule for the interview.