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  • The Race Is On: NASCAR Arcade Rush Out Now On PC & Consoles

    The Race Is On: NASCAR Arcade Rush Out Now On PC & Consoles

    Experience high-speed family fun with wild spins on NASCAR’s most iconic tracks!

    MINNEAPOLIS – Sept. 15, 2023 – NASCAR Arcade Rush launches today for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Jump into the driver’s seat for heart-pumping, high-speed NASCAR competition and excitement like you’ve never seen before on wildly reimagined versions of the motorsport’s most iconic racetracks!

    Experience the thrill of NASCAR racing in a completely new way with intense arcade races on real-world NASCAR tracks, totally reengineered with jaw-dropping twists, hair-raising turns, gravity-defying jumps, nitro boosts, and other surprises. Customize your car and driver as you compete to take the top position across a variety of game modes, including the Career NASCAR Cup Series plus online and local multiplayer.

    Key Features

    • Iconic Tracks, Wild Twists: Experience real-world NASCAR locales like Talladega Superspeedway, Daytona International Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and more in all-new ways that will thrill your imagination and deliver a new level of playability within the vaunted NASCAR video game franchise.
    • Race Your Way: Choose from a full array of vehicles spanning 75 years of stock car racing history and horsepower. Customize your car and driver to suit your style with new paint schemes, rims, spoilers, visual effects, suits, helmets and more, with thousands of combinations to discover.
    • Robust Racing Modes: NASCAR Arcade Rush features expansive single-player modes, including the Career NASCAR Cup Series, Quick Race and Time Attack. Take on your friends in thrilling head-to-head local multiplayer*, or race rivals around the world in 12-player online multiplayer.

    NASCAR Arcade Rush is available now for $49.99 on digital stores and at major retailers.

    Fans can also purchase the NASCAR Arcade Rush Project-X Bundlefor NASCAR Arcade Rush for $59.99. This fully loaded digital exclusive features the complete base game, as well as a ton of bonus NASCAR Arcade Rush Project-X playable content, including:

    ●        A hovercraft car model developed as part of Project-X
    ●        Project-X paint scheme, rims, wheels and spoiler
    ●        Project-X themed drivers suit and helmet
    ●        Project-X team sponsorship option
    ●        Project-X vehicle FX package
    ●        A set of four additional in-game emojis to showcase your style

    NASCAR Arcade Rush is published by GameMill Entertainment. For more information, visit NASCARArcadeRush.com.

    *Local multiplayer available only on PC, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

    About NASCAR

    Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, 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 16 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 Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), 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 eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

    About GameMill Entertainment

    GameMill Entertainment, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a third-party publisher of console and mobile games for passionate fans around the world. Development platforms include PC, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft consoles including the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Sony consoles including the PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4, and mobile devices. With development across the globe, GameMill is a source of entertaining and fun games for all ages. For more information, visit https://gamemill.com, as well as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

  • Toyota driver William Sawalich earns first ARCA championship

    Toyota driver William Sawalich earns first ARCA championship

    BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 14, 2023) – Camry driver William Sawalich won his first ARCA Menards Series East title after earning the victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday evening. Sawalich’s championship marks the third consecutive ARCA Menards Series East title for a Toyota driver.

    The 16-year-old has delivered consistent race results across all ARCA Menards Series racing action this season. In ARCA East competition, Sawalich won four of the eight events, with top-five finishes in the balance. The Toyota development driver has also had an impressive start on the national ARCA tour with three wins, 10 top-fives and six poles in 11 starts.

    “We are very excited for William and his family on achieving this title at such an early stage in his NASCAR career,” said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager, Motorsports, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “William’s poise and race craft has been impressive at just 16-years-old. We look forward to celebrating many more titles with William in years to come as he continues to grow as part of the Toyota driver development program.”

    Along with his ARCA success this season, Sawalich has also ran several races in the NASCAR Truck Series for TRICON Garage, including competing later this evening, driving the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD PRO. Sawalich has earned three top-10 finishes in five starts, including a career-best sixth-place run at Indianapolis Raceway Park last month.

    Sawalich drives a Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in ARCA competition. This is the second ARCA Menards Series East title for the team after current Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith’s 2021 championship. Sawalich is the seventh Toyota driver to win the ARCA East title. He joins a list that includes Ryan Truex (2009 and 2010), Max Gresham (2011), Kyle Larson (2012), Harrison Burton (2017), Tyler Ankrum (2018) and Smith (2021 and 2022).

    About Toyota

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

    Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

  • Sam Mayer Inks 2024 Extension with JR Motorsports

    Sam Mayer Inks 2024 Extension with JR Motorsports

    Wisconsin native to return to Xfinity Series competition with No. 1 team

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2023) – Sam Mayer will return to a familiar seat in 2024 as JR Motorsports announced today that the 20-year-old will drive its No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season, marking what will be Mayer’s third full-time season with JRM’s NXS program.

    A native of Franklin, Wis., Mayer is in the midst of a breakout season in which he has raced into the playoffs for the second consecutive year through a pair of victories. The first was a popular win at his home track of Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and the second at Watkins Glen International. He enters the opening round of the playoffs this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway seeded fifth in points.

    “We’ve seen so much potential in Sam and we’re proud of all he’s accomplished this year,” said JRM CEO Kelley Earnhardt Miller. “The victory at Road America was huge for him and his family. Getting things solidified for next year will allow him to focus on the remainder of 2023 as he competes for the championship.”

    Mayer began his journey with JRM in the company’s Late Model program in 2018 before graduating to make his NXS debut in 2021 via a part-time schedule. He has competed full-time in the No. 1 Chevrolet the past two seasons with career stats totaling two victories, 21 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes.

    “It’s been a great year for our No. 1 team,” said Mayer, who will make his 100th series start with JRM next season. “Finally getting that first win was like a weight lifted and so energizing. I’m really grateful to continue my career with JR Motorsports and thankful to Dale Jr., Kelley and Mr. Hendrick for making it happen. Now we can turn our attention to a championship run this year.”

    Crew duties and sponsorship details for Mayer and the No. 1 team will be announced at a later date.

    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 championships 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.

  • Wallace’s strong start foiled by Stage 2 incident at Kansas

    Wallace’s strong start foiled by Stage 2 incident at Kansas

    The conclusion of the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 10, generated mixed feelings for 23XI Racing. While Tyler Reddick celebrated an automatic transfer to the Playoff’s Round of 12 by notching his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season in overtime, teammate Bubba Wallace was left disappointed. but remained optimistic, on pit road after having a strong start and potential bid for the victory evaporate from a flat right-rear tire that sent Wallace into the outside wall during the second stage and out of contention despite nursing his wounded car to the finish multiple laps down.

    At the drop of the green flag, the 29-year-old Wallace from Mobile, Alabama, quickly worked his way to the front from starting 10th. Amid an early caution period on the third lap that knocked Playoff contender Martin Truex Jr. out of contention to the ensuing restart on the ninth lap, Wallace was up to sixth by the Lap 10 mark. Two laps later, Wallace navigated his No. 23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota TRD Camry up to fourth place before moving up to third by Lap 20. Another five laps later, Wallace overtook Bell for the runner-up spot as he tried to gain ground on Playoff contender Kyle Larson for the lead.

    Keeping pace behind Larson through the first wave of green flag pit stops that commenced on Lap 36, Wallace capitalized on a caution period on Lap 62 for an incident involving Playoff contender William Byron and the ensuing pit stop to beat Larson off of pit road and assume the lead. Despite leading the field to the ensuing restart on Lap 69, where he led three laps in total, Wallace was quickly overtaken by Larson as he ended up fending off Bell to finish in the runner-up spot and collect nine stage points at the conclusion of the first stage period.

    Restarting alongside Larson to start the second stage on Lap 87, Wallace again retained the runner-up spot as he tried to keep Larson within his sights. Then on Lap 107, Wallace’s strong run diminished after he blew a right-rear tire entering Turn 1 and scrubbed the outside wall through the following two turns. The right-side damage was also enough to damage the right-rear toe link from Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota as Wallace dropped out of the lead lap category. Wallace’s pit crew, though, were able to repair and keep the car up to minimum speed despite the damage as he returned to the track while mired three laps down. Despite gaining one of his three lost laps back during another caution period on Lap 114 for an incident involving Austin Cindric, Wallace would lose more laps to the leaders after making additional pit stops to have his car repaired.

    For the remainder of the event, Wallace would manage to overtake Harrison Burton, JJ Yeley and Austin Dillon before finishing 32nd when the checkered flag flew as he was scored four laps behind the leaders. As a result, Wallace, who came into the event a single point below the top-12 cutline to transfer to the Round of 12, is now 19 points below the cutline entering next weekend’s Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    “I got loose like five laps before, but I realize that was kind of like my line and my approach next to Turn 4,” Wallace said on USA Network. “Three or four laps later, [the right-rear tire] blew out. No indication going into [Turn] 1. I’m pissed at myself [that] I wasn’t closer to the fence and maybe, we would’ve gotten by with less damage, but you’re never gonna get a flat tire or blow a tire when you’re running 20th. You’re gonna get away really fast and lights out versus the competition.”

    This season marks Wallace’s first appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as a title contender, where he made the top-16 cutline on the strength of four top-five finishes, seven top-10 results and 15 top-15 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. Prior to Kansas, he finished seventh during last weekend’s Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway after rallying from a spin at the conclusion of the first stage period.

    Wallace’s next NASCAR Cup Series event on the schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, which will serve as the Round of 16 finale as he aims to leap back above the cutline and keep his title hopes for this season alive. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, September 16, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • Dixon Overcomes Chaos To Win Wild Laguna Seca Finale

    Dixon Overcomes Chaos To Win Wild Laguna Seca Finale

    MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023) – When the going gets most chaotic, nobody in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES finds a smooth path to Victory Lane better than Scott Dixon.

    Dixon did it again Sunday, overcoming a starting grid penalty and an early on-track penalty and adapting strategy to multiple caution periods to win the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It was the third win of the season and 56th career INDYCAR SERIES victory for six-time series champion Dixon, who won on this 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit for the first time.

    “A credit to this team,” Dixon said. “They’ve been executing like that all year. We got caught up in some mayhem at the start. I definitely didn’t agree with the (penalty) call, but I haven’t seen all of it yet. But I had nowhere to go. But we won; that’s all that matters. We won.”

    Dixon’s No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda crossed the finish line 7.3180 seconds ahead of the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet of runner-up Scott McLaughlin for his third victory in the last four races of the season. Alex Palou finished third in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda to close out his championship season with Chip Ganassi Racing.

    Two-time series champion Will Power finished fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, with Callum Ilott rounding out the top five in the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet.

    Marcus Armstrong was the top rookie finisher, eighth in the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants of Chip Ganassi Racing. That was enough to clinch Rookie of the Year honors for New Zealand native Armstrong and helped CGR achieve the unprecedented feat of taking the top two spots in the standings, with Palou and Dixon, and winning the Rookie of the Year title.

    Chevrolet edged Honda by just 12 points to win the Manufacturers Championship for the second consecutive season.

    The first hurdle for Dixon to scale came before the green flag flew to start the race. His CGR team was penalized six spots on the starting grid for an unapproved engine change after the morning warmup, so Dixon dropped from his qualifying spot of fifth to 11th at the start.

    That lower starting spot put Dixon in the middle of mayhem that erupted near the front and throughout the midfield on Lap 1. Five cars were officially counted as part of the multiple collisions and jostling in Turn 2.

    Dixon’s car veered hard right in traffic exiting the calamity corner better known as the Andretti Hairpin on Lap 1 and tapped the No. 21 Bitnile.com Chevrolet of Ed Carpenter Racing driver Rinus VeeKay into the gravel just past Turn 2. After extensive review of the entire maelstrom, INDYCAR officials assessed Dixon with a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact, along with a drive-through penalty for the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Christian Lundgaard.

    That penalty infuriated Dixon, known as “The Iceman” for his cool under pressure. But he chilled quickly in the cockpit, and Dixon and veteran CGR strategist Mike Hull started to devise alternate tactics to quicken a long climb from the rear of the cars still running on the lead lap.

    Hull and Dixon decided to save fuel and try to finish the 95-lap race on one stop fewer than most of the rest of the field. They employed a similar strategy to win after being spun into the grass on Lap 1 of the Gallagher Grand Prix on Aug. 12 on the IMS road course and sipped fuel to win the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

    When it was drawn up, the fuel-saving strategy was risky because it probably required some slower running under yellow to make it to the finish on one less stop. Dixon also couldn’t let teammate Palou, who was cruising out front while leading 51 of the first 58 laps, build a big enough lead to stay out front after the final pit cycles ended.

    The yellows came that Dixon needed – and then some. And one of the caution flags flew with terrible timing for Palou.

    On Lap 58, the No. 18 HMD Trucking Honda of David Malukas and the No. 29 Sapphire Gas Solutions Honda of Devlin DeFrancesco made side-by-side contact, with Malukas spinning into the gravel adjacent to Turn 3 to trigger the fifth of a race record-tying eight caution periods.

    Palou was nearing the end of one of his fuel stints when the incident unfolded, but he couldn’t dive into the pits before the caution lights illuminated. He made his second and final stop on the next lap, Lap 59, and re-entered the race in 15th place with 37 laps to go.

    Meanwhile, Dixon made his third and final stop on Lap 65. That ended up being one stop fewer than McLaughlin. Meanwhile, Palou couldn’t make up enough ground in the closing stages of the race to convert his two-stop strategy into catching Dixon or McLaughlin, as the last 17 laps of the race ran green despite the last four caution periods coming between Laps 58 and 75.

    Dixon took the lead for good on Lap 76 when leader Romain Grosjean pitted for the last time in the No. 28 DHL Honda of Andretti Autosport. It was one of six lead changes among six drivers in a wild race that featured 432 on-track passes, an INDYCAR SERIES record for this picturesque track that features the famous “Corkscrew” turn complex.

    From there, Dixon managed the gap after the final restart on Lap 78 and pulled away down the stretch of the 95-lap race with no need to save fuel.

    Dixon will split $10,000 with Chip Ganassi Racing and his chosen charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, for his win as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge.

  • Rasmussen Clinches Title in Style with Dominant Laguna Seca Win

    Rasmussen Clinches Title in Style with Dominant Laguna Seca Win

    MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023) – Christian Rasmussen only needed to leave pit lane to clinch the INDY NXT by Firestone championship Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, but he decided to add an exclamation point to his magical 2023 season.

    Rasmussen led all 35 laps from pole to earn his series-leading fifth victory of the season and win Race 2 of the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader in the No. 6 HMD Motorsports with DCR car. He beat Race 1 winner Hunter McElrea’s No. 27 Smart Motors car to the finish by 17.8813 seconds – the largest margin of victory in the series this season by more than 10 seconds.

    The win also easily sealed the season title and a prize package toward advancement to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for Rasmussen, 23, from Denmark. He beat Andretti Autosport’s McElrea to the title, 539-474, after the 14-race season. Rasmussen became only the second driver to win championships in INDY NXT by Firestone, USF Pro 2000 and USF2000, joining current NTT INDYCAR SERIES star Kyle Kirkwood in that exclusive club.

    “As soon as I rolled over the start line and got the green flag, I knew I was champion,” Rasmussen said. “From there on out, it was just pure enjoyment. My last INDY NXT race; I just wanted to enjoy it, and I think I checked all the boxes. Fastest lap, quite a margin at the end, good management of the race.

    “I’m just so happy. We’re champions.”

    Rookie Louis Foster rounded out the podium finishers in the No. 26 Copart/USF 2000 Championship car of Andretti Autosport in the final race of the season for the INDYCAR development series. Matthew Brabham finished fourth in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing machine, with Jacob Abel placing fifth in the No. 51 Abel Motorsports car.

    Nolan Siegel’s seventh-place finish in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR car sealed third in the overall standings and ensured he ended the season as the top rookie driver, just five points ahead of fellow rookie Foster.

    A caution period on Lap 6 was the only foe that slowed Rasmussen on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit. But he rocketed from the field on the restart on Lap 7 and gradually expanded his lead, lap by lap.

    Rasmussen led by 5.2 seconds on Lap 22. But he found even more speed over the last 13 laps, when he started to cruise at least one second per lap quicker than the rest of the 17-car field.

    From there, it was a drive on easy street into Victory Lane for Rasmussen at the picturesque circuit, where NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner and fellow Dane Christian Lundgaard awaited to greet his friend with a hearty embrace.

  • LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ Signs John Hunter Nemechek to Drive the No. 42 in 2024

    LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ Signs John Hunter Nemechek to Drive the No. 42 in 2024

    STATESVILLE, N.C. (September 6, 2023) — LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ today announced on FOX Sports 1’s award-winning show “NASCAR Race Hub” that John Hunter Nemechek will drive the No. 42 NASCAR Cup Series entry when the Club transitions manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2024.

    The 26-year-old driver will join teammates Erik Jones and LEGACY M.C. co-owner Jimmie Johnson, who plans to drive a limited schedule once again in 2024.

    “To be able to announce my plans for next season so early and officially say I will be competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series relieves a lot of pressure,” Nemechek said. “There is so much to be done for next year, and this gives us the opportunity to get the news out there and move forward. Also, driving for Maury (Gallagher), Jimmie (Johnson) and Richard Petty is a dream come true for me.”

    LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s chief executive officer Cal Wells III has kept an eye on the young driver since the very beginning of his career on four wheels.

    “John Hunter has been around a racetrack literally since the day he was born,” Wells III said. “I have watched him since he was a little kid – from walking around the track in a firesuit matching the one worn by his father – to becoming the talent he is today. He is a perfect fit for the Club and I expect great things out of him.”

    Co-owner Johnson and “Front Row Joe” Nemechek were teammates at Hendrick Motorsports in 2002 and 2003, as the elder Nemechek drove the No. 25 entry in the Cup Series. John Hunter was just five years old at that time.

    “We’re excited to have John Hunter in the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB family and I can’t wait to see what he can do in the No. 42 next season,” said Johnson. “He is impressive both on and off the track and will be a great ambassador for LEGACY M.C. and our partners. He will be a solid teammate to Erik (Jones) and I can’t wait to watch them both compete for wins and championships for years to come.”

    John Hunter is a legacy race car driver but is also busy creating a legacy of his own. Nemechek began racing go-karts and quarter Midgets at the young age of five. In 2012, Nemechek raced Late Models and Super Late Models within the American Speed Association Midwest Tour and at the age of 15, he won the 2012 Allison Legacy Race Series Championship, winning 15 out of 18 races. In 2013, Nemechek made his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) debut at the age of 16, driving the No. 22 Toyota Tundra for his family-owned team, SWM-NEMCO Racing. In 2014, Nemechek competed in ten NCTS events and capped off the season by winning the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway.

    On September 19, 2015 – 16 years to the day his father Joe won his first NASCAR Cup Series race – the young Nemechek won his first Truck Series race at Chicagoland. He was voted the “Most Popular Driver” later that year in the series.

    In 2018, Nemechek signed on to drive in the Xfinity Series for Chip Ganassi Racing and then with GMS Racing in 2019 for their Xfinity program. He competed in Trucks and Xfinity until 2019 and was called up to the Cup Series to compete full-time in 2020. After a year where he saw only three top-10 finishes, Nemechek made the tough decision to return to the Truck Series full-time, where he knew he could be competitive and had the chance to win each weekend and signed on with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM).

    “Going back to the Truck Series was humbling in a way, but it was the best thing I ever did for myself and my career,” said Nemechek. “I was able to compete for wins and two championships for KBM where we won races and were consistently one of the teams to beat week in and week out.”

    Nemechek indeed became mentally and physically stronger by going back to the truck series and continued to share success in his craft. After two top-five finishes in the championship points in 2021 and 2022, Nemechek was signed by Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2023 season to compete full-time for the team’s Xfinity program. He currently has five wins, 12 top-five, and 18 top-10 finishes to date, ranking second in the series point standings heading into Kansas.

    From a career standpoint, in the Truck Series, Nemechek has 13 career wins, nine pole positions, 51 top-five, and 82 top-10s in 149 starts. In the Xfinity Series, he has achieved seven wins, three pole positions, 29 top-five, and 55 top-10 finishes in 92 starts and counting.

    Nemechek is a native of Mooresville, N.C., and resides in the area with his wife Taylor, and young daughters Aspen and Penelope.

    NASCAR heads to Kansas Speedway this weekend where Nemechek will compete in the Xfinity Series event on Saturday, Sept. 9, as that series ramps up their playoffs to determine the 2023 champion. His role within LEGACY MOTOR CLUB will commence once the 2023 season is complete.

    ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

    LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.

    In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). 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.

    Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

    SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

  • Kaulig Racing Statement | NASCAR Xfinity Series Competition

    Kaulig Racing Statement | NASCAR Xfinity Series Competition

    “As we prepare to close out the 2023 season, Daniel Hemric will take over the No. 10 Chevrolet for the remaining races to contend for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Championship.”

    -Team President, Chris Rice
     
    About Kaulig Racing™

    Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

  • Hamlin inks multi-year Cup Series contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing

    Hamlin inks multi-year Cup Series contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing

    Denny Hamlin officially scratched his name off of this year’s Silly Season list with the announcement that he has signed a multi-year contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he will remain as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor and driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota TRD Camry.

    The news comes as the 42-year-old Hamlin from Chesterfield, Virginia, is currently campaigning in his 18th consecutive full-time season with JGR in NASCAR’s premier series and 17th as a Playoff competitor as he is one of 16 competitors currently vying for the 2023 Cup Series championship.

    ”Joe Gibbs Racing has been my home for almost 20 years now,” Hamlin said in a released statement. ”My relationship with Joe, my team, and everyone at JGR means a lot to me. We have accomplished so much together over the years. I’m excited to finally announce this so we can put all our focus on chasing the championship.”

    Hamlin, who first joined Joe Gibbs Racing as a development competitor in 2004, made his inaugural start in the Cup Series at Kansas Speedway in October 2005, where he first piloted JGR’s No. 11 entry. After competing in the final seven scheduled events of the 2005 season, where he notched three top-10 results and his first pole position at Phoenix Raceway, he became a full-time Cup Series competitor for JGR, starting in 2006.

    Since his debut in 2005, Hamlin has made 641 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, all while driving JGR’s No. 11 entry, and is one of 15 competitors to reach 50 career victories to date. Among his top achievements as a Cup competitor include three Daytona 500 victories, three Southern 500 victories, the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 victory, the 2015 All-Star Race victory, three Shootout victories and the 2006 Rookie-of-the-Year title, with his best points finish being a runner-up result in 2010. Having been named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers this season, he has also achieved 40 poles, 217 top-fives, 333 top-10s, 13,920 laps led and an average finishing result of 13.2 throughout his Cup career.

    In addition to being a full-time Cup Series competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin is also entering his third season as a co-owner of 23XI Racing a team he co-owns with NBA icon Michael Jordan. Currently, 23XI Racing manages two full-time entries for Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, both of whom are competing in this year’s Playoffs. Since its inception in 2021, 23XI Racing has notched a combined four victories, two poles, 25 top-fives and 41 top-10 results.

    Hamlin is coming off a 25th-place finish in this year’s Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. Having scored two victories throughout the regular-season stretch to make the Playoffs, he currently sits in fifth place in the Playoff standings and is 27 points above the top-12 cutline to transfer to the Round of 12 as he continues his bid for his first championship in NASCAR’s premier series.

    ”It is amazing to think it has been almost 20 years since J.D. [Gibbs] first saw him race and we signed him to that first contract,” Joe Gibbs said. ”He has been a big part of Joe Gibbs Racing ever since then and we look forward to that continuing for years to come.”

    With his future plans set as a competitor, Hamlin’s bid for this year’s NASCAR Cup Series title continues this upcoming weekend at Kansas Speedway, a track where Hamlin won earlier in May and will serve as the second event in the Round of 16. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, September 10, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • Palou Clinches Championship with Decisive Portland Victory

    Palou Clinches Championship with Decisive Portland Victory

    PORTLAND, Ore. (Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023) – Alex Palou put a decisive stamp of authority on a dream season, winning the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday at Portland International Raceway to clinch the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.

    Palou, from Barcelona, Spain, earned his second series title in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing after claiming his first championship in 2021 with the team. He became the first driver to seal the INDYCAR SERIES title with one race to spare since Sebastien Bourdais claimed Champ Car honors in 2007 in the penultimate race.

    “That’s what we wanted,” Palou said. “It was an amazing weekend overall. We had really fast cars. We knew we had to go for it, and we just raced how we’ve been doing all season. Super proud to be here in victory lane and super proud of the second championship.

    “I never thought that I would be an INDYCAR champion, and to be a two-time INDYCAR champion feels amazing, like a dream.”

    Chip Ganassi Racing won its 15th INDYCAR SERIES championship, second only to Team Penske’s 17 titles in the history of the sport. Ganassi also clinched its first 1-2 finish in the driver point standings since 2009, as six-time series champion Scott Dixon secured second with his third-place finish in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

    This was Palou’s series-leading fifth victory of the season, and he has finished eighth or better in all 16 races this season. Palou, 26, leads Dixon in the standings, 618-527, with one race remaining, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, Sept. 10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

    Palou won the race by 5.4353 seconds over runner-up Felix Rosenqvist in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Dixon was 8.0669 seconds behind the winner.

    Pato O’Ward placed fourth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, and two-time series champion Josef Newgarden rounded out the top five in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet.

    Palou, who started fifth, led 69 of 110 laps. He paved the way for eventual victory at the start when he darted around Dixon and Colton Herta in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda in the precarious first turn to take third place.

    Running on Firestone primary tires at the start, Palou first took the lead on Lap 22 when NTT P1 Award winner Graham Rahal and fellow front-row starter Scott McLaughlin stopped for fuel and swapped their Firestone alternate tires for primary rubber. The CGR team decided on an “overcut” strategy for Palou and Dixon on primary tires, running long on the more durable rubber to build a gap on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course.

    That strategy worked perfectly. Palou made his first stop on Lap 31, switching to Firestone alternate tires. Dixon stopped a lap later as the last driver to enter the pits for his first service, staying on primary tires.

    Palou cycled to the front on Lap 34 when David Malukas pitted from the lead in the No. 18 HMD Trucking Honda fielded by Dale Coyne Racing with HMD.

    From there, Palou and Dixon alternated the lead during pit cycles until Rosenqvist grabbed the top spot on Lap 81 when Palou made his final stop. But Palou took the lead for good on Lap 84 when Rosenqvist pitted a lap before the caution flew for the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet of rookie Agustin Canapino, who spun off track in Turn 12.

    That caution period allowed Rosenqvist to get heat into his new, cold Firestone alternate tires at slow speed behind the Honda pace car, avoiding a probable attack by Dixon on warmer, grippier tires if the race was under green-flag conditions.

    Palou eased away from Rosenqvist and Dixon on the restart on Lap 88. But Rosenqvist stayed within one second for the next five laps before Palou began his inexorable drive away from any threats and into victory lane as Rosenqvist’s alternate tires lost grip toward the end of the race.

    “I was kind of lucky in the end, first off with the yellow that we just managed to do our stop before,” Rosenqvist said. “And then also at the end, we kind of had a buffer with lapped cars that gave us a little bit of a cushion to Scott at the end. It kind of worked out our way for the first time in a while, so I was enjoying the race a lot.”

    Palou will split $10,000 with Chip Ganassi Racing and his chosen charity, The American Legion, for his victory as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge.

    BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland Results

    1. (5) Alex Palou, Honda, 110, Running
    2. (11) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 110, Running
    3. (4) Scott Dixon, Honda, 110, Running
    4. (6) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 110, Running
    5. (12) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 110, Running
    6. (13) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 110, Running
    7. (10) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 110, Running
    8. (23) David Malukas, Honda, 110, Running
    9. (2) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 110, Running
    10. (16) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 110, Running
    11. (17) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 110, Running
    12. (1) Graham Rahal, Honda, 110, Running
    13. (3) Colton Herta, Honda, 110, Running
    14. (21) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 110, Running
    15. (8) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 110, Running
    16. (22) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 110, Running
    17. (20) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 110, Running
    18. (18) Juri Vips, Honda, 109, Running
    19. (14) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 109, Running
    20. (9) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 109, Running
    21. (25) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 109, Running
    22. (26) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 109, Running
    23. (24) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 109, Running
    24. (27) Tom Blomqvist, Honda, 109, Running
    25. (7) Will Power, Chevrolet, 108, Running
    26. (19) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 82, Mechanical
    27. (15) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 31, Contact

    Race Statistics
    Winner’s average speed: 110.758 mph
    Time of Race: 01:57:01.9814
    Margin of victory: 5.4353 seconds
    Cautions: 2 for 6 laps
    Lead changes: 9 among 5 drivers

    Lap Leaders:
    Rahal, Graham 1 – 21
    Palou, Alex 22 – 30
    Dixon, Scott 31
    Malukas, David 32 – 33
    Palou, Alex 34 – 47
    Dixon, Scott 48 – 59
    Palou, Alex 60 – 78
    Dixon, Scott 79 – 80
    Rosenqvist, Felix 81 – 83
    Palou, Alex 84 – 110

    NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings:
    Palou 618, Dixon 527, Newgarden 470, O’Ward 461, McLaughlin 448, Ericsson 423, Power 393, Lundgaard 362, Rossi 349, Herta 348, Kirkwood 347, Rosenqvist 311, Grosjean 276, Rahal 271, VeeKay 265, Malukas 255, Ilott 236, Ferrucci 201, Castroneves 200, Armstrong 190, DeFrancesco 169, Canapino 164, Jack Harvey 146, Conor Daly 134, Robb 129, Pedersen 115, Hunter-Reay 111, Simon Pagenaud 88, Takuma Sato 70, Ed Carpenter 46, Linus Lundqvist 35, Tony Kanaan 18, Marco Andretti 13, Vips 12, Blomqvist 11, RC Enerson 5, Katherine Legge 5