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Category: Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • Active Pest Control 200 – Atlanta Race Advance – TJ Bell

    Active Pest Control 200 – Atlanta Race Advance – TJ Bell

    Team: Niece Motorsports – No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado; @NieceMotorsport
    Driver: TJ Bell; @TJBell_Racing
    Crew Chief: Cody Efaw

    Driver Quote: “We’ve put Daytona behind us, and are ready to start with a clean slate in Atlanta.  I’ve seen how hard this team has worked, and I am confident that we will have a strong truck.  I really like racing at Atlanta, and am looking forward to getting on track.”

    Bell at Atlanta: T.J. Bell has made four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS), with his best finish of ninth coming in 2008.

    In addition, Bell has one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start and one NASCAR XFINITY Series start at AMS.

    2017 Plans: Niece Motorsports, which is owned by Al Niece, will look to run between 12-15 select races during the 2017 season, with plans of running full time moving into 2018 as the team continues to look for potential sponsorship.  The team also plans to attempt races at Martinsville, Kansas, Charlotte and Texas.

  • NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell ‘Pleased’ with First Test of New Format at Daytona

    NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell ‘Pleased’ with First Test of New Format at Daytona

    The 59th running of the Daytona 500, with first-time winner, Kurt Busch, included eight cautions for 40 laps and saw only 15 drivers complete all 200 laps. Was this typical restrictor-plate racing or a result of the new race format that NASCAR implemented this season?

    Steve O’Donnell, executive vice president and chief racing development officer for NASCAR, shared his thoughts on the new format which features stages and addressed the multiple accidents and the five-minute clock which limits the amount of time a team has to make repairs.

    His first impression of the race was, “I’d say, overall really pleased.” He added, “We saw a lot of great, hard racing. Everybody knows that every driver wants to win the Daytona 500. We saw drivers up on the wheel all day long racing hard and that’s exactly what we expected from the format.”

    When asked about the reason for the number of wrecks that plagued all three series this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, his answer was simple.

    “I think people wanted to win,” he said.

    O’Donnell continued, “People want to win (when they) hit Daytona. We wanted drivers racing up front, racing hard for wins. That’s what we expected. In terms of good, hard racing, that’s what you saw all three days.”

    He also thought that the five-minute clock worked well.

    “Obviously that’s going to be a work in progress as we go”, he explained. “It was NASCAR working with the race teams. When you look at the positives of that, no one exceeded that clock on pit road. The winner of the race was part of that policy. So, if you look at a car going beyond five minutes, usually their day’s done anyway. If we had a line of teams here saying we’ve got to do something we would, but we didn’t have one of them. They all knew that their day was done. It’s unfortunate. But that’s Daytona; it’s a tough place to race.”

    O’Donnell went on to discuss the complexities of restrictor-plate racing at Daytona and said that Atlanta Motor Speedway would essentially be their “first experience with the new rules package.”

    “I think Daytona brings out, you never know what’s going to happen. If you make a mistake here, it’s usually a pretty tough one and it’s a pretty tough day. But,” he maintained, “the stages did produce strong racing.”

    He pointed to another favorable aspect of the race at Daytona, stating, “It also gave some drivers who competed in those first stages who normally would have gone home with one or two points; they were rewarded for running up front early.”

    Several drivers also weighed in on their experience with the revised race format, characterizing the race as “wild,” “the extreme of the Daytona 500,” “aggressive” and “fun.”

    Ryan Blaney, who finished second in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford,  said, “It was one of the more wild 500s I’ve been in, a lot of wrecks that took out a bunch of good cars, which you hate to see. There were only a handful of cars out there that looked OK at the end.”

    AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 47 Kroger Clicklist Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing, who finished in third place, shared his perspective.

    “I mean, I think Daytona and Talladega are going to be extreme,” he said, “because, you know, it comes down to trying to get your track position. You see people lay back. Now with the stages, there’s points on the line. I think Daytona is the most amped up. It kind of changes how people race.

    “To me, I don’t think any of the other 32 races that we’re going to go to, we’re all driving as hard as we can every lap anyway. Yeah, you get a caution with eight to go before the stage ends, there’s going to be strategy. Maybe guys on old tires and that might make some difference when it comes to the stages. I think it’s the extreme of the Daytona 500 and these plate races, the way we have to race. Now with stages, with points being on the line, things are going to happen like that.”

    Jimmie Johnson’s race ended on lap 128 in a 17-car accident. He summed it up, saying, “Just a lot of aggression way too early, in my opinion.” His No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy finished in 34th place.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. who led eight laps in his No. 88 HMS Chevrolet before he was caught up in a wreck and only completed 106 laps and finished 37th, had a different viewpoint.

    “I really enjoyed the whole week; we had a lot of fun. Everybody’s support, to get back to the racetrack, meant a lot to me. Sorry, we weren’t able to deliver a better result today for all our fans.” He concluded by saying, “At least we went out leading the race.”

    While opinions vary, restrictor-plate racing is known for its volatile nature. The true test of the new format may be the upcoming Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway next week.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ on Twitter for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • Bowman to Fill-In for Haley with GMS Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    Bowman to Fill-In for Haley with GMS Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway

    Most of this year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) competitors are eager to get back behind the wheel. Rookie Justin Haley will have to wait his turn as his teammates return to work.

    Haley, too young to compete in the first two events of the year, will work alongside his crew for the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. He will be back on the box again next week in Atlanta while Alex Bowman wheels the No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet Silverado. The Tucson, Ariz., native will fill-in as the last stand-in driver to compete in the No. 24 Chevrolet before Haley makes his first start with GMS at Martinsville.

    Bowman competed a little over a week ago in the first race of the 2017 season, the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway, battling for second position until the final turn, but ultimately finished third. Next Friday night, he will change gears and trade in a Chevrolet SS for a Silverado and compete as a NCWTS driver for the first time since 2015.

    The 23-year-old has a great deal of experience in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but time behind the wheel of a truck has been limited. Bowman made his first and only start at Michigan in 2015 with Joe Shear, Jr., serving as crew chief and earned an 11th-place finish.

    Unsure of what the rest of the 2017 season holds, Bowman looks to capitalize on the opportunity at hand, while also helping a young driver and team build for the future.

    About the Fraternal Order of Eagles:
    The Fraternal Order of Eagles, an international non-profit organization, with more than 1,500 locations across the United States and Canada, dedicated to raising money for charity through a variety of social events. Founded in 1898, the Eagles fund research in areas such as heart disease, kidney disease and cancer, raise money for neglected and abused children, work for social and civic change and continue the search for a cure for diabetes through The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the University of Iowa.

    ABOUT GMS RACING:
    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley and Kaz Grala, and the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Spencer Gallagher. Since the team’s start in 2014, GMS Racing has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication.

    SOCIAL MEDIA:
    To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • GMS Racing NCWTS Daytona Recap

    GMS Racing NCWTS Daytona Recap

    JOHNNY SAUTER
    No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado

    Daytona Recap
    Sauter started Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 from the second position, working early on with teammates Spencer Gallagher and Kaz Grala to stay up front through an early caution and shuffling throughout the field. He led three times for 52 laps, including at the end of the first two stages. Sauter’s final stint as leader ended on lap 98 when he was overtaken and subsequently caught up in a last lap incident battling for the lead. The No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet was scored in the 15th position and second in points after the first event of the year.

    Quote
    “That is not the ending I wanted for my team and GMS Racing tonight. I’m not sure what I could have done differently, if I could have done anything differently. I thought we were good and I could break up what the 88 and 27 had going on but I must have misjudged and made a mistake. I hate it for this 21 team but next week is a new race and we’ll be just fine.”

    Additional Info
    – Sauter was declared the leader at the end of the first two segments, earning 20 additional points on the night and 2 bonus points toward the playoffs.
    – As a result of dominating the majority of the race with his GMS Racing teammates, Sauter is second in points following the first race of the year.

    SPENCER GALLAGHER
    No. 23 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado

    Daytona Recap
    Gallagher qualified third behind teammates Kaz Grala and Johnny Sauter for the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. He ran within the top ten until lap 67 when he pitted for fuel only, but was caught speeding at the exit of pit road. Running a lap down and stuck deep in the field, Gallagher reported his Silverado was getting excessively tight on exit. He was the first truck a lap down when caution occurred on lap 96 and returned to the lead lap in the 17th position. Though he was caught up in the last lap incident, he was able to continue on track under caution, earning a 13th-place result.

    Quote
    “That was a crazy race. I hate that I messed up the great run GMS had going up front when I got caught speeding, but I’m pumped for Kaz (Grala) and the 33 team. We knew we had a shot at winning with any of these trucks but it’s good to see a kid like that make his mark and win one of the biggest races of the year. I’m just happy to be part of this weekend and to get to drive such awesome trucks. GMS Racing has it figured out and I can’t wait to see what Johnny (Sauter), Kaz and Justin (Haley) are able to do this year. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

    Additional Info
    – Gallagher’s 13th place finish is his highest NCWTS finish at Daytona.
    – Competing full-time in the NXS, the Daytona NCWTS race was the first event in Gallagher’s double-header weekend.

    SCOTT LAGASSE
    No. 24 Alert Today Florida/Florida Lottery Chevrolet Silverado

    Daytona Recap
    Qualifying 14th for his fourth NCWTS start at Daytona International Speedway, Lagasse was confident in the Alert Today Florida/Florida Lottery Chevrolet. Unfortunately though, he was collected in a lap 2 accident that would mire him back in the pack with a bit of cosmetic damage. Able to avoid any further on-track incidents, Lagasse was able to partner up with the other GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverados and come home with a solid seventh-place finish in the NextEra Energy Resources 250.

    Quote
    “That was an awesome run for the Alert Today Florida/Florida Lottery Chevrolet Silverado. I cannot thank everyone at GMS Racing enough for providing me with a fast truck. I wish we could have finished a few spots better, but I’m happy to see Kaz come away with the win and get the season started off right for GMS.”

    Additional Info
    – While running in the top-five for most of the night, Lagasse garnered a large percentage of the TV time. Lagasse was able to heavily promote Alert Today Florida, raising awareness and attention for safety toward pedestrians and cyclists.

    KAZ GRALA
    No. 33 Kiklos Olive Oil Chevrolet Silverado

    Daytona Recap
    Showing speed when the No. 33 Kiklos Chevrolet was unloaded, Kaz backed it up in qualifying by securing his first-ever NCWTS pole award for Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona.

    After leading the first 13 laps, Kaz was shuffled through the pack but was able to remain hooked up with his GMS Racing teammates throughout the night, helping the young rookie learn the ropes in his first NCWTS superspeedway race. While Kaz was content pushing teammate Johnny Sauter to the win as the laps wound down, a late race caution changed the complexity of the race completely.

    Lining up for a green-white-checkered finish, Kaz did his best to stay locked to Sauter’s bumper, but unfortunately got shuffled backwards. Trying to figure a way back to the front, the leaders began wrecking in front of him on the final lap, and with the help of his spotter Eddie D’Hondt, Kaz was able to make it through the chaos unscathed, crossing the finish line first to score his first career NCWTS win.

    Quote
    “I can’t believe we won Daytona. This completely changes our season. There’s no better way to start the year than on the pole and to win the race. This is huge for not only myself but for this organization as a whole. My No. 33 Kiklos team, as well as everyone at GMS Racing, put in so much work on these trucks and it shows. They did they’re job to get me a truck fast enough for the pole, and I did mine to get them the win.
    “I got lucky coming out of Turn 2 when everything starting getting crazy around me. I didn’t lift and somehow made it through to see clear track in front of me. This is really a dream come true.”

    Additional Info
    – Kaz is the youngest driver in NASCAR national series history to win the pole at Daytona.
    – With his win Friday night, Kaz also becomes the youngest winner in NASCAR national series history at Daytona.
    – After the first race of the season, Kaz is currently the NCWTS point leader, accumulating five bonus points towards the playoffs.

    ABOUT GMS RACING
    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley and Kaz Grala, and the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Spencer Gallagher. Since the team’s start in 2014, GMS Racing has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication.

    SOCIAL MEDIA
    To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Toyota NCWTS Daytona Post-Race Recap

    Toyota NCWTS Daytona Post-Race Recap

    Toyota Post-Race Recap
    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
    Daytona International Speedway
    Race 1 of 23 – 250 miles, 100 laps
    Friday, February 24, 2017

    TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS**
    1st, Kaz Grala*
    2nd, AUSTIN WAYNE SELF
    3rd, Chase Briscoe*
    4th, John Hunter Nemechek*
    5th, Joe Nemechek*
    8th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
    9th, JJ YELEY
    10th, MYATT SNIDER
    11th, CODY COUGHLIN
    12th, BEN RHODES
    14th, MATT CRAFTON
    16th, GRANT ENFINGER
    17th, TIMOTHY PETERS
    20th, KORBIN FORRISTER
    22nd, BRETT MOFFITT
    26th, NOAH GRAGSON
    28th, RYAN TRUEX
    *non-Toyota driver
    ** unofficial finishing positions

    TOYOTA DRIVER POINT STANDINGS**
    1st, Kaz Grala 56 points*
    4th, BEN RHODES 38 points
    6th, AUSTIN WAYNE SELF 35 points
    7th, TIMOTHY PETERS 35 points
    9th, CHRISTOPHER BELL 33 points
    11th, MYATT SNIDER 30 points
    12th, CODY COUGHLIN 26 points
    13th, MATT CRAFTON 23 points
    14th, GRANT ENFINGER 21 points
    15th, KORBIN FORRISTER 21 points
    *non-Toyota driver
    **unofficial point standings

    • Toyota driver Austin Wayne Self (second) was the top-finishing Tundra driver in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
    • Tundra drivers Christopher Bell (eighth), JJ Yeley (ninth) and Myatt Snider (10th) also finished in the top 10 at Daytona.
    • Tundra driver Ben Rhodes (12th) led 20 laps while Christopher Bell (eighth) led six, Brett Moffitt (22nd) and Timothy Peters (17th) led two and Matt Crafton (14th) led one.

    TOYOTA QUOTES

    CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 4 JBL Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Finishing Position: 8th
    Talk about your race tonight
    “Our JBL Tundra was super fast. We could pretty much drive to the front any time we wanted. We got the lead and kind of got caught up there at the end of the first break. I don’t feel like our truck was ever quite 100% again after that point. My team thrashed and used every minute of the five minute clock that we had to work on it and came out of here with an eighth place finish. We’ll take it and move on to Atlanta where we can go racing.”

    MYATT SNIDER, No. 51 Louisiana Hot Sauce Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Finishing Position: 10th
    What did you see in the accident on the final lap?
    “There at the end I just saw Matt Crafton flying so it was wild for sure. My Toyota Tundra was fast and I think we got plenty of TV time for Louisiana Hot Sauce. I’m feeling pretty good about it – even though the truck is pretty mashed up, I finished 10th so I’m pretty happy about that other than the damage.”

    Were the trucks moving around more than usual in tonight’s race?
    “We had a lot of rookies in this race and a lot of them who were getting in their truck for a first time on a speedway. It’s a lot of different feelings for them. Everybody was moving around quite a bit, but it was a blast to run.”

    BEN RHODES, No. 27 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
    Finishing Position: 12th
    What was going through your head there at the end?
    “ThorSport was working really, really, really well together. And I had my teammate Grant Enfinger pushing behind me and he was trying to push me to the win. We had the momentum on the high side three-wide and unfortunately we were coming off the corner transitioning from high-low to low and the truck was getting a little low coming off the track and got me a little sideways and I tried to correct it. Then he came back through and hit my other teammate, Matt. Unfortunately, we’re all wrecked. Safelite repair, Safelite replace this weekend. I don’t know what else to say because these guys have worked so hard. I’ve got such good teammates, it’s unfortunate we were all caught up in it.”

    MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Goof Off / Menards Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
    Finishing Position: 13th
    What happened on the final lap of the race?
    “I was coming off (turn) two and I was like, ‘I’m going to win this race, I’m going to win this race.’ I got my Daytona jinx off of me and all of the sudden I looked in the mirror and I saw the 27 (Ben Rhodes) get turned and I’m like, ‘Just don’t let him get in the right rear of me,’ and the 27 of Ben Rhodes gave me the push to win that race and I got out so far going through the tri-oval and then I got hooked and then I felt light and it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the air then I was in the air and then I saw lights and we had the wrong side down boys. All in all we had a very fast Menards Toyota Tundra and NASCAR does a great job with all this safety equipment for us to be able to walk away from this like we did.”

    GRANT ENFINGER, No. 98 Jive Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
    Finishing Position: 16th
    What happened in the closing laps of the race?
    “Just trying to push my teammates to the win there. I had Matt (Crafton) and Ben (Rhodes) lined up there on the outside and I was pushing Ben there as hard as I could and I know they were going crazy in front of them and they got separated so I was just trying to bump Ben there as good as I could and when I did, I don’t know if he just got squirrely or what – I haven’t seen the replay. Just trying to push these Tundras and things just didn’t pan out for us here today.”

    Does this change your mindset heading to Atlanta next week?
    “My mindset is the same every week – we weren’t content riding around and finishing fifth or sixth on the bottom, we wanted a shot at it. Unfortunately, we ended up with a bunch of wrecked ThorSport Racing Toyotas. Unfortunate for that, but I’m happy with the progress we’ve made and we’re actually getting some speed out of these so just hate we tore them up.”

    TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
    Finishing Position: 17th
    What happened at in the final laps of the race?
    “Just got wild there at the end. Got a good run on the outside and the next thing I know the 27 (Ben Rhodes) came across in front of me. I know it’s just a racing deal and just hate that we got collected up in it with as hard as everybody worked on this Tundra in the off season.”

    NOAH GRAGSON, No. 18 Switch Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Finishing Position: 26th
    Are you okay and what happened.
    “I’m fine. NASCAR does a great job with the safer barriers and making these trucks safe. I’m fine. I took a few hard hits out there. Just a bummer. I didn’t want to end the race like this, but I had a good time for the lap I got. Felt like the 29 (Chase Briscoe) hit me in the wrong part of the bumper going through the tri-oval, it just got me loose and it got pointed into the outside wall. Just very thankful for the opportunity to come out here to Daytona, racing in front of the fans. It’s going to be a great rest of the race. Just thanks to Switch and everyone who makes this possible for me. We’re going to go out to Atlanta next weekend and hopefully get the W.”

    What happened from your perspective?
    “I was riding probably around seventh or eighth at the time on the outside and just got popped from behind, it felt like, going through one and two. The 29 got me. He hit me, got me sideways and then I tried not getting into the 27 (Ben Rhodes) in front of me, but it was not our night tonight I guess. I was happy with our Switch Tundra. It’s a bummer but we’ll move on to Atlanta. I had a good time up there for the lap I got, but just very thankful to be here racing at Daytona, racing in the Truck Series. There’s always next week. Just going to keep on digging. Just really appreciate everyone who’s made this possible.”

    RYAN TRUEX, No. 16 SeaWatch International Toyota Tundra, Hattori Racing Enterprises
    Finishing Position: 28th
    Give us your point of view of what happened.
    “People just aren’t patient. It’s lap four and we’re bump drafting. There’s no reason for it. It’s disappointing. Chalk it up to inexperience I guess. There’s just no need to race this hard that early. Unfortunately, we’ve got a wrecked truck. I saw smoke and I slowed down and got pushed from behind and got hit three or four times and our truck was stuck in the mud and wrecked. We’ll go on to Atlanta.”

    Walk us through what happened.
    “I saw smoke. Someone got inpatient. I saw smoke, I lifted and got hit right there and I got hit again right there. I got hit a few different times and also went in the grass and just killed it. Wrong place, wrong time I guess. It all goes back to not qualifying well I guess. In practice we hit debris. I don’t know why we’re racing this hard on lap 4. It was a hard hit and the truck’s killed. We’ll rebuild it and go to Talladega.”

  • Rookie Kaz Grala Avoids Last-Lap Incident, Wins NextEra Energy Resources 250

    Rookie Kaz Grala Avoids Last-Lap Incident, Wins NextEra Energy Resources 250

    Grala Becomes Youngest Daytona Race-Winner in NASCAR National Series History

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2017) – Rookie driver Kaz Grala guided his truck through, then past a last-lap incident involving 13 trucks to win an action-filled NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway, to open the season for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

    Grala, an 18-year-old who started on the pole in the No. 33 Kiklos Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chevrolet, emerged from the backstretch incident that ruined a dominating effort by Grala’s teammate, defending race champion – and reigning series champion – Johnny Sauter (No. 21 Allegiant Travel Chevrolet). Sauter led 52 laps of the 100-lap race, in the process also winning the race’s first two “stages” – in the debut of NASCAR’s new national-series format that divides races into three stages and awards points for each stage. Friday’s stages were 20, 20 and 60 laps.

    Sauter was passed for the lead by former series champion Matt Crafton at the start of the final lap. Crafton was slightly ahead on the backstretch when multi-car contact sent his No. 88 Goof Off/Menards Toyota airborne, into a full flip – but then landing upright. Sauter, caught up in the incident, finished 15th.

    Grala is the youngest Daytona International Speedway winner of a NASCAR national series race – 18 years, one month, 26 days. He was followed to the flag by Austin Wayne Self (No. 32 AM Technical Solutions Toyota) and another rookie, Chase Briscoe (No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford).

    “I saw coming out of Turn 2 it was getting crazy,” Grala said. “There wasn’t going to be any way I was going to be lifting. I just went low, closed by eyes and crossed my fingers and luckily it worked out … it was pretty hectic.”

    There were two practice sessions on Friday for the 59th annual DAYTONA 500, set for Sunday. The starting grid for the DAYTONA 500 had been finalized Thursday night via the Can-Am Duel, the annual pair of 150-mile qualifying races for “The Great American Race.” Chase Elliott (No. 24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet) and two-time DAYTONA 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet) qualified 1-2 in the DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger on Feb. 19 to lock in front-row positions. The Can-Am Duel established the field beyond the front row.

    David Ragan (No. 38 Camping World Ford) posted the fastest lap in the first practice, 194.898 mph. Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) – a two-time DAYTONA 500 champion and seven-time champion of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – had the best average speed for 10 consecutive laps on the 2.5-mile tri-oval, 192.731.

    The second practice was led by a 197.265-mph lap from former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota). Series rookie Erik Jones (No. 77 5-hour Energy Extra Strength Toyota) led the 10-consecutive lap averages at 195.933.

    Final practice for the DAYTONA 500 is scheduled for Saturday from 12:30 p.m.-1:55 p.m.

    Also Friday, two practices were held for Saturday’s PowerShares QQQ 300, the season-opening event for the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Justin Allgaier (193.890 mph) and JJ Yeley (187.005) had the respective fastest laps. Qualifying for the event is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, with the race at 3:30 p.m.

    Tickets for the 59th annual DAYTONA 500 and other Speedweeks events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.

  • Ford Performance NCWTS Notes and Quotes

    Ford Performance NCWTS Notes and Quotes

    Ford Performance NASCAR Notes and Quotes
    Camping World Truck Series – Daytona International Speedway
    Friday, February 24, 2017

    FORD FINISHING RESULTS
    3rd Chase Briscoe
    27th Austin Cindric

    CHASE BRISCOE – No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford F-150 (Finished 3rd) – TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE TONIGHT? “It was hectic. This kind of racing will make your hair go white. An up and down night. I felt that I had something to do with that first wreck and I feel bad about that. Overall, to have my first start in NASCAR in the Camping World Truck Series with the Cooper Standard Ford and BKR, it was awesome. Hopefully we can go to Atlanta and get a win now.”

    TAKE US THROUGH THAT LAST RESTART: “It was nuts. I thought that I was in good position, fell all the way down to 10th and got some positions after the last wreck. My spotter TJ Majors was incredible.”

    HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH THE LAST BIG WRECK? “I have no idea. The Lord blessed us on that one for sure. It was hairy. The whole race was wild. Just watching past truck races you know how it is. I felt like we were in really good position on the last restart. We restarted third and kind of got bottled up on the bottom. I just stayed tight to the line and missed the last wreck.”

    WHAT HAPPENED DURING THAT SECOND LAP WRECK? “I just feel awful about it. I got a huge run. I felt like I was out of the tri-oval and just trying to get going when we kind of all checked up and got in the back of them. I hate it for everyone involved. It’s not the way that I wanted to start off my career and the reputation to have.”

    WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW SEGMENT FORMAT? “I feel like this place is going to be so intense the entire time. I didn’t get to run the old format. I think the new format added a whole new dynamic as far as strategy goes. I thought it was an improvement and I’m looking forward to seeing it again in Atlanta.”

    YOU HEAD TO ATLANTA NEXT WEEKEND, A TRACK THAT YOU TESTED AT EARLIER: “I felt really good in Atlanta. I felt that our truck and entire team was happy in Atlanta. I feel like we had pretty good balance and had a lot of speed. I’m just not sure how the right-side tires are going to play out and where it’s going to stack us up speed wise. I feel like we have a really good Cooper Standard F-150. I’m really excited to go there. It’s one place that I always wanted to race. It’s really going to fit a dirt guys’ style of how much you’ll have to search for grip.”

    WAS THE DRIVABILITY OF YOUR TRUCK WHAT YOU ANTICIPATED? “Honestly, it moved around a lot more than I anticipated. With my ARCA experience we have aero you have to deal with but not near the extent of the truck. That was the only thing that I struggled with tonight was how much we actually moved around behind guys. Atlanta is a deal where you’re going to have be able to move around, guys getting on your door and getting you loose. I feel like in practice I’m going to have a real good run. At the test we only had four trucks and didn’t have an opportunity to do that. I’m looking forward and getting there and see how it plays out.”

     

    AUSTIN CINDRIC – No. 19 Draw-Tite/Reese Brands Ford F-150 (Finished 27th – Crash) – YOU TOOK A BIG HIT, HOW ARE YOU? WHAT HAPPENED? “Yes, I’m fine. It was definitely the biggest hit that I’ve ever taken. It’s one of those things, just superspeedway racing and guys are too aggressive on the first few laps. We definitely had the rookie stripes showing early in the race. The BKR guys worked hard during the offseason and we have Atlanta next week to go at it again. I’m disappointed, we had a lot of people here from Draw-Tite and PIRTEK to support us. It was really tough to only be able to run one lap for them. We’ll go to Atlanta and see what we’ve got.”

    WALK US THROUGH THE LAP BEFORE THE ACCIDENT: “Our No. 19 Ford F-150 was crucial in getting the outside line moving. I sat back a little bit to try and get the high line. We had a great run and then a bunch of guys started to get into each other, got collected in and took some guys behind me.”

    WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM TONIGHT? “I was really excited for my second superspeedway race because I spent a lot of time preparing for this weekend. I really want to be a student of the sport. I spent a lot of time with Joey (Logano) to watch and understand how the aero works here. I was really looking forward in applying what I learned, we just got caught up in the wreck and that’s disappointing. We’ll learn more at Talladega in a few months and look forward to Atlanta next weekend.”

  • Toyota Daytona NCWTS Race Quotes

    Toyota Daytona NCWTS Race Quotes

    TOYOTA QUOTES

    NOAH GRAGSON, No. 18 Switch Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Are you okay and what happened.
    “I’m fine. NASCAR does a great job with the safer barriers and making these trucks safe. I’m fine. I took a few hard hits out there. Just a bummer. I didn’t want to end the race like this, but I had a good time for the lap I got. Felt like the 29 (Chase Briscoe) hit me in the wrong part of the bumper going through the tri-oval, it just got me loose and it got pointed into the outside wall. Just very thankful for the opportunity to come out here to Daytona, racing in front of the fans. It’s going to be a great rest of the race. Just thanks to Switch and everyone who makes this possible for me. We’re going to go out to Atlanta next weekend and hopefully get the W.”

    What happened from your perspective?
    “I was riding probably around seventh or eighth at the time on the outside and just got popped from behind, it felt like, going through one and two. The 29 got me. He hit me, got me sideways and then I tried not getting into the 27 (Ben Rhodes) in front of me, but it was not our night tonight I guess. I was happy with our Switch Tundra. It’s a bummer but we’ll move on to Atlanta. I had a good time up there for the lap I got, but just very thankful to be here racing at Daytona, racing in the Truck Series. There’s always next week. Just going to keep on digging. Just really appreciate everyone who’s made this possible.”

    RYAN TRUEX, No. 16 SeaWatch International Toyota Tundra, Hattori Racing Enterprises
    Give us your point of view of what happened.
    “People just aren’t patient. It’s lap four and we’re bump drafting. There’s no reason for it. It’s disappointing. Chalk it up to inexperience I guess. There’s just no need to race this hard that early. Unfortunately, we’ve got a wrecked truck. I saw smoke and I slowed down and got pushed from behind and got hit three or four times and our truck was stuck in the mud and wrecked. We’ll go on to Atlanta.”

    Walk us through what happened.
    “I saw smoke. Someone got inpatient. I saw smoke, I lifted and got hit right there and I got hit again right there. I got hit a few different times and also went in the grass and just killed it. Wrong place, wrong time I guess. It all goes back to not qualifying well I guess. In practice we hit debris. I don’t know why we’re racing this hard on lap 4. It was a hard hit and the truck’s killed. We’ll rebuild it and go to Talladega.”

  • Grala Wins Carnage-Filled Truck Race at Daytona

    Grala Wins Carnage-Filled Truck Race at Daytona

    A few hours after earning his first pole in NASCAR, Kaz Grala was in the right place on the final lap to drive through a field of wrecking trucks to win the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

    With two laps to go, Johnny Sauter, who won stages 1 and 2, jumped down in front of Grala on the ensuing restart and led the field into Turn 1. Exiting Turn 2, Sauter jumped from the bottom line to the top to block the advance of Matt Crafton. After moving down, the outside line pushed Crafton to the lead. Sauter worked his way alongside Crafton in Turn 1 but found himself sandwiched in between Crafton on the bottom and Ben Rhodes on top.

    Exiting Turn 2, Rhodes, who was receiving a bump draft from Grant Enfinger, got loosened by his teammate, turned down and clipped Crafton’s truck. His truck did a 180 spin and the combination of air rushing under the back of his car and being hit by Sauter lifted his truck into the air, flipped it in a corkscrew motion and landed on all four wheels.

    Twelve trucks were involved in the final lap wreck.

    Grala, who was behind Crafton when he was clipped by Rhodes, was leading when the caution flew and declared the race winner.

    He was so overrun with elation, he could barely answer how he won the race.

    “Oh I wish you could tell me,” he exclaimed to Hermie Sadler in victory lane. “Oh my gosh. Yeah, I didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t know how to do a doughnut. I don’t know how to do a victory lap like that. I just know *can’t make out* That was freaking awesome! I can’t believe we won Daytona! This completely changes our season and the way that we can play it. This is huge for our organization and for myself, for Jerry, for GMS, Keith Lewis. I can’t even believe this.”

    Sadler asked him about his final 20 laps where he fell back and worked his way through the field.

    “My radio chord came out on lap 79. So I drove almost to the end of the race no…Oh my God, someone flipped! (Referring to Crafton’s flip on the final lap as he watched a replay of it in victory lane) I drove almost the rest of the race without a radio on and barely through the green-white-checker, I got a radio on. Honestly, I got lucky coming out of (Turn) 2 there. I just didn’t lift and lucky everything went crazy around me. (I) hope everybody’s alright there, but oh I’m so happy with (how) that played out. I can’t even believe it.”

    On the second lap of the event, there was a 17-truck wreck that was triggered by Chase Briscoe catching Noah Gragson at the wrong time, loosened him and turned him into the wall. Gragson came back down the track and clipped Austin Cindric, sending him into the outside wall. The rest of the trucks scattered and ran into one another, trying to avoid other spinning trucks in a plume of smoke.

    There a few other smaller wrecks scattered through the race, including one involving race leaders Christopher Bell and Brett Moffit coming to the line at the end of stage 1.

    This Camping World Truck Series race was the first NASCAR points-paying race to utilize stages, or segments, in any of its three national series.

    The first stage was rather competitive with four lead changes in the first 20 laps, eight of which were run under caution.

    The second stage was more collected with the field riding single-file for most of the 14 laps run under green (six under the caution from the end of stage 1). Other than a half-spin by John Hunter Nemechek in Turn 3 on lap 38, which didn’t bring out a caution, nothing threatened to break up the flow of the race until the end of stage 2 on lap 40.

    Timothy Peters exited pit road first and restarted as the race leader. It only took Sauter two laps to work his way back to the lead, which he swapped with Rhodes a few laps later. The caution flew with 30 laps to go for a four-truck wreck.

    With 23 to go, the field formed up into a single-file train hugging the bottom line. This was broken up by Nemechek spinning out on the backstretch with six to go, setting up the two-lap shootout and final lap wreck.

    The race lasted one hour, 55 minutes and 38 seconds at an average speed of 129.720 mph. There were 14 lead changes among nine different drivers and six cautions for 29 laps.

    Grala leaves Daytona with a 14-point lead over Sauter.

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  • Toyota NCWTS Daytona Media Day Todd Gilliland Quotes

    Toyota NCWTS Daytona Media Day Todd Gilliland Quotes

    Toyota Daytona Driver Quotes
    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
    Daytona Media Day – February 22, 2017

    Toyota driver Todd Gilliland was made available to the media at NASCAR Daytona Media Day:

    Todd Gilliland, No. 51 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Are you excited to join Kyle Busch Motorsports this season?
    “I’m very excited to join Kyle Busch Motorsports for the 2017 season. Every time you go to the track with KBM, they have really great stuff, really great equipment, and hard‑working people at the shop. I feel like it’s a great opportunity and probably one of the best truck teams I could have made my debut with.”

    What do you think about the young teammates you have at KBM?
    “Yeah, so it’s a great group of drivers, also. I get along great with all of them, and luckily we’re all in the same age range there that we can all joke around with each other and all that fun stuff. I think that might help us out a little bit, too, everyone working together. But everyone is going to be busy this year.”

    What type of resources will you use at KBM?
    “I think my crew chief, Bono, he’s really knowledgeable on all these tracks we’re going to. We’ve already been talking, even though my first race is five or six months out. No, he’s really excited to have me, I think, and he’s always working hard to get me all the knowledge that he has.”

    What are you learning about this media stuff? Have you learned that balance yet?
    “That’s something that I feel like everyone always works on at all these events. Any time your name can be mentioned in a room with all these reporters like this, it’s always a great opportunity to have. You’ve got to keep the sponsors happy, or we wouldn’t be here, but also, not too many people want to talk to you if you don’t have personality. That’s always such a hard balance to have.”

    What’s the best advice you’ve gotten so far from anybody about this?
    “I’d say just be yourself because you can always wear shirts and everything with your sponsors on them and people see that and recognize that. Beyond that, just be yourself, show your personality, and do most of your talking on the track, also. I think that’s been a big part of it.”

    What do you think about drivers who always mention sponsors, is that annoying to fans?
    “I don’t think it’s annoying just because you know what it takes to get to that level. Jimmie Johnson does a really good job I feel like of getting sponsors and showing a little bit of personality, whereas someone like Clint Bowyer shows a lot of personality and a little bit of sponsor. And Jimmie Johnson is a seven‑time champion and Clint is a top‑notch driver. It really just depends on every driver, but I think it’s really cool to see the differences in each driver. I wouldn’t say it’s a really boring ‑‑”

    Do you have to go out and win some races where you can really show who you are?
    “Yes, probably to the extent of some people, but I feel like if you get your name out before you win a couple races by showing personality, that’s pretty good, also.”

    How much different is it or do you think it is if you’re a baseball player or a football player? Is it harder?
    “Yeah, exactly. I’d say more of on a football team, it’s a team name or a country ‑‑ not like ‑‑ a city. So that’s a little bit different I’d say. But it’s still hard. There’s always people that have gotten you to the point that you’re at, and it’s always a very hard balance no matter what you’re in. But I feel like racing there’s a lot of emphasis on sponsorship and stuff like that now.”

    What type of impact has your family had on your racing career, especially as it relates to how media may treat you?
    “No, I feel like my dad and my whole family has always been treated pretty fairly by the media. Especially me, I feel like everyone has been super great to me on the media side of it. They’ve helped me out in so many ways already. I’m sure there’s always going to be some people that don’t like what you’re doing or something like that. Hopefully if you get to a big enough point that there’s going to be a lot of haters, so hopefully I’ll have some haters at some point. That’s something I’m looking forward to.”

    How much tougher is it for your generation of drivers with social media – do you have to watch what you say?
    “Yep, exactly, because Twitter is so accessible to everyone. People can just click one button and hear everything you say. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, Twitter is the first thing you go to just to check, and then it’s just two buttons away to tweet something you shouldn’t. No, it’s really pretty tough to keep yourself in check, but I feel like that’s something that everyone tells you ‑‑ probably one of the first things they tell you, not to use social media to hurt yourself.”

    Do you think they should tell President Trump that?
    “Yes, exactly. (Laughs.)”

    How confident are you going to be traveling with the Truck Series to get acquainted with them because you have such a late start with them?
    “Yeah, I’m actually going to stay out here in Daytona until Friday to watch the Camping World Truck Series race, and I think any time that you can spend with teammates or your team members on the truck, you can learn how they talk to each other, and even if you can get any closer to them, it’s always going to be a plus when you’re in the seat and you’re talking to them and you have to make that last adjustment to qualify in the top 5 or something like that.”