Category: NASCAR Cup PR

JUSTIN HALEY | KAZ GRALA
|Texas Advance

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 9 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 14
● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Justin Haley, Driver of the No. 51 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Justin Haley makes his fourh NASCAR Cup Series start at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth this Sunday in the No. 51 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing (RWR). Haley has two finishes inside the top-15 at the 1.5-mile track, including a third-place showing in the September 2022 event.

● In races completed on intermediate tracks, Haley has earned two top-fives and six top-10s in 60 career Cup Series starts and finished inside the top-10 in 40 out of 60 intermediate-track races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In six Xfinity Series races at Texas, all but one resulted in top-10s.

● Haley’s strong runs at Texas began in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he finished in the top-10 for all five of his starts. He secured his first and only Truck Series pole at Texas in November 2017 and captured his third series win at Texas on Nov. 2, 2018 after leading 33 laps. The win advanced him into the Championship 4 round of the playoffs.

● The 24-year-old’s third start for RWR came Feb. 25 on the 1.533-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway oval, where he finished 20th. It was his best finish on an intermediate track so far this year.

● Jacob returns to the No. 51 Ford after being featured on Haley’s Mustang Dark Horse at Daytona. Jacob is a nationally certified, WBENC, woman owned, multifaceted construction firm with a focus on construction, design-build services, structural concrete and technology.

Kaz Grala, Driver of the No. 15 N29 Capital Partners Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 15 N29 Capital Partners Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RWR, will make his first Cup Series start at Texas this Sunday in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. His best finish on a 1.5-mile track was the 14th-place result he earned in the Feb. 25 race at Atlanta.

● In four Xfinity Series starts at Texas, Grala has two finishes inside the top-20. In 42 intermediate races in the Xfinity Series, he’s collected four top-10s and 24 top-20s.

● Grala also has two Craftsman Truck Series starts at Texas that resulted in top-10 finishes.

Rick Ware Racing Notes

● The Mission NHRA Drag Racing Series heads to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, where Top Fuel driver Clay Millican looks to find success for the RWR Parts Plus team in the Vegas 4-Wide Nationals. Coverage of events begins on FS1 Friday with the first of two qualifying shows and continues Sunday with the second qualifying show, followed by coverage of the elimination rounds.

● Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age six when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries would force Ware out of the driver seat and into fulltime team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that fields two fulltime entries in the NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the LMP3 class of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), where RWR won the 2022 SX2 championship with rider Shane McElrath.

Justin Haley, Driver Q&A

In the last two years, you did well at Texas and were strong on the intermediate tracks, in general. What does it take to put a good race together at Texas?

“You just have to put all of the pieces together. It’s a very fast track, it can get very hot and slick. With both ends of the track being so different, you have to get your car handling decent all around or you could very well be spinning out in turns one and two. If we can keep a handle on the car, no mistakes on pit road and put all of those little things together, it could be a good day for us.”

It’s been a tough few weeks for the No. 51 team as far as final results. There have been some bright spots during races but it hasn’t translated to the top-15 or top-20 finishes that the team is looking for. How do you stay positive and keep moving forward each week?

“I think the biggest thing that helps is I’ve been doing this a while and it’s not the first time I’ve had a result that should’ve been better. It’s easy to sit around and be upset about it, but once it’s done all we can do is debrief and figure out how to improve next time. There are definitely things in my personal life that I do to make sure it’s not cosuming me but, come Monday, there’s another race to prepare for so there’s no time to sit around and worry about it. I know how hard these guys are working and we’re going to have a race where it all goes as it should.”

Kaz Grala, Driver Q&A

It seems like with each race there’s less and less parity in the field. How hard is it to find something in the car that others don’t have?

“The format nowadays with such little practice makes it so you have the speed that you come to the track with, and you’re probably not going to change that much. You can try to change your handling a little bit, get it right where you want it, so you can maximize the speed that you do have, but there’s not really an opportunity to find it these days. With the NextGen car and how weekends are laid out, everything is so tight. I think that’s why we see so many races where track position is so important, but this could be a weekend where we are so reliant on that.”

How does that help a team like RWR that has made significant investments to improve the on-track product?

“Right now, I think we’ve had several races where we are outrunning RWR’s previous average running position or average finish. I can’t speak to how things were before at the team itself, but a lot has changed in the Cup Series. A few years ago there would have been a lot of talk about what people called ‘backmarkers,’ teams that going into the weekend and were going to be your last-place teams. That just doesn’t exist anymore. Every single team out there is on a healthy budget, putting everything they have into it with the best drivers they can get their hands on. It’s tough to outrun even one car out there right now. It’s crazy to think that you could end up with a good team that that can win races throughout the year and on any given weekend they miss it a little bit, and they don’t run 25th, they run 35th or 36th. We are probably the most underdog team out there, but we’re still able to go out and run in the top-10, top-15, even if that’s not what the results show. It doesn’t take much to lose that position with one bad lap, but if we can keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to start getting those results on paper.”

RYAN PREECE
Texas Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 9 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 14
● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● When Ryan Preece takes the green flag for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, it will be his eighth career NASCAR Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile oval. His best Texas finish of 18th came in 2020 while driving for JTG-Daugherty Racing.

● Preece heads to Texas after posting a season-best finish of ninth last Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. He kicked off the weekend with a strong practice session, posting the third-fastest lap. From his 22nd-place starting spot, Preece steadily made his way toward the top-10, finishing the second stage in 14th. After losing four spots on pit road during the Stage 2 break, Preece raced his way forward once again and emerged with his first top-10 of the season. Statistically, he was one of the top-five biggest movers in the final stage.

● Preece has competed four times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Texas, achieving a best finish of fifth for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Preece raced at Texas in 2022 for David Gilliland Racing, starting fifth and leading 27 laps en route to a third-place result.

● Back with Preece and the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Texas is HaasTooling.com, the cutting tool division of Haas Automation. HaasTooling.com allows CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

It’s been six weeks since the Cup Series last raced on a mile-and-a-half track. What are your thoughts heading to Texas?

“We knew the No. 10 car (of Noah Gragson) was really good at Las Vegas, so we’ve been looking over and working through some of the things they did to ensure we have some of the speed they had there. Heading into Texas, with it being a mile-and-a-half, we’re a lot more optimistic than last year.”

Texas will not host a race in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Does that have an impact on how teams look at this race?

“As much as Texas is different from other mile-and-a-half tracks that we visit on the circuit, this is just another opportunity for our team and other teams to fine-tune our packages for these types of tracks. Texas isn’t in the playoffs, but we can take data from this one and apply it to other mile-and-a-half tracks that are in the playoffs this season.”

You have a best Cup Series finish of 18th at Texas. What do you need in the car to improve upon that finish on Sunday?

“The good news is we were running in the top-10 and could’ve potentially been in the top-five at Texas last year. The speed and performance were there, so we need to look at some of those things, as well as some of the things the team learned this year at Las Vegas. I have really high expectations going into Texas this weekend.”

You’ve had strong performances in both the Xfinity and Truck series at Texas. Does that give you any added confidence on the Cup side?

“Yes, I think those experiences have given me a baseline of the direction that I look for in a racecar at Texas. Our team looks at that and applies as much as we can from those events to determine what works best from a balance standpoint.”

What do you feel is most important for you and the team over the next few races?

“We have to build momentum. Martinsville was great. Bristol went pretty well for us. COTA and Richmond were a challenge. The speed is there, we just have to really dig deep and execute. And if we do that, April will be a really good month.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Jeremy West

Hometown: Gardena, California

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Tony Raines

Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon

Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby

Hometown: Anaheim, California

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange County, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

CHASE BRISCOE
Texas Advance
No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 9 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 14
● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Chase Briscoe comes into Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth fresh off a 10th-place drive last Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Steady performances like that have allowed the driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing to rise from 22nd in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings to his current position of 16th. While Briscoe is certainly wanting more, being among the top-16 drivers in points is still an important benchmark. Following the 26th race of the year, only the top-16 drivers are eligible to compete in the 10-race chase for the championship. While that top-16 cutoff is still 18 races away, it remains top of mind for all drivers hovering in and around the top-16. Another strong performance in Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas can bolster Briscoe’s standing.

● Despite only having three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas, Briscoe’s standing at the 1.5-mile oval is solid. He finished 15th in his Cup Series debut at the track in 2021 and then knocked down back-to-back top-10s in his two subsequent races at Texas, finishing fifth in 2022 and 10th last year.

● Prior to racing at Texas in the NASCAR Cup Series, Briscoe made five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track. His best performance was a second-place effort in 2020 when he finished runner-up to fellow Ford pilot Austin Cindric.

● Briscoe’s steadiness at Texas began back in 2017. In two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts in the Lone Star State, Briscoe finished second in his Truck Series debut at the track in June, leading twice for six laps before Christopher Bell took the top spot for the final two laps. Briscoe then came back to the D-shaped oval in November and finished fourth.

● In addition to turning laps on Texas’ 1.5-mile oval in his No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Briscoe will return to his roots and sling some dirt in his sprint car on Friday night at Texarkana 67 Speedway in Arkansas and again on Saturday night at The Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway. Both races will be run under the banner of High Limit Racing, the 410 winged sprint car series owned by NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and five-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Brad Sweet. Briscoe will race his No. 5 Mahindra Tractors machine with his father, Kevin Briscoe, serving as crew chief. Kevin Briscoe raced sprint cars for over 20 years and won more than 150 feature events, claiming track championships at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana, and winning five track titles at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway, including a streak of three straight. For those at Texas during the NASCAR race weekend, The Dirt Track is easily accessible, with the .4-mile clay oval located between Interstate 35W and the backstretch of Texas’ 1.5-mile oval.

● The 2024 season marks the 15th year of partnership between Rush Truck Centers and Stewart-Haas Racing, and it’s a partnership that goes well beyond a design on a racecar. All Stewart-Haas racecars are transported via tractor-trailers from Rush Truck Centers, the premier service solutions provider to the commercial vehicle industry. And those tractor-trailers are supported by the RushCare Customer Support team of parts and service experts, who also provide concierge-level service for scheduling maintenance, technical support, mobile service dispatch and roadside assistance, along with help locating the nearest Rush Truck Centers dealer, and more. Rush Truck Centers is the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America with 150 locations in the United States and Ontario, Canada, and takes pride in its integrated approach to customer needs – from vehicle sales to aftermarket parts, service and body shop operations, plus financing, insurance, leasing and rental, as well as alternate fuel systems and other vehicle technologies.

● Cummins joins Rush Truck Centers for this weekend’s race at Texas. Cummins Inc., is a global power technology leader that designs, manufactures, distributes and services a broad portfolio of power solutions. These solutions include advanced diesel, natural gas, hybrid, electric, fuel cell and other technologies. Cummins powers the future through innovations that make people’s lives better. From buses that transport kids to and from school, to the trucks that carry essentials, to construction, mining equipment, trains and ships, and critical backup power for places like data centers and hospitals, Cummins is doing it with the cleanest solutions available. Learn more at cummins.com.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang Dark Horse

How would you describe restarts at Texas?

“Restarts at Texas are a little hairy. The speeds are way, way higher, and the risk versus reward is way, way higher. At Texas, I feel like you put yourself in a worse spot sometimes and the car just doesn’t want to do certain things. There are different lanes at Texas, so you can move around, and that makes things hairier.”

The risk-versus-reward factor is higher at Texas because the speeds are so much higher. Can you explain how fast things happen at Texas and how quickly you need to think and make moves on the track?

“Texas is a really weird racetrack because in turns one and two, it’s still really fast, but it’s slow compared what (turns) three and four are. You go to turns three and four, it literally feels like terminal velocity. It feels like the car cannot go any faster. It’s like you’re strapped to a rocket. It’s wild how it feels inside the racecar in three and four. It’s one where you’re hanging on and hoping you get through to the other side. It’s a very, very fast racetrack. It’s changed a lot just over the last two or three years as it’s kind of started to age, already. Texas is a wild one just because of how fast it is on one side and how slow it feels on the other side.”

Texas is the exact opposite of a short track, which is where the NASCAR Cup Series has raced the past two weekends. But would you like to see the kind of tire fall-off we’ve seen at the short tracks to where the race would have more comers and goers, or would you like to have 1,000 horsepower always there at your right foot?

“I’m good on the horsepower at Texas, but tire fall-off would be nice. That’s one of the hardest places to pass and it’s just because we’re always running the same speed and the tires don’t really fall off at all, so it would be really cool to see a lot of tire fall-off at a place like Texas just because then it would make it easier to come through the field and things like that. You’d have a lot more comers and goers.”

You’ve been consistently good at Texas across the series in which you’ve competed. In fact, in 10 overall starts at Texas across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, you have five top-fives and only two finishes outside of the top-15. How have you been able to find that consistency in three different series?

“I don’t know, and it’s weird because it’s not my favorite racetrack, by any means, but I’ve always statistically run really well there. I don’t know what it is about Texas. I think maybe some of it is that it’s two different ends, so your car’s never really going to drive great, and nobody’s car is going to drive perfect. I feel like you can manipulate your car to do certain things there, which reminds me a little bit more of my background in dirt racing. I don’t know what it is about that place, I really don’t because it has been pretty good to me. I’ve never won there, but I feel like I’ve done everything but win there. Hopefully, we can finally get a win there and it would be cool to bring home a cowboy hat from Texas.”

Texas is a track you haven’t exactly embraced, but you have figured out a way to be successful there even though it’s not your cup of tea. How?

“Typically, the places I run well at are the places I really like going to, so it’s probably the one outlier of the racetracks that we have where I don’t look forward to going there. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just not one of my favorite racetracks, but it’s one where it seems like every time I go there, I’m at least in the mix and kind of battling up front. Maybe I should start liking it a little bit more. It is weird how that works out because typically at places where you run well, you always like them, and that place, I don’t really feel like it fits my driving style, but for whatever reason, it does.”

Getting top-fives and top-10s at Texas is obviously a good thing, but does that also mean winning at Texas means getting everything right for all 267 laps? Does Texas put a premium on perfection?

“I’d say Texas is easily one of the top-five on our whole schedule where you have to be absolutely perfect all day long because passing is at such a premium and track position is more important there than anywhere else. I would say, statistically, it probably has the least amount of passes. That just means you can’t have a single mistake all day long. You have to be perfect on pit road, you have to be perfect on restarts and your car has to be really, really good there. And then even from a manufacturer’s side, your motors have to be really good, your aerodynamics, there’s just a lot that goes into winning at Texas and that kind of gets overlooked, when you think about it. Texas is a place you have to be perfect for 267 laps and, if you make a mistake, it’s hard to dig out from it.”

No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell

Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey

Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Jack Man: Dylan Moser

Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams

Hometown: Plymouth, Wisconsin

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads

Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey

Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE: TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Forth Worth, Texas
April 12-14, 2024

TRIPLE IN TEXAS

Next on deck for NASCAR’s three national series is the annual trip to Texas Motor Speedway, where the 1.5-mile oval will welcome its first tripleheader since 2021. The 2024 season has seen the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) convene for a tripleheader five times, with Chevrolet being the only manufacturer to reel off a weekend sweep thus far in 2024. The Bowtie brand has been able to accomplish that feat twice this year – recorded in back-to-back weekends at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway to open the season. 

 Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway:

Texas Motor Speedway landed a date on NASCAR’s schedule in 1997, and Chevrolet has since earned a combined 48 victories across its three national series including a series-leading 17 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and 19 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins.

In NASCAR’s top division, Chevrolet has tallied the triumph in four of the series’ past five appearances at the 1.5-mile Texas oval – dating back to Austin Dillon’s victory in July 2020. The Bowtie brand later returned to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway in Oct. 2021 with a win courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson. The manufacturer went on to make it three-in-a-row, with Tyler Reddick (Sept. 2022) and William Byron (Sept. 2023) picking up the victories in both events in the Next Gen era.

Eight different drivers have recorded a combined 12 NXS victories for Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway – led by Kevin Harvick with five of those triumphs. The Bowtie brand’s last appearance in victory lane at the 1.5-mile Texas oval came in 2022 when the manufacturer swept both events that season (Tyler Reddick and Big Machine Racing – May 2022; and Noah Gragson and JR Motorsports – Sept. 2022).

One year ago, Team Chevy’s Carson Hocevar became a first-time winner in the NASCAR national ranks after a last-lap pass earned the driver a trip to victory lane in the NCTS at Texas Motor Speedway. The 21-year-old Portage, Michigan, native became the 14th different driver to earn a NCTS victory under the Chevrolet banner at the 1.5-mile Texas oval. That list of winners includes Johnny Sauter (three wins), with the series’ veteran returning to competition this weekend to take over the driving duties of the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Silverado RST.

 MILESTONE MEMORIES

The NASCAR Cup Series’ most recent visit to Texas Motor Speedway ended with yet another milestone victory for Hendrick Motorsports. Faced with a series of late-race cautions, William Byron made a power move to the front on the final restart to take the checkered-flag and deliver Hendrick Motorsports its 300th all-time victory in NASCAR’s premier series. The milestone victory came just two years after the organization surpassed Petty Enterprise’s all-time NCS win record – making Hendrick Motorsports the winningest organization in NCS history.

The victory started a string of monumental triumphs for Byron and the No. 24 Camaro ZL1 team. The 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native gave Hendrick Motorsports a storybook beginning to the organization’s anniversary season by claiming the victory in the 2024 Daytona 500. The victory in the series’ crown jewel event came exactly 40 years, to the day, of Hendrick Motorsports’ first-ever start in NASCAR’s premier series. Now, just eight races into the season, Byron picked up yet another monumental triumph for the organization by taking the legendary No. 24 Camaro ZL1 to victory lane at Martinsville Speedway – the site of Hendrick Motorsports first’ NCS victory.

 BYRON, LARSON LEAD IN NEXT GEN ERA

Following his win at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, William Byron is now a 13-time winner in NASCAR’s top division – with 11 of those victories coming in the Next Gen Camaro ZL1. The 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native is the winningest driver in the Next Gen era – being the only driver with a double-digit win record since the competition debut of cars at the beginning of the 2022 season. Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, follows close by in second with eight victories in the Next Gen era.

Last weekend at Martinsville Speedway marked the 80th points-paying race for the Next Gen cars since being introduced to NASCAR’s premier series. Byron’s victory at the .526.-mile Virginia venue marked the 42nd win for the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 – giving the manufacturer a series-leading win percentage of 52.5% in the Next Gen era.

HILL: DOUBLE-DUTY ON DECK

While an early-race accident at Martinsville Speedway ended Austin Hill’s top-10 streak, the Team Chevy driver eyes the opportunity to rebound at Texas Motor Speedway with a pair of starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series on deck. The NXS-regular is one of only two repeat winners in the series this season – heading into the weekend leading the Bowtie brigade in the third position in the points standings.

The 29-year-old Winston, Georgia, native is slated to make four starts in NASCAR’s top series this season behind the wheel the No. 33 Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing – with the first coming in Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Hill made his first career NCS start in the Chevrolet organization’s third entry at Michigan International Speedway in 2022 – collecting an 18th place finish in his series’ debut.

ECKES EYES THREE-IN-A-ROW

Team Chevy’s Christian Eckes laid down a near dominate performance at Martinsville Speedway last weekend – sweeping the stages and leading a race-high 133 laps en route to his second straight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory of the season. The 23-year-old McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver is the series’ first repeat winner of 2024, with his victory at the .526-mile Virginia venue marking Chevrolet’s fifth victory in six NCTS races this season.

Texas Motor Speedway will mark just the series’ second race at a traditional 1.5-mile track this season. The series’ last appearance at the Texas oval (April 2023) saw Team Chevy’s Carson Hocevar claim his first career NCTS victory. Despite narrowly missing his first trip to victory lane in the series, Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez posted a nearly flawless race in that event – claiming the pole position, sweeping the stage wins and leading 168 of the 172-laps before chaos during an overtime finish took the young Team Chevy driver out of contention.

Round Four for Rowdy

Kyle Busch will return to the driver’s seat of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST to make his fourth NCTS start of the season in Friday’s SpeedyCash.com 250. The series’ winningest driver has already tallied one victory (Atlanta Motor Speedway) and a runner-up finish (Bristol Motor Speedway) in the Spire Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet this season. Busch has fared very well at the 1.5-mile Texas oval – owning five career NCTS victories, including his past three appearances in the series at the track (2020, 2019, 2014). In addition, the 38-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native has tallied an impressive 10 top-five finishes in his 14 career NCTS starts at Texas Motor Speedway.

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Chevrolet will pace the field in the tripleheader race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The Silverado RST will lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in Friday’s SpeedwayCash.com 250; the Camaro SS will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300; and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400.

· With 21 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has a winning percentage of 62% with 13 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – five wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – three wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – five wins).

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Texas Motor Speedway:

Kyle Busch – four wins (2020, 2018, 2016, 2013)

William Byron – one win (2023)

Kyle Larson – one win (2021)

Austin Dillon – one win (2020)

· In 43 NASCAR Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 17 victories – three of which have come in the series’ last three appearances at the 1.5-mile Texas oval (William Byron – 2023; Tyler Reddick – 2022; Kyle Larson – 2021).

· Team Chevy’s William Byron is the only driver to have a double-digit win record in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen era – with his victory at Martinsville Speedway marking his 11th all-time victory in the Next Gen Camaro ZL1.

· In 80 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 42 victories – a winning percentage of 52.5%.

· Within the first three points-paying races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series races season, each Chevrolet organization had already recorded at least one top-10 finish.

· With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 856 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

 
FOR THE FANS:

· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Texas Motor Speedway.

· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Corvette Stingray, Blazer RS, Trailblazer ACTIV, Trax 1LT, Tahoe HC, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500 LTZ, Colorado ZR2.

· Fans can also view William Byron’s No. 24 Camaro ZL1 show car.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

Friday, April 12

· Nick Sanchez: 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 13

· Sammy Smith: 9:15 a.m.

· Josh Williams: 9:30 a.m

· Justin Allgaier & Sam Mayer: 9:45 a.m.

· Brandon Jones: 10 a.m.

· Shane van Gisbergen: 10:15 a.m.

· AJ Allmendinger: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, April 14

· Austin Dillon: 10:40 a.m.

· Alex Bowman: 11 a.m.

· Daniel Hemric: 11:30 a.m.

· Zane Smith: 11:45 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

· Friday, April 12: 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

· Saturday, April 13: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

· Sunday, April 14: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 298
Toyota: 289 (-9)
Ford: 262 (-36)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Toyota: 264
Chevrolet: 255 (-9)
Ford: 209 (-55)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 233
Toyota: 205 (-28)
Ford: 197 (-36)
 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400

Sunday, April 14, at 3 p.m. ET

(FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Andy’s Frozen Custard 300

Saturday, April 13, at 1:30 pm. ET

(FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

SpeedyCash.com 250

Friday, April 12, at 8:30 p.m. ET

(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1

What do you think about racing in Texas?

“It’s a huge market for us with a ton of opportunity. Racetrack-wise, we all wish we could do more there. I wish I could pass more. It truly is one of the hardest tracks to pass in my opinion. When I get a pass done, I sometimes physically celebrate in the car on the next straightaway because I did it and I did what I thought was impossible. Hopefully as it ages it opens up more and more, but we will see.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Texas Motor Speedway?

“Texas Motor Speedway is one of my favorite tracks, and I’m excited to be racing there this weekend in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off-Road Chevrolet. It has always been a strong track for me. There is a lot of variety on both ends of the track, which makes it exciting to race. On one end you are going to have a high-speed and very banked corner, and on the other end, you will have a hard corner that you will have to get turned into and then get back on the gas. The track has so much grip now and has changed a lot from the old track to the new track.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ZONE CAMARO ZL1

You qualified well at Texas last September and ran well before your day ended early. With the Nex Gen car, is there little margin for error at a track like Texas?

“Last year at Texas we were really fast. We had a good race car, and we were making moves and moving forward as the run progressed. I made a mistake and just overstepped the speed on entry and lost it. Part of what makes Texas so tricky is the spray that’s been added in the upper grooves and getting your tires into that. Trying to run out of that it seems to have a different grip characteristic and it’s hard to trust the car.”

With the Texas Cup race moving to the spring, do you anticipate track conditions being different?

“I don’t know that the track conditions will be much different. Sometimes you see the bumps that are there on a racetrack later in the year aren’t the same bumps in the beginning of the year, so we’ll have to be mindful of that. It also depends on what the racetrack does with adding any spray or not to the upper grooves.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 31 SOUTH POINT HOTEL AND CASINO CAMARO ZL1

“I’m looking forward to Texas; it’s one of the faster, on-edge racetracks we go to. The cars do such different things at both ends of the racetrack, and you have to find the right compromise to just be okay on one end and be really good at the other. That’s what makes this track so challenging. Hopefully we can compromise on the right things and give ourselves a chance to have a solid day.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 PREMIER SECURITY CAMARO ZL1

“Texas Motor Speedway is home to my first NASCAR series win so it’s a pretty special place where I want to run really well, especially in my Premier Security Chevy this weekend. I think the 77 team is plenty capable to make that happen and more than anything just excited to get back on a mile and a half because I think that’s where we really shine.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Texas?

“I have had some of the best finishes of my career at Texas, so I am very optimistic about Sunday. We just need to keep working and getting better and I think that will happen in Texas.”

What are your thoughts about racing the Kubota Chevrolet for the first time?

“You can’t miss us. That orange paint scheme pops out on the track. Seriously, having a local company like Kubota on our car in Texas will hopefully gain us a few more fans. It’s great to have a brand like Kubota supporting our race team. I think their continued partnership says a lot about them and Trackhouse Racing and how to build a successful relationship.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2023): 42

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2024 STATISTICS:

Wins: 5

Poles: 3

Laps Led: 842

Top-five finishes: 16

Top-10 finishes: 27

Stage wins: 5

· Chase Elliott: 1

· Kyle Larson: 4

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 856 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 746

Laps led to date: 250,017

Top-five finishes to date: 4,314

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,888

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,190

       Chevrolet: 856

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 828                                                           

       Ford: 728

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 183

 

About Chevrolet

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

Texas Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 10, 2024) – Heading back to the Lone Star State, Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team prepare for the high-banked, 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.

After a 21st place finish at Martinsville, McDowell looks to rebound and make up ground in the points standings. In 25 career Cup Series starts, he has three top-15s in the last five races at TMS.

McDowell and the No. 34 team will have Love’s Travel Stops and their truck care partner, Fleetguard, on the car this weekend. A global leading filtration brand within the Atmus Filtration Technologies portfolio, Fleetguard offers a full suite of filtration products for nearly all makes of vehicles and equipment across the truck, bus, agriculture, construction, mining, marine and power generation vehicle, and equipment markets.

Fleetguard heavy-duty filters give customers the ultimate protection for all their equipment. With availability in more than 45,000 independent aftermarket retail outlets globally, including approximately 5,800 locations in North America, Fleetguard products are available where customers need them and are backed by the competitive Fleetguard warranty.

Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday, April 13th at 10:30 a.m. ET. The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway will take place Sunday, April 14th at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FS1. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Performance Racing Network.

No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops / Fleetguard Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“We need to keep building momentum on our season and keep proving that we can be up front and contend for race wins. We’ve had some good runs in the past at Texas. We’re still showing top-10 and top-five speed and feel like we can be a top-10 threat at each mile-and-a-half track.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“We have had good speed to start this season, we just need to execute better. Texas is a really fast track and one we ran at last fall, so hopefully we can show speed again and put together a solid weekend.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

JOSH BERRY
Texas Advance
No. 4 Miner Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 9 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 14
● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Josh Berry will take on the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth for the first time in the NASCAR Cup Series ranks during Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. The 33-year-old rookie has enjoyed success on other intermediate tracks, scoring three of his five NASCAR Xfinity Series victories on 1.5- mile ovals, twice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (fall 2021 and 2022 races) and once at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (spring 2022), all under the JR Motorsports banner. He led a combined 192 of 602 possible race laps in those three victories.

● Berry showed speed at his second consecutive short-track race last Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, where the driver of the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing started seventh and finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in the opening two stages. A loose tire penalty during a green-flag pit stop in the final stage forced Berry to serve a drive-through penalty, relegating him to the tail of the field and left him with a disappointing 25th-place result. However, the valuable stage points he earned in the first two stages helped Berry maintain his lead over his three fellow Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders.

● Crew chief Rodney Childers climbs atop the pit box for the 33rd time in the Cup Series at Texas and brings a wealth of notes on the 1.5-mile layout. Childers’ drivers have amassed four pole positions, three Cup Series wins, 11 top-five finishes, 16 top-10s, an average start of 13.3 and an average finish of 14.3 at Texas. The most recent win for Childers came in November 2019, when former No. 4 driver Kevin Harvick won the pole position, the first stage, and led 119 of the 334 laps.

● On Tuesday, Berry and Childers unveiled the No. 4 throwback scheme for this year’s May 12 race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway at the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion. The No. 4 will don the silver, red, and black colors of Childers’ No. 54 Late Model car he ran in 1998. During that season, Childers won the inaugural Fall Brawl at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Partner Harrison’s, the family-owned clothing and footwear chain based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, ditched it’s brand colors to embrace the true nature of the throwback weekend and will feature two grassroots tracks – Greensville-Pickens Speedway in Easley, South Carolina, and Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds Speedway in Spartanburg – along with several South Carolina-native Cup Series Hall of Fame drivers, including Ned Jarrett, Fireball Roberts and Lee Petty. Click here to see the social graphic posted by Stewart-Haas Racing.

● The No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will host a new partner this weekend, sporting the vibrant red, black and silver colors of MINER. MINER is North America’s industry-leading facility expert. Whether you have equipment down today or want to maximize uptime tomorrow, trust MINER to install, repair, and maintain your warehouse dock doors and levelers, commercial sectional overhead doors, HVLS fans, and related facility accessories. Through both proactive maintenance strategies and emergency responses, MINER maintains every important piece of logistics equipment in your facility. Its nationwide service coverage, ability to self-perform and strong affiliate network mean you’re never far from same-day or next-day service, solutions for every application, technical expertise, and safer, higher uptime equipment. Learn more at minercorp.com.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Miner Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You’ve had a mixed bag of results at Texas Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series, and now you’re heading there for the first time in the Cup Series. What translates and what doesn’t?

“Texas (Motor Speedway) is a high-grip track and really fast. Each corner is significantly different and takes a slightly different approach, which makes it challenging. But all of the skills from Xfinity I think will translate. Ultimately, my results from Xfinity don’t matter in my mind because I am with a new team, a new car, a new manufacturer, so it’s almost a clean slate, but I am excited for the opportunity to go with Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s obviously our second race on the intermediates but, on the team side, we know that’s where we need to improve the most. It’s a great opportunity to learn and keep improving before we get into the summer months.”

Rodney Childers has a deep wealth of knowledge about the track and has had drivers show speed at Texas. What does he help you with in your preparation that is specific to Texas?

“It depends on the track. I think, for Texas, it will take a little bit of a different approach than what a short track or a road course would. He gave me the freedom over the past few weeks when we were going to the short tacks to take the lead on preparing for the races. Texas is going to take more of a specific regimen to prepare, just knowing my background, but as long as we stay focused and continue to do the best we can, I think we can have a solid day at Texas.”

The intermediate package has been a focus for Ford heading into this season. Talk about how Ford has helped Stewart-Haas Racing prepare differently than years prior.

“The new Ford Mustang Dark Horse is going to be new and going to be evolving and getting better throughout the season. The car has definitely improved from last year and it will just take time to continue to learn the intricacies of the new package and get the car where we need it to be, but I feel like we have a great jumping off point.”

The No. 4 team has sung your praises about how well you prepare for a race weekend. Talk about your week and what you do day-to-day to get ready for each weekend?

“Typically, on Monday, I try to take a little bit of time off and just reset for the next week, but I will review the race a little bit from the day before while it is still fresh in my mind – whether that is film or our data. Tuesday is usually filled with team meetings to get the No. 4 group together and review the previous race, preview the next race, and just make sure we are all rowing in the same direction. Wednesday is usually a simulator day and more preparation work that I will do to tie up any loose ends before we get ready to travel. It is a busy week, but it ensures the No. 4 team and Stewart-Haas as a company are ready for Sundays.”

No. 4 Miner Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Mason Flynt

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Texas Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 10, 2024) – Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 team return to the great state of Texas for 400-miles at the Texas Motor Speedway.

This will only be Gilliland’s third Cup Series start at TMS, but not without experience. He does have 3 top-10s and a pole in seven CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts.

Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday, April 13th at 10:30 a.m. ET. The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway will take place Sunday, April 14th at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FS1. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Performance Racing Network.

No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“I don’t have a lot of Cup experience at Texas, but I have some experience in the trucks there. We know that it’s been tough to pass on. I think eventually throughout the day the track takes some rubber and it gets better, but we need to really think about strategy. Martinsville gave us some much needed momentum, we just need to build off of it and bring a fast race car that I can execute with. I’m looking forward to a solid weekend.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“Yeah, like Todd said, Martinsville left him and the team in a good spot to build off of. I think we have a good chance of bringing home another top-15 or even a top-10, we just have to give Todd (Gilliland) a race car he can execute with.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

As Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Freightliner team head into this weekend’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, the team’s focus is on digging their way out of an early season slump.

After eight races, the biggest highlight has been an 11th-place finish in the second race of the season, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Poor finishes put Burton and the team at a disadvantage in upcoming races because the metrics NASCAR uses to determine the qualifying order are based on recent performances.

That means starting the race weekend as one of the first to qualify, which usually means less-than-ideal track conditions relative to the rest of the field. Struggles in qualifying then put the team behind from the start of the race and working from a less-desirable pit stall.

“There’s no getting around the fact that we aren’t where we want to be, and it’s a vicious cycle,” crew chief Jeremy Bullins explained. “Going out early in qualifying has been terrible for us, and track position is such a huge deal, probably more than ever.”

But Bullins remains hopeful that the Freightliner team can work its way out of the slump and begin accumulating points.

“One good week can help us get the whole thing turned around, so we will keep fighting until we get there,” he said.

The next chance to do that begins with practice at Texas on Saturday at 9:35 a.m. Central Time (10:35 Eastern) to be followed by qualifying at 10:20 (11:20 Eastern).

Sunday’s 267-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m. (3:30 Eastern). Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.

FOX Sports 1 will carry the TV coverage both days.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the WoodBrothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

• In 10 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Texas Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has led three laps, logged one top-15 and three top-20 finishes with eight different drivers. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro earned a team-best 14th-place finish at the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 September 25, 2022. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, and fellow drivers Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 from Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Sunday, April 14, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The ninth of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR RaceDay’s pre-race coverage on FS1 will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Corey LaJoie heads to Texas Motor Speedway 28th in the NCS championship point standings. He started 32nd and finished 32nd last weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
• Schluter®-Systems, a key partner for Corey LaJoie and Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) efforts over the last several seasons, will return to the primary position on the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for four races in 2024, beginning with this weekend’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
• Schluter Systems provides innovative, easy to use installation systems to support the durability, integrity and design of tile installations. With over 8,000 products within its growing portfolio, Schluter Systems is continuously improving the landscape of the tile industry. Their educational workshops and intuitive approach to product design supports Schluter’s position as an industry leader in quality and service. Schluter Systems services North America with multiple Training, Distribution and Manufacturing facilities in Plattsburgh, NY, Montreal, QC, Reno, NV, and Fort Worth, TX. For more information, visit www.schluter.com.
• Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will mark LaJoie’s 11th NCS start at Texas Motor Speedway and 245th career NCS start.
• In 10 previous NCS starts at Texas Motor Speedway, LaJoie has logged one top 15 and three top 20s including a venue best 14th-place finish. The Concord, N.C. native recorded a 31.2 average start, a 27.8 average finish and completed 2,809 of 3,276 laps contested (85.7 percent).
• Last September, LaJoie started in the 27th and finished 26th in the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro.

Corey LaJoie Quotes
It’s been a challenging couple of weeks but you’ve got Schluter Systems on board at Texas Motor Speedway so that’s gotta provide an extra boost heading into this weekend.
“We’re all ready for a rebound at Texas Motor Speedway for Schluter Systems’ first primary race of the season. These guys have supported my career from the beginning, so the timing couldn’t be any better for a comeback.”

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Sunday will mark Zane Smith’s second NCS start at Texas Motor Speedway, but his first driving the No. 71 Ambetter Health Chevrolet Camaro for Spire Motorsports.
• This will be his first race driving the Ambetter Health paint scheme. Ambetter Health is on a mission to get everyone affordable, high-quality health insurance. Our drive to break down barriers and help make insurance more accessible to all has made us America’s No. 1 Marketplace health insurance. Learn more about how we are paving the way to better coverage at ambetterhealth.com.
• Race fans can meet Smith on Sunday at the Ambetter Health activation in the TMS Fanzone at 11 a.m. local time.
• Following his visit to the Ambetter Health display, Smith will stop at the Chevrolet activation for a Q&A at 11:45 a.m.
• Last September at TMS, Smith started 33rd and finished 24th in the No. 36 Front Row Motorsports entry.
• Smith started 24th and finished 31st last Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
• Smith will drive the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s SpeedyCash 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race at TMS. It marks the 2022 NCTS champion’s third of four scheduled races with the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing team.
• Smith owns five NCTS starts at TMS. He’s led 38 laps and posted two top-10 finishes.

Tell us about your excitement to run the Ambetter Health paint scheme for the first time this season.
“This is the first race this season that I will be carrying Ambetter Health on my No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevy Camaro. This paint scheme is really cool and I know it will stand out on the track. I’m fortunate for the partnership with Ambetter Health as we work together to help make insurance more accessible to all. Sunday, I will be doing a Q&A at the Ambetter Health Activation in the Fanzone, so I’m looking forward to meeting lots of fans on race day.”

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

• Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will mark Carson Hocevar’s second career NCS start at Texas Motor Speedway where Premier Security will return to the primary position aboard the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro.
• TMS is home to Hocevar’s first NCTS win. The four-time NCTS race winner took the checkered flag in last April’s Speedycash.com 250. He went on to earn three more NCTS wins in 2023 and finished third in the division’s championship point standings.
• In his lone NCS start at Texas Motor Speedway, Hocevar started 19th and finished 16th in last September’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. This was the fifth NCS race of his career.
• In three NCTS starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Hocevar has logged a 9.3 average start, a 5.3 average finish and recorded two top-five finishes. The 21-year-old racer has led five laps and completed 100 percent of the laps contested in NCTS competition at the Fort Worth oval.
• Hocevar finished 17th in last Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. After qualifying 25th, the Portage, Mich. native worked his way through the field to bring home his fourth top-20 finish of the season.
• Premier Security is a long-time supporter of Hocevar’s career. The Flint, Mich.-headquartered organization has been prominently featured alongside Hocevar dating to his time racing short tracks in the pavement late model ranks.
• From the famous bricks of Saginaw Street in Flint, Mich., to industrial, residential, and commercial sites across North America, Premier Security Solutions has built an unmatched standard of security. Today, Premier has taken steps to advance technology and utilize new tools to combat theft and become an anti-crime organization. Premier’s Global Security Operations Center is a state-of-the-art facility, working around the clock to protect assets, corporations, schools, and families.
• Premier deploys more than 1,000 guards around the country and protects homes, families, executive-level leaders, and major corporations. Premier’s team of retired law enforcement professionals protects more than 50 school buildings and high net-worth families, delivering an unparalleled level of service. Premier prides itself on a standard of service ensuring its customers receive the protection and peace of mind they deserve.
• Hocevar is currently 25th in the NCS championship point standings. He sits two spots and four points behind fellow Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year contender Josh Berry.
• Hocevar will greet fans and participate in a question-and-answer session at the Trackside Live/EchoPark stage in the TMS Fan Zone Sunday at 11:15 a.m. CT.

What does it take to run well at Texas Motor Speedway?
“It’s a lot of things. Being able to carry a lot of throttle to run through (turns) one and two. I don’t think anybody’s really ever going to complain about handling in (turns) three and four, so it’s only one end of the racetrack you’ve got to run really well, and the other end kind of takes care of itself. More important is track position. We need to qualify good. As we all say, we need to run good on Saturday to run really good on Sunday. I think we can make that happen.”
This track is home to your first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win and you also ran well last year in the Cup car. Does this make you more excited for the weekend or do you feel any added pressure to perform well based on your history here?
“I feel more confident about the fact that I did well last year with Luke (Lambert) in a Cup car than I do about winning last year in trucks. Of course, that win means so much to me but they’re both so different and we had the chance for a top-10 car last year in Cup, so I know I can do well. I think the 77 team is plenty capable to make that happen and more than anything, just excited to get back on a mile-and-a-half because I think that’s where we really shine.”

From the Top of the Box

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
• Sparks, a Winston-Salem, N.C., native, has been paired with LaJoie since 2020.
• Combined, Sparks and LaJoie have earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish in the 2024 Daytona 500.

Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Stephen Doran begins his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team during the 2024 season.
• In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
• Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar
• The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher.
• In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on March 1, 2024, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.