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  • Racing Executives Relaunching Historic IROC Brand

    Racing Executives Relaunching Historic IROC Brand

    Joint Venture Created In Order to Bring Brand Back to Life

    Mooresville, N.C. (January 8, 2024) – IROC Holdings LLC (IROC Holdings), a joint venture company created by NASCAR Hall of Fame member Ray Evernham and former NASCAR Cup Team Owner and venture capitalist Rob Kauffman, announced the formation of the joint venture and the acquisition of the rights to the IROC brand. Known as IROC (International Race of Champions), a series of races was held annually from 1973 to 2006. IROC brought together the greatest drivers from all forms of motorsport to compete against each other in iconic cars on historic tracks. Although the annual events ended in 2006, the legacy and recognition of the IROC brand has continued throughout the years. IROC Holdings plans to bring the historic brand back to life.

    IROC Holdings has been formed to house the business operations with the intent to have an IROC racing event in 2024 with historic IROC race cars while exploring future opportunities. The company will initially be based in Mooresville, N.C.

  • Young’s Motorsports Announces Expansion to Xfinity Series Competition With Leland Honeyman Jr. Full-Time in 2024

    Young’s Motorsports Announces Expansion to Xfinity Series Competition With Leland Honeyman Jr. Full-Time in 2024

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 4, 2024) Young’s Motorsports announced the organization’s expansion into the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024. Leland Honeyman Jr. will pilot the No. 42 Xfinity car full-time, beginning with the season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (Fla.) on Sat. Feb. 17, 2024.

    Honeyman, 18, returns to the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization, where he ran an impressive ARCA Menards Series East Series campaign, finishing third in the 2022 championship standings.

    Honeyman also has eight starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he claimed a best finish of 21st at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway ROVAL this past October.

    “We’ve been asked about running Xfinity more than a few times over the years, and this time, it just made sense,” Young’s Motorsports team principal Tyler Young said.

    “Leland (Honeyman) ran the (ARCA) East Series for us in 2022, and he did a great job learning, giving feedback, and being competitive against several other established (ARCA) East programs. His efforts in the Xfinity Series this season show he’s continuing to improve and make the most of every opportunity he is a part of.

    “We’ve already found success in the ARCA Series and have a blast working together. I look forward to taking this step with the Xfinity Series this season.”

    Honeyman added, “In 2024, I’m thrilled to be racing full-time for Young’s Motorsports in their newly launched Xfinity team. Joining them as they enter this exciting series, I’m confident about our collective potential for the upcoming season. The prospect of racing full-time in Xfinity adds an extra layer of excitement, and I can’t wait to contribute to our team’s journey and make our mark on the track.”

    The Phoenix, Ariz. native began honing his racing skills at the tender age of two racing Quads. By four years old, he moved into Trophy Karts and then collected three series championships in off-road racing Trophy Karts.

    After an instrumental tenure in Go Karts, he moved into the Bandolero competition in 2015 and was crowned a Bandolero National Champion two years later. From there, he moved into Limited Late Models before graduating to the Carolina Pro Late Model Series division in 2021, where he earned championship-runner-up honors and picked up an astounding victory in the annual Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway Fall Brawl.

    Young’s Motorsports was established in 2009, owns 472 Truck Series starts with two victories, and has competed in 26 races across the ARCA Menards Series platforms since 2021.

    The United Rentals 300 (120 laps | 300 miles) is the first of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2024 schedule. Practice will take place on Fri., Feb. 16, from 4:35 p.m. – 5:25 p.m., and the qualifying session begins on Sat., Feb. 17, at 11:30 a.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 5:00 p.m. with live coverage on FS1.

    For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and X |Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

    For more on Leland Honeyman Jr., please visit LelandHoneymanRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Leland Honeyman Racing) and follow on Instagram (@lelandhoneymanjr) and X |Twitter (@lelandhoneyman3).

  • Spire Motorsports Inks Chase Purdy for 2024 NCTS Championship Run

    Spire Motorsports Inks Chase Purdy for 2024 NCTS Championship Run

    Veteran Jason Trinchere to Call Effort from Atop Pit Box

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 3, 2024) – Today, Spire Motorsports announced it has signed Chase Purdy to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado as preparations ramp up in earnest for the 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) season.

    Purdy will be paired with veteran race engineer and crew chief Jason Trinchere as the team mounts its first NCTS championship effort since it began competing in select events two years ago.

    “Chase Purdy is really coming into his own as a driver and we think pairing him with a crew chief the caliber of Jason Trinchere will elevate his level of competitiveness immediately,” said Spire Motorsports President Doug Duchardt. “We put a lot of thought into putting Chase together with the right person and at the conclusion of that process, it was very clear that Jason is the person to lead the No. 77 team. This is a combination we expect to set a very high bar in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.”

    Purdy, 24, began his NCTS career in 2018 and has logged 75 career starts. He finished a career-best 11th in points last season on the strength of two poles, three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes behind the wheel of the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    “I’m really excited to get going on 2024 with Spire Motorsports,” said Purdy. “Seeing what they’ve done in the last few years and the drivers they’ve had come through, being in that system makes me excited for the future. I’m more determined than ever. There are a few new people, Jason Trinchere, obviously being one of them, but, for the most part, we still have our same core group of guys so we’re looking to keep up that momentum from last year. I’m just really eager to get the new season started. I can’t wait to get to work.”

    Trinchere is an Easton, Pa., native who graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a mechanical engineering degree in 2005. He’s a second-generation racer whose father, Karl, owned championship-winning pavement modifieds, competing mostly in and around northeast Pennsylvania.

    Trinchere made the move to North Carolina shortly after earning his Bachelor of Science and began his professional career as the race engineer for the iconic No. 75 Spears Manufacturing NCTS team, owned by series’ pioneers Wayne and Connie Spears.

    Following his time with Spears Motorsports, a quick stop at CJM Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team in late 2007 preceded his move to Dale Earnhardt Incorporated’s (DEI) NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) operation for the 2008 season.

    For the next five seasons, Trinchere served as both a support and design engineer at DEI where he worked with drivers Martin Truex Jr., and Regan Smith, while also serving as the lead engineer for the team’s NASCAR regional touring series efforts. He continued through the organization’s merger with Ganassi Racing and played a key role in Jamie McMurray’s wins at the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400.

    In 2013, the 42-year-old further fortified his resume with a move to Penske Racing where he managed chassis design for both the team’s NCS and NXS efforts.

    Over the next seven seasons, Trinchere was a key contributor in 44 NCS race wins, including the 2015 Daytona 500, 2018 Brickyard 400 and ultimately the 2018 Cup Series championship with driver Joey Logano. Over that same stretch, Penske Racing complied 44 NXS wins and four straight owner’s championships.

    Following the 2019 season, he moved to Kaulig Racing where he began as an engineer before being promoted to crew chief in 2021, ultimately serving in that capacity for all three of the organization’s NXS teams. Over that time, Trinchere contributed to 21 wins and 110 top-five finishes. The 2024 season will mark the former modified racer’s 19th as a professional, and first in the NCTS since 2007.

    “I am excited for 2024 and look forward to working with Chase and everyone at Spire Motorsports,” said Trinchere “Chase ended the season on a high note, showing speed and consistency, so I look forward to building on that momentum going into the new season.”

    The Fresh from Florida 250 from Daytona International Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Friday, February 16, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The first of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

    About Spire Motorsports …
    Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with driver Chase Purdy.

    Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023, when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

  • Four-Time Indy 500 Starter, NASCAR Legend Yarborough Dies at 84

    Four-Time Indy 500 Starter, NASCAR Legend Yarborough Dies at 84

    INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023) – Cale Yarborough, who made four Indianapolis 500 starts during his legendary, championship-winning NASCAR career, died Dec. 31 in his native South Carolina. He was 84.

    Yarborough was one of the greatest stock car drivers in history, winning three straight Cup Series championships from 1976-78. His 83 victories are tied for sixth on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory list.

    Among his career accolades were four Daytona 500 victories, in 1968, 1977, 1983 and 1984. But the fiercely determined Yarborough gained just as much renown and helped to launch stock car racing into the national consciousness in the 1979 Daytona 500 when he fought with brothers Donnie and Bobby Allison inside Turn 3 after Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed while dueling for the win on the final lap.

    Before rising to stardom in NASCAR while driving for the legendary Junior Johnson in the mid-1970s, Yarborough showed his versatility by competing in open-wheel racing.

    Yarborough made his first Indianapolis 500 start in 1966, driving for Rolla Vollstedt. Yarborough was caught off guard by the throngs who attended qualifying days in May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and got stuck in traffic en route to the track for the first qualifying day. He ended up parking his car in the yard of a local resident and walking to the track, qualifying 24th in the No. 66 Jim Robbins Vollstedt/Ford.

    But his four-lap qualification run that year lasted longer than his race. Yarborough’s car was one of 11 collected and eliminated in a first-lap accident that triggered a red-flag delay of nearly 90 minutes, and he was credited with 28th place.

    Yarborough returned with Vollstedt’s team in 1967 and finished 17th, completing 176 laps. He made his final two “500” starts in 1971 and 1972 with Gene White’s team, completing 193 laps and finishing 10th in 1972 – both career bests – in a colorful team that also boasted fellow kindred jovial spirits Lloyd Ruby and Sam Sessions.

    In 1971, Yarborough raced the entire USAC Championship Trail with White’s team. He produced a best finish of fifth, at Trenton and Michigan, and ended up 16th in the standings in his only full open-wheel season.

    Yarborough retired as a driver after the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series season and then focused on team ownership and other businesses. His Cale Yarborough Motorsports raced in the Cup Series through the 1999 season, with John Andretti delivering the team its sole victory in the 1997 Pepsi 400 at Daytona.

    His immense success as a driver helped Yarborough earn enshrinement in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Hall of Fame. He was selected as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and one of its 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

    Yarborough was an excellent athlete before focusing on racing in his late teens. He was a high school football star and played semi-pro football in his native South Carolina, and he also was a Golden Gloves boxer.

  • Ty Dillon joins Rackley W.A.R. for full-time Truck Series return in 2024

    Ty Dillon joins Rackley W.A.R. for full-time Truck Series return in 2024

    Ty Dillon has been named the newest, full-time competitor of the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Rackley W.A.R. for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

    The news comes as the 31-year-old Dillon from Welcome, North Carolina, is coming off a full-time Cup Series campaign with Spire Motorsports, where he generated an average-finishing result of 27.5, including a season-best 11th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in August, before settling in 32nd place in the final driver’s standings. Previously, he competed on a full-time Cup basis for Petty GMS Motorsports, where he notched a season-best 10th-place result at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course and an average-finishing result of 22.6 before ending up in 29th place in the 2022 final standings.

    The move for Dillon is set to mark his first start in the Truck Series since competing in the 2021 series’ finale at Phoenix Raceway for Bret Holmes Racing. It is also set to mark his first full-time campaign in the series since 2013, where he won two races and settled in a career-best runner-up spot in the final standings.

    “I’m excited to go back to the Truck Series and compete in the series that got it all started for me,” Dillon said. “I have a lot of good memories from earlier in my career with winning races and poles, and our goal is to create more this season. Rackley W.A.R. has built a solid foundation and it’s an honor to be a part of taking them to the winning level they want to be at. I’m very appreciative of this opportunity and ready to get started in Daytona.”

    The Truck Series is the series which Dillon made his inaugural presence within NASCAR’s top three national touring series, which occurred in 2011 as he was competing for the ARCA Menards Series championship. During the season, he competed in the final three events of the season for Kevin Harvick Inc., where he notched a strong third-place finish during the season’s penultimate event at Texas Motor Speedway.

    The next two seasons, Dillon piloted the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for Richard Childress Racing in the Truck Series. During the two-year span, the North Carolina native scored a combined three victories, four poles, 16 top-five results, 29 top-10 results, 665 laps led and average-finishing results within the top 10. He was also a championship contender during both seasons, where he ended up in fourth place in the 2012 final standings and claimed the Rookie-of-the-Year title before ending up in the runner-up spot in 2013.

    Through 58 previous starts in the Truck Series (2011-15, 2017-18, 2021), Dillon has achieved three victories, five poles, 20 top-five results, 36 top-10 results, 702 laps led and an average-finishing result of 10.0.

    In addition to the Truck Series, Dillon has made 164 career starts in the Xfinity Series, with his top accomplishments including achieving a single series’ victory occurring at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014 and claiming top-five results in the final standings between 2014 and 2016. He has also made 238 career starts in the Cup Series, where he has generated two top-five results, including a career-best third-place finish at Talladega in October 2020, and seven top-10 results.

    “We are excited to announce Ty Dillon as the driver for Rackley W.A.R. in the NASCAR Truck Series.” Willie Allen, President and Chief Operating Officer, said. “Ty’s exceptional talent is a perfect fit for our team as we elevate our engineering and technological capabilities to new heights. We’re investing in cutting-edge technology and innovative engineering to ensure Ty has one the most competitive trucks on the track. This season marks a new chapter for our team. We’re ready to showcase our progress and for a championship run. We look forward to making this season the new benchmark in our racing history.”

    Entering the 2024 Truck Series season, Dillon is set to become the 11th competitor overall to campaign in at least one Truck event for Rackley W.A.R. Recently, the team’s No. 25 entry was piloted by Matt DiBenedetto, who recorded the team’s first career victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2022 and made the 2023 Truck Playoffs before being eliminated at the conclusion of the Round of 10. With three races remaining on the 2023 schedule, however, Rackley and DiBenedetto parted ways, with Chandler Smith, Trevor Bayne and Stefan Parsons each piloting the entry throughout the final three-scheduled events. With the team’s No. 25 entry ending up in ninth place in the final owner’s standings, Rackley W.A.R. strives to extend its competitive form entering the 2024 season.

    Dillon’s No. 25 Chevrolet entry will be primarily sponsored by Rackley Roofing Company, Inc. for 16 of the 23 events on the 2024 Truck Series schedule.

    “Racing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is extremely competitive. Over these last three years, we have learned a ton of what to do and what not to do,” Curtis Sutton, Rackley W.A.R. Chief Executive Officer, said. “I believe we have put a team together with Ty Dillon behind the wheel of the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado, where great things are in store in 2024 for this team, our sponsors and everyone who supports this organization, including Chevrolet Motorsports.”

    Dillon’s first full-time campaign with Rackley W.A.R. in the Craftsman Truck Series is set to commence at Daytona International Speedway for the Fresh From Florida 250. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to air on February 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Allmendinger tapped to drive Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 entry for 2024 Daytona 500

    Allmendinger tapped to drive Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 entry for 2024 Daytona 500

    Kaulig Racing took to social media to reveal that AJ Allmendinger will be driving the team’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2024.

    The news comes 13 days after the 42-year-old Allmendinger from Los Gatos, California, was announced to return to the Xfinity Series with the Kaulig organization for the 2024 season after spending this past season piloting Kaulig’s No. 16 entry in the Cup Series.

    Allmendinger’s bid for the 2024 Daytona 500 indicates that Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 entry will return as the team’s “All-Star” entry for the first time since 2022 and field multiple competitors throughout the 2024 season. Despite Allmendinger scaling back to being a part-time Cup competitor, Kaulig’s No. 16 entry is expected to be guaranteed a starting spot for the event as a locked chartered entry due to contesting in all 36 events throughout the 2023 Cup season, though this remains to be determined. For the 500, Allmendinger will be a teammate alongside Daniel Hemric, who will be piloting Kaulig’s No. 31 entry on a full-time basis as he makes his return to Cup Series competition.

    The 2024 Daytona 500 is set to mark Allmendinger’s 11th career apperance in the Great American Race and second in a row for Kaulig Racing. Through 11 previous starts, the Californian has achieved four top-10 results and two career-best third-place finishes in the 500 (2009 & 2017). He claimed a sixth-place finish during last year’s Daytona 500.

    This past season, Allmendinger scored a Cup Series victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in October, which marked his third win in NASCAR’s premier series. He also recorded four top-five results, seven top-10 results, 64 laps led and an average-finishing result of 19.6 throghout the 36-race schedule before settling in 21st place in the final driver’s standings. To go along with his Cup victory at the Charlotte Roval, Allmendinger won two Xfinity Series races (Circuit of the Americas in March and at Nashville Superspeedway in June).

    Additional driver plans regarding Kaulig’s No. 16 entry along with Allmendinger’s part-time schedule for the 2024 Cup Series season remains to be determined.

    Allmendinger’s 11th Daytona 500 career start and second with Kaulig Racing is scheduled to occur on February 18, 2024, with the event’s broadcast time set to air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Alfredo joins Beard Motorsports for Daytona 500 bid, part-time Cup Series campaign in 2024

    Alfredo joins Beard Motorsports for Daytona 500 bid, part-time Cup Series campaign in 2024

    Anthony Alfredo has been selected to pilot the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Beard Motorsports throughout Daytona Speedweeks in preparation for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2024, where he will then attempt to compete at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

    The news comes as Beard Motorsports is set to return on a part-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign in 2024, beginning with an eighth consecutive entrance in Daytona Speedweeks and the team’s bid to make the Daytona 500 field, which would mark the team’s sixth qualification for the 500, after missing the event this past season. Due to being a non-chartered team, Beard Motorsports will have to make the 500 either through the Daytona 500 Qualifying session that will occur on February 14 or through one of two Bluegreen Vacations Duels that will occur the following day on February 15.

    For Alfredo, the 24-year-old native from Ridgefield, Connecticut, will attempt to become the sixth competitor to compete in a Cup Series event for Beard Motorsports. He previously competed in the entire 2021 Cup season with Front Row Motorsports, where he ended up in 30th place in the final standings on the strength of a single top-10 result and an average-finishing result of 27.5. He also made two Cup starts with Live Fast Motorsports this past season, which occurred at Richmond Raceway and at Martinsville Speedway in April.

    Aside from his part-time Cup campaign with Beard Motorsports, Alfredo is set to campaign on a full-time basis in the 2024 Xfinity Series season for Our Motorsports.

    “I’m so thankful for this opportunity,” Alfredo said in a released statement. “Every driver that runs stock cars wants to race in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Daytona 500. I’ve been blessed to race at this level against drivers that are childhood heroes of mine. This opportunity with the Beard family is very exciting. They have always fielded great cars in these superspeedway races, so I’m thrilled to get behind the wheel of their No. 62 Chevrolet.”

    Beard Motorsports, which is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, and has only a single full-time employee, that being crew chief Darren Shaw, made its Cup Series debut during the 2017 Daytona 500 with veteran Brendan Gaughan. Since then, the team has made 26 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series, primarily at Daytona and Talladega. Within the 26 starts, the team recorded five top-10 results and a career-best fifth-place run with Noah Gragson at Daytona in August 2022. The team’s best result in the Daytona 500 is a seventh-place finish produced by Brendan Gaughan in 2020.

    This past season, Austin Hill, an Xfinity Series competitor for Richard Childress Racing, made a total of five Cup starts for Beard Motorsports. Hill’s best result with the team was a 14th-place run at Daytona in August.

    “The 2024 season marks our eighth year competing in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Amie Beard, executive vice president of Beard Motorsports, added. “It’s surreal to even be referencing year number eight. This race team is a passion project for all of us. My dad loved the sport and it’s a passion that we now share as a family. It’s what drives this team.”

    Beard Motorsports also plans to compete at Daytona in August and at Talladega in October. The team’s driver plans for both events along with additional events to enter remain to be determined.

    Alfredo’s first Cup Series campaign with Beard Motorsports commences with the Daytona 500 Qualifying session on February 14 followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona International Speedway that will occur on February 15 as he attempts to qualify for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 that will follow suit on February 18 and air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Kaulig Racing reveals driver-crew chief pairing for 2024 Xfinity Series season

    Kaulig Racing reveals driver-crew chief pairing for 2024 Xfinity Series season

    Kaulig Racing took to social media to reveal its driver-crew chief pairing that features a full shuffling of crew chief assignments alongside new and familiar drivers towards its three-car operation for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    First off, Kevin Walter joins the Kaulig organization to serve as a crew chief for the first time in his career and for the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro entry that will be piloted by Josh Williams in 2024. Walter joins Kaulig after previously serving as an engineer for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and as a Cup Series crew chief for five races while paired with Michael McDowell and Leavine Family Racing in 2015. He spent this past season as an engineer for Josh Berry and the No. 8 JRM team. Like Walter, his driver, Williams, is a newcomer at Kaulig, a team he joins after making 186 series career starts to date (2016-23). He spent this past season as an Xfinity competitor for DGM Racing, where he ended up in 21st place in the final driver’s standings and has both 11 top-10 career finishes and an average-finishing result of 22.7 to date.

    Meanwhile, Alex Yontz will return to Kaulig for a fifth season as he will work atop the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro entry team that will be piloted by veteran AJ Allmendinger. Yontz, a former racer turned crew chief from Walnut Cove, North Carolina, has eight Xfinity victories as a crew chief to date, including three this past season with Allmendinger twice (Circuit of the Americas in March & Nashville Superspeedway in June) and Kyle Larson once (Darlington Raceway in May) while working atop Kaulig’s No. 10 pit box. For 2024, he will be paired with Allmendinger, a 17-time Xfinity race winner who returns to the series amid a one-year absence, where he spent the previous season in the Cup Series at Kaulig and won at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course last October.

    Lastly, Bruce Schlicker also returns for a fifth season at Kaulig as he will work atop the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro entry team that will be piloted by newcomer Shane van Gisbergen. Schlicker, who holds both a Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University, has seven Xfinity victories as a crew chief to date, including five with Allmendinger in 2022 and one this past season with Chandler Smith that occurred at Richmond Raceway last April. The upcoming season presents a new pairing for Schlicker as he will work with van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion from Auckland, New Zealand, who won in his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Course last July and is set to campaign in his first campaign within NASCAR’s top three national touring series for the 2024 Xfinity circuit. The Australian will also compete as a part-time Cup Series competitor for Trackhouse Racing, the team which van Gisbergen won with at Chicago.

    The 2024 season is set to mark Kaulig Racing’s ninth consecutive season in the Xfinity Series and fourth fielding three full-time entries. Through a combined 524 starts, the organization has notched 23 victories, 15 poles, 121 top-five results, 274 top-10 results, 2,789 laps led. The team has also notched two Cup Series victories in a combined 158 career starts. Having placed at least one entry in the Xfinity Series Playoffs since the team’s and Playoff’s inception since 2016, Kaulig remains in pursuit of its first NASCAR national touring series championship.

    Kaulig Racing’s crew chief lineup for its NASCAR Cup Series operations, including its plans for the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team that still remains vacant along for Jason Trinchere, who served as the crew chief for Kaulig’s No. 11 entry in the Xfinity Series, remains to be determined.

    With Kaulig Racing’s driver-crew chief pairing for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season set, the team’s upcoming season campaign commences at Daytona International Speedway for the United Rentals 300. The event is scheduled to occur on February 17, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • JR Motorsports Solidifies Crew Chief Lineup for 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Season

    JR Motorsports Solidifies Crew Chief Lineup for 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Season

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Dec. 18, 2023) – JR Motorsports has added a pair of crew chiefs to its roster for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the organization announced today, and both are former team members.

    Adam Wall will lead JRM’s No. 8 team for driver Sammy Smith while Phillip Bell returns as crew chief for the No. 9 team and driver Brandon Jones. Reprising their roles with the No. 1 and No. 7 teams will be Mardy Lindley and Jim Pohlman, who led Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier, respectively, to the Championship 4 in 2023.

    Wall and Bell are products of the Hendrick Motorsports-JRM conduit. Bell spent seven seasons as a lead engineer with JRM before heading to the Cup Series last year. Wall started at HMS in 2011 and then joined JRM as an engineer for three seasons (2016-18). He reunited with HMS the following year, rising to lead engineer for Kyle Larson and winning a championship in 2021.

    “I feel very confident in our group of crew chiefs for 2024,” said JRM’s Director of Competition Mike Bumgarner. “Both Adam and Phillip have previous experience here with our guys and that chemistry alone makes the flow of communication even better. The process speaks volumes to what Dale and Kelley have been able to do here.”

    Wall, a 34-year-old from Teutopolis, Ill., had previously been with JRM alongside crew chief Kevin Meendering and then-driver Elliott Sadler as an engineer beginning in 2016. He left JRM with Meendering at the end of 2018 and moved back to HMS, first with the No. 48 team and then with its No. 5 unit.

    “It’s a lot of the same people here at JR Motorsports, so I’m excited to hit the ground running,” Wall said. “It’s a really efficient process that they have going with HMS and JRM in terms of personnel, and I’m an example of how it works. To be able to come back to JRM on the crew chief level is a really nice path.”

    Bell, entering his first season as a NXS crew chief, was the lead engineer for JRM’s No. 9 car during a 2022 season that produced a single-season team record eight victories and a second straight Championship 4 appearance. The 33-year-old Senoia, Ga. native worked at JRM beginning in 2016 and in 2022 rose to the post of lead engineer during his tenure.

    “I’m very appreciative of the opportunity,” said Bell. “I couldn’t have asked for a better place to be, because I know the systems and the people. It feels like coming home. The 9 team means a lot to me. We spent a lot of time and effort and helping build that legacy, getting the right systems in place to win races, and it means a lot to me to be here with them.”

    2024 JRM Driver/Crew Chief Lineup:

    • No. 1 Chevrolet: driver Sam Mayer, crew chief Mardy Lindley
    • No. 7 Chevrolet: driver Justin Allgaier, crew chief Jim Pohlman
    • No. 8 Chevrolet: driver Sammy Smith, crew chief Adam Wall
    • No. 9 Chevrolet: driver Brandon Jones, crew chief Phillip Bell

    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 22nd 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 championship in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns five championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

  • Front Row Motorsports Announces Newest Driver

    Front Row Motorsports Announces Newest Driver

    Layne Riggs Joins Championship NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Team

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 14, 2023) – Second-generation racer and champion Layne Riggs is the newest driver of the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports (FRM) the team announced today. Riggs, the 21-year-old son of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Scott Riggs, is making the step from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series after starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck and Xfinity Series this past year.

    The Bahama, N.C. native is the next FRM development driver after both Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith have won races and Smith a championship with the team. Riggs will be making his full-time NASCAR national series debut in 2024, but already has championship experience while climbing through the ranks of NASCAR.

    Dylan Cappello will step up from his lead engineer role to be the crew chief of the team. Chris Lawson will step down from his crew chief role and serve as a consultant to the team to begin the season while working on other projects outside of NASCAR.

    Beginning his career at the age of 10, Riggs competed in Limited Sportsman events at the Orange County (N.C.) Speedway where he raced for multiple seasons, eventually earning the track championship. Riggs then moved his career to the CARS Tour where he raced late model stock cars for several seasons. He finished his stint in the series with six wins, eight poles, 32 top-five, and 41 top-10 finishes.

    In 2022, Riggs focused on the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. He built an impressive track record featuring 16 wins, 29 top-five, and 35 top-10 finishes across some of the toughest NASCAR tracks in the southeast. Riggs was crowned the 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Champion.

    This past season, Riggs gained more attention during limited starts in the NASCAR CRAFTMAN Truck and XFINITY Series. He finished third at the Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park in the truck race and followed that by a 10th and 11th-place finishes at the end of the season at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in the Xfinity Series.

    Riggs is now set to compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and is signed to a multi-year agreement with FRM.

    “I’m really thankful for this opportunity to compete full-time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with one of the best teams in the sport,” said Riggs. “I’ve dedicated my life for an opportunity like this, and I’m incredibly appreciative of Bob (Jenkins) and everyone at Front Row for providing me the opportunity to take my next step in my racing career.”

    In addition to his racing schedule, Riggs is set to complete his Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) while participating in full-time competition.

    “I really appreciate Layne’s dedication to his education while also competing at the highest levels,” commented Bob Jenkins, Owner, FRM. “That comes from great parenting and a sense of dedication from Layne. We’ve already seen a lot of potential in Layne and he’s a perfect fit for our program to develop him into a national series NASCAR winner.”

    FRM is set to announce team partners for Riggs in the lead-up to the Fresh From Florida 250 at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway- a race that FRM is the two-time defending winner.

    ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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