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  • Gus Dean Wins Wild Daytona ARCA 200

    Gus Dean Wins Wild Daytona ARCA 200

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 17, 2024) – Gus Dean won a wild Daytona ARCA 200 on Saturday morning, outlasting a stout field of cars that was thinned by several multi-car incidents.

    Dean, 29, from Bluffton, South Carolina, took the lead from Venturini Motorsports teammate Jake Finch on an overtime restart, and cruised to the victory when the race was slowed for a crash entering turn three which froze the field at the time of caution.

    The first multi-car crash erupted on lap 4 after contact in the pack sent Dean out of control into his teammate Toni Breidinger. Breidinger lost control in front of the pack, sweeping up nearly a dozen cars in the aftermath including Chicago Street Race winner Shane Van Gisbergen. As the field slowed for the mid-race scheduled caution, Marco Andretti was spun out of the pack down the backstretch, sending several cars sliding into the infield grass. General Tire Pole Award winner Willie Mullins was also involved in a hard crash with Scott Melton just past the race’s midway point, and the final incident on the last lap involved Finch, 2023 series runner-up Andres Perez, Lavar Scott, Ryan Huff, and Andy Jankowiak, all of whom were battling inside the top five at the time.

    “I came here with a purpose this week,” Dean said after the race. “I started racing when I was four years old at a tiny dirt track in Georgia, and my granddad came to every single race I ever ran. At every race, even right up to the very end, he told me at every race to get what I can. Tonight, we got what we could.”

    Thomas Annunziata finished second in his ARCA Menards Series debut, followed by defending race winner Greg Van Alst, Christian Rose,
    and front row starter Tim Richmond. Jason Kitzmiller finished sixth, followed by Luxembourg native Gil Linster, Alex Clubb, Amber Balcaen, and Andy Jankowiak.

    The race was moved up to Friday due to an unfavorable forecast on Saturday, eventually going green just before midnight on Friday evening. The numerous cautions, nine total, pushed the race to a conclusion just shy of 2 am ET on Saturday morning, holding the average speed to just 98.949 miles per hour. Dean’s margin of victory, under caution, was officially 0.441 seconds.

    The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway, scheduled for Friday, March 6. The race will be televised live on FS1 starting at 8:30 pm ET; it will also be broadcast live nationwide on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network. ARCARacing.com will have live timing & scoring data throughout all on-track sessions; please follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly Twitter) for up-to-the-minute updates.

    About ARCA 

    The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly racing all across the country, the organization administers more than 100 events annually, including the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.  For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

  • Nick Sanchez scores first victory in wild NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck race

    Nick Sanchez scores first victory in wild NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck race

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With cars wrecking and flipping behind him in overtime, Nick Sanchez claimed the first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory of his young NASCAR Cup Series career in Friday night’s Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

    The race ended under caution on the second lap of the overtime after Rajah Caruth, running fourth, moved up the track and turned the No. 91 Chevrolet of Jack Wood in front of the field.

    Sanchez and runner-up Corey Heim were clear of the chaos, and Caruth escaped with minimal damage to run third. But behind them, the Chevy of Daniel Dye launched the Toyota of Taylor Gray, which flipped in mid-air and landed upright on its tires in a gaggle of mangled cars.

    All told 12 trucks were involved in the wreck, which caused the record 12th caution of the evening.

    Coincidentally, Sanchez rallied from a 13-truck crash on Lap 6 to score the victory for his No. 2 Rev Racing Chevrolet team in his sophomore season.

    “It’s huge,” Sanchez said. “We spent all of last year trying to get a win. I knew coming into this year I knew that I had to, right? What better race than to do it than Daytona? Honestly, out of every race, if I was going to do it, this would have been the last one (I expected), but happy to do it. It’s awesome.

    “I just knew I had to lead at the white flag, because they were probably going to wreck. I’m glad they wrecked — if everyone is OK. I’m just happy.

    “It’s huge. Obviously, we have a new technical partner in Spire (Motorsports)—our first race with them. What a better way to start a partnership. (Sponsor) Gainbridge has stuck with me. They were winless last year. They all deserve it, and they’re going to celebrate with me.”

    Caruth was thankful for his third-place finish, but he rued the wreck that ended the race.

    “I’m trying to play it back differently in the last laps, but thank you to everybody at Spire Motorsports, HendrickCars.com, the Hendrick Automotive Group, and Mr. H (Hendrick) for what they’ve done for me along with everybody at Spire and Chevy,” Carruth said.

    “Man, I felt like I got a bad push there, and you’re already getting tight off of the corner, and everybody is going for all they have on the last lap. I feel terrible to see trucks like that torn up. I hope Taylor (Gray) is all right. But a good night to start the year.”

    Fifty-one of the 101 laps were run under caution, and it didn’t take long for the action to start. The first major incident KO’d a handful of drivers.

    On the backstretch on Lap 6 of a scheduled 100 circuits, a shove from Christian Eckes’ Chevrolet turned the Ford of three-time series champion Matt Crafton into the Ford of Layne Riggs, igniting a 13-truck accident that eliminated Ty Dillon, Thad Moffitt and Jake Garcia.

    With his team unable to effect repairs on his No. 38 Ford F-150, Riggs took his Truck to the garage under caution on Lap 17.

    “Chaos, a lot of craziness — everybody was just kind of all over the place,” Dillon said after a mandatory trip to the infield care center. “I’ve never seen anything look like that from behind the wheel four laps into a race.

    “With my experience, I knew something like that was going to happen. That’s why I got myself to the bottom to hopefully have a spot to bail. And sure enough, it happened. I thought I got through… I hit the grass and it knocked the tires out of my hand, and I was trying to catch it with the throttle…

    “Just hate to be taken out so early and not have a chance.”

    The Lap 6 incident was a harbinger of the chaos to come.

    Defending series champion Ben Rhodes saw a good night turn bad when Tyler Ankrum door-slammed his Ford on Lap 68. Rhodes pitted with a flat tire a lap later, but after leaving the pits, he spun and crashed as the lead packed tried to dodge the No. 99 Ford in the center of the track.

    Rhodes exited the race, and soon after, Johhny Sauter was an innocent victim of a four-truck wreck off Turn 4—after leading 24 laps, second only to Sanchez’s 26.

    Bret Holmes finished fourth, followed by Spencer Boyd. Stefan Parsons, Crafton, Timmy Hill, Bryan Dauzat and Eckes completed the top 10.

    NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race – Fresh From Florida 250
    Daytona International Speedway
    Daytona Beach, Florida
    Friday, February 16, 2024
    (6) Nick Sanchez, Chevrolet, 101.
    (26) Corey Heim, Toyota, 101.
    (20) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 101.
    (19) Bret Holmes, Chevrolet, 101.
    (31) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 101.
    (27) Stefan Parsons, Chevrolet, 101.
    (11) Matt Crafton, Ford, 101.
    (33) Timmy Hill, Toyota, 101.
    (29) Bryan Dauzat, Chevrolet, 101.
    (25) Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, 101.
    (5) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 101.
    (34) Jason White, Ford, 101.
    (9) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 101.
    (17) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 101.
    (8) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 101.
    (1) Ty Majeski, Ford, 101.
    (8) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 101.
    (22) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 101.
    (23) Jack Wood, Chevrolet, 101.
    (12) Taylor Gray, Toyota, Accident, 100.
    (3) Corey LaJoie(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 100.
    (7) Daniel Dye, Chevrolet, Accident, 100.
    (30) Cory Roper, Chevrolet, Accident, 100.
    (14) Codie Rohrbaugh, Chevrolet, Accident, 100.
    (15) Dean Thompson, Toyota, Accident, 100.
    (32) Mason Massey, Chevrolet, 100.
    (4) Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 99.
    (13) Toni Breidinger, Toyota, 97.
    (18) Chase Purdy, Chevrolet, Accident, 93.
    (2) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, Accident, 79.
    (24) Ben Rhodes, Ford, Accident, 71.
    (36) Keith McGee, Ford, Accident, 44.
    (35) Lawless Alan, Ford, Overheating, 27.
    (21) Layne Riggs #, Ford, DVP, 13.
    (16) Jake Garcia, Ford, Accident, 6.
    (28) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 5.
    (10) Thad Moffitt #, Chevrolet, Accident, 5.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 98.933 mph.

    Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 8 Secs. Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds.

    Caution Flags: 12 for 52 laps.

    Lead Changes: 24 among 12 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: J. Sauter 1;T. Majeski 2;J. Sauter 3-13;T. Majeski 14;J. Sauter 15-22;T. Majeski 23-26;T. Ankrum 27-41;B. Holmes 42-44;T. Gray 45;B. Holmes 46-51;J. Sauter 52;B. Holmes 53-56;J. Sauter 57-58;G. Enfinger 59-60;N. Sanchez 61-63;B. Rhodes 64-68;J. Sauter 69;T. Ankrum 70;C. Purdy 71;C. Eckes 72;C. LaJoie(i) 73-77;N. Sanchez 78-90;R. Caruth 91;N. Sanchez 92-101.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Nick Sanchez 3 times for 26 laps; Johnny Sauter 6 times for 24 laps; Tyler Ankrum 2 times for 16 laps; Bret Holmes 3 times for 13 laps; Ty Majeski 3 times for 6 laps; Ben Rhodes 1 time for 5 laps; Corey LaJoie(i) 1 time for 5 laps; Grant Enfinger 1 time for 2 laps; Tanner Gray 1 time for 1 lap; Rajah Caruth 1 time for 1 lap; Chase Purdy 1 time for 1 lap; Christian Eckes 1 time for 1 lap.

    Stage #1 Top Ten: 45,98,41,18,17,32,91,19,5,11

    Stage #2 Top Ten: 18,19,88,43,99,98,7,9,2,11

  • NASCAR Powerball Playoff returns with new chances to win in 2024

    NASCAR Powerball Playoff returns with new chances to win in 2024

    Official Lottery Game of NASCAR launches season-long promotion to send four players to the Cup Series Championship Race for a chance to win $1 million in-person.

    JOHNSTON, Iowa (Feb. 16, 2024) – Powerball®, the Official Lottery Game of NASCAR®, announced today the return of its highly-anticipated national promotion, the NASCAR Powerball Playoff. First introduced last year, the season-long Powerball promotion will, again, culminate with four lottery players winning a VIP trip for two to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ in Phoenix, Nov. 8-10, and a 1 in 4 chance to win $1 million during a special drawing televised live from the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race™ on Sunday, Nov. 10.

    “We’re excited to offer our players this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the exhilaration of NASCAR Championship Weekend first-hand, in addition to the chance of becoming a millionaire on the spot!” said Drew Svitko, Powerball Product Group Chair and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director. “Players should follow their local lotteries for information on how to enter. As always, every time you buy a Powerball ticket, a portion of that purchase stays in your home state to support good causes.”

    “The inaugural NASCAR Powerball Playoff last year was thrilling to watch from start to finish, resulting in Stephanie Walker taking home the $1 million prize,” said Michelle Byron, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Partnership Marketing. “We anticipate the same drama in 2024 and look forward to someone becoming a millionaire during Championship Weekend in Phoenix this November.”

    The national Powerball® promotion will begin at the state level with participating lotteries holding in-state contests and second-chance drawings throughout the 2024 NASCAR regular season to form a national pool of entrants. Entry periods and method of entry will vary by lottery. At the end of the NASCAR regular season, 16 semi-finalists will be drawn from the national pool to advance to the Powerball Playoff drawings, with no more than one semi-finalist per lottery advancing.

    The Powerball Playoff drawings are a series of elimination drawings that mirror the elimination rounds of the NASCAR Playoffs™. In the NASCAR Playoffs, the top 16 drivers at the end of the regular season are eligible to compete for the Championship title. After each Playoff round, the bottom four drivers are eliminated until the field of eligible drivers decreases from 16 to 12 to 8 to 4.

    Likewise, the NASCAR Powerball Playoff begins with 16 national semi-finalists. As the NASCAR Playoffs field of drivers is reduced, Powerball will reduce its playoff field of semi-finalists eligible to win the $1 million grand prize. Through a series of elimination drawings, the field of semi-finalists will be reduced from 16 to 12 to 8 to 4 – with the remaining four finalists winning a VIP trip for two to the NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway and entry into the $1 million drawing in Victory Lane.

    The results of each Powerball Playoff drawing will be revealed during select race broadcasts, beginning with the Round of 16 announcement on Sept. 1 during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500™ race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. Cash prizes will be awarded to all 16 national semi-finalists based on their elimination position, ranging from $2,500 to the $1 million prize:

    PowerballPlayoff DrawingsDateRace AnnouncementNotes
    Round of 16Sept. 1Cook Out Southern 500, Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC16 semi-finalists advance
    Round of 12Sept. 21Bass Pro Shops Night Race,Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN12 semi-finalists advance4 eliminated win $2,500
    Round of 8Oct. 13Bank of America ROVAL™ 400,Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC8 semi-finalists advance4 eliminated win $5,000
    Championship 4Nov. 3Xfinity 500,Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, VA4 finalists advance & win VIP trip4 eliminated win $7,500
    $1 Million ChampionshipNov. 10NASCAR Cup Series Championship,Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, AZ(1) $1 million winner(3) $10,000 winners

    The VIP trip experience includes roundtrip airfare for two to Phoenix, three nights hotel accommodations – double occupancy, two Ally Curve Hospitality Club passes for both the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race on Nov. 9 and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Nov. 10, two passes for VIP experiences at Phoenix Raceway during the NASCAR Championship Weekend including NASCAR Cup Series™ VIP access, NASCAR team hauler tour, MRN radio booth tour, pace car rides, Victory Lane access, welcome dinner and all meals, and ground transportation to scheduled events and activities.

    Players should stay tuned to their local lotteries for more information on how to enter. Participating lottery jurisdictions include Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana (Hoosier), Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Additional lotteries may join the Powerball promotion at a later time. Players can also follow the NASCAR Powerball Playoff on Facebook, Instagram, and online at Powerball.com.

    Last year, four finalists from the Hoosier Lottery, Mississippi Lottery, New Mexico Lottery, and South Dakota Lottery traveled to Phoenix for a VIP experience at NASCAR Championship Weekend. Before the green flag dropped at the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, Stephanie Walker of West Point, MS was declared the inaugural NASCAR Powerball Playoff Champion and $1 million winner during a special drawing held in Victory Lane.

    The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season officially begins this Sunday with live action of the DAYTONA 500 from Daytona International Speedway. The race will air live at 2:30 p.m. EST on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    About Powerball

    Powerball® holds the current world record for largest national lottery jackpot at $2.04 billion. Since its first drawing in 1992, the game has helped generate more than $31 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Powerball tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on Powerball.com.

    About NASCAR

    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

    For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.

  • Chuck E. Cheese and Hendrick Motorsports Rev Up for Program’s 2nd Year

    Chuck E. Cheese and Hendrick Motorsports Rev Up for Program’s 2nd Year

    More rewards for ‘They Win, You Win’ promotion, New kid-friendly racing YT content, New licensed products, and Sweepstakes winners every month

    IRVING, Texas, Feb. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chuck E. Cheese, the number one global family entertainment venue, and 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions, Hendrick Motorsports, are celebrating the successful two-year milestone of their innovative program, and the start of the 2024 racing season with a winning lineup of new promotions and content for race fans to enjoy around the world.

    Just in time for the biggest race of the year, this dynamic collaboration continues to accelerate the world of racing with family entertainment to reach the shared goal of bringing families together to create memories of a lifetime.

    “They Win, You Win” Promotion is BACK with MORE E-Tickets
    On January 29, Chuck E. Cheese and Hendrick Motorsports launched an enhanced “They Win, You Win” promotion with DOUBLE the prizes this year, giving participants a chance to win free E-Tickets based on the performance of Hendrick Motorsports’ powerhouse lineup of talented drivers, including #5 Kyle Larson, #9 Chase Elliott, #24 William Byron, and #48 Alex Bowman. Now through November 11, participants can win up to 1,750 free E-Tickets every week whenever the team places in the top 3. This weekly promotion adds an extra layer of thrill to the racing season, allowing families to celebrate victories both on and off the track. Sign-up now and tune in every week to cheer on all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers for a chance to win Free E-tickets: https://www.chuckecheese.com/theywinyouwin/.

    “Racing World” Program Expands
    The popular, co-branded “Racing World” features Hendrick Motorsports, the record-holding team with 301 Cup Series victories, to bring the exciting sport of racing to kids and families throughout the country offering a variety of licensed products and merchandise, kid-focused content and an immersive mobile app game that brings the thrill of the track to the fingertips of racing enthusiasts. Download the Chuck E. Cheese Racing World mobile app game for free in the iOS and Android app stores and start racing today!

    New Merchandise Collection:
    Chuck E. Cheese unveils an expanded collection of exclusive co-branded “Racing World” merchandise at retail for both kids and adults across its classic, retro and current styles. From trendy tees and wrapping paper to high-end hats and shoes, fans can race to victory sporting a diverse range of items that blend the iconic Chuck E. Cheese charm with the high-speed spirit of Hendrick Motorsports. Plus, the highly anticipated Chuck E. Cheese Die-Cast will be available for purchase at all Chuck E. Cheese U.S. locations this summer.

    Check out the Chuck E. Cheese Racing World Collection across the following online retailers:

    Chuck E. Cheese Shop
    Hendrick Motorsports Shop
    New Era Caps
    Select apparel on Target, Amazon and Walmart

    Original YouTube Video Content
    To provide young fans with an immersive and educational experience, Chuck E. Cheese and Hendrick Motorsports are excited to launch exclusive co-branded “Racing World” video content on the official Chuck E. Cheese YouTube channel throughout the season. Join Chuck E. and the Hendrick Motorsports pit crew as they bring kid-friendly racing facts to life, offering a behind-the-scenes look into the exciting world of professional racing. The content aims to entertain, educate, and inspire the next generation of racing enthusiasts.

    Sweepstakes with Monthly Prizes:
    New for 2024, Chuck E. Cheese and Hendrick Motorsports are teaming up to give fans the chance to win incredible prizes, every month, throughout the entire season with the Racing World Sweepstakes. Fans will now have the chance to win prizes ranging from VIP race experiences to Ultimate Birthday Parties at Chuck E. Cheese and so much more. The sweepstakes, which opened on February 1st, will run for the entire racing season, and offer fans repeated opportunities to be a part of the racing action. Check out the full lineup of prizes at www.chuckecheese.com/racingsweeps/.

    David McKillips, President and CEO of CEC Entertainment, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “The 2023 NASCAR season proved to be an exciting and wild ride thanks to the Hendrick Motorsports organization. Not only did the team earn themselves a reputation as a formidable force on the track, but their commitment to excellence off the track – speaks to the great success and impact of this partnership. We have so many new and engaging integrations on the horizon, and we can’t wait to continue celebrating major milestones with Hendrick Motorsports in 2024.”

    Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR champion and vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, added, “The past year has been incredible, working with Chuck E. Cheese to bring the thrill of auto racing to even more families than ever before. It’s been an absolute joy to watch new fans of all ages fall in love with racing.”

    The 2-year anniversary is a testament to the success of the Chuck E. Cheese and Hendrick Motorsports program in creating lasting memories and shared experiences for families across the nation. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned for more surprises, announcements, and promotions throughout the year.

    For more information, visit www.chuckecheese.com/racingworld.

    About CEC Entertainment, LLC.
    CEC Entertainment, LLC. is the nationally recognized leader in family entertainment and dining with its Chuck E. Cheese, Peter Piper Pizza brands and virtual kitchen concept, Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings. Chuck E. Cheese is the place where half a million happy birthdays are celebrated every year, and where positive, lifelong memories for families are made through fun, food, and play. It’s the place Where A Kid Can Be A Kid® with a commitment to providing a fun, safe environment, and helping to protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check®. As a strong advocate for its local communities, Chuck E. Cheese has donated more than $21 million to schools through its fundraising programs. Peter Piper Pizza features dining, entertainment and carryout with a neighborhood pizzeria feel and “pizza made fresh, families made happy” culture. Peter Piper Pizza takes pride in delivering quality food and fun that reconnects family and friends. Created in 2020, Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings offers a distinct, customized eating experience outside of a restaurant environment that amplifies classic pizza and wings and operates out of 400 ghost locations nationwide. The Company and its franchisees operate a system of nearly 600 Chuck E. Cheese fun centers and more than 120 Peter Piper Pizza venues, with locations in 47 states and 16 foreign countries and territories. For more information, visit chuckecheese.com, pasquallyspizza.com, and peterpiperpizza.com.

    About Hendrick Motorsports:
    Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), points-paying race victories (301) and laps led (more than 79,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 39 different seasons, including an active streak of 38 in a row (1986-2023). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman. Headquartered on more than 100 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

  • “The King’s Hat”: NASCAR Industry Pays Tribute to the Petty Family’s 75 Years in Racing

    “The King’s Hat”: NASCAR Industry Pays Tribute to the Petty Family’s 75 Years in Racing

    DAYTONA BEACH, FL. (February 14, 2024) – At the track where the Petty family legacy began, Richard and Kyle Petty, along with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and Daytona International Speedway kicked off the Petty Family’s 75th year in racing with a literal tip of the hat.

    This evening at Daytona’s Camperfest in the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone, track president Frank Kelleher had the honor of unveiling the first of 28 one-of-a-kind life-size art installations that feature the likeness of Richard Petty’s famous cowboy hat indubitably titled “The King’s Hat”.

    “The King’s Hat” is a six-foot tall, 1,000-pound, fiberglass and concrete statue that will become a permanent display this season at all NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports-owned tracks, as well as Indianapolis Motor Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway, Pocono Raceway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the Petty Museum. Each installation will have a uniquely personalized tribute to the Petty family.

    “It’s always special to be recognized and this does take it to the very top,” said “The King” Richard Petty. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history, and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time, and effort to make this happen and our family is honored by that.”

    The hats are meticulously hand-crafted by TivoliToo, Inc., the same company that designed and built the Charles Schulz Peanuts® character tribute in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. Brother and sister duo, Randi and Hart Johnson have personally worked with each track to bring the creative vision to life. All one of a kind and thoughtfully designed, the hope is that these special statues will become landmarks for fans to visit and pay tribute to the Petty’s for many years to come.

    “My dad’s cowboy hat is iconic and is a part of who Richard Petty is,” said Kyle Petty. “If you see that hat, you know it’s Richard Petty. It’s been his signature look for as long as any race fan can remember. This is a great way to celebrate our family’s heritage and a fun way for fans to honor and learn about our history within the sport. We can’t thank LEGACY M.C., and all the tracks enough for working together to bring this to life.”

    Fans are encouraged to use #PETTY75 when they find this one-of-a-kind piece of history and post photos socially, as “The King’s Hat” is set to become a permanent fixture of each city the NASCAR Cup Series visits in 2024. Fans can go to www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com/Petty-75 for the locations of each hat.

    The year-long celebration will also include exclusive digital and social media content never seen before from the Petty family photo and video archives. This unique content will be featured on the @therichardpetty, @pettybrothersracing, @kylepetty, @pettymuseum and @pettysgarage social media accounts as well as @PettyFamilyRacing on YouTube.

    The first “King’s Hat” stands tall in the Hard Rock Bet Fan Zone at Daytona International Speedway throughout Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth.

    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. 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.

    SOCIAL MEDIA:

    To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, X, and Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

  • Geoff Bodine’s tell-all autobiography is officially released

    Geoff Bodine’s tell-all autobiography is officially released

    “All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story” officially released on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at major retailers, less than a week before this year’s Daytona 500 on Fox.

    The autobiography, written in collaboration with Dominic Aragon, takes a close look at Bodine’s life from growing up in New York to aspirations of competing in the Daytona 500, his life as a professional racecar driver, his faith and more.

    “The time has come to share my stories with the world, and I am thrilled to share my experiences – going from dreaming about racecars to winning on America’s biggest stage – with readers,” said Bodine, the 1986 Daytona 500 winner. “I hope non-race fans and race fans alike will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting this book together.”

    Bodine competed in NASCAR’s top division from 1979 to 2011. During that span, Bodine raced for legendary car owners, competed for championships, won the sport’s biggest race, had a fierce rivalry with the late Dale Earnhardt Sr., competed as an owner-driver following the death of Alan Kulwicki, and survived a fiery crash in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona.

    The book’s cover image features an original rendering of Bodine’s No. 5 ride from Hendrick Motorsports, while the back cover shows an image of Bodine in a fire suit pointing to the back of his helmet, which reads “In God We Trust.”

    The foreword is written by NASCAR championship-winning team owner Rick Hendrick, the legendary owner of Hendrick Motorsports, who selected Bodine to be his first driver.

    Bodine and Aragon, the editor-in-chief of The Racing Experts, teamed up to tell Bodine’s story, a project years in the making.

    “We have dedicated the last several years to carefully curating Geoff’s story to inspire others to follow their passions,” Aragon said. “Like Geoff said, it is a dream come true to see the final product and have the book in hand.”

    Trilogy Christian Publishing, the publishing arm of Trinity Broadcast Network, is the publisher of the autobiography.

    “We are so excited about releasing ‘All of It’ by Geoff Bodine and Dominic Aragon here at TBN,” said Mark Mingle, Acquisitions Executive at Trilogy Christian Publishing. “Geoff has had an amazing NASCAR career, and now as he shares his life and faith through his new book, he is stepping into the exciting realm of ‘published author.’

    “Geoff and Dom have collaborated to produce a truly inspirational message that will be an encouragement to all who read it.”

    The book sells for $24.99 and is available at major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.com.

    Additionally, fans can purchase a special autographed copy of “All of It” signed by Bodine at teambodine.square.site.Bodine will have several appearances to promote the book, including at this weekend’s Daytona 500, the following weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and more to be announced at a later date.

  • NASCAR 2024 Silly Season updates

    NASCAR 2024 Silly Season updates

    As 2023 comes to an end, the silly season begins. Check below for all of the driver and team news in anticipation of the NASCAR 2024 season. This list will be updated periodically.

    Lawless Alan, No. 33 Reaume Brothers Racing 33 Ford (NCTS)
    Reaume Racing announced on Jan. 14 that Lawless Alan has been signed to run full-time in the 2024 Craftsman Truck Series.

    Anthony Alfredo, No. 5 Our Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS) and Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup)
    Our Motorsports announced on Dec. 7 that beginning in 2024, Alfredo will race full-time in the No. 5 Chevrolet Xfinity Series car. It was later revealed that Josh Graham, former crew chief for Parker Retzlaff, will join the team as crew chief for Alfredo.
    Beard Motorsports announced on December 20 that Anthony Alfredo will pilot the No. 62 Chevrolet in the 2024 Daytona 500 and the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega.

    Justin Allgaier, No 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Allgaier will return to JR Motorsports for the 2024 Xfinity Series season after signing an extension. Jim Pohlman will be back as his crew chief.

    AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) (NCS)
    Allmendinger will return to drive the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with crew chief Alex Yontz and will compete in select Cup Series races next season. Travis Mack will serve as his crew chief for the Cup Series races and will also assume the role of Technical Director for their Cup Series program.

    Allmendinger will also compete in select Cup Series races next season. Travis Mack will serve as his crew chief for the Cup Series races and assume the role of Technical Director for their Cup Series program. On Dec. 20 it was confirmed that Allmendinger would drive the Kaulig Racing No 16 Chevrolet in the Cup Series Daytona 500.

    Aric Almirola, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Almirola will run a part-time Xfinity Series schedule in 2024 sharing driving duties in the No. 20 JGR Toyota with John Hunter Nemechek for an unspecified number of races.

    Jordan Anderson, No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 12, it was announced on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that team owner, Jordan Anderson, will drive the No. 32 Chevrolet as a third entry for the organization in the 2024 Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. Anderson’s father-in-law, Larry McReynolds, will join him as crew chief for the team.

    Marco Andretti, No. 04 Cook Racing Technologies in alliance with Roper Racing Team (NCTS) and No. 17 Cook Racing Technologies Chevrolet (ARCA)
    Marco Andretti has signed with Cook Racing Technologies to drive the No. 17 Chevrolet in 14 ARCA Menards Series races beginning at Daytona in February. Andretti will also compete in seven Craftsman Truck Series races in the No. 04 Chevrolet in an alliance with Roper Racing. His first Truck start will be at Circuit of the Americas on March 23.

    Tyler Ankrum, No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Tyler Ankrum is moving to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. He will drive the No. 18, renumbered from the No. 35 driven by Jake Garcia in 2023.

    Beard Motorsports, No.62 Chevrolet (NCS)
    On Dec. 20, Beard Motorsports announced that it will compete in the following four races in 2024 – the Daytona 500 in February, the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega, the Aug. 24 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, and the Oct. 6 YellaWood 500 at Talladega. Anthony Alfredo will drive the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet in the Cup Series 2024 Daytona 500 and the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega. Their schedule for the remainder of the 2024 season and the driver lineups will be announced at a later date.

    Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Stewart-Haas Racing announced in June that Josh Berry would replace retired driver, Kevin Harvick, in the No. 4 Ford in 2024. On Dec. 19, Eddie D’Hondt was named as the spotter for Josh Berry in his first season with SHR.

    Josh Bilicki, No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 4, DGM Racing announced that Josh Bilicki will drive the team’s No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro in select Xfinity Series races in 2024. Bilicki’s first race will occur at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 17th.

    BJ McLeod Motorsports, No. 78 Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 30, BJ McLeod Motorsports announced that Pat Tryson will return to crew chief the No. 78 Chevrolet for the 2024 Xfinity Series season. The team has not revealed whether they will compete full-time or run a partial schedule.

    Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (NCS)
    Blaney will have a new spotter in 2024 as Tim Fedewa joins the team. Fedewa is a former racer and was Kevin Harvick’s spotter for 10 years.

    Spencer Boyd, No 76 Freedom Racing Enterprises Chevrolet (NCTS)
    It was announced on Jan. 8 that Spencer Boyd and Chris Miller have formed a new Craftsman Truck Series team, Freedom Racing Enterprises. The team will compete full-time with Boyd in the No 76 Chevrolet & Greg Ely as crew chief. Jeff Hammond will serve as General Manager.

    Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (NCS)
    Burton has confirmed that he will return in 2024 to drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with crew chief, Jeremy Bullins. Jason Jarrett (former spotter for Justin Haley) will spot for Burton in 2024.

    Jeb Burton, No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jordan Anderson Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Jeb Burton will return to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024. Shane Whitbeck will be back as Burton’s crew chief.

    Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Kyle Busch, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    In addition to competing full-time in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series this season, it was announced on Feb. 7 that Busch will also drive an unspecified number of Craftsman Truck Series races in 2024 for Spire Motorsports.

    Rajah Caruth, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    It was announced on Feb. 4 that Caruth will drive the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series in 2024. HendrickCars.com will be the primary sponsor for 10 races. He will be paired with crew chief Chad Walter. Caruth was formerly with GMS Racing who ceased operations at the end of the 2023 season.

    Ross Chastain/Busch Light, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Chastain has signed a multiyear contract extension with Trackhouse Racing to drive the No. 1 with Anheuser Busch as his primary sponsor in 2024. He will also compete in select Truck Series races throughout the season for Niece Motorsports.

    Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (NCS)
    Cindric announced in October that he will return to the No. 2 Ford next season.

    Dawson Cram, No. 4 JD Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    JD Motorsports announced on Dec. 6 that beginning in 2024, Cram will race full-time in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

    Sheldon Creed, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Creed joins Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024 to compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after a two-year tenure with Richard Childress Racing in 2022 and 2023.

    Cole Custer, No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NXS)
    Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Custer is returning to the Xfinity Series in 2024. The Ford team will keep the same lineup of Custer and Riley Herbst.

    Hailie Deegan, No. 15 AM Racing Ford (NXS)
    Deegan will move to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with AM Racing in 2024 with a multiyear deal. It was announced on Dec. 19 that Joe Williams Jr. will serve as Deegan’s crew chief in her rookie season.

    Matt DiBenedetto, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet (NCTS)
    DiBenedetto announced on Aug. 30 that he would not be returning to Rackley W.A.R. in 2024, adding that he has no plans for next season but is “exploring all options in all series.”

    Ty Dillon, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Dec. 29, it was announced that Ty Dillon is returning to the NASCAR Truck Series and will compete full-time in 2024 driving the Rackley W.A.R. No. 25 Chevrolet. Shane Wilson was named as Dillon’s crew chief on January 9.

    Daniel Dye, No. 43 GMS Racing Chevrolet (NCTS) and No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Dye, formerly with GMS Racing, will join McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2024 as the full-time driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. On Jan. 16, it was announced that Dye will also compete in 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races for Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 Chevrolet.

    Kaulig Racing will enter the NXS No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet in the following races:
    Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway
    April 6 at Martinsville Speedway
    April 27 at Dover Motor Speedway
    June 15 at Iowa Speedway
    July 13 at Pocono Raceway
    July 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    Aug. 17 at Michigan International Speedway
    Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway
    Oct. 19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
    Nov. 9 at Phoenix Raceway

    Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota NXS)
    Sam Hunt Racing announced on January 16 that Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 26 Toyota in 2024 for multiple races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His first race will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24

    Christian Eckes, No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Eckes will return to drive full-time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2024. Crew Chief Charles Denike will also return.

    Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, NCS
    It was confirmed on Jan. 2, that Trey Poole will join Elliott’s team as his spotter in 2024. Poole is Elliott’s cousin and has previously worked as an additional spotter for the team as needed. His former spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, will move to Stewart-Haas Racing as the spotter for Josh Berry.

    Ryan Ellis, No. 43 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Alpha Prime Racing announced in August that Ellis will compete in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series in 2024. On Jan. 27 the team revealed that Mike Hillman will lead the No. 43 team as crew chief.

    Patrick Emerling, No. 07 SS-Greenlight Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 1, the team announced that Patrick Emerling will be the primary driver of the No. 07 Xfinity Chevrolet in 2024 when there isn’t a conflict as he attempts to also win a championship in the Whelen Modified Tour. Emerling’s first Xfinity Series race will be the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17. His complete Xfinity Series schedule will be announced at a later date.

    Grant Enfinger, No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    CR7 announced on Dec. 12 that it signed Grant Enfinger to a multiyear deal to race full-time for the team, beginning in 2024.

    Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing (NCTS)
    ThorSport announced on Nov. 15 that Garcia would join the lineup beginning in 2024.

    Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced in August that Gilliland will return to drive the No. 38 Ford full-time in 2024.

    GMS Racing (NCTS)
    On Aug. 25, 2023, GMS officials announced that it would cease operations after the 2023 race season

    Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    On Aug. 13 Stewart-Haas Racing announced that they had signed a multiyear deal for Gragson to drive the No. 10 Ford. The news came following Gragson’s reinstatement by NASCAR after a suspension for violating member conduct rules.

    Kaz Grala, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    On Jan. 17 Rick Ware Racing announced that Kaz Grala has been signed to compete in 25 Cup Series races in the No. 15 Ford Mustang with crew chief Billy Plourde. His first start with the team will be in the Busch Light Clash exhibition race and his first regular season points race will be on Feb. 25 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The remainder of his schedule will be announced at a later date.

    It was announced on Jan. 23 that Grala will also attempt to qualify the Front Row Motorsports No. 36 Ford Mustang for the Daytona 500. He will participate in the qualifying session on Wednesday, Feb. 14 and he can also lock into the race during the Duel events on Thursday.

    Tanner Gray, No. 15 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS)
    No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (ARCA)
    Tricon Garage announced on Nov. 9 that Gray will return to the organization full-time for the 2024 Truck Series season. He will also substitute for William Sawalich in six races in the ARCA Menards Series (until Sawalich turns 18) driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    Gray will also compete in six ARCA Menards Series races: Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 17), Talladega Superspeedway (April 20), Kansas Speedway (May 4 and Sept. 27), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 24) and Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 16).

    Taylor Gray, No. 17 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS)
    Tricon Garage announced on Nov. 10 that Gray will race his first full Truck Series season as pilot of the No. 17 next season.

    Justin Haley, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    Haley will compete full-time for Rick Ware Racing in 2024 after signing a multiyear deal. He will be paired with crew chief Chris Lawson.

    Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NCS)
    Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing announced in September that he will return to drive the No. 11 Toyota in 2024 and beyond.

    Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Harvick will move to the FOX Sports broadcast booth starting with the 2024 season after retiring from NASCAR competition at the end of the 2023 season.

    Corey Heim, No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota (NCTS), No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota (NXS), Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing reserve driver
    In October 2023, TRICON Garage announced that Heim would return to compete full-time in the Truck Series in 2024.

    On January 10, 2024, Sam Hunt Racing revealed that Heim will drive the No. 26 Toyota for the team in the Xfinity Series for multiple races. His first start will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2.

    Heim posted on social media on Jan. 25 that he has also been signed by Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing, saying, “I’m grateful to announce that I’ve been signed by @LEGACYMotorClub as their simulator & reserve driver for this season and will also be the reserve driver for @23XIRacing.”

    Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Hemric will return to the Cup Series in 2024 driving the No. 31 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.

    Riley Herbst, No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NXS) and No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    It was announced on Feb. 2 that Herbst will pilot the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford in the Daytona 500, the first of select Cup Series races for the team. Herbst currently competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Hill will remain with Richard Childress Racing and compete in the Xfinity Series in 2024.

    Timmy Hill, No. 56 Hill Motorsports Toyota (NCTS)
    Hill Motorsports announced on Dec. 8 that Timmy Hill would race a full-time Truck Series schedule in 2024

    Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCS)
    Hocevar moves to the Cup Series as the driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports and will be joined by veteran crew chief, Luke Lambert.

    Bret Holmes, No 32 Bret Holmes Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Bret Holmes Racing announced on Jan. 19 that Brett Holmes will compete full-time this year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the No. 32 Chevrolet. They have signed a technical alliance with Spire Motorsports for 2024 and Mike Shiplett will join the team as crew chief.

    Leland Honeyman Jr., No. 42 Chevrolet Young’s Motorsports (NXS)
    Young’s Motorsports announced on Jan. 3, 2024, that Leland Honeyman Jr. will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with Andrew Abbott as his crew chief.

    Joe Gibbs Racing names Xfinity Series lineup (NXS)
    JGR announced its full-time and part-time roster on Dec. 13. Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith will race full-time, while six drivers will compete part-time between two race cars. Aric Almirola, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Truex, Taylor Gray, William Sawalich and Joe Graf Jr. will make up the part-time portion of the lineup.

    Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club No. 84 Toyota (NCS)
    Johnson will run a limited number of NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024. As of Jan. 16, nine races have been announced:
    Feb. 18 – Daytona (Sponsor – Carvana)
    April 14 – Texas (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    April 28 – Dover (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    May 5 – Kansas (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    May 26 – Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    July 21 – Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (Sponsor – Carvana)
    Sept. 29 – Kansas (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    Oct. 20 – Las Vegas (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    Nov. 10 – Phoenix Season Finale (Sponsor – Carvana)

    Brandon Jones, No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jones re-signed with JR Motorsports in September and will continue to compete in the Xfinity Series in 2024.

    JR Motorsports – Chevrolet (NXS)
    JR Motorsports announced its crew chief lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series on Dec. 18:
    Phillip Bell – Brandon Jones in the No. 9
    Mardy Lindley – Sam Mayer in the No. 1
    Jim Pohlman – Justin Allgaier in the No. 7
    Adam Wall – Sammy Smith in the No. 8

    Sage Karam, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Sam Hunt Racing announced on Jan. 23 that Karam will compete in multiple Xfinity Series races for the team this season beginning with the race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 17.

    Kaulig Racing – Chevrolet (NXS)
    Kevin Walter will join the No. 11 Chevrolet team as a first-time crew chief and be paired with Josh Williams in 2024.
    Alex Yontz will return to the team for a fifth season and will serve as the crew chief for AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro.
    Bruce Schlicker will also return for a fifth season at Kaulig as crew chief for the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro with Shane van Gisbergen.

    Parker Kligerman, No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    In August, it was confirmed that Kligerman will remain with Big Machine Racing in 2024 to compete in his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series.

    Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCS)
    LaJoie announced in August that he had re-signed with Spire Motorsports in a multiyear extension Ryan Sparks will continue as the crew chief for Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 team.

    Legacy Motor Club (NCS)
    The team announced in May that they would leave Chevrolet and partner with Toyota in 2024. Team co-owner Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 84 in select Cup Series races with Jason Burdett as his crew chief. In October the team also announced that Matt Kenseth would join the organization as a competition adviser.

    Legacy Motor Club released the news that Trevor Bayne would join the team on Jan. 25. “We are adding on two important members to the Club! Welcome Trevor Bayne as our Driver Optimization Leader and Corey Heim (previously announced) as our simulator & reserve driver.”

    Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Love will move up to the Xfinity Series in 2024, taking over as driver of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet on a full-time basis.

    Mason Massey, No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Ford (NCTS)
    On February 12, Young’s Motorsport confirmed that Mason Massey will drive the No. 02 Chevrolet full-time this season in the Craftsman Truck Series.

    Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced in August that McDowell will return to drive the No. 34 Ford full-time in 2024.

    BJ McLeod, No. 78 BJ McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 9, it was announced that BJ McLeod will return to his Xfinity Series team as the driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet to compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. It is unknown at this time if the team will run a full or part-time schedule.

    CJ McLaughlin, No. 38 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    McLaughlin will compete part-time in the 2024 Xfinity Series in the No. 38 Ford for RSS Racing as announced on Jan. 10. His first race will be on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. The remainder of his schedule has not been released.

    Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Faction46 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Dec. 8, it was announced that Thad Moffitt would race full-time in the Truck Series with the newly announced team, Faction46.

    Frankie Muniz, No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports Ford (NXS)
    Muniz will run a limited number of Xfinity Series races this year for Joey Gase Racing. He will begin the season by attempting to qualify for the United Rentals 300 scheduled for Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. On Feb. 9 the team also confirmed that the 25th-place owner points have been transferred to the No. 35 team.

    John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (NCS) (NXS)
    Nemechek will return to the Cup Series full-time in 2024 as the driver of the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota. In addition to driving full-time in the Cup Series for Legacy Motor Club, Nemechek will make 10 Xfinity Series starts in the JGR No. 20, sharing driving duties with Aric Almirola.

    Niece Motorsports, No. 41, No. 42 and No. 45 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    The team revealed its 2024 Craftsman Truck Series driver lineup in February for the upcoming season.
    Mike Hillman Jr. will return as crew chief for Bayley Currey and the No. 41 team as Bayley competes in his first full-time season.

    Jon Leonard will join Niece Motorsports as the crew chief for Matt Mills in the No. 42 Chevrolet as Mills also enters his first full-time season in the Truck Series.

    Ross Chastain, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack and Johnny Sauter will share driving duties in the No. 45 throughout the season with crew chief Phil Gould on the pit box. Sauter will be behind the wheel as the season begins at Daytona International Speedway.

    Stefan Parsons, No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Jan. 13, Parsons announced on social media that he will drive the Henderson Motorsports No. 75 Chevrolet in the Craftsman Truck Series this season. His complete schedule has not been released but he will compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Raceway.

    Brad Perez, No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 8 Alpha Prime Racing announced Brad Perez will drive select Xfinity Series races this season in the No. 45 Chevrolet (which will compete in a partial schedule). His first race will be at Circuit of the Americas on March 23 with the remainder of his schedule to be determined. He will also take on the role of Development Driver and assist with simulator setup and will be the team’s reserve driver.

    Blaine Perkins, No. 29 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    RSS Racing has signed Blaine Perkins to race full-time in the Xfinity Series for the 2024 season.

    Brennan Poole, No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Poole and Alpha Prime announced on Nov. 9 that Poole will run a full-time season in the No. 44 for the 2024 Xfinity Series season. On Jan. 27 it was announced that Poole will be paired with crew chief, Frank Kerr.

    Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Preece announced on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Sept. 26 that he will return to race the SHR No. 41 in 2024.

    Chase Purdy, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Spire Motorsports announced on Jan. 3 that Chase Purdy has been signed to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series. NASCAR veteran, Jason Trinchere, most recently a crew chief for Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity Series program, will be paired with Purdy to lead the team.

    Parker Retzlaff, No. 31 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jordan Anderson Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Parker Retzlaff will return to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with Chad Kendrick (formerly with Matt DiBenedetto) as his crew chief.

    Layne Riggs, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCTS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced on Dec. 14 that Riggs has been signed to a multi-year deal to drive the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series after limited starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Xfinity Series in 2022 and 2023. Dylan Cappello will move up from his position as lead engineer to work as Rigg’s crew chief. Chris Lawson will leave his position as crew chief but will serve as a consultant to the team at the beginning of the season as well as working on projects outside of NASCAR.

    RSS Racing (NXS) – Crew chief and spotter lineup:
    28 Ford: Kyle Sieg – CC: Mike Scearce, Spotter: Freddie Kraft
    29 Ford: Blaine Perkins – CC: Steve Addington, Spotter: Tony Raines
    38 Ford: CJ McLaughlin – CC: Kevin Johnson, Spotter: Doug Campbell
    39 Ford: Ryan Sieg – CC: Matt Noyce, Spotter: Tim Fedawa

    Nick Sanchez, Rev Racing No. 2 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Jan. 16 Rev Racing announced that Sanchez will drive the No. 2 Chevrolet in 2024 and compete full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series with Spire Motorsports as a new technical alliance partner. Sanchez will be paired with Kevin “Bono” as crew chief. Allen Hart, former crew chief for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series, will join the team as the chief engineer.

    William Sawalich, No. 1 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS), No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS) and No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (ARCA)
    Sawalich will return to Tricon Garage in 2024 and compete in a partial schedule of nine Craftsman Truck Series races in the No. 1 Toyota:
    Bristol – March 16, Martinsville – April 5, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park – July 19, Richmond – Aug. 10, Milwaukee – Aug. 25, Bristol – Sept. 19, Homestead – Oct. 26, Martinsville – Nov. 1, Phoenix on Nov. 8.

    In addition, he will also make three Xfinity Series starts for Joe Gibbs Racing. His schedule includes Homestead, Martinsville and Phoenix (after he turns 18 on Oct. 3), in the No. 19 JGR Toyota.

    Sawalich, the 2023 ARCA East champion, will also compete in the ARCA Menards Series in 2024 as the primary driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, in all but six races. Tricon Garage Truck Series driver, Tanner Gray, will substitute for Sawalich until he turns 18.

    Kyle Sieg, No. 28 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    RSS Racing announced on Dec. 1 that, beginning in 2024, Sieg would race full-time with the team.

    Chandler Smith, No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    On Dec. 12, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Chandler Smith would drive the No. 81 Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024. Smith will join JGR after one full-time season in the series with Kaulig Racing in 2023.

    Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Smith will join JR Motorsports in 2024 with a multi-year deal to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet, previously driven by Josh Berry who will move up to the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup), No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Zane Smith has signed a multiyear contract with Trackhouse Racing and will move up to the Cup Series full-time in 2024, driving a Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in alliance with Trackhouse Racing. He will be paired with first-year crew chief, Stephen Doran. Josh Williams, former spotter for Ryan Blaney, will make the move to Spire Motorsports in 2024 and spot for Smith.

    On Feb. 9 the team announced that Smith will also drive the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 91 Chevrolet in four Truck Series races. His schedule includes:
    March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
    March 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway
    April 5 at Texas Motor Speedway
    May 4 at Kansas Speedway

    Garrett Smithley, JD Motorsports No. 6 Chevrolet (NXS)
    JD Motorsports announced on Feb. 13 that Smithley will return to the team this year and pilot the No. 6 Chevrolet in four Xfinity Series races, including the season-opener at Daytona, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

    Spire Motorsports Spotter Lineup
    TJ Bell will return as the spotter for Corey LaJoie. As mentioned above, Josh Williams (previously the spotter for Ryan Blaney) will spot for Zane Smith. Tyler Green (previously the spotter for Harrison Burton) will spot for Carson Hocevar.

    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Matt Swiderski will replace Travis Mack as the crew chief for Suarez and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NCS)
    Truex will return to race the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in 2024 for at least one more year.

    Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) and No. 16 (NCS)
    In December it was announced that Shane van Gisbergen will race full-time in the Xfinity Series next year for Kaulig Racing with crew chief Bruce Schlicker. He will also compete in a minimum of seven Cup Series races and an unspecified number of Craftsman Truck Series races for Trackhouse Racing in 2024.

    In January 2024 it was announced that he will be doing double duty at Daytona International Speedway as he takes to the track for the season-opening race in the ARCA Menards Series in the Pinnacle Racing Groupentry before making his Xfinity Series debut.

    Cup Series races announced as of Dec. 13:
    Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin on March 24
    Talladega Superspeedway on April 21 and Oct. 6
    Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26
    Chicago Street Race on July 7
    Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Sept. 15
    Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 20

    Kyle Weatherman, No. 91 DGM Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Nov. 14, 2023, DGM Racing announced that Kyle Weatherman will compete full-time in 2024 in the Xfinity Series after racing a part-time schedule for the team in 2023.

    Josh Williams, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) and No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Kaulig Racing announced on Nov. 16 that Josh Williams will pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet in 2024. He will be joined by crew chief Kevin Walter, formerly an engineer for the JR Motorsports No. 8 team.

    On Jan. 29 Kaulig Racing announced that Williams will also run the No. 16 Alloy Employer Services Camaro ZL1 in select Cup Series races during the 2024 season, beginning with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 4.

    Jack Wood, No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced on Dec. 6 that beginning in 2024, Jack Wood will race a 14-race schedule in the No. 91 Chevrolet.

    Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NXS) (NCTS)
    On Jan. 11 Trackhouse Racing announced that they have signed a multi-year agreement with Connor Zilisch. He will enter a developmental program in 2024 and 2025 that will include races in the CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans Am and IMSA series. Zilisch will also compete in select NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series events.

  • CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Kyle Larson Media Availability Transcript

    CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Kyle Larson Media Availability Transcript

    NTT INDYCAR SERIES
    TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
    FEBRUARY 6, 2024

    Kyle Larson, No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, met with media via Zoom following a test he completed at Phoenix Raceway in preparation for the “Hendrick 1100”. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion previously completed his Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program in October 2023, with this test marking Larson’s latest on-track activity in preparation for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Press Conference Transcript –

    THE MODERATOR: Good morning, everyone. The countdown to the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge continues. Yesterday afternoon, Phoenix time, last night as well, Kyle Larson taking part in a rookie evaluation test for Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway as he continues to get comfortable in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and his Chevy-powered Dallara.

    Kyle, thanks for doing this. You kind of beat the rain and got in a lot of really solid hours of testing. Tell us a little bit. How would you characterize it?

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it was great to be able to test. Again, kind of like the Clash this last weekend for NASCAR, I was not expecting to race then, and I wasn’t expecting when I woke up yesterday that I was going to be running an INDYCAR. Had to kind of get my mind right to prepare myself for that.

    Overall was pleased to get the test in. Great, great conditions with weather yesterday. Looks like it’s going to rain here shortly. Glad we were able to do that.

    Yeah, I thought it went smooth. Got three or four hours in of laps, I think five sets of tires. Yeah, it was good to run through some things, get comfortable out there making laps, but get to do some pit stop sort of stuff. Got loose at one point and almost spun out, so that was good to kind of feel the limit there at slower speeds.

    Kind of just worked through some balance stuff.

    THE MODERATOR: I know you’ve been in the car a couple of times. How much more comfortable was yesterday compared to the rookie orientation program back in October?

    KYLE LARSON: Honestly, yesterday was probably more uncomfortable just because it’s a smaller track. Things are happening quicker. You’re having to lift off the throttle a little bit. At Indy, once we got through the different stages and stuff, we were wide open pretty easy by yourself. It was a cool day and all that.

    Yesterday was fun to kind of have to work on the timing of the corner and work through some balance things because, yeah, I mean, the balance was definitely not perfect, which was good to feel.

    At Indy, like I said, I’m out there by myself. They have downforce packed into it. I’m comfortable. Didn’t really feel much about the car changing there, so… It was good to feel the car not be quite perfect at times yesterday.

    THE MODERATOR: Let’s go ahead and open it up for questions.

    Q. Sounds like the Arrow McLaren team is starting to put together a pretty talented group around you. Talk about some of the folks you’ve worked with so far. Hear there might be some familiar folks coming to the timing stand. Beyond what you’ve done on-track, can you share some insights of the folks surrounding you.

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I honestly don’t know, like, a ton of the details. I think a lot of the people that were there yesterday are going to be a part of my team going forward. It was good to get around them a little bit.

    It was so kind of fast-paced, and none of us were expecting to run. I didn’t really get a chance to hang out, get to know people, stuff like that. Honestly, don’t even know most of their names still at this point.

    It was still good to get familiar with them and to work on, like, the pit stop stuff. That’s going to be really important with the guys that were there yesterday. Sounds like everything was going smooth there.

    Yeah, Brian Campe, he was there yesterday with us. I don’t know exactly what his role is going to be going forward, but it’s nice to have him there for now, somebody who I’m familiar with on the Hendrick side of things, who has had a lot of success in INDYCAR and at the Speedway. I would love there to be a way to utilize him some more once we get to the month of May. I haven’t really talked to anybody yet.

    No, it’s good. It’s good to get repetition with everybody and all that. Look forward to getting to spend more than one day with the INDYCAR and have some downtime to get to learn everybody. Just a little bit of the talking I got to do with a few guys yesterday…

    I’ve known this, too, because of my days around the Ganassi days, there’s a lot of dirt fans in the INDYCAR paddock. Good to talk sprint car racing with some of those guys and learn about each other.

    Q. Brian Campe will be on the timing stand for you. His journey is the ultimate example coming from NASCAR, wins the Indy 500, wins a championship, jets back to NASCAR. Tell me about that, knowing one of the people you’re familiar with from Hendrick will be there with you in the month of May.

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I didn’t know his kind of path to where he’s at right now until we went to Indy last year during the month of May just to hang out for one day. I didn’t know at that point I knew he had won the Indy 500.

    When we walked in there, all these race fans and mechanics were coming up to him. I was like, Man, this guy is like a celebrity around here. That was really eye-opening to me.

    From then, I kind of asked him some questions on the flight home of, like, I didn’t know this about you. He went through his career path. I thought it was very unique. Coming from Penske on the NASCAR side of things to INDYCAR, have so much success really quickly, then end up in the role that he’s at now at Hendrick… before I knew all this, I was like, Man, this Brian Campe guy, he’s super smart. Just throughout our competition meetings, stuff like that. Once we got to Indy, it all made sense why he is who he is.

    Yeah, I hope we can utilize him a lot. He’s obviously well respected, got a great résumé, a really smart mechanic/engineer person. You want all the best people in your corner, and he’s definitely a really, really smart guy.

    Q. Super Bowl predictions this weekend?

    KYLE LARSON: Obviously we hope that the 49ers win. Yeah, I mean, it’s going to be a tough game. Mahomes is so good. Would love to see the home state team win. My kids and my family, my side and Katelyn’s side, are huge 9ers fans. I’ll admit I’m a little bit on the bandwagon since they’ve been good the last few years.

    I don’t follow sports super close, but I always cheer for the teams from my home state that are doing good. Like to see the 9ers do good. Loved to see the Kings in the Playoffs last year. Hope they can make the home state proud.

    THE MODERATOR: Do you rock a jersey?

    KYLE LARSON: I have a couple of hoodies. Katelyn got me a jersey for Christmas. We’ll probably have to bust that out.

    THE MODERATOR: Which player?

    KYLE LARSON: I don’t even know who is mine. I know she’s got McCaffrey. I’m probably Brock.

    Q. You mentioned how very different Phoenix is compared to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. How do you envision that test day benefiting you? What did you learn in terms of trying to get ready for what you’ll tackle in May?

    KYLE LARSON: I think it was good for me to go to Phoenix. It’s a totally different racetrack and all that. The banking through three and four is not too different than Indy. Like, I mentioned earlier, I had a few moments where I was uncomfortable. I thought that was good to feel at 190 or whatever we’re going, 180 maybe in the corner, compared to going 220 at Indy, having the moment, being surprised by something. I think that was a benefit.

    I think just getting more reps of pulling in and out of the box, messing with the weight jacker and bar and all that. I didn’t really mess with any of that during my rookie orientation just ’cause the balance was so good, I didn’t really feel like I needed to do anything.

    Yesterday my balance was kind of transitioning quickly. Kind of had to try to keep up with that a little bit. I’m not used to having cockpit adjustors. That’s what you have to do a lot of in an INDYCAR.

    Yeah, it was just good to kind of do all that stuff, log some notes in my brain. Hopefully make the transition, when I get to Indy, smoother and quicker, and we can really just get to working on the important stuff with the car and things like that once we get to the month of May.

    Q. Can you tell us more the loose moment you had on track, where that was, how you saved that?

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it was the last run of the day. We had been doing kind of shorter runs, running through changes, tires were cycling. I was getting much tighter each run, more understeer I guess you guys call it.

    We went to do a long run, had different air pressures and stuff to start. The car felt a lot different early in the run. I kind of had my mind made up that it was going to build tighter. It was like starting to get loose pretty quickly. I was a bit confused, wasn’t quite expecting that. I was trying to make adjustments on the weight jacker and things like that.

    Yeah, just got caught off guard a little bit. I had some warnings a few laps before. I went into INDYCAR turmoil. Got a little bit loose into the corner, got to the apex. As I was leaving the bottom, it just started to get sideways. Was able to catch it.

    Honestly, though, nothing about yesterday felt way different than what a Cup car, Next Gen car, feels like. That was good for me. I think the characteristics of the INDYCAR versus the Cup car, at least at Phoenix, felt very similar. You’re just going a lot faster in an INDYCAR.

    The moments happen a lot quicker. The edge of good versus not good feels a lot sharper. Yeah, it didn’t feel way, way different than what I was, I guess, used to. Even with those moments of getting sideways, it didn’t feel way different.

    Q. You mentioned one of the places you didn’t feel as comfortable was getting adjusted to pit lane, hitting the right buttons. Whether it’s that or something else, where do you still feel like you need to get more comfortable before May and the open test here in April?

    KYLE LARSON: All that same stuff really. It’s all the little details that you think you have to master if you really want to have a good shot at winning or running up front. Those details are pulling in your pit box, pulling out of your pit box. The steering wheel is so small, the cockpit is so tight, the steering so slow, turning in I have to turn way further than normal, be quick back the other way. Just getting all that timing pulling in is difficult.

    The more reps you get, the better at it you are. Yesterday we did some kind of live pit stops at the end of the day. That was good because pit stops are a lot quicker than what I’m used to. In a stockcar, all you’re really worried about is popping it into neutral, coasting in, holding the brake pedal, they drop the car, put it in first gear and you take off. It’s similar to that.

    Now I’m listening to tones in my headphones when they unplug. I can’t go into first gear until it’s unplugged. The timing and the window for that are much smaller. Yesterday, doing it, it feels like it’s all happening so fast.

    With the more reps I think I get, that will slow down for me. I’ll get to where I can nail things a little bit better more consistently. So, yeah, just getting more reps is going to be important.

    Q. How many laps did you do yesterday in your test?

    KYLE LARSON: I have no clue. We had five sets of tires. We probably did 40 laps apiece on each set or so.

    Q. Did you get a chance to take it close to the limit yesterday?

    KYLE LARSON: I almost spun out, so I’d like to think I did (smiling).

    No, I mean, I still think there was room for me, when my car was balanced close, I still think there was room for me to at times go another 10th or two faster. That was me I think being confident and committing to the throttle, knowing and trusting that the car was going to stay gripped, like mostly off turn four probably.

    So, yeah, I felt like when the car was gripped up, I was close to optimizing it I would like to think. It’s so hard to say when it’s just me out there. Like, I wish there could have been, like, one other guy there that I could judge myself off of, look at data and compare. We were just comparing data to 2018. The cars were quite a bit different then. The tire was different, all of that.

    I’m just out there kind of guessing and going off of feel, which is kind of cool because it’s like old-school style testing, I guess, than what I’ve been accustomed to the last, gosh, I don’t know, six to eight years probably.

    But yeah, I felt like I got close to the limit. That last run when my balance was starting to get free, I felt it coming and felt like I was getting close to having a moment, then I did.

    I like what my brain was registering actually happened. What I was feeling in the car on the other runs, I felt like I could feel the balance well and describe it okay, too.

    Q. Because you drive so many different race cars, how quick are you able to determine the different environment in the race car and what you have to do to get it to go fast?

    KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I’m not sure. Again, I’m not able to compare to anybody else yet. I could have been half a second or more off the pace yesterday. I just have no clue.

    But when I’m out there just judging off myself, I feel like I’m coming up to speed okay. Again, I don’t really know. Once we get to the month of May or the open test in April, that’s when I’ll be able to kind of judge myself based off of the guys who do this for a living.

    As of right now, I think it’s kind of good to have that pureness of trying to learn on our own. Hopefully that will help me when I get to Indy.

    Q. From a business angle, how much excitement are you starting to sense from a lot of the people involved in your businesses and your sponsors?

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I think everybody is really excited about it. I think I’m the, I don’t know, fifth or sixth guy to ever attempt it. It’s a rare thing. I think that brings a lot of eyes and stuff to what’s going on.

    I’m with a great brand with Arrow McLaren. Also on the NASCAR side, things with Hendrick Motorsports. It doesn’t get much bigger and better than the two teams I’m with. Yeah, I think that also helps things.

    I don’t know. I’m just excited honestly to get going, get there. I don’t really worry too much about the business side of it. I do know there’s a lot of race fans that are excited to see me out there. That makes me excited, as well.

    I feel like I’m a grassroots type of racer. Even though I race on Sunday in the Cup Series, I still feel like I resonate with the local short track fans. I think that’s exciting. That excites fans. That’s what gets people liking me.

    I know I’ve got a lot of support on the fan side of things. I’m sure the whole NASCAR garage will be paying attention to how my couple weeks is going there. That’s all fun.

    Yeah, I look forward to it.

    Q. You have another big one coming up here in less than two weeks. What is your outlook heading to the Daytona 500? How well do you think you’re prepared for that?

    KYLE LARSON: Hendrick Motorsports is always really fast there. I know our race car is going to be good. It obviously takes some luck to get to the finish, all that. But you also have to make good decisions and be prepared, all that.

    I feel like our team has done a really good job. Although on paper we’re literally like the worst team on superspeedways, I do believe that we are much, much better than what we show on paper. I feel like 90% of the time we’re in the top six to eight at the end of the race, the final 10 laps, then we get caught up in a crash, end up finishing 28th or worse.

    Eventually it’s got to work out. We keep putting ourselves in position. I’m confident that we can go out there and win or at least get a good finish and get off to a good start for the year. There’s a lot of factors that come into play at those superspeedway races. You have to cross your fingers that you can be in front of the pack and then you execute at the finish.

    Q. It’s interesting to hear you talk about Phoenix, how stuff was happening so quickly. With the sprint car stuff, how quickly things happen there, how much different did a moment like that at Phoenix feel compared to something you would face on the sprint car side?

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, the feel of the moments are way different. Like a moment in a sprint car, you hit a hole, you bike up and almost flip. I would say the INDYCAR and the stockcar, the Next Gen cars, are more alike than anything. I got sideways and almost spun.

    I think where the INDYCAR and the sprint car will be more similar than the style of racing in NASCAR. The INDYCAR and sprint car stuff, runs happen so fast. You pass somebody, you put 10 car lengths by the time you get to the next corner. Where stockcar, you have to inch toward that, slowly, slowly. You spend two laps inside of them, then you finally get clear. It’s harder to get to somebody, pass them, and get away. INDYCAR and sprint car stuff, those runs happen quicker, checkups happen quicker, stuff like that.

    I think – or I hope – being used to the sprint car and how quickly moves happen, I hope that allows me to be more confident when we get into kind of racing situations in the INDYCAR.

    I have yet to be on track with anybody else, so I don’t know. That’s all me just assuming from watching videos and stuff. Yeah, just the quickness, the weight, all that I think will be similar. The balance stuff I think INDYCAR and stockcars are more similar.

    Q. Phoenix 2021 Cliff Daniels talked about he was an East Coast asphalt guy, you’re a West Coast dirt guy, he went to school to learn dirt racing to learn what made you click. Are you able to do that from your side to the INDYCAR side learning this terminology, weight jackers? How much time is involved in that? Do you have the time to learn between now and May kind of like Cliff learned for you?

    KYLE LARSON: I definitely think I have the time to learn. Once we get on track for two weeks in May, I’m sure we’ll run through a lot of those adjustments. Even yesterday, I was figuring the weight jacker and the bar stuff out, where to touch the corner for balance and things.

    It’s difficult for me, like I really have to think about what is oversteer and what is understeer just ’cause my whole life I’ve been loose or tight. I think that’s more of something like they maybe, the engineers, need to get comfortable with my terminology more than me getting in touch with their terminology. But I’m not really sure.

    I’m getting better at speaking their language, but it’s just weird. I don’t know why I can’t just say ‘loose’ or ‘tight’ (smiling). There’s time. It’s simpler than I make it sound I think to figure out weight jacker stuff, cockpit adjustment stuff.

    Q. Obviously there’s only four races and an exhibition before Indy in May. How much do you foresee yourself paying attention more to the INDYCAR side? Do you foresee yourself paying attention more to INDYCAR than you would in previous years?

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, probably. It’s always been so hard for me to pay attention to INDYCAR just because we’re racing at the same time as they are. Two, I mean, I think the road course stuff is obviously quite a bit different than the oval at Indy.

    Yeah, I mean, for sure I’m going to be paying attention more often to it than I would be before, trying to pay attention to the drivers on the racetrack, maybe their aggression levels, how people race. Even though it could be a road course versus the oval, if you see somebody who is aggressive on a road course, they’re probably going to be aggressive on an oval, as well. Just learning peoples’ driving styles a little bit, things like that.

    Yeah, the race strategy stuff is way different. That’s not something I ever get involved in anyways. Yeah, just try to pay attention and learn whatever I can. Hopefully it translates to Indy. If not, at least I studied.

    Q. You’re known for your adaptability with multiple different racing series and cars. With the INDYCAR specifically, all the extensive laps that you’ve had at Indy, you touched on the difference between the Cup and INDYCAR, but do you see that extra track time over the course of the next few months…

    KYLE LARSON: What was the end of that? You broke up.

    Q. Wondering whether the INDYCAR and Cup cars, all the extensive lap testing in the next few months, how that is going to help you with multiple racing series?

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I don’t think it hurts at all. It’s always good when you can, as a driver, put yourself in new situations where you’re challenging your brain, you’re challenging yourself to evolve and learn something new, figure out the differences or similarities between race cars.

    Yeah, I mean, I think there’s still a ton for me to learn and a ton left out on the table for me to get comfortable. The more reps I get with everything, not just making laps around track, but in and out of the box like I mentioned, exiting pit road hard, stuff like that is going to be important.

    As far as, like, car balance stuff, I was really kind of surprised, like I mentioned, that it feels a lot like a Next Gen Cup car, the way that just the grip of the tire felt like when I turned to the wheel to a point, get past the slip of the tire. The sidewall, I felt like it all felt really similar to the Cup car. You’re just going faster.

    It feels like you’re going to Phoenix, like when I was just there testing a couple months ago in a Cup car, we added downforce, the conditions were cooler, the amount of mid-corner speed you carry, it all felt pretty relative to me and very similar.

    I don’t think they’re as far apart from each other as what the previous model NASCAR Cup Series car was like or what an Xfinity car might be like. Those are quite a bit different than a Next Gen car.

    I feel like these new cars have really transitioned to an INDYCAR. Even adjustments that we made yesterday, they weren’t telling me the adjustments they made these few times, but I went out and I was like, Oh, I felt looser on entry. We made another change. I was like, I felt like I was out of the track, less grip there.

    The first change I think they raised the back of the car up. That made me loose in. That would have made me loose in the Cup car. Next they raised the front up to match the rear. That’s when I said I had less grip. I’m pretty sure that’s what that adjustment would have felt like in a Cup car, as well.

    Between the underbody and all that, the mechanics of the car, I feel like our stockcars are much similar. I guess what I’m getting at is that I hope it makes the transition between the two simpler than what it would have been four or five years ago.

    THE MODERATOR: Sounded like they’re testing you at the same time, make a change and you can figure out what they did.

    KYLE LARSON: Yeah, no. I was happy that the changes they were making I could feel ’em, kind of relay it, and it matched up with what I guess should have done. It was all good.

    THE MODERATOR: We’ll leave it there for now. Kyle, thanks for doing this. We look forward to seeing you at the Indy 500 open test coming up the 10th and 11th. First and foremost, good luck at Daytona this year.

    KYLE LARSON: Thank you.

  • Carvana, Jimmie Johnson Unveil New Richard Petty-Inspired Paint Scheme Ahead of Daytona 500 Race

    Carvana, Jimmie Johnson Unveil New Richard Petty-Inspired Paint Scheme Ahead of Daytona 500 Race

    PHOENIX, AZ (February 1, 2024) — Carvana, an industry pioneer for buying and selling used cars online, today unveiled a new paint scheme for Jimmie Johnson’s No. 84 Toyota. Created in partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™, the design pays tribute to the Petty family’s illustrious 75-year tenure in racing.

    “Seeing my family honored in such a significant way by another NASCAR legend, Jimmie Johnson, is a humbling experience,” said Richard Petty, “The King” and co-owner of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. “It’s a testament to the enduring impact of the Petty family on racing and we couldn’t be prouder to tie our storied history to Jimmie’s success and the future of this great sport.”

    The familiar “Petty Blue” paint scheme is inspired by the iconic Chrysler Plymouth Petty raced to victory in the 1964 Daytona 500, which led to his first NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Together, Johnson and Carvana designed a car that mimics some of the most noteworthy details that made Petty’s car so timeless, including the chrome accents and white lettering. Adorned with the “Petty 75” logo, the Camry XSE also showcases the horsepower on the side of the hood, as was tradition in the earlier days of the sport.

    “The honor of my recent NASCAR Hall of Fame induction has given me time to reflect on my racing career that spans more than 21 years, and on the people that have been pivotal to my journey both on and off the track,” said Johnson. “My relationship with Richard, Kyle and the whole Petty family is so meaningful to me and my goal was to celebrate their enduring LEGACY with this design.”

    The Petty family has helped define 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.

    “Our Petty Blue-inspired paint scheme is not merely a tribute, but a statement of our respect and admiration for the Petty family and their significant contributions to racing over the past 75 years,” said Ryan Keeton, Carvana Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer. “The close collaboration with Jimmie and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has allowed us to create a design that not only resonates with the rich history of the sport, but also aligns with Carvana’s innovative spirit.”

    Fans can look forward to seeing Johnson’s car in action for the first time on February 18, 2024 in Daytona Beach. Access to a first look at the newly outfitted race car is available on NASCAR.com, and on all of Carvana Racing’s social channels.

    ABOUT CARVANA: Carvana’s mission is to change the way people buy and sell cars. Over the past decade, Carvana has revolutionized automotive retail and delighted millions of customers with an offering that is fun, fast, and fair. With Carvana, customers can choose from tens of thousands of vehicles, get financing, trade-in, and complete a purchase entirely online with the convenience of home delivery or local pick up in over 300 U.S. markets. Carvana’s vertically integrated platform is powered by its passionate team, unique national infrastructure, and purpose-built technology. Carvana is a Fortune 500 company and is proud to be recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers. For more information, please visit www.carvana.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. 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.

    SOCIAL MEDIA:

    To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, X, and Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

  • Carolina Carports Becomes Newest Partner for JRM and Sam Mayer

    Carolina Carports Becomes Newest Partner for JRM and Sam Mayer

    Mayer to drive No. 1 Carolina Carports Chevy at Daytona, Texas and Bristol

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 31, 2024) – Carolina Carports, an industry innovator in the manufacturing and installation of quality residential and commercial steel buildings, will join JR Motorsports as a primary partner for Sam Mayer and the No. 1 team in three NASCAR Xfinity Series events in 2024.

    Mayer will drive the No. 1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 17), Texas Motor Speedway (April 13) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 20). The brand will be featured as an associate partner in the remaining 30 races.

    Headquartered in Dobson, N.C., Carolina Carports’ customer-first and quality-commitment approach has made them a leader in the steel-buildings industry. Family-owned and operated since 1997, Carolina Carports offers a wide selection of steel buildings, metal carports, garages and barns for personal or commercial use, all of which include American manufacturing, installation and customer support. The company’s footprint has expanded to seven divisions covering North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Indiana.

    “Carolina Carports is a family business much like our own,” said JR Motorsports CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “Meeting Adela (Herrera) and her team, it’s clear she has built her company on quality and excellence, and that makes Carolina Carports a great fit for Sam and the No. 1 team.”

    Mayer, a 20-year-old native of Franklin, Wis., enters 2024 on the heels of a career-best season with four wins and a third-place finish in the NXS championship.

    “Carolina Carport is pleased to announce our new partnership with the JRM team,” said Herrera, Carolina Carports owner and CEO. “With over 25 years leading in the metal building industry, we’ve consistently provided top-quality materials throughout our seven division locations. Teaming up with one of the great names in racing is a testament to our commitment to excellence. We look forward to the positive impact this partnership will bring to both industries.”

    Broadcast coverage for the United Rentals 300 at Daytona begins at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 17, on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

    ABOUT CAROLINA CARPORTS:
    Carolina Carports, Inc. was founded in 1997. Our primary focus is to provide the highest quality residential and commercial metal structures at the most economical price to our customers. We use the latest in technology, machinery and engineering to ensure that each unit is above industry standards. Our commitment to each customer experience from start to finish is a driving force behind the growth of CCI. With 7 divisions strategically located throughout the United States, CCI has become the single largest metal building manufacturer in the nation. We appreciate each of our dealers, employees, contractors and customers who are part of the CCI family. To start your next building project, contact us at 800-670-4262.

    ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

    JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 23rd year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also owns seven titles in regional Late Model divisions with consecutive championships in 2022-23 and a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.