Category: NASCAR Cup PR

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, New Hampshire
June 22-23, 2024

The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will make their first and only trip to the New England region this weekend, where New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be the next host of a doubleheader weekend for NASCAR’s top two series. Nicknamed “The Magic Mile”, the 1.058-mile venue first welcomed the NASCAR national ranks in 1990 for the inaugural NXS event, with the track earning a date on the NCS schedule for the first time in 1993. Chevrolet has tallied a combined 28 victories across NASCAR’s top two series, including a series-best 19 triumphs in NASCAR’s premier series.

 Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

Sunday’s USA Today 301 will mark the NASCAR Cup Series’ 53rd appearance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and just the third event in the series’ Next Gen era. Chevrolet heads to “The Magic Mile” with a series-leading 19 NCS victories at the track. Career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, took the Bowtie brand on its first trip to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 1995, with the NASCAR Hall of Famer going on to score a pair of victories in back-to-back seasons (Sept. 1997 and Aug. 1998) to be credited with the manufacturer’s first three victories at the track. Among those victories includes a record-setting string of six consecutive trips to victory lane, starting with Mark Martin’s win in Sept. 2009 through Kasey Kahne’s win in July 2012 – both of which were recorded behind the wheel of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Chevrolet will eye its 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Saturday’s Sci Aps 200. The Bowtie brand’s nine all-time NXS wins at the track have each come with a different driver, with Ricky Craven piloting his self-owned Chevrolet to the manufacturer’s first NXS triumph at the 1.058-mile venue in Oct. 1991. Most recently, it was JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier that took Chevrolet back to victory lane for the first time in 15 years by picking up the win in series’ July 2022 appearance.

CHASING CONSISTENCY

Consistency is serving Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team well this season. The 28-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native is coming off a strong third-place finish at Iowa Speedway – his seventh top-five finish in the last 11 NASCAR Cup Series races. The result was enough to push Elliott to the top of the driver’s points standings, with the Team Chevy driver becoming the seventh different points leader thus far this season.

The 2020 champion already earned a playoff position with his return to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway. In 17 points-paying NCS races, Elliott has recorded finishes no worse than 19th to earn a series-best average finish of 9.1 heading into the New Hampshire race weekend – an average more than three positions ahead of second-place, and fellow Team Chevy driver, Ross Chastain (12.5 average finish).

REGULAR-SEASON RECAP

The NASCAR Cup Series has officially hit a single-digit countdown to the end of its regular-season, with just nine races remaining for drivers to solidify a spot in the title hunt.

With 17 NCS points-paying races complete:

· Four different drivers have powered Chevrolet to a combined eight victories in NASCAR’s top division this season to lead its manufacturer competitors.

· Among those triumphs, the Bowtie brand has earned a victory on every race track configuration that the series competes at this season including: two wins at superspeedway/drafting-style ovals (Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway), three wins at intermediate-style ovals (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway), two road course wins (Circuit of The Americas and Sonoma Raceway) and one short-track win (Martinsville Speedway).

· Looking to capture its fourth consecutive, and 43rd all-time, NACAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championship, Chevrolet has sat atop the manufacturer points standings after all but one race this season – heading into the New Hampshire race weekend with a 10-point advantage over second-place Toyota.

· Three Team Chevy drivers have earned the series-best average finish, with Chase Elliott topping the leaderboard with an average finish of 9.1 – the only driver to have a single-digit average. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron currently tie for second with an average finish of 12.5.

· In addition to its series-leading eight NASCAR Cup Series victories this season, Chevrolet also leads its manufacturer competitors in top-five finishes (33) and top-10 finishes (66).

MAYER MAKES IT FIVE-STRAIGHT

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ return to Iowa Speedway, JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer battled through an overtime finish to collect his second win of the 2024 season. The 20-year-old Franklin, Wisconsin, native already earned a post-season spot with his victory at Texas Motor Speedway, but this trip to victory lane makes Mayer just the series’ fourth repeat winner this season.

The young Team Chevy driver extended the Bowtie brand’s win streak in the series to five-straight heading into the New Hampshire race weekend. Chevrolet’s string of consecutive victories dates back to Justin Allgaier’s victory at Darlington Raceway in May. Since then, Chase Elliott and the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS team picked up the victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen posting back-to-back road course wins at Portland International Raceway and Sonoma Raceway earlier this month.

Bowman Tapped for First NXS Start of 2024

The part-time Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series entry is slated for its next start of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend – this time with Alex Bowman behind the wheel. The 31-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native made just one start in the series last season – driving the No. 17 Camaro SS to a ninth-place finish at Watkins Glen International. Bowman has 55 career NXS starts on his resume – tallying one win (Charlotte Motor Speedway – Oct. 2017), seven top-fives and 17 top-10s.

This weekend will mark the sixth NXS start for the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS team. Among those starts includes two trips to victory lane – recorded by Kyle Larson at Circuit of The Americas and Chase Elliott at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

BOWTIE BULLETS:

· With 45 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has a winning percentage of 57.8% with 26 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – eight wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – 10 wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – eight wins).

· NASCAR Cup Series victories by active Chevrolet drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

Kyle Busch – three wins (2017, 2015, 2006)

· In 52 NASCAR Cup Series races held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 19 victories and 18 poles – both of which are series-best feats.

· In 89 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 45 victories – a winning percentage of 50.6%.

· With his victory at Sonoma Raceway, Kyle Larson is the second driver to hit a double-digit win record in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen era with 10 triumphs. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron leads the series’ all-time win record in the Next Gen era with 11 victories.

· With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 859 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 617
Toyota: 607 (-10)
Ford: 588 (-29)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 570
Toyota: 526 (-44)
Ford: 469 (-101)

Manufacturer Points Standings

Chevrolet: 458
Toyota: 425 (-33)
Ford: 384 (-74)
 
TUNE-IN:

NASCAR Cup Series

USA Today 301

Sunday, June 23, at 2:30 p.m. ET

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

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Sci Aps 200

Saturday, June 22, at 3:30 p.m. ET

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

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

Can you talk about New Hampshire?

“New Hampshire is one of the more challenging tracks for me. We only go there once a year and it’s also my crew chief’s (Phil Surgen) home track. Qualifying is important every week but it’s really important at New Hampshire because of the quick pace and it’s so easy to go down a lap quickly. Looks like we have some rain in the forecast this weekend which will be another challenge.”

There’s past champions and multi-time winners all fighting for a playoff spot with you, how difficult is it going to be to maintain a spot in the playoffs even though you’re well above the cut line?

“I’m fighting for a playoff spot with my heroes. It’s pretty wild to look at the list. I try to keep a broad view of what’s on the horizon so in those high risk moments on track that I’m a little better equipped. The names I’m up against are past champions and heroes. I’m focused on each race and so is my team. We’ve had some fast cars this year its just that we’ve had things happen out of our control.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1

What are your thoughts on New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

“I’ve always enjoyed New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This place reminds me of a giant paperclip. Despite being flat, it’s rough. Corner entry is fun there. It’s different. It’s a different type of feel than what we have anywhere else. It is important to have a car that allows you to get into the corner deep if you want to be fast at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The corner is flat, and there is not much banking to hold you. If your car is stable on entry, it helps the rest of the corner so you can be aggressive and make passes. Entry speed is also an important factor. I feel like the car will have to get into the corner and rotate in the center and drive off. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, everything that matters at short tracks matters there.”

Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Schluter Systems Camaro ZL1

Given your family’s history in the northeast, and some past success at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, this has to be a weekend you’ve been looking forward to.

“Loudon is one of my favorite races of the year. It’s pretty much a home race for my family since my grandfather and dad have Northeastern roots. I’ve had success there in the past and generally run well so we’re working hard this week to bring the right setup to the Magic Mile. We’ve have had a couple solid weeks so we’ll keep that ball rolling all the way into the break in the next couple weeks.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 FICO Camaro ZL1

What makes New Hampshire so challenging?

“New Hampshire is a really tricky racetrack. It’s super flat and has bumpy characteristics to it as well. The asphalt has really gotten old over the years. It feels like racing over highway cracks, but those are all characteristics of a good racetrack. It’s just really challenging and very tough to pass. Everybody says it’s multigroove. You could run three different grooves there, but there’s really only one that’s fast and that’s the middle one. It makes for a challenging Sunday.”

Why has New Hampshire been so tough for you in the last few years?

“Unfortunately, for me, the last couple of years at New Hampshire have been a huge struggle. This new Next Gen car and I have just not gone well together at New Hampshire. It’s been easy for me to get in trouble because of the nature of the car, the way it rides, the bumps, and the different topography of the track at each end to make grip. It’s definitely a challenge of moving your line around in the corners to improve the balance of the car because this new car doesn’t like different angles and transitions very well.”

You’ve won four poles at New Hampshire. Why do you qualify so well there?

“I feel like qualifying at New Hampshire is important just because of track position because it’s so hard to pass, making sure you’re in good position at the start of the race just to keep your day simple. I’ve always kind of put an emphasis on qualifying to make sure we do well.”

Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Poppy Bank Camaro ZL1

“I’m eager to race at New Hampshire for the first time in the Next Gen car; it’s a type of track I really enjoy. Our short track package has been a challenge for us, but I’m looking forward to getting the Poppy Bank Chevy on track.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

Bowman on his goals for the weekend and running double-duty at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

“New Hampshire (Motor Speedway) has proved to be a decently challenging track for me. I was able to get a top 10 there (New Hampshire Motor Speedway) back in 2021- but it’s certainly a place I’d like to improve at. I’m excited about the opportunity to run in the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy during this weekend’s Xfinity Series race. Hopefully those extra laps on Friday and Saturday will help me gain some additional insight on the track before Sunday’s Cup (Series) race. Our Ally Racing team is still working diligently to try and put the No. 48 back in victory lane!”

Blake Harris, Crew Chief, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

Harris on Alex Bowman racing in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend:

“Anytime we (Hendrick Motorsports) run that Xfinity car, I think we have the opportunity to put that thing (No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro) in victory lane. The team has already been able to do that a couple times this year. The interesting choice of that place for Alex (Bowman) is that New Hampshire is not one of his best tracks. He’s had a couple decent runs there- but overall, it’s not statistically his best. But- he chose it because he wants to get better there. I think it will be good for him to get some laps in the Xfinity car, especially with the short practices, any lap time you get around those place is great. He’ll be able to see the evolution of the track on Saturday in the Xfinity car so when we go rolling into Sunday I think he’ll have a pretty good idea of how we need to approach it.”

Zane Smith, No. 71 Focused Health Camaro ZL1

This weekend will be the first time you’ll race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. How do you feel going into this weekend?

“New Hampshire is one I’ve had circled on the calendar for a while. It’s crazy I’ve never raced there. I always wanted to, but never had the opportunity until now. Timing and other opportunities – it just never aligned. It’s a beautiful racetrack and the fans are awesome. I know my 71 Spire Motorsports team will bring a fast Focused Health Chevy and I’m excited to see how I stack up.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Delaware Life Camaro ZL1

You mentioned feeling good about New Hampshire despite it being a new track for you. Can you elaborate on what specifically makes you feel confident heading into this weekend?

“Last year was full of new tracks when I raced nine cup races, and it’s been nice to go back to some tracks this year, but yeah, Loudon is completely new to me. We’ve spent extra time in the SIM and I honestly feel like learning a new car is a lot more difficult than learning a new track, so I feel good about Loudon this week.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Choice Privileges Camaro ZL1

What are your thoughts on becoming an American citizen?

“I feel very good about this, honestly. It is one of those things that really hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think I have thought about how big of a deal it really is. It’s very special. To finally get to this milestone has taken a lot of work, a lot of time, money and help. I don’t think 95 percent of the people in the country understand the process and what it takes to get this done. It’s been a great journey and nice to have the opportunity to get it done and say that I am now an American citizen. I am very excited to make this official.”

Why now?

“I have been living in America for more than 10 years, I am getting married next month, maybe in a couple of years we will start a family. This was just the right thing to do. I am very proud to be from Mexico, but I also see the United States as my full time family home.”

 
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: 8

Poles: 6

Laps Led: 1,520

Top-five finishes: 33

Top-10 finishes: 66

Stage wins: 11

· Chase Elliott: 1

· Kyle Larson: 8

· Ross Chastain: 1

· William Byron: 1

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 859 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 749

Laps led to date: 250,695

Top-five finishes to date: 4,331

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,926

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,193

       Chevrolet: 859

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 831                                                           

       Ford: 731

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 186

 

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
New Hampshire Media Availability | Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Paul Wolfe, crew chief for Joey Logano and Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series, answered questions from the media about this weekend’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

PAUL WOLFE, crew chief, No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse – JOEY SAID LAST WEEKEND THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE MIGHT BE YOUR BEST TRACK. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? “I think in general our short track setups, I guess, or maybe philosophy has just always worked well back to the days that I worked with Brad. I think that was always a strength and then we were able to adapt that to Joey and find some things, and I think he’s studied a lot over the years as well, having Brad as a teammate and understanding some of his techniques and what-not. I think we’ve been able to carry some of that same type of approach and things that have worked in the past, and Joey was able to adapt and we’ve had good success. Even as you look at the past couple years with the Next Gen car, at times when we struggle for speed on mile-and-a-halves or road course, we always kind of have our short track program to fall back on and we’ve been able to find some success there, at least have good, solid runs. I think that’s obviously continued for us this year as well, so definitely with what we’ve been able to do there the past couple of years, I’m really excited about getting back there this week and continuing to build off our strong runs. Obviously, our teammates have been able to find Victory Lane on the short tracks, so we’re hoping it’s our turn this weekend.”

HAVE YOU GUYS DISCOVERED SOMETHING WITH THE DARK HORSE OR IS IT JUST A CASE OF BEING MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE CAR BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE IMPROVED? “I think it’s more of what we’ve been able to put together with the short track aero package, I guess. Phoenix was early in the season and I wouldn’t say we were great there, but, honestly, I have to keep going back to the test opportunity we had at North Wilkesboro early in the spring and really capitalizing and making the most of that. Obviously, Joey gets a lot of credit for that. We put in, I think almost 900 laps at North Wilkesboro. It was a Goodyear test, but we were able to work through a lot of questions we had and things we wanted to look at and gathered a lot of information that we’ve been able to apply to these recent short tracks, so I don’t know that it’s anything related to the Dark Horse specifically. I think it’s more just of what we’ve been able to find with the short track package. It’s obviously quite a bit different aero package than the other tracks.”

WHAT KIND OF CONFIDENCE DOES IT GIVE YOU THAT YOUR TEAMMATES HAVE FOUND VICTORY LANE RECENTLY? “I think it’s great. It’s great for the company. I mean, don’t get me wrong, as the 22 team we want to win too, but I think Roger’s always expressed this over the years – when one team wins we all win, and I think the way we’re structured and specifically as well as we’ve been working together with the 12 team here recently, we wanted to be the team spraying the champagne the other night, but you’ve got to look at it and know that we were a part of that in a way in helping build the program and the way we all work together, so it definitely gives us confidence. Like I said, if we can’t be in Victory Lane, there’s nothing better than seeing one of our team cars because it gives you another data point of, ‘OK, we’re on the right path here,’ the things we’ve been working on are correct and we’ll keep massaging on it as we move forward to Loudon this weekend.”

YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT TIRE COMBINATION AT NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR, BUT IT’S ONE OF THE SAME TIRES YOU RAN AT NORTH WILKESBORO AND WHAT YOU JUST RAN AT IOWA. CONSIDERING HOW GOOD YOU WERE AT BOTH PLACES, DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT MIGHT GIVE YOU A LEG UP THIS WEEKEND? “Good question. I’ve said this over the years. Anytime there’s a tire change in our sport, whether it’s a construction, compound, big stagger changes, those things can really affect your setup, obviously, quite a bit. So, with that being such a big factor, yeah, I think as we’ve seen the consistency now on this tire for us and what we’ve been able to do in the past at New Hampshire, like I said, I’m excited to get to the track. I think we have as good a shat as anybody to get to Victory Lane this weekend, so obviously the loads as we talk about our short track package and the things that have worked for the 22 team and Team Penske on the short tracks, you’re making small changes because Iowa to New Hampshire the loading, the size of the track is a little different. I guess what makes as you focus on a certain part of the corner what makes success at Loudon versus Iowa is a little different, so you’re fine-tuning off from a base setup and settings in a race car, but when you find something that works until there is a big change in the tire or aero package, I’ve found over the years you can really just take it from one track to the next and do your offsets or your changes for the different loads or speeds and you can continue to have success with it. I’m really optimistic about this weekend with all that being said.”

WHAT IS YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL OF MAKING THE PLAYOFFS BASED ON WHERE YOU ARE NOW AND COMBINED WITH THE FACT IT SEEMS LIKE PENSKE AND FORD ARE ON THE UPSWING? “I think that’s good. It gives everyone confidence as we move forward. I think as we started this stretch here, I guess you look back a month ago after we won the All-Star Race at Wilkesboro, having a lot of confidence in where we’re at with this aero package as well as short track setup stuff. When Joey and I sat down I said, ‘This is our stretch. This is probably gonna be some of our best opportunities to get a win and get ourselves locked in.’ That being said, unfortunately we haven’t been the one in the winner’s circle, it’s been our teammates and now they’re both locked in, but I still like what’s coming up here, obviously, this weekend. Richmond is still on the schedule before the playoffs, and then I look at Daytona. The speedway program with all of the Fords has been strong. Obviously, there’s a lot of stuff out of our control there, but know that’s a realistic opportunity, and then there are some races, just being honest, that I’m not really sure how it’s gonna go. Nashville has been a little bit of a struggle for our company with this Next Gen car. With that being said, I think the way Iowa turned out and the speeds and the loads and the things that we learned from Iowa, it’s not extremely different from Nashville. It kind of falls maybe somewhere in between the intermediate and Iowa, so there’s maybe some takeaways from Iowa that we can apply at Nashville, but I think as a whole – Team Penske – I think our biggest area for improvement is gonna be the high-speed tracks and we’ve got Pocono, Indy, Michigan. Those are the tracks that we have to figure out to feel like we’re gonna be realistic contenders. It’s good to see that RFK has been able to find that speed on those tracks. I think that’s been their strength and on the flip side of that I don’t think they’ve been as good on the short track stuff as we have, so we know it’s there. We’ve seen Brad and the 17 bunch be able to have speed on those type of tracks, so we’re gonna continue to try to find something there. Listen, we’re not gonna change what we’re doing. We go to every racetrack trying to be the best we can and put the best car out there. Obviously, we’re not in the situation we want to be in – we’re below the cut and where we’ve been at on some of these tracks speedwise, but we’re gonna continue to work and hopefully it’s gonna put us where we need to be.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW NEW HAMPSHIRE AND IOWA ARE DIFFERENT IN THE CORNERS AND HOW BIG OF A CHANGE TO YOU HAVE TO MAKE IN THE CAR TO ADAPT FROM ONE TO THE OTHER? “Like I said, it’s quite a bit different loading and speed with Iowa being quite a bit faster. I’d say it’s our fastest what we consider short track, flat track mid-corner speeds you’ll see. To go along with that, the loads were pretty high. All of the manufacturers did a wheelforce test there a month or so back and I think as we got back to the track, I think we saw even higher speeds and along with that goes the higher loading, which I think is all part of a lot of the tire failures we saw in Iowa in practice. It got a little better in the race. There still were issues, but essentially they’re just very hard on those tires and so to go along with that there’s quite an air-pressure change to account for that loading. Shocks and springs could change as well, just depending on the aero platform you’re targeting, but I think guys try to get aggressive. There was speed in the lower air-pressures as well as cambers at Iowa. Obviously, it bit some teams with ours being one of them – the 2 car – but I think we all learned from it and got much more conservative for race day and were able to do those longer green flag runs without issues. I think as we look to Loudon, you’ll look to guys probably adjusting back down to more aggressive cambers and air-pressures to find that grip on the flatter track at New Hampshire.”

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE FIRST PART OF THE SEASON? WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED ABOUT THE SPORT IN GENERAL THAT HAS BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE NOW? “I think the parity more than anything. I think we’ve continued with this car each year. Guys really fine-tuning and dialing it in, and I think I’ve spoken about this earlier in the year, but, at times, when you feel like you’re struggling because you’re running 22nd, you’re really not as far off as it may seem. You’re accustomed to a history of a bad day for a Team Penske car may have been running 15th. Well, with as close as the field is now that gets magnified and you have to be perfect. When I say perfect, that means not only from maybe a philosophy of a setup approach, but even the simple thing as just a balance being a round of wedge or something like that, or a pound of air-pressure. The difference that can make from running position in a race now is unbelievable from what you’re used to over the years, so to go along with that I think just the level of consistency you need on pit road to be able to make positions as well, I think we’ve seen that get to a whole other level. A lot of consistent eight-second pit stops. We’ve got to continue to push there to keep up on pit road, but everyone is just running so close and at times as we talk about strategy and those types of things and how to pass and whether we think racing is good or bad at certain tracks, it should be expected with where we’ve gone with this car – with the box that all the teams are in now and guys figuring out. I mean, everyone in the garage has made it to this level because they’re very talented. Yeah, maybe they didn’t have it the first year, but each year they’re eventually gonna figure it out. Once everyone figures it out, now you’re down to the minute details and everyone is running so close. Frankly, it’s hard at times. I’ll use the 51 as an example with Justin Haley. In the past years, you would never even think. If you were racing with him, you knew something was really wrong, but the fact of the matter is now those guys are good. All those guys in the back are good and now they’ve got their cars close to where we’re at and you’re gonna have to race them. It’s just made it super competitive and it’s made it feel like days where you’re off just a little bit it feels like you’re a mile off, so it’s all about the details right now. That’s all I can really express on that.”

AS A DRIVER, YOUR TWO BEST TRACKS IN NXS WERE LOUDON AND NASHVILLE. DOES THAT HELP AT ALL 20 YEARS LATER? “That’s a great question. I’m pretty removed from it now. It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years already since the Busch race I ran there in 2004. I think I finished 12th, but we were doing this little segment with NBC this weekend when they follow the crew on the pit box and they were wanting some photos of when I raced at New Hampshire and I just pulled back up that race I did there and just looking at the guys I was racing against there at New Hampshire was pretty crazy with Harvick and Kenseth and Ron Hornaday. There were 48 cars that tried to make that race in New Hampshire in that year, so it was kind of neat to look back because I haven’t really done that a whole lot. You get so into what I’m doing now that those days are behind me, but I did take a minute this morning and it was kind of cool to look back at that race I did there. The cars and this sport has changed so much now that it’s hard for me to say that that has a big impact on what I do to our race car now. It is neat to have been around the racetrack and know what it feels like, but, like I said, the cars are so much different these days that not a lot applies I wouldn’t think.”

WHY HAVE THE RECENT REPAVES PRODUCED SUCH GOOD RACING? WHAT IS CHANGING? “That’s a great question. I think we all, anytime we’ve heard repave here recently, it makes us all nervous and you’re right, the racing has been as good or arguably you could say better on a couple of these repaves. Now, the surface at Wilkesboro, the aggregate, the make-up of the asphalt they used there was definitely quite a bit different looking at it from what we’re used to. It was much more coarse and the way they’re repaving them these days must be different because I remember going to that test and typically when you do a repave test in year’s past, it would take a day or two before the track would even begin to come in and have any type of grip and North Wilkesboro had grip instantly. I think from run two of the test I don’t know that we really picked up speed from the track surface gaining grip other than just changes we made to our race car, so the grip is there instantaneously. Maybe that has something to do with the car as well. I think that’s obviously a big factor in the tire from the repaves of old with the old generation car and the 15-inch tire. Maybe it’s a combination. I think as you look at the groove getting wider now I think these cars without all of the big side force in them, I think you can run on the outside of someone a lot better – the right side of them. I think that’s something the drivers comment about a lot, where getting to the outside is much more doable with this car, and I think both Wilkesboro and Iowa have that progressive banking the best I understand, so I think that helps make that top groove work as well. It’s definitely encouraging and at this point it would be hard to say it couldn’t work at other tracks as well that are in need of a repave. I think another piece to that too is the whole strategy side of it. Although we don’t have tire fall off, you have strategy from a different angle. You saw it again at Iowa. The guys stayed, two tires, a lot of different options there where when you talk about going to Richmond, which is wore out and most of the drivers say that’s what they like, they think that’s good racing, you’ve got to manage your car, that strategy for the most part is pretty straightforward. There’s no opportunity to mix anything up because you’re coming for tires no matter what. Iowa, Gateway, the no tire falloff definitely changes up the strategy game and makes it exciting from a different level, I think. I don’t know that I have a strong opinion of what style I like, but I’m definitely a big strategy guy and I enjoy that side of it, especially if you don’t have the best car. It still gives you an opportunity to try to mix something up and make something happen.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO CHICAGO, SVG WON THAT RACE AND THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HIS TECHNIQUES. JOEY SAID HE WATCHED VIDEO OF WHAT HE DOES, BUT SAYS HE DOESN’T HAVE THE TIME LEFT IN HIS CAREER TO ADAPT TO WHAT SVG IS DOING. HAVE YOU TALKED TO JOEY ABOUT THAT AND CHANGING HIS DRIVING STYLE? AND IF JOEY CAN’T DO THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU AND THE TEAM CAN DO TO CATCH UP TO WHAT HE’S DOING? “We’ve definitely talked about it, for sure. Obviously, Joey mentioned it and I think he recognizes it. We all, as a sport, when you see someone come in and doing something different you’ve got to understand why and what the benefits could be, but for sure Joey knows as well as anybody if it’s something he can adapt to or not. That’s obviously I’m sure years and years of doing something a certain way and muscle memory and all those types of things. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t adapt to it, but I think the limited practice and testing these days make that even more difficult. Are you gonna figure it out in 20 minutes? It’s like, ‘Are you willing to sacrifice a practice or a whole race weekend to try to learn this or get better at it?’ That’s a tough one. The days of testing or the days of three practices in a weekend, I think that makes that conversation different potentially, but, yeah, I don’t know that we’ve pushed it hard on him or anything. It’s been talked about a little bit, but he’s gonna know best what he thinks realistically at this point in his career he can do. With that being said, obviously, we had some good cars – us, the 2 and the 12 were very good at Sonoma, which was encouraging. The street course is a whole different animal, but I still do think there are some learnings from that weekend at Sonoma that us and the 12 will apply and hopefully get ourselves a little bit better, but the second time around, all the drivers are gonna be a lot better at the street course racing. SVG is incredible on road courses in general as he’s been able to have the success he’s had, so he’ll still be a factor, but I think the gap, as good as the guys are in this series, will close up on that and hopefully we can put together a little bit better car as well.”

• In eight NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-25 finish. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro earned a team-best 23rd-place finish in the July 18, 2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The USA Today 301 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live on USA Network Sunday, June 23, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 18th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Pre-race coverage on USA will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.

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

• Corey LaJoie heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) behind the wheel of the No. 7 Schluter Systems Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
• LaJoie is a former winner at NHMS. In seven ARCA Menards Series East (formerly K&N Pro Series East) starts at NHMS, the Concord, N.C., native has led 68 laps, recorded one win, three top-three and five top-10 finishes.
• Sunday’s USA Today 301 will mark LaJoie’s 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at NHMS. In nine previous NCS “Magic Mile” starts, LaJoie recorded a series/venue-best 23rd-place finish in July 2019 and July 2021.
• LaJoie is a third-generation racer whose father and grandfather are members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. His father, Randy LaJoie, is a two-time (1996 & 1997) NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Champion and the winner of the July 12, 1996 Stanley Tools 200 NXS race at NHMS.
• Schluter Systems provides innovative, easy to use installation systems to support the durability, integrity and design of tile installations. With over 8,000 products within its growing portfolio, Schluter Systems is continuously improving the landscape of the tile industry. Their educational workshops and intuitive approach to product design supports Schluter’s position as an industry leader in quality and service. Schluter Systems services North America with multiple Training, Distribution and Manufacturing facilities in Plattsburgh, N.Y., Montreal, Quebec, Reno, Nev., and Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit www.schluter.com.
• LaJoie started 24th and finished 21st in last weekend’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway and picked up one position in the NCS championship point standings. The Concord, N.C., native has led 38 laps in 2024 and is currently 29th in points.
• Over 253 career NCS starts, LaJoie has earned four top-five and nine top-10 finishes and led 161 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.

Corey LaJoie Quotes
Given your families history in the northeast, and some past success at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, this has to be a weekend you’ve been looking forward to.
“Loudon is one of my favorite races of the year. It’s pretty much a home race for my family since my grandfather and dad have Northeastern roots. I’ve had success there in the past and generally run well so we’re working hard this week to bring the right setup to the Magic Mile. We’ve have had a couple solid weeks so we’ll keep that ball rolling all the way into the break in the next couple weeks.”

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

• Zane Smith will make his first career start at NHMS driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports.
• The “Magic Mile” is a new track to the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, but Smith has a solid history on one-mile ovals. Throughout his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) career, Smith has claimed wins at Dover Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, where he clinched the 2022 NCTS Championship.
• Sunday will mark Smith’s 18th NCS start for Spire Motorsports and his 26th career start.
• Focused Health will serve as the primary sponsor for Smith’s No. 71. The blue and orange paint scheme represents a health insurance agency that assists consumers and employers in navigating the myriad of health insurance options in the government programs space.
• Focused Health is a National Health Insurance agency founded by industry veterans with over 60 years combined industry experience. Primarily focused on the government programs space, Focused Health partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.
• Race fans car order Focused Health No. 71 Zane Smith merchandise at zanesmithracing.com.

Zane Smith Quotes
This weekend will be the first time you’ll race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. How do you feel going into this weekend?
“New Hampshire is one I’ve had circled on the calendar for a while. It’s crazy I’ve never raced there. I always wanted to, but never had the opportunity until now. Timing and other opportunities – it just never aligned. It’s a beautiful racetrack and the fans are awesome. I know my 71 Spire Motorsports team will bring a fast Focused Health Chevy and I’m excited to see how I stack up.”

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

• Carson Hocevar will make his first start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Sunday’s USA Today 301 behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
• Hocevar started 20th and finished 14th in last Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway. The solid effort marked his fifth top-15 finish of the season.
• Delaware Life Insurance Company (“Delaware Life”) has made its mission to deliver pure value to its network of financial professionals with a set of tools and products that help them empower their clients to plan for retirement with confidence. Delaware Life’s focus is delivering a seamless experience that gives clients exactly what they’re looking for: the comfort of understanding, the confidence of transparency, and streamlined products without needless features. Learn more at www.delawarelife.com.
• This week, Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet will feature the names of 60 LPL Financial employees who attended Delaware Life’s Due Diligence event in St. Petersburg, Fla. With this week’s race being held near Delaware Life’s Massachusetts headquarters, just 80 miles from New Hampshire Speedway, Delaware Life is recognizing the group as key members of the Delaware Life network.
• Northeast Planning Associates, Inc. (NPA), will also have its logo featured on the No. 77 decklid at the NHMS. NPA is a registered investment adviser and financial planning firm encompassing more than 75 financial advisors in 45-plus offices across New England.
• The youngest NCS driver in the field is currently 23rd in the division’s championship points. Over the course of the season’s first 17 races, Hocevar has notched two top-10s and five top-15 finishes.
• Hocevar’s Crew chief Luke Lambert has found success at the “Magic Mile,” calling the shots for Ryan Newman in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s inaugural Whelan All-Star Shootout in 2014. Newman piloted the Tommy Baldwin Racing 7NY to a victory in the 37-lap event, besting modified standouts Justin Bonsignore, Mike Stefanik, Ron Silk and Ryan Preece.
• The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender is featured on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET following each race to discuss his NCS rookie season.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You mentioned feeling good about New Hampshire despite it being a new track for you. Can you elaborate on what specifically makes you feel confident heading into this weekend?
“Last year was full of new tracks when I raced nine cup races, and it’s been nice to go back to some tracks this year, but yeah, Loudon is completely new to me. We’ve spent extra time in the SIM and I honestly feel like learning a new car is a lot more difficult than learning a new track, so I feel good about Loudon this week.”

Luke Lambert Quotes
Luke, you’re familiar with New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This is Carson’s first time on this track, but you two have raced together 17 times in the past two seasons. Given that experience, how do you feel about your chances at this weekend?
“Carson is going to do a great job at Loudon this week. Loudon is an interesting racetrack. It’s critical that you have good entry speed, which is one of Carson’s biggest strengths in this car. Getting into the corner at Loudon is difficult because the car is normally pretty loose. That’s going to be our biggest challenge – making sure that we have the stability that we need on entry and rotate to the center.”

From the Top of the Box

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on April 12, 2024, when Kyle Busch took the took the checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

CLUB ENTRY LIST

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINT STANDINGS: 28th

ERIK JONES
POINT STANDINGS: 26th

CLUB NOTES

History Made at NHMS: 25 years ago, Joe Nemechek, John Hunter’s father made history at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when he claimed his first victory in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sept. 19, 1999. John Hunter looks to repeat history while also piloting the No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, the same car number that his father parked in victory lane that day.

Stolen Money: Erik Jones participated in the Berlin (Mich.) Raceway’s Money in the Bank 150 Late Model event last week and was poised for a repeat win with ten laps remaining. With five to go he found himself in a three-way battle for the lead with drivers Blake Rowe and Bubba Pollard. Jones ultimately finished third with Pollard overpowering both drivers from the third spot with five laps remaining in the fan-favorite event.

Jones at the Magic Mile: In eight starts at the one-mile asphalt oval, Jones has earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes. In the 2019 race, Jones led four laps and finished the race in third place. He has one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series where he started second, finished second, and led three laps. Jones has a pair of seventh-place finishes in the NASCAR Truck Series at the one-mile track.

Elenz in New Hampshire: No. 43 crew chief Dave Elenz has six starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series coaching five different drivers to one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has two starts with Jones in the Cup Series.

Partner Spotlight: Featured on the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be Unilever, Georgia Pacific, Bic on the No. 43 driven by Erik Jones. John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 will have Unilever, Jack Links, Smithfield and Mondelez riding along on his Toyota Camry XSE.

Reigning NXS Winner: Last year while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, John Hunter Nemechek dominated the NASCAR Xfinity Race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway leading 137 of the 206 laps. Nemechek’s crew chief, Ben Beshore was his crew chief for that race. Nemechek will be looking to repeat his success in the NASCAR Cup Series’ USA TODAY 301 on Sunday.

Happy Birthday!: Bryan Backus, the front tire changer on the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entry celebrates a birthday on Thursday, June 20th.

Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will honor store #2406 this weekend as a part of the company’s “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar primaries will highlight these stores on the deck lid of all three LEGACY M.C. entries throughout the race season. Store #2406 is located in Tilton, N.H.

CLUB QUOTES

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

“New Hampshire (Motor Speedway) is a special place for me and my family. My Dad got his first ever Cup Series win there 25 years ago; I was there for that win, I don’t remember it, but I’ve seen some pictures of it. It was pretty cool to be able to win at NHMS (NASCAR Xfinity Series – 2023) and dominate like we did in a super-fast car. New Hampshire is unique, I really like the racetrack, it’s flat, so hopefully we’ll have a fast Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE.”

Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

“It’s a short track, so a similar type of package that we had at Iowa [Speedway]. Like Iowa, it’s pretty rough, actually New Hampshire [Motor Speedway] is really rough getting into Turn 3 so trying to deal with the bumps getting into Turn 3 and not overtravel, bottom out, all those sorts of things, that is the unique challenge for Loudon. It’s super flat, very important to handle well across the bumps there and make speed there. Hopefully we can apply what we learned in Iowa and apply for New Hampshire”

Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:

“Last time at New Hampshire we finished 11th, which was a good finish for us. We have some work to do on our short track program and getting a handle on things, but everyone is really working hard at LEGACY M.C. and we are looking forward to seeing what we have this weekend. It’s a tough little track.”

Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:

“The short tracks have been a little tough lately for us we’ve had a couple of good runs this year, but Loudon is a really tough, tricky place. We’ve learned some things here and hopefully take what we have learned to New Hampshire have a good weekend.”

What makes New Hampshire so tough?

“The entry into the corners is really hard so you have to attack the track in the middle to get a good setup. It’s pretty physical on the drivers to be in those zones and really attacking the track the way it needed.”

What makes the lines at New Hampshire unique?

“The lines are more ‘diamond’ shaped, which forces heavy breaking into corners as opposed to sweeping entries like last weekend in Iowa, so you have to make sure you have plenty of braking power.”

PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY

ABOUT PETTY 75th: The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office, and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians, and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at race tracks across the country.

The King’s Hat: Check New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s social media for the King’s Hat location.

BROADCAST INFO

NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, JUNE 23RD @ 2:30 PM ET

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.

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 www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

JUSTIN HALEY | KAZ GRALA
New Hampshire Advance

Event Overview

● Event: USA Today 301 (Round 18 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 23
● Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon
● Layout: 1.058-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 301 laps / 318.46 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 70 laps / Stage 2: 115 laps / Final Stage: 116 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Justin Haley, Driver of the No. 51 Fraternal Order of Eagles Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Justin Haley and the No. 51 Fraternal Order of Eagles Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon for Sunday’s USA Today 301.

● Haley has six previous starts at New Hampshire acorss NASCAR’s Cup Series (three), Xfinity Series (two) and the Craftsman Truck Series (one). His best Cup Series finish was his most recent – a 17th-place finish in last year’s Crayon 301. Haley owns a top-10 finish in the 2021 Xfinity Series event and finished 13th in his lone Truck Series start at the track dubbed “The Magic Mile.”

● In two ARCA Menards Series East (previously K&N Series East) events at New Hampshire, Haley finished eighth (2015) and third (2016). The third-place result in 2016 was one of 13 top-five finishes Haley earned during the 14-race season when he claimed the series championship.

● Haley earned his third points-paying top-15 finish of the season, a 13th-place effort in last Sunday’s inaugural Cup Series event at Iowa Speedway in Newton. He finished 10th in the second stage to pick up his first stage points of the year and gained two spots in the driver standings to now sit 30th with 234 points.

● With 18 races complete, Haley is ranked seventh among drivers in laps completed (4,766) and eighth in miles completed (5,885.25).

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

● Kaz Grala, driver of No. 15 Meat N’ Bone Ford Mustang Dark Horse, will make his first Cup Series start at his home track Sunday. The native of Westborough, Massachusetts owns three previous starts at New Hampshire in the Xfinity Series, two in the Truck Series, both resulting in top-10 finishes, and three in the ARCA Menards Series East, where he owns a best finish of third earned in 2015.

● At 4 years old, Grala began his racing efforts in go-karts at F1 Boston. He won multiple championships before moving to Bandoleros at the age of 10 and won the Outlaws Summer Shootout championship in 2011. Grala followed that up with 15 wins and the Winter Heat Championship at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in the Legend Car Pro Division in 2012.

In 2013, 14-year-old Grala moved on to stock car racing in the UARA-STARS Series, becoming the youngest winner in series history at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The Boston-area native completed a full 16-race schedule in the ARCA Menards Series East in 2014, earning four top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. That same year, he ran in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challengeat just 15 years old, becoming the youngest driver ever to compete in an IMSA event, and he competed in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, collecting wins at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Caraway Speedway near Asheboro, N.C., and set a record for youngest winner in track history at the latter.



Grala returned to the ARCA Menards Series East in June 2015 and collected four top-fives and nine top-10s in 14 races.  He also competed in a Kyle Busch Motorsports Super Late Model at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, winning the pole and leading 131 of 150 laps en route to the win. Seven months later, he made his debut in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, where he was the youngest driver in the field.

● Grala made his NASCAR national series debut in the Truck Series in 2016, earning three top-10s during a nine-race schedule. In 50 total Truck Series starts, Grala has one win, six top-fives and 19 top-10s. He made his Xfinity Series debut in 2018, competing in 22 of 33 events. Grala completed his first fulltime season in the Xfinity Series in 2023 before moving to the Cup Series with RWR for the 2024 season.

● Meat N’ Bone joins Grala for its first race as primary partner on the No. 15 RWR Ford Mustang Dark Horse. 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

● Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) heads to the Bridgeport Half-Mile at Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway this weekend for its eighth event of the year. In last weekend’s event in Middletown, New York, Mission SuperTwins rider Briar Bauman earned his second podium of the year, a second-place effort that solidified his fourth-place standing in points. AFT Singles reigning champion Kody Kopp picked up his fourth win of the year, a victory that now has him tied with teammate Shayna Texter-Bauman as the winningest rider in AFT Singles history. Kopp currently holds a 26-point lead in the championship standings.

● Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Top Fuel driver Clay Millican is back on track at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie for this weekend’s Virginia Nationals. Millican has three semifinal appearances – Las Vegas Four Wide Nationals, New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire, and Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee – and an appearance in the Top Fuel final at the Four Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. He sits seventh in points, just 26 points out of fifth-place.

● 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

The No. 51 team has been performing so well, it’s becoming “normal” to see you running in the top-15 every weekend. Are you carrying that momentum and confiendce into New Hampshire?

“I feel good about New Hampshire. Rick and this team had a really good car there with Cole Custer last year. I remember riding around the No. 51 car for a lot of that race, right around the top-15, and I think our short-track program has been pretty sporty lately. Me and the team are clicking well and we’ve been pretty quick in the last month, so hopefully we’ll continue on that and keep up the consistency.”

The season is now halfway complete. Where would you say the No. 51 team is at leading into Loudon?

“We’ve kind of started to pick it up recently. I have a great crew chief in Chris Lawson, and with that you have to have a team owner, team president, and competition director who are willing to give you the resources you need to go out there and compete. And I’ve got all of that at Rick Ware. It’s not just one thing or one person. I can say, as confident as ever, the racecars I’m driving right now are some of the best-handling and most competitive racecars I’ve ever driven in my life. Huge props to everyone at Rick Ware. We don’t have a lot. I think people think that we have more than we actually do, but what we do have is a bunch of hard-working men and women who are putting everything into this race team. To get Rick these finishes makes me super proud, to show him that his race team is capable of doing this. It’s been a cool stretch over the past month. But the sport is always moving forward, and if we don’t keep pushing forward and continuing to better ourselves, we’ll get left in the dust pretty quickly. So now we’re working as hard as ever to keep up and try to improve”

Kaz Grala, Driver Q&A

This will be your first Cup Series start at New Hampshire. How excited are you to get to race in front of your home crowd?

“I’ve been looking forward to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It is going to be so great to be able to get in front of the New England race fans. I’ve said for years that I feel like New Hampshire, and New England in general, they may not have the most fans, but they have the most passionate motorsports fans. When you go up there, the stands are packed and everybody’s having the best time. My goal has always been to try to grow the local following that I’ve had, and try to put racing a little bit more on the map in the Boston area, where I’m from. We went to a ton of NASCAR races when I was young, just being a fan in the grandstands and tailgating in New Hampshire.”

Do you remember your first Cup Series experience as a fan?

“I was young and David Ragan was a big supporter for me as I worked my way through the different racing I was doing at the time. The very first time I ever got a NASCAR Cup Series hot pass was to New Hampshire. David was in the UPS No. 6 for Roush Fenway Racing, and I got to sit on their pit box. And that was the very first time I had any sort of up-close-and-personal experience with NASCAR in the Cup Series. Now I’m kind of having a different first-time experience in the Cup Series on the driver side with Rick Ware Racing, a team that’s very much on the rise, and it’s exciting every weekend to be able to go out to the racetrack and know we’ve got a chance to run well. I look to New Hampshire to be very much the same opport

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 19, 2024) – Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse head to Loudon, NH to take on the Magic Mile of the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The iconic Long John Silver’s colors are back on the No. 34 for McDowell’s 22nd career start at the 1.058 mile track. McDowell is looking to improve his best finish of 13th, at last year’s race, as he looks to lock himself in the NASCAR Playoffs.

Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday, June 22nd at 12:30 p.m. ET. The 301 mile event will take place Sunday, June 23rd at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live on USA Network. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Performance Racing Network.

No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“New Hampshire has been a struggle for us. If anything, it’s a bigger Martinsville. Our short track program has been a lot better. I go there optimistic every year, but it’s no doubt that it’s been a struggle for us in years past. Hopefully, we hit it right this weekend and get a solid finish.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“We haven’t had the success that we’ve wanted in the past at New Hampshire, but with the way we have ran this season, we know we have the speed to change that. New Hampshire has some similarities to other tracks we’ve done well, and if we continue to keep doing what we have been all season, we know we can be there at the end.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Competition Notes

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 19, 2024) – Todd Gilliland makes his return to the great state of New Hampshire for the NASCAR Cup Series race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Gilliland will bring a new look to his Ford Mustang Dark Horse, partnering with Grillo’s Pickles. Made with a 100-year old family recipe, Grillo’s Pickles started in the Boston Common in 2008 selling pickles out of a Cutlass Supreme and then a Pickle Cart. Since then, Grillo’s has grown to national grocery distribution.

The No. 38 will feature Sam Sam the Pickle Man in a green and white “Pickle Car” livery. Sam Sam the Pickle man kicked off his campaign to become the “World’s Most Interesting Pickle” with Gilliland and Front Row Motorsports.

With his 12th place finish at the Iowa Speedway, Gilliland now has four Top-15 finishes in his last six races. He sits 20th in the Driver Championship points standings and is 97 points below the playoff cut line.

Practice and qualifying will take place Saturday, June 22nd at 12:30 p.m. ET. The USA Today 301 is schedule for Sunday, June 23rd at 2:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the action live on USA Network or listen in from the Performance Racing Network and SirIus XM channel 90.

No. 38 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“New Hampshire has been a good track to me. I actually have a win there in the K&N East Series and a third-place finish in the trucks. It’s a huge confidence booster knowing not only myself, but my crew chief and spotter have had success there. With how we have been running these last couple of races, I think we’re going to leave Sunday with a solid result.

“Grillo’s has been an amazing partner. They are all about NASCAR and engaging with myself, the team, and the fans. I really want to get Sam Sam the Pickle Man into Victory Lane.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“I always enjoy going to New Hampshire, it’s my home track. Todd’s spotter, Brit (Andersen), and I have had success there in the Modifieds with Ryan Newman, so that along with Todd’s (Gilliland) history at the track, we have a lot of positivity heading into the weekend.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

This Week in Motorsports: June 17 – 23, 2024

• NCS/NXS: New Hampshire Motor Speedway – June 21-23
• ARCA: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – June 21
• NHRA: Virginia Motorsports Park – June 22-23

PLANO, Texas (June 19, 2024) – NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity Series head back to the Northeast at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for their second consecutive short track race. The ARCA Menards Series is right back in action, this time at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course competing at the first road course of the season. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to the track this weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park for the NHRA Virginia Nationals.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS

Truex seeks New Hampshire repeat … Back home in the Northeast, Martin Truex Jr. looks to repeat his victory from a season ago in what could be his final appearance at his home race track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex had eight top-fives and 14 top-10s at New Hampshire before last year’s race and finally achieved that long-awaited triumph. A repeat victory at New Hampshire would lock Truex into the Cup Series Playoffs as the season nears the midway point.

Hamlin back at favorable New Hampshire … New Hampshire Motor Speedway has also been a successful circuit for Truex’s teammate, Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver enters this weekend with five consecutive top-10s at New Hampshire and eight in the last eleven races. The 43-year-old also seeks his fourth win at the one-mile short track as he captured victory in 2007, 2012 and 2017.

Bell eager to continue strong runs … After his fourth-place finish at Iowa on Sunday, Christopher Bell comes to New Hampshire with four consecutive top-10s and five in the last six races. Another such run, or even a second career win at New Hampshire, would help Bell continue to climb up the points standings, where he’s currently in eighth, while also sitting fourth in the Cup Series Playoff standings with just nine races remaining in the regular season. Bell is also running the Xfinity Series this weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20 GR Supra, his first Xfinity Series race since 2022. The Oklahoma native has been victorious in all three of his starts at the one-mile circuit (2018, 2019 and 2021).

Toyota Supras rising in Xfinity Series points … After sweeping the stages and accruing a top-10 finish at Iowa, Chandler Smith now sits second in the Xfinity Series points standings, just one point behind the top spot. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Sheldon Creed, also used a strong day at Iowa to benefit his points standing, rising two spots to sixth after a third-place finish last Saturday.

Bonsignore makes Xfinity Series debut … Multi-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, Justin Bonsignore, will pilot the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing this weekend in his Xfinity Series debut. The 36-year-old has been ultra-successful in his racing career, which includes three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships (2018, 2020 and 2021), and now gets his chance in a NASCAR national series race.

Heim looks to couple career-best run … Corey Heim returns to Sam Hunt Racing and the Xfinity Series this weekend at New Hampshire, once again piloting the No. 26 GR Supra. The 21-year-old comes to the Northeast fresh off his best career finish of third at Iowa last weekend, his second top-five in seven starts so far this season.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series

Toyota Development Drivers take on Mid-Ohio … The ARCA Menards Series competes back-to-back weekends, now heading to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for race eight of the 2024 season. Toyota will have three development drivers in the field on Friday, with Gio Ruggiero and Brent Crews driving Toyota Camrys for Venturini Motorsports and William Sawalich with Joe Gibbs Racing. Sawalich and Ruggiero are both coming off top-five finishes at Iowa last weekend, where Ruggiero also claimed pole.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Toyota drivers in championship fights … Heading into Richmond this weekend, Toyota drivers find themselves in the thick of the championship battles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Defending Top Fuel world champion, Doug Kalitta, is back in the points lead after Bristol, leading Toyota teammate, Justin Ashley, by 22 points. Toyota currently makes up six of the top eight positions in the Top Fuel standings. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd moved up to third in the standings after reaching the finals in Bristol.

Milestone weekend in play for Torrence … Should he advance past the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Steve Torrence will achieve 500 round wins in his NHRA career. The three-time world champion is also a multi-time winner at Virginia Motorsports Park, last winning in 2019, where another win would be key as he’s currently fourth in the Top Fuel points standings.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th 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 28 electrified options.

Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.

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

LOCUST, N.C. (June 19, 2024) – The Kroger Racing team today announced its partnership with Kleenex to celebrate the brand’s 100-year anniversary during the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. At this weekend’s race, the paint scheme will feature not only the Kleenex 100 years logo, but a design that can also be found on Kleenex boxes at Kroger stores across the country. Over the last century, Kleenex has been there for countless people, including Kroger Racing driver, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse Jr. and his wife, Madyson, are anxiously awaiting one of the most significant moments as they prepare for the birth of their first child in early July. The couple, along with Kimberly-Clark and the Kroger Racing team, shed tears together in 2023 when the group won the historic DAYTONA 500 with Stenhouse Jr. behind the wheel of the No. 47 Cottonelle Camaro.

“When I think about this celebration of 100 years of Kleenex, I can’t help but think about celebratory moments in my life and my career,” said Stenhouse Jr. “Of course, winning the Daytona 500 is one of those key memories and it meant so much to share that with all of my friends at Kimberly-Clark. And personally, of course my wedding day to Madyson has to be my favorite moment to date, but I have no doubt that plenty of Kleenex is going to be needed around the birth of our first child, which is coming up very soon!”

America said ‘Happy Birthday’ to Kleenex® products on June 12, 1924, when the brand invented the tissue category. The Kleenex® brand suggests its first advertised function – as a ‘marvelous new way to remove cold cream.’ In 1927, as Kleenex® gained popularity, Kimberly-Clark proposed a new use for the product – ‘absorbent kerchiefs.’ In the 1930’s, Kleenex® was swamped by letters from consumers advocating its tissue for colds. The company responded with its new position – ‘The handkerchiefs you can throw away.’ After this, Kleenex’s® new appeal became the disposable tissue – perfect for a hygienic, convenient clean.

“Kleenex® invented the category nearly 100 years ago and continues to thrive through ingenuity and innovation,” said Will Dunn, Senior Brand Manager for U.S. Kleenex Brand. “As we celebrate our 100-year anniversary with Stenhouse Jr. and the NASCAR team, we’re excited to continue driving Kleenex® forward as a trusted brand that’s there for whatever happens next.”

Kroger and Kimberly-Clark leadership will come together for their ‘Champion’s Weekend’ hosting business meetings, planning for the 2025 season and much more. The USA Today 301 is scheduled to take the green flag at 2:30 PM ET on Sunday, June 23 and will be broadcast live on USA Network, PRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 90).

About Kimberly-Clark:

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies(R) by Ethisphere for the sixth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company’s 150-year history of innovation, visit the Kimberly-Clark website.

Race Notes

New Hampshire Motor Speedway
USA TODAY 301
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, June 23 at 2:30PM EDT
USA | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

• Kaulig Racing has made four NCS starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, earning a top-20 finish in every attempt.
• So far in the 2024 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned five top 10s, 13 top 20s and led 39 laps.

 TY DILLON

“I’m excited to be back in the NCS with Kaulig Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, coming off a 16th place finish at Texas. I look forward to keeping that momentum rolling and having a great weekend on the track.” – Ty Dillon on New Hampshire Motor Speedway

No. 16 CarBravo Camaro ZL1

• Ty Dillon will make his eighth-career NCS start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and his third NCS race this season with Kaulig Racing.
• In five-career starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NXS, Ty Dillon has three top-10 finishes.

DANIEL HEMRIC

“I’m excited to race at New Hampshire for the first time in the NEXTGen car; it’s a type of track I really enjoy. Our short track package has been a challenge for us, but I’m looking forward to getting the Poppy Bank Chevy on track. ” – Daniel Hemric on New Hampshire Motor Speedway

No. 31 Poppy Bank Camaro ZL1

• Daniel Hemric has made one start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• So far in the 2024 NCS season, Hemric has earned two top 10s, seven top-20 finishes and has led 14 laps.
• This weekend, Hemric’s No. 31 Camaro ZL1 will feature Poppy Bank’s premier online savings account.
• Poppy Bank’s premier online savings account starts with a 5.50% Annual Percentage Yield (currently the highest in the nation) and is available online to any qualifying individual in the United States (terms and conditions apply). For more information, visit Poppy Bank’s website.

 
Race Details

New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sci Aps 200
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, June 22 at 3:30PM EDT
USA | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

• Kaulig Racing has made 13 starts at New Hampshire in the NXS and has earned two top fives, three top 10s, one pole position, and 81 laps led.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has two wins, six top fives, 15 top 10s, and 111 laps led.

JOSH WILLIAMS

“New Hampshire is one of my top-five favorite tracks. It’s super flat, and at some point in time during the race, it gets two grooves. It’s super hard to pass there, and the fans up in New Hampshire are one of a kind.” – Josh Williams on New Hampshire Motor Speedway

No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams has made four starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with his best finish coming in the series’ most-recent trip to the track in 2023 (eighth).
• Williams sits 18th in the NXS points standings with three top 10s and 14 laps led.

AJ ALLMENDINGER

 ”New Hampshire is a racetrack that can be very challenging with how flat it is. You’re always searching around for lateral grip, trying to get the car to turn. It’s a challenging racetrack set-up wise but overall, I feel like our short track program has been pretty good and we’ve found some speed. Looking forward to continuing to make gains on our short track program this weekend.” – AJ Allmendinger on New Hampshire Motor Speedway

No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger has made two NXS starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and has led 29 laps.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Allmendinger has earned three top five and seven top-10 finishes. He has led 32 laps and currently sits eighth in driver standings.

SHANE van GISBERGEN

“Last weekend didn’t go as planned but that’s racing, and we get to try again in a few days. New Hampshire [Motor Speedway] will be more learning for me as I continue to get better on these ovals. Bruce [Schlicker] and my Kaulig Racing team always bring fast Chevrolet’s to the track every weekend and it should be another exciting race on Saturday. I’m happy to have WeatherTech on board the 97 Chevrolet this weekend and looking forward to racing in New Hampshire.” – Shane van Gisbergen on New Hampshire Motor Speedway

No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen will make his first NXS start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• The New Zealand native will race with the white and red WeatherTech livery. WeatherTech has upheld its commitment to quality and craftsmanship for decades, specializing in American-made auto, home, and pet products. More information is available at weathertech.com.
• Van Gisbergen and his No. 97 Kaulig Racing team currently rank 12th in the driver standings heading into the New Hampshire event.

About Kaulig Racing

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