Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 20, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media on Friday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.  

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you think back to the Chance 2 era and your relationship with Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

“Yeah, a lot of special memories, and a lot of fun stuff that we got to do together. He was a veteran around here at that point, so I learned a lot of the ropes on how things go from him and tagged along – doing a lot of the things that he got to do. I got to experience a lot of the things I never would have had at that point in my career. A lot of fun. A lot of memories. We got to go to victory lane a bunch, so that was cool. I told him the other night when I saw him that – ‘can you just do one more year of a few Xfinity races, so we can race together one last time?’ – but definitely a ton of good memories. Definitely an amazing start to my career because of him and the team that he built.”

Are you willing to go out of your comfort zone or your ethical zone to advance out of the round tomorrow night?

“I really don’t know. I think it will just kind of depend on the situation – what we find ourselves in and what is going on, but most likely not. I will most likely I will race the same way I always do and hopefully we are good enough to get the job done in that way.”

Do you feel any responsibility as you leave the garage in a full-time capacity to discuss with others on officiating racing and the contact on track?

“I would say I won’t have anything to do with that going forward. I will enjoy watching. I don’t know. It is interesting – just to see how much things have changed over the years. It just has kind of been a gradual shift of these things. I was frustrated and all of that, but I think it is road courses – mostly – turn one after restarts. At a lot of the places, we’ve moved the restart zone back. If it was off turn six, maybe, at Watkins Glen, that would be a good thing. I think overall the race was great, besides from the inability to pass, which is a problem. That is kind of what spurs on those restarts of, alright, I’ve got to get a spot or two here because it is the only chance that I really have – besides a handful of cars that could pass a few guys. But to answer your question, no, I don’t think I will put my hat in the ring on officiating racing or telling people what they should or shouldn’t do.”

How isolating can it be to be a full-time NASCAR driver?

“It is just a big commitment – a lot of things that you miss out on. We don’t get sick days. We can’t be late for things. It is none of that. We can’t take a weekend off of work or day off work to do friends and family things, you know? There is a lot of things that you miss out on, but that is part of the job. That is what you commit to. If you are going to do this, you have to be all in. If you are going to be good at it, you have to be 100 percent committed to it. You just get comfortable in that situation and what it is, and I think the people around you do as well. I wouldn’t say you feel isolated. I would say you just feel that you miss out on lots of things.”

Is it even too late to change your ethical guidelines on how you do things?
“Probably (laughter). I’ve been racing the same way my whole career. You can’t just wake up one day and say that you are going to drive through everyone. It is just not in your DNA.”

What is the process today with the tires?

“We just have been working on it all week, like we normally do – looking at video, data and simulator time. Trying to kind of understand – or guess somewhat – because the hard part about this track is it changes a lot. You never quite know what you are going to get – are we going to race the bottom or are we going to race the top? Are the tires going to wear out like they did in the spring or is it going to be like last fall? There is always a lot of questions when you come here, but I think we have a game plan that we feel like is the right way to approach it for us, and we will just be able to take it one step at a time.”

Are you nervous about tomorrow night?

“It is our last shot. I don’t know. I wouldn’t say nervous, you just kind of want to get it done with – the next 24 hours there is going to be a lot to talk about, a lot to think about and a lot of guess work on how we approach the race. We will just see, but I wouldn’t say that it is nervous. I’ve been doing this long enough, that I just look forward to the opportunity. You just more want to get it over with and see how it all turns out, so hopefully it is good, but the guys are working hard, and I’m hoping that it races like it did in the spring because that worked out well for us, we will just see. Hopefully it goes well.”

Do you have some sense of just being done with it?

“That just usually lasts a few hours, and you get home and you are like okay, everything is okay in the world and we are going to get to work on Bristol, and hopefully we are going to do what we need to do. It is not easy. We are in quite a hole, but I look forward to the opportunity and just hope nothing bad happens.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bristol Night Race Media Availability | Bristol Motor Speedway
Friday, September 20, 2024

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse, has already clinched a spot in the Round of 12 after winning the playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Logano answered questions from the media today at Bristol Motor Speedway before qualifying for tomorrow night’s race.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAS LOCKING YOURSELF INTO THE ROUND OF 12 ALLOWED THE 22 TEAM TO DO AND PREPARE FOR THE REST OF THE PLAYOFFS? “To answer your question, it’s been nice to be able to think a little bit further forward for the next two races that were ahead of us, not that we discount these races any, but it does give you the advantage to look a little bit ahead – not like it does when you win in the Round of 8 and you have the opportunity to look for just one race. These races still matter. There’s still a long ways to go in the playoffs, but it’s more comfortable, I’ll say that. You sleep a little better at night, which is nice, but next week in Kansas we’re right back to where we were, so we’ve got to go make sure we score points again.”

IS THIS JUST WHO WE ARE NOW OR IS THERE AN EBB AND FLOW TO WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE TRACK NOW? WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT EVERYONE AGREES WE MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM? “I don’t really know. I think we know where the line is. We saw that a few weeks ago in Richmond. We know that’s too far. Outside of that, there’s gonna be bumping and banging and there’s gonna be some door-to-door, bumper-to-bumper, that’s gonna happen in NASCAR racing and the bottom line is our cars are stronger than they’ve ever been, for the most part. Outside of the really fragile parts, most of the parts are really, really tough. Even on superspeedways, the pushes and the bumps are tougher than ever because those type of bumps used to knock the nose in. Now they’re tougher. We used to not be able to even lay a fender on somebody because you’d cut a tire down or you’d knock your fender in and lose a ton of downforce. These cars aren’t like that anymore. Even the Xfinity cars, we’ve kind of seen this coming when they went to the composite body that those cars could hit the wall and keep on going most of the time. When you put that body on Cup car, you’re gonna see the same thing and when you also make all the cars the same, like they’re all close enough to where they run almost the same speed and everyone knows that if you want to move through the field, it’s gonna have to be on restarts and everyone gets more and more aggressive in those moments because they know that’s the opportunity to move through the field if you’re gonna do it. That’s why I think we’re all fighting for tire fall off because it opens up the opportunity for cars to be different speeds, and ultimately be able to race more and be able to pass more than just in the first five laps of a run, so you have a little bit more separation throughout the field. I think some of it is the product of the environment that you’re in sometimes and the race car that we have.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO DUPLICATE WHAT YOU DID IN ROUND ONE, NOT HAVING TO ROLL INTO THOSE RACES IN ROUND TWO WITH ANY PRESSURE TO MAKE SOMETHING BIG HAPPEN? “In each round it’s harder to move onto the next round. They’re taking less cars, so each round a win means more the previous round. The nice part about winning in any round, but in the first round particular, is that you have five playoff points that continue with us into the next round, so those are nice, which you can argue means as much as the win sometimes when you’re going through this next couple rounds. If you could win at Kansas, yeah, you’re gonna feel fantastic. Somebody will and will feel great. Hopefully, it’s us. Outside of that, you’ve got to try to score points because you look at Watkins Glen last weekend and the day a lot of playoff drivers had. It’s pretty wild out there. We talked a minute ago about how close everybody is on speed. The cars that aren’t in the playoffs are still really good and can win as well, so it’s just a different ball game than what we had a couple years ago with the old car.”

DO YOU FEEL YOU ARE IN BETTER PLAYOFF SHAPE THAN YOU’VE BEEN AT TIMES WHEN YOU ACTUALLY COME INTO A PLAYOFF AND WON THE TITLE? “Yeah, I think in both of our titles we haven’t had the most playoff points or really a great regular season leading into it. The playoffs have gone really well for us. There are multiple reasons that go into that, but there have been times that we’ve come into the playoffs with a ton of playoff points and didn’t make it to the Championship 4. I guess it just kind of depends on what the 10 weeks looks like and what each three-week little season looks like. That’s really the most important part is you’ve just got to stay alive and stay in the game three weeks at a time.”

HARRISON BURTON IS GOING TO AM RACING NEXT YEAR. WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN FROM THAT ORGANIZATION AS THEY TRY TO BUILD AND WILL IT BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A CUP GUY COMING IN? “I think it will be good for both of them. It’s good for Harrison. It’s good for AM to have each other. There’s so much potential in that race team and they really just need consistency. That was the biggest thing I took out of the whole thing. When you’re switching to a different driver every week, and it’s not their fault, but some drivers have zero experience and some have a lot of experience, but the ones that have none can’t guide the team into the right things. If you haven’t really raced an Xfinity car many times, you don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like, so you can’t tell them what’s wrong. In return, the team can’t get any better because they don’t know what’s wrong because the driver’s not telling them, so they need some consistency. Harrison will definitely be great for that. He definitely has a lot of experience winning Xfinity races and running in the Cup Series for a few years. It’s amazing what just a year or two of Cup racing will do for you. When you go back to Xfinity after running Cup and you see the level of not only the drivers but the people that are in the Cup level, it’s night and day different. And when you’re able to take some of that experience of like, ‘I’ve seen the other side’ and bring that to a team like AM, it’s a huge value for them. I think it’s a great win for the both of them. I wish them the best of luck. Now I’ve got some relationships over there, so you want to see then do good and I think they will. I also think there will be a learning curve and some bugs that have to get worked out first, but there’s a lot of potential there. The car can run in the top 10. Every time I’ve been in it it can do that, but it’s just getting the little stuff worked out.”

IS THE TIRE SITUATION STRESSFUL TO YOU OR JUST ANOTHER VARIABLE BECAUSE NOBODY IS SURE WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO TOMORROW NIGHT? “Not as stressful for me as it is for others (laughing). It’s a huge variable. It might be the biggest one. We’re not 100 percent sure and we’re gonna see here in a few minutes when practice starts and we get out there and we start running a few laps and say, ‘OK, what was it? Was it the tires, the track temperature, the resin?’ What is it. Will it repeat? I think it will. My take is I think it will. I don’t know if everyone is voting on what we think. We should all put a vote in to see who’s right, but I think it will fall off hard again, but there’s no way to be 100 percent certain that that’s what it’s gonna be until we get out there. But I think we’ll know in practice what the race will look like this time. Last time in the spring, we saw that in practice and everyone’s like, ‘Yeah, but the track will rubber up and it will get better. Wear will go down and the pace will go down,’ and then it didn’t. It stayed the whole time. Now, the teams will be more aware of it. I’m sure a lot of teams probably made some changes to their cars from last time. That will help that. I thought it was great last time. It’s entertaining to watch, just watching the race back. There was so much going on, almost too much going on to where you can’t actually keep up with it all, but it definitely threw quite the old slider on us that we weren’t ready to see. This time, everyone will be more prepared.”

IS THE EXPECTATION THE SAME FOR THE ROUND OF 12 WITH THE WILD CARD RACES IN THAT ROUND? “I think it’s the most wild cards we’ve ever had in the playoffs – ever as far as racetracks that we’re just not certain of. Kansas, we talk about Kansas and there are a lot of crazy things that happen at Kansas, too. When you look at those restarts when you’re four and five-wide, you’re gonna tell me that’s a calm situation? That’s the most calm race that we have in the next round? Are you kidding me? And then you look at this round. Watkins Glen was really supposed to be the most predictable race of the three. I mean, I don’t think we’ve had a playoff schedule that’s looked like this ever before. I absolutely expect more of the same. Like I said, it’s a lot about survival – survive and move on and get to the Round of 8 and figure it out from there.”

DO YOU HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY TO GAMBLE AND TRY TO DO SOMETHING CRAZY TO WIN THE RACE IF YOU NEED TO? “Yeah. That’s the position we’re in. That’s what we’re going for this weekend. We tried that last weekend in Watkins Glen. It was either stage win, race win – that’s all that mattered. We were in position to do that if that caution didn’t come out coming to the end of the second stage. We were pretty certain that Ross and Shane were gonna pit there and we would have won that stage and we would have been as happy as could be with a playoff point leaving there, and that caution came out maybe six seconds too soon. We lost all our track position for basically nothing at that point and took our chance to win away, but that’s just the cards that were played. Sometimes they just don’t fall in your favor and that’s kind of what happened last week, but this week is the same thing. You’ve got to be able to go out there and if we can win, great. It’s the Bristol Night Race. Everybody wants to win this race. This is a big one, but if we go win a stage and put ourselves off strategy to do that or whatever it may be, we may look at that opportunity maybe a little bit more so than if we were just racing for points.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING UPSIDE-DOWN IN A RACE CAR AND WHAT IS THE FEELING WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE ELSE GOING THROUGH THAT? “What it’s like, it’s honestly the scariest part about being in a car because it’s the time where you literally have zero control of your car. There are other times where you may be wrecking, but you can at least steer it or do something. It’s kind of like if the throttle sticks. There’s only so much you can do. It’s like the scariest thing because you’re along for the ride. Well, once the tires leave the ground, there’s no input that you can make to make a difference. You’re along for the ride and that’s not a comfortable feeling. It’s kind of hard to put into words. Most people will never understand what that feels like or can even imagine what that’s like, and that’s why it’s hard to put into words. You know that this might hurt or maybe worse, but there’s nothing you can do about it so you’re just strapped in and holding on, so when you watch somebody else go through a traumatic experience like that, the human side of you is obviously concerned for them and you just want to know if they’re OK or not as quickly as possible. That’s really what you want to know. You hope that they are and then you move on and you go racing again. It’s just what we have to do. That’s the part that probably makes us a little bit crazy and different than most people is that we watch that and know what it’s like and you say, ‘OK, let’s go. Let’s go again.’ That’s just what racers do.”

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN FROM AUSTIN THESE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND MONTHS LEADING UP TO THIS POINT WITH HIM AND THE 2 TEAM? “I wouldn’t say it’s surprising. When you look at especially those first two racetracks, those were right in his wheelhouse. Superspeedways, road courses, that’s Austin’s wheel house. Not that he can’t win anywhere else. We saw him win at Gateway, but I think if you look off of history and whether it’s Xfinity or Cup, wherever it may be, those type of racetracks are what fits him and that team. I’m not surprised to see that many points scored from them. Hopefully, we can keep all the Penske cars in when we leave here tomorrow night and be able to fight again next week and try to keep them all in all the way to the end.”

Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is coming off his first win of the season last week at Watkins Glen International. He stopped by the infield media center at Bristol Motor Speedway and talked about his week and expectations for Saturday night’s race.

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – IS THERE LESS PRESSURE TRYING TO WIN RACES WITHOUT BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS? “To be clear, we’ll take a win at any point in the season and in the moment part of me cared that it was past the playoff cutoff line. But as you sit there and think about it and know that we were able to win that race and know that we’ve got a lot of good ones coming up, obviously I wish things would have played out better earlier in the year and we would have been able to be in the playoffs knowing what that win would have done for a round for us. That being said, we go to the racetrack to win races no matter the situation. I don’t know that it changes the pressure on the weekend, but it does take the mindset of having to chase three or four stage points here or there in a race and ultimately set us up for a strategy that puts us in the best scenario to win a race versus trying to hunt those couple points along the way. I think that’s the bigger difference. It’s not necessarily how we approach the weekend and any of the effort that’s put into it or any of the prep work, that all stays the same. It’s just a little different on how you can play some strategy calls and maybe take a little bit more of a chance throughout a race.”

WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT KANSAS AND THE WAY THAT ENDED, WHAT DO YOU THINK? “I think about 100 different things that could have created a thousandth of a second (laughing). Trust me, that one has been replayed a lot and will continue to be no matter what. You go there and win next week and you’re still gonna say, ‘Man, we lost a chance at another one months back.’ The same way coming to Bristol. Every time I show up at this place I think about leading on a green-white-checker in an Xfinity race and running out of fuel or having a fuel stumble. That was probably 10 years ago, nine or 10 years ago, and it’s still on my mind when we show up and walk down that tunnel. That one is never going away, but, to your point, when we go there it’s exciting to know that it’s another racetrack that we’ve had circled for a long time as a fast racetrack for us, something that we’ve found a lot of speed and been good at and have the opportunity to capitalize on when we get there. There’s always gonna be some amount of looking back, but the good news is when we look back on it the high notes are the fact that we were even in the position to be able to win a race and how do we execute just ever so slightly different.”

ON THAT LAST LAP AT KANSAS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT AND WISH YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? “It’s line decisions, knowing that if you would have gotten back to the throttle three inches earlier that it probably makes the difference. That’s an incredibly small number as well. I just think about all that. Being ready for the contact down the front straightaway. If I would have been more prepared for that, I wouldn’t have been caught off-guard and been sideways scrubbing speed out of it. A lot of different things in that moment that we’ll be more prepared for that next go-around.”

DO YOU FEEL RFK IS WHERE IS SHOULD BE NOW? “We’re not winning every week, so we’re not where we should be. Granted, that’s not a realistic expectation in our sport, but the chance to win every week or the opportunity, the speed, the ability to say if things would have played out in a little more favorable way. Don’t leave there saying that we didn’t execute to the best of our ability that we didn’t have the speed capable of winning a race. It’s a lot of different things. You’ll never win every one of them, but how do you at least feel like you had a shot given a couple things go your way and you’re able to do everything right from what you can control. We’re not there. It’s been a great year. It’s been a really good turn around for the last three seasons, but it needs a little bit more yet. That’s showcased by the fact that we weren’t able to win a race before the playoffs, that we don’t have more wins on the season. For us, this race will be stressful for the 6 bunch and Brad. It’s been a very good racetrack for RFK – for myself and for Brad – so I don’t think there’s a worry about not having speed when we come to this place, but needing to fully execute on everything that we can knowing how this spring race went, what do we predict this go-around and what does that actually look like. When we get into practice there are a lot of different things on the table that are on our minds because we’re not exactly where we want to be, but massive progress has been made and is continuing to be pushed towards a better standard each and every week still.”

DOES IT FEEL PARADOXICAL THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GO FOR THE WIN LAST WEEK WHILE MANY OF THE PLAYOFF DRIVERS HAD TO POINTS RACE? “Yeah, when you put it that way. It’s certainly interesting to think about and I talked a lot probably six weeks ago or eight weeks ago – through that stretch – we’ve been kind of living on a bubble for that playoff spot for a long time, and knowing that we were gonna need a win most likely. We did a good job at putting ourselves in a good spot and recovering from three accidents in the last three weeks and gaining a ton of points on those that we thought we were racing and a couple new winners got us, but that being said, I talked a lot about the fact that I think that points racing does take away your best effort when you go to the racetrack. I did not want to get stuck in that mindset as we got into those last couple of months that we were going to the racetrack just to try to grab stage points and finish decently. I don’t want to do that. The system can lead you down that road if you’re not careful and it can work. Obviously, the most secure way to do it is to win, so, yes, it is weighted toward going out there and just winning a race, but it’s easy as you get down to the wire to know that you are close on the points side of things with half a dozen other drivers that you’ve got to be aware of it. You can’t be out there making insane calls or massive risk taking, but at the same time could that have worked out? Maybe. Really, I think about the last three weeks and we were in an accident every one of those weeks and we were in an accident because we were making strategy calls to try and figure out how to win a race and not to try to capitalize on two or three points here or there.”

Team, Hoosier-State Native to Jump Start 2025 Campaign at Kansas Speedway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 20, 2024) – Who says you can’t go home again?

Spire Motorsports has agreed to a multi-year contract with Justin Haley to drive the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) beginning with next weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Haley will take over the controls of the No. 7 Chevy Camaro from Corey LaJoie, who will swap rides with him and finish out the 2024 season in Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 entry.

Haley, a native of Winamac, Ind., made his NCS debut for Spire Motorsports on April 28, 2019 at Talladega Superspeedway and picked up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – less than three months later in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro at Daytona International Speedway.

Haley is a veteran of all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series and began his career racing at the national level in the ARCA Menards Series when he was just 15-years-old. Since then, he’s gone on to amass 294 total starts across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

At 25-years-old, Haley has collected four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned wins across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series.

“Justin Haley is extraordinarily talented and we’re thrilled to welcome him back home and to have a young driver of his caliber behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet beginning next weekend at Kansas Speedway,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “We’re grateful to our friends at Rick Ware Racing for teeing up the the idea of a trade between Justin and Corey as the 2024 season winds down. We think this is a great opportunity to get a head start on 2025 and to get Justin acclimated so we’re ready to put our best foot forward next season.

“This moment doesn’t come without some reflection, and as I’ve said all along, Corey LaJoie is and will always be more than a driver to us. He’s an incredible person, a great father and dependable teammate. He’ll always be family. He deserves this new opportunity with an emerging team and allowing them to take another step forward in their trajectory. Again, just a win-win all around.”

Haley is a veteran of 136 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 15 top 10s and led 98 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.

While many drivers, native to the Hoosier State, pursue careers in the open wheel ranks, Haley was drawn to stock cars and made his mark on the national stage in his early teens.

After making his maiden ARCA Menards Series start in May 2014, he turned heads by recording his first pole position and top-three finish one race later. Haley earned four top 10s that season and would secure his first win two seasons later in just his 13th start on the ARCA national tour.

Haley made six CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts from 2015-2016, before joining the series full-time in 2017, following his 18th birthday. He notched the first of three 2018 wins in June at World Wide Technology Raceway and went on to visit Victory Lane later that season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Texas Motor Speedway prior to finishing the season third in points.

He shifted his full-time focus to the Xfinity Series in 2019, earning four-top five and 20 top-10 finishes enroute to a 12th-place finish in the season-ending points tally. He further cemented his pedigree that same season with the upset NCS win at the “World Center of Racing.”

“Spire Motorsports gave me my first few starts in the Cup Series,” said Haley. “My first was in the No. 77 at Talladega on my 20th birthday. We had a lot of great runs in our first year together in 2019, and there’s still a lot of familiar faces around there who were on the team back then. I’m excited to come home. This is where I got my start in the Cup Series, and I’m excited to go out there and compete with (crew chief) Ryan Sparks and the No. 7 team. The next seven races will give us nice head start and a baseline for next season.”

He continued to prove his mettle the following year when he earned three Xfinity Series wins between Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona before closing out the season with a third-place points’ showing. A year later, he would win again at Daytona to compliment nine top fives and 24 top 10s. He finished 12th, third and sixth, respectively in Xfinity Series points from 2019-2021, amassing four wins, 23 top-five and 65 top-10 finishes.

Since 2019, he’s logged 136 starts in NASCAR’s premier division, recording five top fives and 15 top 10s. He has driven Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 entry to a pair of top 10s this season. Haley has paced the field for 25 laps and completed 99.2 percent of the laps contested in 2024.

In July, Spire Motorsports announced Rodney Childers, a 40-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race winning crew chief and one of the sport’s most respected tacticians, will lead Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team beginning in 2025.

Childers, 48, led Kevin Harvick to the 2014 NCS championship and is the winningest active crew chief in NASCAR’s premier division. The Mooresville native called 37 wins from 2014 – 2023. Prior to the over three dozen victories with Harvick, Childers is credited with leading drivers David Reutimann and Brian Vickers to Victory Lane.

“Having someone like Rodney behind you and supporting you on the pit box is one of the biggest motivations you can have as a driver and a team,” said Haley. “I’m really looking forward to working with Rodney. He brings a lot to the table, especially for a younger driver like me. He had lots of success with Kevin (Harvick) for several years, and I feel like we have similar aspects to each other. I’m looking forward to seeing what he has to say and how he approaches a race weekend. Obviously, every crew chief prepares and executes the weekend differently, so I’m ready to absorb all I can from him.”

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 campaigns 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 also fields 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 drives the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Silverados 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 April 12, 2024, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

STATESVILLE, N.C. / WESTLAKE, Ohio (Sept. 20, 2024) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB today announced a partnership with DriveValue.com, powered by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), to serve as the primary partner on the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camry XSE beginning in 2025. DriveValue.com is a platform that equips business owners and leaders with the education, insights, resources, and experts needed to maximize profits, attract exceptional talent, build impactful cultures, and drive unprecedented value—while gaining the freedom they desire.

“I’ve had the pleasure to get to know the great individuals with DriveValue.com — you will not meet a more passionate group of people,” said John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota Camry XSE. “I look forward to representing the DriveValue.com brand on track at Nashville next season. I was fortunate enough to secure the Gibson guitar trophy earlier this year with a NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Nashville, nothing sounds better than to get DriveValue.com a guitar in their debut in the NASCAR Cup Series.”

The partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will prominently feature the DriveValue.com brand/marks on the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1, 2025.

DriveValue.com is powered by the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), which is recognized globally as a leader and innovator in exit planning. Since 2005, EPI has educated business advisors on the importance of exit planning and its implementation. EPI has since standardized this expertise through the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credentialing program, certifying over 5,000 active advisors. EPI Academy further supports advisors and business owners by offering self-paced courses designed to build, refine, and master essential exit planning skills.

“The future of business ownership and leadership is about more than just success it’s about creating significance that lasts,” said Scott Snider, President of EPI. “The Drive Value platform, in collaboration with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, is designed to help business owners, their leadership teams and the next generation unlock their company’s full potential, build stronger cultures, and create enduring legacies that go well beyond more annual profits and make a lasting impact to the owner, their families, teams, and communities.”

To learn more about Drive Value, visit drivevalue.com.

ABOUT

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com

ABOUT Drive Value: As the landscape of business ownership evolves, shifting from success to significance is essential for building lasting value. Drive Value empowers business owners, their leadership teams, and the next generation to unlock their company’s full potential by providing the tools, insights, and experts needed to grow profits, build strong cultures, and create lasting impact. The platform equips business owners and their leadership teams with valuable resources and expert guidance to help them create value and align business, personal, and financial goals. By emphasizing a mindset shift toward long-term significance, Drive Value helps owners achieve greater freedom, attract top talent, and build legacies for both their companies and communities.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway… In 187 NASCAR Cup Series starts on the pavement configuration at Bristol Motor Speedway, RCR has scored nine wins, seven by Dale Earnhardt: both races in 1985 and 1987, plus victories in 1988 (fall), 1994 (spring), and 1999 (spring). Kevin Harvick won the 2005 spring event while Jeff Burton won the spring race in 2008. The Welcome, North Carolina based organization has racked up 35 top-five and 71 top-10 finishes.

25th Anniversary of “Rattle His Cage”… Saturday night’s Cup Series race at the World’s Fastest Half Mile marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most memorable finishes in Bristol Motor Speedway history featuring legendary RCR driver Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt, who started 26th, won the 1999 night race following a last-lap bump to Terry Labonte. Earnhardt said in Victory Lane that he didn’t mean to spin out Labonte – just to “rattle his cage.” Earnhardt and Labonte swapped the lead seven times over the last 200 laps in one NASCAR’s classic races.

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol… Richard Childress Racing has nine NASCAR Xfinity Series victories at Bristol Motor Speedway led by Kevin Harvick’s four wins (2000, 2001, 2003, and 2005). Other drivers who have posted wins at the Tennessee short track include Jeff Green (2002), Clint Bowyer (2008), Elliott Sadler (2012), Austin Dillon (2016) and Tyler Reddick (2019). The storied organization has racked up 38 top-five and 64 top-10 finishes at the high banked oval. Austin Hill is the most recent RCR driver to score a top-five result at Bristol Motor Speedway (third in 2022).

Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live Friday, September 20, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The live radio broadcast can be heard on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, September 21 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The radio broadcast will be live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway… Austin Dillon has made a total of 21 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, 18 of which have been on the track’s paved configuration. Dillon has three top-10 results at the track in the paved format, including a fourth place finish in the fall of 2016. The 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion has nine NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the half-mile track with a win in 2016. Dillon has also made three NASCAR Truck Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Winner, Winner… Dillon has won at Bristol Motor Speedway on both the paved and dirt configurations. In addition to winning a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Tennessee track in August 2016 (paved), Dillon was among the first drivers to compete on the track’s dirt surface in 2021. The veteran racer won two features and a heat race in dominating fashion in a 604 Crate Late Model for Corey Hedgecock Racing.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

The Cowboy Way… Dillon is wearing two proverbial hats this weekend – his racing helmet and his cowboy hat. As the General Manager of the Carolina Cowboys, a professional bull riding team in the PBR Team Series, Dillon has spent much of this week managing his roster of cowboys and promoting the team’s homestand, which takes place at the Greensboro Coliseum this weekend. The Cowboys head into Greensboro on top of the PBR Team Series Standings with 15 wins, four losses, and one tie.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:

What are your thoughts on Bristol Motor Speedway?

“Anything can happen at Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s a high-banked short track and you can get caught up in things fast. The Bass Pro Shops Bristol Night Race is a grind for 500 laps and that’s what fans love to see. You are battling it out all race long and it helps to get your car handling better if you can move around and try different lanes on the Bristol concrete. That has helped drivers make long green flag runs. There’s action all over the track and I’m looking forward to the race..”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 36th NASCAR Cup Series start on the pavement at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. Busch leads all active drivers in multiple categories: most victories (eight) – 2007 (spring), 2009 (both races), 2010 (fall), 2011 (spring), 2017 (fall), 2018 (spring) and 2019 (spring), most top-five finishes (14) and most laps led (2,598). The driver of the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet has earned two Cup Series pole positions at the Tennessee short track – 2013 (spring) and 2018 (spring). Busch also claimed a premier series victory on the dirt surface in 2022. The Las Vegas, Nevada native has nine NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and five NASCAR Truck Series victories, marking 23 checkered flags at Bristol Motor Speedway across all three NASCAR national series and surface configurations.

The NASCAR Hat Trick, Twice… Busch made history at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2010, becoming the first driver to win all three NASCAR national series races in the same weekend. Seven years later in 2017, Busch repeated the accomplishment – again at the Last Great Colosseum – when he secured victories in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series events.

Youngest Bristol Winner… Busch also holds the record for youngest Cup Series winner at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was 21 years, 10 months, and 23 days when he won the 2007 Food City 500, his first victory at the .533-mile oval.

Points Check… Busch currently holds the 20th position in the Cup Series driver championship point standings.

About Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen… Cheddar’s serves American classics and homestyle comfort food in a feel-at-home atmosphere. Guests get a lot, for not a lot with homemade entrees like hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, homemade Chicken Pot Pie and slow-smoked Baby Back Ribs so big, they almost fall off the plate. To kick off a memorable meal, every Guest is welcomed with a warm Honey Butter Croissant on the house. Cheddar’s operates more than 180 restaurants in 27 states and employs more than 15,000 friendly and passionate team members. Cheddar’s is open for lunch and dinner, now featuring new weekday lunch specials, starting at just $8.59. For more information or to locate the nearest restaurant, visit Cheddars.com. Fans can like or follow Cheddar’s on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

The tire at Bristol Motor Speedway will be the same compound used in the spring race. What did you learn from that race that will help you this weekend?

“Tire management. Tire management will be the biggest key to the race this weekend. How much you can preserve the life of your tire with your driving style and the things that you do to not punish the tire will be critical.”

The Cup Series will have one 45-minute practice session at Bristol Motor Speedway. Is that something that you would like to see at more tracks in the future?

“Yes. I do think that having one 45-minute or even a 60-minute session would be great for our series and drivers that need more track time going forward.”

You have said that Bristol Motor Speedway is one of your favorite tracks. What makes that track so challenging?

“I love Bristol Motor Speedway. Bristol is always fun though it’s gotten a little more challenging over the years with the Next Gen car because it’s more difficult to pass. I think the tough part of racing at Bristol is the amount of banking and load that you see throughout the entire race. There’s no time to relax. You’re really on top of it for the entire time. That’s kind of what wears on you the most with the repetitious nature of driving down the straightway into the corner. It never seems to stop. It makes it fun for a lot of guys and challenging for others.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway… Jesse Love has made three career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, driving in ARCA Menards Series events from 2021-2023. The Menlo Park, California native started inside the top-five for all three races and recorded a best finish of second-place last season.

About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

Meet Love… On Friday, September 20 at 4:45 p.m. ET, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Zone at Bristol Motor Speedway. Immediately following at 5:15 p.m. ET, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points leader will head to the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Zone to answer fan questions. Stop by to meet Love before the regular season finale event begins.

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

With Bristol Motor Speedway being the final race of the regular season, what is the focus for the No. 2 team?

“Our focus remains the same honestly. We want to go win the race and accumulate as many playoff points as possible. Danny Stockman and everyone on the No. 2 team has been working extremely hard all season, but especially these last few weeks to get us in the best spot entering the Playoffs. We started the season with a ton of speed, hit a lull in the middle, and have started to put together solid races again in the last month. I feel confident in our program and expect us to have a good run on Friday night. I have raced at Bristol a few times already and probably had the best car last season in the ARCA race. We will have to be smart from start to finish, but our Whelen Chevrolet should contend for the win.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway… Austin Hill has made two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, earning a best finish of third in 2022 while piloting the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet. The Winston, Georgia native has also competed in six NASCAR Truck Series events (best finish of 10th) and three ARCA Menards Series East races (best finish of fifth) at the World’s Fastest Half Mile.

About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.

Meet Hill… On Friday, September 20 at 4:15 p.m. ET, Hill is scheduled to answer fan questions at the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Zone at Bristol Motor Speedway. Immediately following at 4:45 p.m., Hill will head to the RCR Merchandise Hauler to sign autographs in the Fan Zone. Stop by to meet the 30-year-old driver before the green flag waves on the regular season finale.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

What does it take to win at Bristol Motor Speedway?

“I guess I really don’t know that yet, because I haven’t won at Bristol Motor Speedway throughout my career. During my rookie season, our No. 21 team had a really good Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet, finished third, and had a shot at winning. Even though I haven’t won there, I know a lot of the things that you’re looking for. You need a very versatile car. You need to be able to run the bottom when the resin is laid down, and as that starts wearing away, you need to be able to move up the racetrack and eventually get up against the fence. That is what I was able to do last year and was really good right up against the wall. There are a lot of wrecks and melee that happens at Bristol, so you have to be patiently aggressive, stay up front all race, keep your track position, and minimize your mistakes.”

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway needing a stellar run to advance to the Round of 12 in the Cup Series Playoffs.

Burton is 16th in the standings, 20 points below the cutoff for advancement to the next round. After Saturday night’s 500-lapper on the high-banked half-mile, the bottom four drivers in the Playoff standings will be eliminated from championship contention.

Even though the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team faces an uphill battle, crew chief Jeremy Bullins says he believes the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang Dark Horse will be among the faster cars come Saturday night.

“Obviously we’d rather be 20 points to the good than 20 points below the cutline heading to Bristol, but I know this will be a good weekend for us,” Bullins said. “Harrison loves Bristol and so do I.

“We are confident we can go have a good run with our Motorcraft Mustang and hopefully earn enough points or a win and move on in the Playoffs.”

Practice for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race is set for Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time and will be followed by qualifying at 5:05 p.m.

Saturday’s 500-lap, 266.5-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 7:30 p.m. with TV coverage on USA Network.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 125 and 250.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.”

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough EVs along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford is pursuing mobility solutions through Ford Next, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 177,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.

About Ford Performance
Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with RedBull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.

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 100 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last eight decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers 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.

JUSTIN HALEY | KAZ GRALA
Bristol Advance
Event Overview

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 21
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Justin Haley, Driver of the No. 51 Pinnacle Home Improvements Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 Pinnacle Home Improvements Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing (RWR), will make his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race. When the series last visited Bristol on March 17, it was a race full of attrition due to unusual tire wear. Haley used pit strategy and tire conservation to work his way into the top-15 within the first 100 laps of the 500-lap race. Without a caution in the final 121 laps, Haley was forced to pit from 10th place under green for his final stop for fresh tires. He finished the race 17th, his second of 11 top-20 finishes this year.

● In his four previous Cup Series starts on the .533-mile, concrete oval, Haley has a best finish of 12th earned in September 2022. The 25-year-old also owns six NASCAR Xfinity Starts at Bristol with two top-10s – a seventh-place effort in his first Bristol start in April 2019, and a sixth-place finish in his last start in September 2021.

● Bristol is the site of Haley’s first career NASCAR national series start. As a 16-year-old on Aug. 19, 2015, he made his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut, starting 21st and finishing 14th against the likes of reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, and the winningest driver in NASCAR history across all three national series, Kyle Busch.

● Pinnacle Home Improvements, headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, is a direct-to-homeowner provider of home improvement services, with a focus on roof replacement, window replacement and other exterior services for existing single-family homes. With additional offices in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Charlotte, North Carolina, the company’s existing service footprint covers a range of attractive Southeast U.S. markets, with planned expansion into new Southeastern markets.

Kaz Grala, Driver of the No. 15 Meat N’ Bone Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 15 Meat N’ Bone Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RWR, will make his second Cup Series start at Bristol in Saturday night’s race. In March, Grala started 33rd and drove to a 19th-place finish at The Last Great Colosseum.

● In two Xfinity Series starts at Bristol, Grala has a best finish of 10th earned last September. He’s finished no worse than 20th in eight of 13 Xfinity Series short-track starts.

● Grala has two Truck Series starts at Bristol with a best finish of 11th, earned in his first start there in August 2016. He also owns two top-five finishes at Bristol in the ARCA Menards Series East (2015 and 2016).

● Meat N’ Bone returns to the No. 15 RWR Ford Mustang Dark Horse after debuting with Grala at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon on June 23. Meat N’ Bone is an online butcher shop offering premium quality meats delivered locally and shipped nationally. Customers can order from over 300 products, including USDA Prime and Wagyu A5, and have it delivered fresh to their door. Meat N’ Bone also offers local pickup and a personalized retail experience in its boutiques.

Rick Ware Racing Notes

● The Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) series concluded its season last weekend at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri. AFT Singles rider Kody Kopp earned his third-straight championship at just 19 years old. Kopp closed out the season with 339 points – 15 ahead of second place – to become the first rider to own three titles and the most race victories (22) in AFT Singles history. In addition to the record for most titles and most wins, Kopp holds either sole possession or a share of first place all-time in Short Track, Half-Mile, and single-season victories.

● The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series heads back to zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, this weekend for the Carolina Nationals. RWR Top Fuel driver Clay Millican enters the event sixth in the standings after the first event of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in Reading, Pennsylvania last Sunday. Millican earned a first-round win against Josh Hart, but was eliminated in the second round by points-leader Justin Ashley. Three weeks ago, the Drummonds, Tennessee, native earmed his seventh career win at the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

● 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, 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

You ran well at Bristol in March, even with the unpredictable tire wear. Now that everyone has had time to think through that situation, would you be more comfortable if tire wear was once again a major factor?

“It’s not really a comfortable situation to be in, having to conserve tires all race, but I feel like I’ve always kind of taken care of my car and tires. I think we did a good job of that last time and it was just timing of cautions that worked against us. If we’re dealing with the same thing this time, I think everyone will have a better idea of what to do, which also evens the playing field a little.”

Bristol is the first cutoff race for the playoff drivers. How do you run your race and try to get the best finish without potentially impacting the playoff battle?

“Thankfully, Bristol is always a little chaotic, so it’s not a new or different way of racing there. You have to be aware of what’s going on around you at all times. You don’t want to get in the way, but even trying to do that could lead to losing several spots. So, yeah, you do the best you can to not get in the middle of it but it’s still a race with 30-something cars on track and we all want to do well.”

Kaz Grala, Driver Q&A

What are your thoughts on Bristol after making your first Cup Series start there in March?

“I really enjoy short-track racing and, with one race at Bristol under my belt, it helps that you have to have similar strategy there no matter what you’re racing. The tire wear in the spring definitely threw everyone for a loop, but it didn’t necessarily change how you race Bristol. You still have to find your rhythm and what works best, then try to do that every lap.”

Knowing that Goodyear is using the tire compound from the spring race, how do you prepare?

“I think you have to go into the race expecting the same thing and maybe hoping that’s not how it goes. Track position is important, but so is making tires last, so I think you prepare for it like it’s any other short-track race. You try to stay out of trouble, take care of your equipment and tires, and get the best finish possible.”

RYAN PREECE
Bristol Advance
No. 41 Old Armor Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 21
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile, concrete oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/266.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 125 laps / Stage 2: 125 laps / Final Stage: 250 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The Bass Pro Shops Night Race Saturday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway brings Ryan Preece back to the high-banked, half-mile concrete oval where he has a solid resume across multiple racing disciplines, highlighted by NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories. The driver of the No. 41 Old Armor Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing will make his eighth career NASCAR Cup Series start Saturday night and his 19th overall. Best among his previous seven Cup Series starts was a ninth-place finish in September 2020. It was one of four career top-15s for Preece at the East Tennessee short track where he has an average Cup Series finish of 15.3. Preece finished 14th in his prior visit to Bristol last March.

● Preece’s Xfinity Series win at Bristol came in April 2018 while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his third and most recent Xfinity Series start at Bristol, Preece qualified seventh and led four times for 39 laps, including the final 10 on his way to the victory over Justin Allgaier. In his first two Xfinity Series starts at Bristol, Preece finished 19th and 15th in the 2016 spring and fall races, respectively, driving for owner Johnny Davis.

● In his eight Whelen Modified Tour starts at Bristol – the only open-wheel series sanctioned by NASCAR – Preece never finished worse than 11th. His victory came in the August 2015 race in his third Tour start at the track. He qualified second and led 47 of 103 laps on his way to victory over polesitter Woody Pitkat. Preece scored three Bristol podiums, five top-fives and seven top-10s in his eight Tour starts. His Tour debut there in August 2009 resulted in a third-place finish, a result he equaled in his very next visit in August 2022.

● Old Armor Beer Company adorns Preece’s No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend at Bristol. Old Armor is owned and operated by combat veterans who served overseas protecting America. Co-founded by Kyle Lingafelt, an active duty U.S. Marine from 2008 to 2018, and Stefan Perrine, a U.S. Army Paratrooper from 2010 to 2015, Old Armor’s mission is twofold – to provide great craft beer while giving back to the community. Old Armor has 12 of its unique brews dedicated to supporting charitable foundations, specifically those assisting veterans and first responders. From its taproom in downtown Kannapolis, North Carolina, located less than 15 minutes from Stewart-Haas Racing’s headquarters, customers can also give back via Old Armor’s “Pay It Forward Board” where anyone 21 years or older can buy a beer for a veteran or first responder. This small act of kindness covers a service member’s or first responders’ ice-cold pint of freedom before they even step inside, embracing Old Armor’s motto of leading from the front. We recommend Old Armor’s Stewart-Haas Summer Ale, which debuted this year.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 Old Armor Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You’re heading back to Bristol after having endured a challenging race there in the spring with regard to tire wear. Will the lessons learned that weekend help you and the team deal more effectively with the tire wear anticipated once again this weekend?

“Now that we all know and have an understanding of how the cars and the tires behaved there in the spring, I think we’ve all made adjustments and made it that much better. I feel pretty good about everybody going back after having made those adjustments and being better this time around. Obviously, we left there the last time with some work to do – the tire wear was excessive, but at the same time we maximized our day. If we didn’t have a tire come apart at the end of the race, we could’ve finished top-10, so that is encouraging.”

What makes Bristol unique among the short tracks you’ve raced on, and would you say the success you’ve had there gives you and the team added confidence heading into the weekend?

“Bristol is super fast, high-banked, and not very forgiving, so it’s a track that can bite you pretty quickly. At the same time, it’s one of my favorite tracks. We can run on the top and run on the bottom, so as a driver, you’re never locked into a spot and never feel like you can’t move forward. It’s certainly been a track that has been good to me. It’s one of the stronger racetracks that we go to, so the confidence is pretty high. We’re looking to build some consistency and string together some really good finishes over these final races of the season, so hopefully we’ll return with the speed we’ll need to make that happen this weekend.”

Racing for 500 laps at Bristol is described as a constant balance of risk versus reward. Being a track where things can happen seemingly in an instant, but also knowing you have only small windows of opportunity to make things happen when you need to, how do you navigate those 500 laps?

“Bristol is a really fast short track, so doing the whole bump-and-run is kind of risky now, but at the same time, there are points during that race that we will need to force the issue, and just knowing how to do that correctly plays a big part.”

What aspects of your vast experience racing on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour have helped the most when it comes to the way you approach short tracks in a Cup Series car?

“Obviously, when it comes to short-track racing, and the experience that I have in Modifieds, all the experience racing at my local tracks and on the Whelen Modified Tour, have certainly shaped who I am as a driver. I’ve won at Bristol in a Modified, and I’ve won there in an Xfinity car. I would say that the grit of having to pass cars and find a way to the front is there. It’s just a matter of going out and executing over the course of 500 laps on Saturday night.”

No. 41 Old Armor 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: Sherman Timbs

Hometown: Indianola, Mississippi

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

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

Bristol Motor Speedway

 NASCAR will make the trek to east Tennessee for three-straight nights of racing under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be making their second appearance of the season at “The Last Great Colosseum”, with the return visit marking the second race for the Truck Series’ Round of 10 and the first playoff elimination race for NASCAR’s top division. For the NASCAR Xfinity Series, their only date at the Tennessee high-banked half-mile this year will conclude the series’ 26-race regular season.

 Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Chevrolet’s winning ways at Bristol Motor Speedway span across all three NASCAR national series, with the Bowtie brand heading into the weekend with a series-best 46 NASCAR Cup Series wins and 37 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, as well as 11 wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race will mark the series’ 125th appearance on Bristol’s concrete configuration. Over more than 60 years of competition at the Tennessee half-mile, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 46 all-time Cup Series victories. The Bowtie brand’s most recent Bristol triumph in NASCAR’s top division came with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson in his championship-earning season (Sept. 2021). The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native is one of just six active Bristol winners, with fellow Team Chevy driver, Kyle Busch, topping the list with eight career victories at the track. From the playoff perspective, only two of the series’ current title contenders have tallied a triumph in the track’s playoff race, with Larson’s 2021 night race victory earning him a spot on that elite list.

One year ago, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier took Chevrolet on its third-straight trip to victory lane at Bristol – marking the manufacturer’s 37th all-time Xfinity Series victory at the Tennessee half-mile. In addition to leading the series in overall wins, Chevrolet also holds the record for the longest win streak by a manufacturer at Bristol, with the Bowtie brand collecting 16 consecutive victories between Aug. 1997- April 2005.

In the Truck Series, Chevrolet heads back to Bristol as the series’ most recent winner at the track, courtesy of Christian Eckes’ victory in the series’ spring event. The win marked Chevrolet’s 11th triumph in 27 Truck Series races Bristol, tying Toyota’s series-leading win record at the track. Eckes is one of just three full-time competitors in the series that have reached victory lane at Bristol, joining Toyota’s Corey Heim and Ford’s Ty Majeski.

PLAYOFF PICTURE AHEAD OF FIRST ELIMINATION

The first two races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs have lived up to the expectation as arguably the biggest wildcard round of the postseason stretch. Despite a race plagued with problems throughout the playoff field, Chevrolet left Watkins Glen International sitting in the most comfortable position among its manufacturer competitors, with all five of its playoff contenders holding a double-digit points cushion above the cutline. 

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1

4th in Playoff Standings (+41 points)

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 7

Top-10s: 13

Laps Led: 20

Average Finish: 15.1

Stage Wins: 0

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman climbed up the standings for the second week in a row, with the Team Chevy driver putting together a 31-point day in upstate New York to find himself fourth in the playoff standings with a 41-point advantage over the elimination line. The 31-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native entered postseason competition as the 12th seeded driver, but quickly became one of the biggest movers in the standings after a pair of strong points days in the first two races.

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1

5th in Playoff Standings (+36 points)

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 3

Top-10s: 7

Laps Led: 152

Average Finish: 17.5

Stage Wins: 1

Despite getting stuck in the gravel during Stage Two at Watkins Glen, Daniel Suarez and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team rebounded with a 13th place finish and a 31-point day. The 32-year-old Monterrey, Mexico, native ultimately jumped four positions in the playoff rankings, entering Bristol fifth in the standings and 36-markers above the cutline.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1

7th in Playoff Standings (+30 points)

Victories: 1

Top-Fives: 7

Top-10s: 13

Laps Led: 213

Average Finish: 11.8

Stage Wins: 1

Chase Elliott currently holds the seventh position in the playoff standings and a 30-point cushion. Elliott heads to Bristol with a string of three-consecutive top-10 results at the track, including a runner-up finish in the 2022 night race.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1

9th in Playoff Standings (+26 points)

Victories: 4

Top-Fives: 10

Top-10s: 13

Laps Led: 1,089

Average Finish: 14.4

Stage Wins: 10

Despite proving to be a tough round for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team, Kyle Larson enters the first elimination race ninth in the playoff standings with a 26-point cushion. Larson has fared well at Bristol in recent years. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, the former series champion has finished no worse than fifth in four Cup Series races on the track’s concrete surface, including a win in the 2021 night race.

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1

10th in Playoff Standings (+25 points)

Victories: 3

Top-Fives: 8

Top-10s: 14

Laps Led: 261

Average Finish: 15.1

Stage Wins: 1

While enduring a late-race incident at Watkins Glen, William Byron still finds himself 10th in the playoff standings with a 25-point advantage over the cutline. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team has posted top-seven results in three of the series’ five races on tracks measuring less than one-mile this season, including a trip to victory lane (Martinsville Speedway – April 2024).

BOWTIE BUILDING MANUFACTURER POINTS LEAD

Despite falling just one spot short from the win at Watkins Glen, Chevrolet was still able to build onto its points lead in the NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer points standings to a now 26-point advantage. With Shane van Gisbergen and Kaulig Racing’s runner-up finish in upstate New York, all six of Chevrolet’s full-time organizations have contributed points to the manufacturer championship title battle with still eight races remaining in the season.

For three consecutive years, and 42 times overall, Chevrolet has won the prestigious manufacturer championship title in NASCAR’s top division. With the Bowtie brand also leading the manufacturer standings in the Xfinity and Truck Series, Chevrolet is eyeing its second consecutive, and sixth all-time, title sweep across the NASCAR national ranks.

NEXT GEN NUMBERS

The NASCAR Cup Series’ trip to Watkins Glen International commemorated a monumental milestone for the Next Gen era, with Sunday’s event marking the 100th points-paying race for the Next Gen car. From crown jewel victories to back-to-back manufacturer championships, the Next Gen era has only further added to Chevrolet’s legacy as the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR Cup Series history.

In the Next Gen era’s 100 points-paying race history:

Leading in Wins: In 100 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads its manufacturer competitors with 48 victories – a winning percentage of 48%. In its debut season (2022), the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 owned over half of the points-paying race wins, with nine drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations scoring a combined 19 victories. The manufacturer followed-up that effort with an 18-race win season in 2023. Thus far this season, six different drivers have contributed to a manufacturer-leading 11 victories.

Back-to-Back Manufacturer Championships: Chevrolet has swept the manufacturer championship titles in the Next Gen era, with the 2023 title marking the Bowtie brand’s series-leading 42nd all-time manufacturer championship title in NASCAR’s premier series. In its most recent title-earning season (2023), each Chevrolet organization that competed full-time that season contributed points that ultimately led to the championship.

First-Time Winners: The Next Gen era has produced seven first-time NASCAR Cup Series winners, with four of those drivers earning their milestone triumph behind the wheel of the Next Gen Camaro ZL1. Among that list includes: Ross Chastain (2022 at Circuit of The Americas), Daniel Suarez (2022 at Sonoma Raceway), Tyler Reddick (2022 at Road America), and Shane van Gisbergen (2023 at the Chicago Street Course).

Crown Jewel Victories: Four different drivers have earned a crown jewel victory with Chevrolet in the Next Gen era including: Erik Jones with Petty-GMS in the 2022 Southern 500; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with JTG Daugherty Racing in the 2023 Daytona 500; Kyle Larson with Hendrick Motorsports in the 2023 Southern 500 and the 2024 Brickyard 400; and William Byron with Hendrick Motorsports in the 2024 Daytona 500.

Double-Digits Records: The Next Gen era has produced 28 different winners, with Team Chevy’s William Byron and Kyle Larson standing as the only drivers with a double-digit win record with the Next Gen Car – each collecting 11 points-paying victories, to date, since the beginning of the 2022 season.

WHITE FLAG FOR THE REGULAR SEASON

For the NASCAR Xfinity Series, 300 laps around the high-banked half-mile of Bristol Motor Speedway will determine the final four drivers that will complete the series’ 12-driver playoff field. Heading into the regular season finale, five drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations have already claimed a playoff berth by virtue of a win, including JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer; Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and Jesse Love; and Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen. Three of the four open playoff spots are occupied by Team Chevy drivers with a strong points cushion over the cutline, with AJ Allmendinger in ninth (+159 points), Parker Kligerman in 11th (+85 points) and Sammy Smith in 12th (+43 points).

Also up for grabs at the conclusion of Friday night’s event is the 2024 Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship title. The series’ most recent Bristol winner, Justin Allgaier, continues to hold the top position in the points standings with a 43-point lead over reigning champion Cole Custer. Since the regular season championship title was introduced to the series in 2018, Chevrolet has claimed the honors five times, with Allgaier delivering the manufacturer its first title in the award’s debut season.

Dale Jr. Set for NASCAR Return:

Two-time champion, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is slated for his first and only Xfinity Series start of the season in Friday’s Food City 300. The 49-year-old Kannapolis, North Carolina, native will take over the driving duties of the No. 88 Camaro SS – JR Motorsports’ part-time entry that made a trip to victory lane last weekend courtesy of Connor Zilisch. In 2023, the 24-time Xfinity Series winner made one of his two starts of the season at “The Last Great Colosseum” – leading 47 laps before a mechanical issue late in the race took the driver out of contention. This weekend will mark Earnhardt Jr.’s 147th career Xfinity Series start, with each of those coming behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine.

ECKES EYES BRISTOL SWEEP

Following a three-week break, playoff competition resumes for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Thursday’s UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway – race two of three in the Round of 10. The series’ regular season champion and current points leader, Christian Eckes, is the most recent driver to reach victory lane at the Tennessee venue – earning his first of now three wins of the season in the March event. Looking for a Bristol sweep and an automatic ticket into the next round, the 23-year-old Middletown, New York, native is riding the momentum of six-straight podium finishes. In addition, the championship frontrunner has powered his No. 19 McAnally Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST to top-10 results in 16 of the series’ 17 events this season.

With a non-playoff driver winning the Round of 10 opener at the Milwaukee Mile, all eight tickets into the next round remain up for grabs heading into the Bristol race weekend. Five of Team Chevy’s six playoff contenders occupy positions above the elimination line, with Eckes (+60 points) leading Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez in fourth (+34 points); McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum in sixth (+13 points) and Daniel Dye in seventh (+9 points); and CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger in eighth (+two points). While on the outside looking in, Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth sits 10th in the playoff standings, but just four-markers below the cutline.

Zilisch, Day Highlight Thursday’s Entry List:

Among the entry list for Thursday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway includes two of the sports’ rising stars: Connor Zilisch and Corey Day.

Fresh off a career weekend at Watkins Glen International, Connor Zilisch will climb back into the seat of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST for his third start of the season. The 18-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native took the NASCAR world by storm earlier this season during his Truck Series debut at Circuit of The Americas – claiming the pole and a fourth-place result. Zilisch’s Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International started in similar fashion, with the young Team Chevy driver topping the practice and qualifying leaderboard. Despite a mid-race penalty, Zilisch rallied back to lead a race-high 45 laps en route to the victory – becoming the second youngest winner in series’ history.

Rising sprint car sensation, Corey Day, will make his first career start in the NASCAR national ranks in Thursday’s Truck Series race – behind the wheel of the No. 81 HENDRICKCARS.COM Silverado RST for McAnally Hilgemann Racing. This will mark Day’s first of four starts with the Chevrolet organization this season, with the driver returning to the seat at Kansas Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. While new to the NASCAR world, the 18-year-old Clovis, California, native is already a household name in winged sprint car competition. He has earned seven wins in the High Limit Racing Series this season – a series owned by fellow Team Chevy driver Kyle Larson.

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Chevrolet will pace the field for the tripleheader race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Silverado RST will lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in Thursday’s UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics; the Camaro SS will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Food City 300; and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

· In 12 tripleheader weekends this season, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to earn a weekend sweep – accomplishing the feat three times (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway).

· With 71 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has earned a winning percentage of 47.9% with 34 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – 11 wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 14 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – nine wins).

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

Kyle Busch: series-leading eight wins (2019, ’18, ’17, ’11, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’07)

Kyle Larson – one win (2021)

· In 124 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Bristol Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 46 victories – a winning percentage of 37.1 percent.

· Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff field and elimination rounds to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, at least five Chevrolet drivers have been represented in the playoffs each season.

· Heading into the first elimination race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with all of its playoff drivers above the cutline – each holding a double-digit points cushion.

· In 100 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 48 victories.

· With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 862 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 Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Blazer EV, 1500 Crew 2LT Trailboss, Equinox EV, Tahoe High Country, Traverse Z71, Colorado ZR2, 2025 Equinox RS, Corvette 3LT Z51 Convertible.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

• Thursday, Sept. 19:

Nick Sanchez: 1 p.m.

Grant Enfinger: 1:15 p.m.

Christian Eckes & Jack Wood: 1:30 p.m.

Tyler Ankrum & Daniel Dye: 1:45 p.m.

• Friday, Sept. 20:

Daniel Suarez: 1:45 p.m.

Anthony Alfredo: 4 p.m.

Austin Hill: 4:15 p.m.

Shane van Gisbergen: 4:30 p.m.

Jesse Love: 4:45 p.m.

• Saturday, Sept. 21:

Corey LaJoie: 3 p.m.

Kyle Larson: 3:15 p.m.

Alex Bowman: 4 p.m.

Kyle Busch: 4:45 p.m.

William Byron: 5:05 p.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

Thursday, Sept. 19: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 20: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 1014
Ford: 988 (-26)
Toyota: 985 (-29)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 932
Toyota: 891 (-41)
Ford: 795 (-137)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 637
Toyota: 593 (-44)
Ford: 563 (-74)
 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

Round of 16 Elimination Race

Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET

(USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Regular Season Finale

Food City 300

Friday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. ET

(CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Round of 10: Race Two

UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics

Thursday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. ET

(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1

How do you feel after Watkins Glen race weekend?

“We’ve had more speed the last few weeks. We’re still tight and still loose, but we are going faster. That was obvious last weekend at Watkins Glen with winning the pole and leading a bunch of laps. We’ve kept showing up to the simulator and the engineers kept working really hard. I just want to drive fast cars and my job is to drive my car faster than anyone else in the race. If we keep running like this, we’ll be fine. Qualifying on the pole at a road course is a highlight.”

Tire wear continues to be a topic, what are your thoughts from Watkins Glen?

“We’re continuing to work with Goodyear and to find the limits. We had real marbles on the track last weekend, which is a little scary if you get off in them because you have no control. I think it can make for good racing though. You pay the penalty if you slide the tires too much. I think we can keep finding more ways to build these tires that will continue to move the needle.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1

What are your thoughts on Bristol Motor Speedway?

“Anything can happen at Bristol Motor Speedway. It’s a high-banked short track and you can get caught up in things fast. The Bristol Night Race is a grind for 500 laps and that’s what fans love to see. You are battling it out all race long and it helps to get your car better handling if you can move around and try different lanes on the Bristol concrete, which has helped drivers make long green flag runs. There’s action all over the track and I’m looking forward to the race.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Larson on going to Bristol Motor Speedway:

“I’ll be interested to see how the tire wear is this weekend. We had a pit road penalty, restarted from the rear and still managed tire wear to battle back for a top-five earlier this year. I really enjoy this track and this race under the lights, so I am looking forward to Saturday night.”

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 MATTRESS WAREHOUSE CAMARO ZL1

Bristol is one of the most historic tracks on the circuit. What is special about going there?

“Obviously the history involved makes it a cool place to race. It is also the pinnacle of short track racing. I always enjoy my time there and I hope to bring home a good finish in our Mattress Warehouse Camaro.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1

The tire at Bristol will be the same compound used in the spring race. What did you learn from that race that will help you this weekend?

“Tire management. Tire management will be the biggest key to the race at Bristol. How much you can preserve the life of your tire by your driving style and the things that you do to not punish the tire will be critical.”

The Cup Series will have one 45-minute practice session at Bristol. Is that something that you would like to see at more tracks in the future?

“Yes. I do think that having one 45-minute or even a 60-minute session would be great for our series and drivers that need more track time going forward.”

You have said that Bristol is one of your favorite tracks. What makes that track so challenging?

“I love Bristol. Bristol is always fun though it’s gotten a little more challenging over the years with the Next Gen car because it’s a little bit difficult to pass. I think the toughness at Bristol is the amount of banking the load that you see throughout the entirety of the race. There’s no time to relax. You’re really on top of it for the entire time. That’s kind of what wears on you the most and being at those short tracks is the repetitious nature of down the straightway into the corner and it never seems to stop. It makes it fun for a lot of guys and challenging for others.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1

Elliott on heading to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend:

“I’m super curious because I don’t really know what to expect, right? The spring race was such an oddball from what we had, had. But it really sounds like that people, the higher ups, want that again, that the fans really enjoyed that. And it seemed like, from what I heard at least, they went and had a tire test there here in the last few weeks, and they were trying to recreate that same environment of tire fall off and life and so on and so forth. So, if you throw that into the mix and they successfully achieve that chaos again, that’s going to be pretty nuts, right? Especially this time of year. And truthfully, with this date being moved back another month or so, you could get cool enough temperatures on a Saturday night to maybe achieve that. So, I’m really curious. But like I’ve always said, I think you give teams a second try at something and, you know, if you just take away everything and it was the exact same as it was in the spring, I’d say it probably wouldn’t quite be as chaotic because it’s a second try.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 Z HP CAMARO ZL1

Byron on his experience of racing at Bristol Motor Speedway:

“I don’t really feel like we’ve ever been the dominant car there. So that’s the goal; try to inch up on that and figure out what we need to be more competitive at Bristol. We’ve had some really good runs, like top threes, but never like leading laps. So yeah, I think going to Bristol, there’s definitely going to be a lot of studying this week to figure out what it is that we need to be a little bit better yet. And then you have the tire, so you’re not really sure what that’s going to do. For us, it would be nice to be under less pressure going there and hopefully have a larger buffer but we can’t change that now. The spring was just a fluke situation. We got put into the wall there and broke the toe link. That was tough. But yeah, I think we’re usually pretty solid there. We’re usually like a top-10 car, we just have to figure out what it takes to have winning speed.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 31 DORITOS / MOUNTAIN DEW BY FOOD CITY CAMARO ZL1

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

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Bowman on Bristol Motor Speedway:

“The Bristol Night race is a crown jewel and one that everyone wants to win. It would certainly mean a lot to visit victory lane there. Being 41 (points) good on the (Round of 12) cutline is certainly better than being on the other side of it. Myself and our Ally Racing team just need to get there (Bristol Motor Speedway) and execute and do our jobs. I think we all have this big question mark going into the weekend on what the tire is going to do and if it’s going to look like it did in the spring. That was such a crazy race. I would expect the same again since we haven’t changed anything- but I think we all wonder how that happened in the first place. It will be interesting and with the extra practice and maybe we’ll have more of a heads-up on what’s going to happen (in the race). I think our No. 48 team is sitting in a good spot.”

ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 AMBETTER HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

How are you feeling heading to Bristol after the weekend your team had at Watkins Glen?

“The No. 71 Spire Motorsports crew had a great weekend at Watkins Glen, and it has given us some great momentum heading into Bristol. In March at Bristol, we had a solid car and were looking to post a top 15 until a mechanical issue ended our day. Knowing what we could have accomplished in the spring helps steer us in the right direction for Saturday’s night race. I’m excited to get to Bristol and battle with my team.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 DELAWARE LIFE CAMARO ZL1

How do you look to capitalize on your career best finish last weekend?

“We feel good about the weekend. Last fall we were running in the top five until a loose wheel set us back, but still managed to finish 11th. Bristol is tough to pass, but in the fall we were able to drive through the field. I‘m hoping we get the same luck and can bring home another top five in our Delaware Life Camaro. Last week felt great and I want to be able to do it again for my team and sponsors.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1

What were your thoughts last weekend at Watkins Glen?

“We went through a lot on Sunday but everyone stayed calm and nobody gave up. We had a fast car and running seventh then the next thing you know we were sitting in the gravel, in 35th and a lap down. We lost a wheel, and from that, we were just trying to recover. I’m very proud of this team for not giving up; doing a good job at executing and going to fight right off the bat. Finishing 13th after being stuck in the gravel isn’t a bad day.”

What are your thoughts on Bristol?

“I like Bristol a lot. We aren’t even looking at points. We will race for the win like we do every weekend. I don’t think we will take any crazy chances or try some crazy strategy this weekend. We will be smart.”

CONNOR ZILISCH, NO. 7 SILVER HARE RACING SILVERADO RST

What are the pros and cons of running both the ARCA and truck races in one night?

“I don’t think there are any cons, other than most likely being a little exhausted at the end of the night. The biggest pro is getting more laps. Getting that experience is critical for me to continue to learn and grow. It will be a fun day and hopefully I can get a pair of checkered flags.”

Now that you have won in the Xfinity Series, is there any pressure to get a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win?

“I wouldn’t call it pressure, I just want to go out and do my best. There obviously aren’t any road courses left on the truck schedule, and the ovals will be tougher for me to win at. There’s nothing I’m not prepared for. Everyone at Spire Motorsports has done a good job at getting me up to speed on the simulator and ready to go in these races. I know we will have a good truck at Bristol since Kyle (Busch) ran good there in the spring, so I just have to go out, execute and run all of the laps.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, NO. 19 ADAPTIVE ONE CALIPERS SILVERADO RST

Eckes on returning to Bristol:

“Our Adaptive One team did a good job at Milwaukee to start our playoffs with a good points day. We’re in a good spot going to Bristol, and we love going there. Even though we won in the spring, we still feel like there’s some unfinished business from the playoff race last fall. It’d be nice to get another sword, get some more playoff points and punch our ticket to the next round. We’ve had great speed at the short tracks this year and just need keep executing like we have been.”

CONNOR MOSACK, NO. 41 CRAZY AL’S WINE AND SPIRITS SILVERADO RST

How do you sum up your experience in running with Niece Motorsports on a part-time basis this year?

“I feel like the two races haven’t gone as well as we’ve liked, but Las Vegas was my first truck race at a mile-and-a-half and it was also my first start at Gateway, so there’s been a lot of learning for me along the way. Both of those races were good opportunities for me to learn those places and mesh with the new team and crew chief. It’s been good; I’ve enjoyed it, and I feel like both races we improved all day. Going into Bristol, that’s a place I have been before, so I think we can start off a bit better and hopefully end on our best note.”

MATT MILLS, NO. 42 J.F. ELECTRIC / UTILITRA SILVERADO RST

How much, if any, has the Bristol track changed since you made your debut here in 2016?

“Bristol has been one of those tracks that’s been hit or miss for me. It’s a track that doesn’t consistently race the same each time we go there, especially going from trucks to Xfinity cars. I’ve ran races when the track runs like a bottom feeder, but have also seen the top come in. It’s a very fun racetrack to make laps on, and even though my finishes have been hit or miss, I feel like we usually have speed there. We just have to keep up with how the track is going to race.”

DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 CHAMPION CONTAINER SILVERADO RST

Dye on making his NCTS playoff debut:

“I’m really excited to get back in my No. 43 Champion container Chevy. The last time I was in the truck we had a really good day and was able to gain a good number of points. Being inside the bubble is a great spot, and we just need to keep performing how we have been recently to keep this momentum going. We have only gotten stronger in the last couple of months, and I am ready to show it again and get another strong result.”

BAYLEY CURREY, NO. 44 DQS SILVERADO RST

Do you feel confident with how the spring race played out to come back and have another good run here?

“Well, Bristol is one of my favorite tracks that we go to. It reminds me a lot of the 1/5th-mile track I raced on as a kid. I think the racing should be a little more exciting this time around since they’re not spraying the traction compound before the race, so that should widen out the track a bit. I’m really excited about that; I’ve never got to rip the top in a truck, so it should be a lot of fun.”

KADEN HONEYCUTT, NO. 45 MOORE’S VENTURE FOODS SILVERADO RST

Given your short track background, are you happy to see this race in the Round of 10?

“Yeah, I think we’ve worked on our Bristol package a lot over the last couple of months since we struggled there in the first race. I feel like we should be a whole lot better this time, but the track will race a whole lot different without the traction compound. So, that’ll be a toss up, but I think we can qualify in the top-five and that’ll give us a better opportunity to go and try to get stage points. We need to get as many points as we can, but it would be great to win and move onto the next round in the Owner’s Playoffs.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM SILVERADO RST

Describe Bristol in one word.

“One word to describe Bristol? Badass. It’s the opening scene in Cars. It’s the epitome of pure, short track racing. You get goosebumps every time you pull up to the facility.”

You secured a top-10 finish in your previous two trips to Bristol. What’s the key to success?

“The key to success at Bristol is precision. You have to be plugged in and remain aware of everything going on around you. It is a super fun race track, but you are going fast, there’s a lot of banking, it is tough to see and things happen very quickly. I’ve raced pretty much everything there, from ARCA to trucks to Xfinity. Hopefully, we can build off our past runs and punch our ticket to the next round of the playoffs.”

What would it mean to win at Bristol?

“A win at Bristol would be pretty cool. I first went there when Nick (Sanchez) was running the K&N Series race for REV Racing and I was hanging out with the team while racing in their late model program. It has been one of my favorites ever since. It is the epitome of NASCAR. The drive through the mountains to “Thunder Valley” is awesome. The facility itself is incredible, with grandstands as high as you can see all the way around the track. For the speed I’ve had at Bristol, and just how cool of a racetrack it is, a win would be very special.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 77 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST

The last two trips to Bristol you put great together great runs. How do you look to carry the momentum into Thursday night?

“We need to keep our head down and prevent mental errors. We have great momentum at Bristol, we just need to ride that wave and continue to build off our great runs.”

In the past, you had the opportunity to race a Super Late Model at “The Last Great Coliseum.” How much different does the Super Late Model and the truck drive at the track?

“You can draw zero comparisons between the two. They drive completely different. A Super Late Model is a lot lighter and nimble compared to a big, heavy stock car. There’s not much I can take from one to the other, but the extra track time under my belt definitely helps.”

COREY DAY, NO. 81 HENDRICKCARS.COM SILVERADO RST

Day on making his NCTS debut:

“I’m excited to make my start in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. I haven’t made many non-dirt racing starts but I’m ready to begin learning more about this type of racing. I know I will face some challenges, but I feel confident in my ability to learn and I know that I have great support behind me with HENDRICKCARS.COM and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. I just hope to represent them well.”

 
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: 11

Poles: 8

Laps Led: 2,331

Top-five finishes: 53

Top-10 finishes: 110

Stage wins: 17

· Chase Elliott: 1

· Kyle Larson: 10

· Ross Chastain: 2

· William Byron: 1

· Shane van Gisbergen: 1

· Daniel Suarez: 1

· Kyle Busch: 1

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 862 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 751

Laps led to date: 251,486

Top-five finishes to date: 4,351

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,970

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,196

       Chevrolet: 862

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 837                                                           

       Ford: 737

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 188

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.