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Category: Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • Gilliland, Kyle Busch Motorsports Pairing Promises Success

    Gilliland, Kyle Busch Motorsports Pairing Promises Success

    In the Camping World Truck Series, Kyle Busch Motorsports has been right on the money in terms of picking the next breakout star in NASCAR. They won the 2015 championship with Erik Jones, who had been winning races for KBM for the previous two years. In 2016 they won seven races with rookie William Byron. Now with the recent addition of 2016 K&N Pro Series West champion Todd Gilliland for four races in 2017, the trophies may increase for KBM.

    He’s only a kid, sure. But at 16, he has eight total K&N Pro Series wins to back his championship as well as an ARCA win. An ARCA win that he won at 15, giving him the record for youngest ARCA race winner. He knows how to bring home the hardware, and after running seven Super Late Model events for KBM this season, he’s finally graduating to trucks starting at Gateway in June. This promotion is right on schedule for Gilliland, who literally began winning races as soon as he sat down inside a stock car. He even managed to match Dan Gurney’s 60-year-old record by winning in his first four K&N Pro Series starts.

    Along with his Gateway start, he’ll also be starting at MoSport and Loudon in September as well as Phoenix in November. That’s only four starts, but they’re all on track types that Gilliland is familiar with. Also, KBM trucks have won at all of those tracks at least once in the past three seasons. There is nothing saying that Gilliland won’t manage to score a win in one of those four starts. He has the drive, the equipment, and every opportunity to prove himself during his limited run in the No. 51 Tundra.

    Everything points to Gilliland setting a high standard for himself in 2017, and from there it’s a given he’ll get more starts in KBM equipment. We could very well see a situation similar to Jones’s, where a win leads to more starts, and from there more wins lead to a championship opportunity. He’s versatile on different types of tracks, and what he doesn’t know he’ll learn quickly. He’s great on equipment; his lone slip-up this season at Sonoma was due to another driver’s error. Had that not happened he would have been on his way to scoring a top-10 in every race in 2016.

    KBM knew what they had when they signed him, and in 2017 everyone else will see just how much potential Gilliland possesses behind the wheel. NASCAR may very well have its next juggernaut in the wings.

  • NASCAR Unveils New Brand Identity, Premier Series Name and Mark

    NASCAR Unveils New Brand Identity, Premier Series Name and Mark

    Premier Series to Be Named Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Beginning in 2017

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 19, 2016) –- NASCAR today unveiled a new official brand identity which will replace the bar mark used by the sanctioning body since 1976. The announcement was made in conjunction with the news that Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ will be the new name of the sport’s premier series beginning January 1, 2017.

    The new brand mark and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series mark, which prominently features the iconic Monster Energy logo, together represent a new era in NASCAR and were first shared today across NASCAR social and digital media channels.

    The NASCAR brand identity has been in development since early 2016 as part of a broader effort to refresh the NASCAR brand. It was designed to pay tribute to the storied history of NASCAR, incorporating elements of all four previous marks since the company’s inaugural season of 1948.

    “Our new NASCAR mark is modern, timeless, and embraces the heritage of our sport,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “It was important for us to recognize our history and implement a piece of each previous mark in the new design. Our goal was to evolve the sport’s visual identity to make it concise, relevant and functional, while respecting and maintaining the unique qualities of the original mark.”

    The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points race will be the 59th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 26 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tickets are available at NASCAR.com/tickets.

    About NASCAR

    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

  • Kaz Grala Confirmed for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Full Time in 2017

    Kaz Grala Confirmed for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Full Time in 2017

    Crew Chief Jerry Baxter Joins GMS Racing and Tapped to Lead No. 33 Chevrolet Team

    Statesville, N.C. (December 5, 2016) – GMS Racing announces today that Massachusetts-native Kaz Grala will pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado full time in 2017, across all 23 races of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). The soon-to-be 18-year-old rookie, a part-time driver at GMS Racing in 2016, accomplished three top-10 results in only nine races and has now earned a larger opportunity to step up to full-time competition in one of NASCAR’s premier racing series.

    In recent years, Kaz has made a name for himself in Late Model racing by breaking records. In his first race at fabled Hickory Motor Speedway, Kaz won the 2013 UARA 150 and became the youngest winner in series history. The following year, he became the youngest NASCAR winner in Caraway Speedway history when he held off the Whelen All-American Series National Champion to win the 171-lap event. In 2015, Kaz won his Pro All Stars Series debut at South Boston Speedway with a dominant performance, leading 131 of 150 laps. Kaz differentiates himself by tearing up road-course events each year. He has won the 12 hours of NJMP, the 13 hours of VIR, and competed in the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the pinnacle of sports-car racing in America.

    Kaz made it to the final round in NCWTS qualifying in all but one race in 2016. He scored his first top-10 finish in only his second start in the series at Dover International Speedway. In his first race at Gateway Motorsports Park, Kaz brought home yet another top-10 finish. At the rookie’s home track, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, he brought home his best finish of 2016, a 7th-place result.

    “I am beyond thankful to have an opportunity with GMS Racing to run full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2017. This organization has been on a steep rise the past couple of years, and it’s been fun being a part of it in 2016,” remarked an excited Grala.

    Joining the GMS Racing stable in 2017 is veteran crew chief Jerry Baxter who claims time in the principal team role in all three of NASCAR’s top racing series, dating back to 1986. Baxter has worked with a variety of NASCAR notables and most recently recorded four seasons with Kyle Busch Motorsports and in 2016 with rookie Chase contender Christopher Bell.

    “I’m looking forward to next season with GMS and working through this transition with Kaz. I really enjoy helping young drivers get started in this series and developing their talent, and I saw what Kaz accomplished in the few races he ran last season,” said Baxter.

    Next season Baxter will tackle year seven in the Camping World Truck Series and looks to add to his series resume of nine wins, 38 top-five finishes, 67 top-10 finishes, six pole-qualifying positions and 1,426 laps led, with the No. 33 team and Grala.

    Kaz further described his eagerness for next season, “GMS Racing has really gone out of their way to bring some of the best people in the industry on board, and Jerry Baxter is no exception. I’m extremely excited to get to work with Jerry, who not only is a great match for me personality-wise, but also is very accomplished in the NASCAR world. I am looking forward to returning to the No. 33 Chevy Silverado, which I made a few starts in this year. Hopefully Jerry’s experience on top of the box will complement my Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender status, and bring success to the team next year.”

    In three full-time seasons in the NCWTS, GMS Racing has earned seven wins and recently captured the 2016 Driver Championship with longtime competitor Johnny Sauter. The success was a result of the perfect combination of veteran skill and young talent.

    When he’s not improving his race skills to become an accomplished NASCAR driver, Kaz is an honor-roll high school senior at Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts. The 17-year-old who has a birthday on December 29th is currently interviewing with colleges for the fall of 2017.

     
    ABOUT GMS RACING, LLC:
    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Johnny Sauter and Kaz Grala, and the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Spencer Gallagher. GMS Racing is housed in a 100,000 square-foot state-of-the-art campus in Statesville, North Carolina, alongside GMS Fabrication.

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

  • Sauter and Shear Jr. to Defend Title With GMS Racing in 2017

    Sauter and Shear Jr. to Defend Title With GMS Racing in 2017

    Statesville, N.C. (December 2, 2016) – On October 15, 2015, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) veteran Johnny Sauter announced he would be joining GMS Racing (GMS) for the 2016 season in an effort to claim his first NCWTS championship. The move was unexpected and some questioned if a young team, like GMS, could outperform the more established teams of NASCAR’s roughest series.

    Flash forward one year and two weeks to October 29, 2016 at Martinsville Speedway. After reuniting with former crew chief and longtime friend Joe Shear Jr. in June, Sauter racked up 12 top-10 finishes in 13 starts leading into the first race of the second round of the inaugural Chase for the NCWTS Championship. Sauter led 50 laps to clinch the win and lock the No. 21 team into the position to compete for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He followed that up with a statement win at Texas Motor Speedway the following week and came within one restart of making it three-in-a-row at Phoenix International Raceway.

    In his 13th NCWTS season, Sauter raised the championship trophy alongside his family and a team that had just completed its third full-time season in NASCAR. He completed what was statistically one of his best seasons with 3 wins, 12 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. His three wins contributed to an overall total of six victories for GMS, who only had one win in the series heading into the 2016 season.

    “A lot of people asked if I really thought the move to GMS [Racing] would result in a championship. After talking with Mike Beam and Maury [Gallagher], I truly believed in their goals for the team and felt like it was the right move if I wanted to win a title,” said Sauter. “The progress this team made throughout the season was incredible. It’s a relief to finally be able to say I’m a champion, but there’s also that feeling that it’s supposed to be that way. The reason we compete every weekend is to be the best so anything less would be a disappointment.”

    Sauter has found a home with GMS and will return in 2017 to defend not only his win at Daytona International Speedway, but his NCWTS Championship as well. He will continue to build on the Sauter-Shear legacy, a history that started in the Midwest with their fathers competing against each other.

    “I’m excited to do this again, especially with Joe [Shear Jr.]. I don’t think we would have won a championship without him last year. We’re going to start where we left off, make up for those four races I didn’t finish in the top 10, and win that owner’s championship for Maury.”

    GMS will release details about plans for the 2017 season, including additional drivers and sponsors, at a later date.

    ABOUT GMS RACING, LLC:
    GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Johnny Sauter and the NASCAR XFINITY Series with Spencer Gallagher. GMS Racing is housed in a 100,000 square-foot state-of-the-art campus in Statesville, North Carolina, alongside GMS Fabrication.

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

  • Martin tabbed for NMPA Hall of Fame

    Martin tabbed for NMPA Hall of Fame

    DARLINGTON, S.C. (Nov. 23, 2016) – Mark Martin, winner of 40 NASCAR premier series races and a runner-up in the championship battle on five occasions, has been selected for induction into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame.

    Martin, 57, will be inducted Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017.

    He was named on 95 percent of the ballots cast by the NMPA membership.

    The Batesville, Ark., native competed in NASCAR for more than three decades. His 40 career victories currently rank 17th on the all-time list for the series while his 882 career starts rank fifth overall for the sanctioning body’s top series.

    In addition to his premier series efforts, Martin also enjoyed success in NASCAR’s lower national series, winning 49 times in what is now the XFINITY Series and seven times in the Camping World Truck Series.

    He is also a five-time winner of the IROC (International Race of Champions) title.

    Others receiving votes but falling short of the required 65 percent necessary for induction were veteran crew chiefs Kirk Shelmerdine (61 percent), Buddy Parrott (59 percent) and Larry McReynolds (51 percent); and long-time Martinsville Speedway public relations director Dick Thompson (59 percent).

    “Those guys are heroes of mine,” Martin said of his fellow nominees. “It is just such an incredible honor to be considered along with them. I feel very fortunate and blessed but most of all I’m thankful. Very thankful.”

    Former statistician Bob Latford and driver Dan Gurney were also named as write-in candidates on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot.

    Martin, who retired from competition following the 2013 season, earned 35 premier series wins with team owner Jack Roush. His final five victories came in 2009 after joining Hendrick Motorsports.

    Alan Gustafson served as crew chief for Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Martin at Hendrick. He is currently the crew chief for 2016 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Chase Elliott.

    “Mark drove so much by just raw feel,” Gustafson said. “His ability just to flat out drive a car, no markers, no signs no nothing, he was really good at that, which produced some amazing lap times.

    “We’ve all seen it. Mark Martin, first lap on the track, is just insane. Because he doesn’t have to figure out where he’s at, he just drives by feel. He was open to working on things and doing things but he just did it a different way than drivers like Jeff and Kyle and Chase.”

    The National Motorsports Press Association was formed more than 50 years ago and its membership consists of motorsports writers, broadcasters and photographers from throughout the U.S. and abroad.

    The NMPA Hall of Fame, established in 1965, is located on the grounds of Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

  • Hot 20 – If dreams do come true, why not a Dale Earnhardt 500 at Talladega?

    Hot 20 – If dreams do come true, why not a Dale Earnhardt 500 at Talladega?

    With more than a month left in the old year, talk about the new is already starting to dominate. Tony Stewart is now retired, with Clint Bowyer no doubt thrilled at the chance to get back into quality equipment as his replacement. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is getting ready to return to racing, though that message from fiance Amy Reimann seems to indicate he never really left. Greg Biffle has left Jack Roush after all these years, with his old ride apparently being put on blocks for next season.

    Dear NASCAR: Please start branding your races so they might one day become stand alone marquee events. Along with the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400, change it back to the World 600 at Charlotte and summertime should mark the Firecracker 400 at Daytona. While we are at it, who would not want to win at Talladega, taking the Hellmann’s Dale Earnhardt 500, or STP’s Richard Petty 500 at Martinsville? A Ridgeway grandfather clock with the King’s face on the face. Hey, it is not our circus, but we have grown fond of some of the monkeys.

    Jimmie Johnson has another trinket to keep polished. NASCAR, in its stupidity, has few iconic events, we know, but Johnson has won them all. Daytona 500? Twice. Southern 500? Twice. World 600? Four times. Brickyard 400? Four more. Ten-time winner at Dover. Nine at Martinsville. Did anyone mention seven Cup championships? Is it too early to wonder about an eighth? Jimmie Johnson is a living, breathing active iconic legend of the sport. Enjoy him while we can.

    Most athletes are done by the time they hit 40. NASCAR is lucky in that way, but even at that age folks start asking the drivers “how much longer?” once they hit the milestone. Johnson, Junior, Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick have already reached the peak of that mountain. The good news is that young gents such as Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Dillon have already arrived, with Ty Dillon coming soon, along with the likes of Erik Jones and Darrell Wallace Jr. Those are just the ones with decent rides, either at this level or the one just below. Like XFINITY champ Daniel Suarez, for instance.

    Elliott, Cup’s top rookie, turns 21 within the week. There are 50 drivers younger than him with some experience in the Cup, XFINITY, Camping World, or ARCA series. Harrison Burton finished 22nd in a truck race, third in an ARCA event. Jeff Burton’s boy turned 16 in October. Cole Custer does not turn 19 until January, yet was 10th best in the trucks this season, with a pair of XFINITY Top Tens to his credit in just five attempts. Tomorrow’s stars are coming.

    Let us not rush things, though. 2016 gave us a nice mix of seasoned veterans and fuzzy-cheeked talent, as our Hot 20 bears out.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON (5 WINS – 11 T5 – 16 T10) 5040 PTS
    Gunning for eight in 2017. What, too soon?

    2. JOEY LOGANO (3-16-26) 5037 PTS
    I will never forget what he and Brittany did to honor the family of Jake Leatherman.

    3. KYLE BUSCH (4-17-25) 5035 PTS
    If NASCAR was Canadian, would Kyle be sponsored by Smarties?

    4. CARL EDWARDS (3-9-18) 5007 PTS
    Not at the front of the field in the end, but left as the class of the field.

    5. MATT KENSETH (2-8-19) 2330 PTS
    With the Biff leaving, that ole Roush gang have now all departed for greener pastures.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN (3-12-22) 2320 PTS
    Average finish over the final 21 races was 8.5. Thirtieth at Charlotte ruined everything.

    7. KURT BUSCH (1-9-21) 2296 PTS
    Was better in the first half than the second. The good news is that 2017 begins with the first half.

    8. KEVIN HARVICK (4-17-27) 2289 PTS
    Best damn driver in NASCAR this season is a champion…just not for this year.

    9. KYLE LARSON (1-10-15) 2288 PTS
    Second-best 20-something driver this season, and seems to have designs on #1 in the next.

    10. CHASE ELLIOTT (0-10-17) 2285 PTS
    Not all Rookies of the Year are stellar choices, but this one most definitely is.

    11. MARTIN TRUEX JR. (4-8-17) 2271 PTS
    Next year, Erik Jones becomes his new teammate. If the boy wins, soda pop for everyone.

    12. BRAD KESELOWSKI (4-16-22) 2267 PTS
    Brad does not think the format led to great racing last week. Brad did not have my television.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY (0-2-12) 2231 PTS
    Joined by Larson, McMurray gave boss Chip Ganassi a pair in the Top Five last Sunday.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON (0-4-13) 2223 PTS
    Some wags figure if Woody from Toy Story drove in NASCAR, he would look a lot like Austin.

    15. TONY STEWART (1-5-8) 2211 PTS
    As iconic as Johnson, Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, L. Petty, Pearson, Yarborough and Waltrip

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER (1-2-2) 2169 PTS
    Proof that one race can make a season.

    17. KASEY KAHNE (0-3-13) 898 PTS
    2004’s top rookie teams with a seven-time champ, a 13-time most popular, and 2016’s top rookie.

    18. RYAN NEWMAN (0-2-10) 895 PTS
    If he had actually been driving a Caterpillar, the car would have looked better after last Sunday.

    19. A.J. ALLMENDINGER (0-2-9) 830 PTS
    If getting the wave around works good enough to claim eighth at Homestead, why not?

    20. RYAN BLANEY (0-3-9) 812 PTS
    Turns 23 on New Year’s Eve. Talk about welcoming in a new year twice at the same party.

  • JOHNNY SAUTER CLAIMS FIRST NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

    JOHNNY SAUTER CLAIMS FIRST NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

    Rookie William Byron Wins Ford EcoBoost 200 At Homestead-Miami Speedway

    MIAMI – Johnny Sauter started and finished the season on a high note, as he claimed victory at Daytona International Speedway in the first race of the season and then capped it off by winning his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the final race of the season. Sauter’s championship came in the inaugural year of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase.

    The 38-year-old from Necadah, Wisconsin took home the title by finishing 3rd in the Ford EcoBoost 200, ahead of the remaining Championship 4 contenders Matt Crafton (7th), Christopher Bell (8th) and Timothy Peters (9th). Crafton, who was vying for the third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship of his career, led for 10 of the race’s 134 laps, the only one of the Championship 4 to lead laps Friday night.

    The title makes Sauter, who drives the No. 21 Chevrolet for GMS Racing, the 15th different driver to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. It also gives him three total victories, 12 top-5 and 19 top-10 showings in the 2016 campaign.

    “This championship means a lot to me, but it means a lot to my family,” said Sauter. “I just can’t thank these guys enough. They executed like they needed to and I can’t thank the Gallagher family enough for giving me this opportunity. It was a leap of faith to come here over the off season.”

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie William Byron, driver of the No. 9 Toyota, took the checkered flag in the Ford EcoBoost 200. It was the seventh win of the season for Byron, who was also the 2016 Sunoco Rookie of the Year.

    “It’s amazing,” said Byron “This team’s worked so hard all year. Every single person is so talented. Sometimes I look around the garage and our pit stall and I just think about all the good people on our race team led by Rudy (Fugle, crew chief) and just an awesome truck that we brought to Homestead. We would have loved to be in the driver’s championship, but it feels awesome to get a seventh win for this team. It’s just amazing.”

    Kyle Busch Motorsports, owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch, clinched the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owners title with Byron’s win. For Kyle Busch Motorsport’s, it is the team’s fourth consecutive (2013-16) and fifth all-time owners championship (2010, 2013-16). The team is now the first to win four consecutive titles and the first to win five total series championships.
     

    About Homestead-Miami Speedway
    The Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. The track, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015, is a 650-acre facility that features a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course. The track is active nearly 300 days per year and generates more than $301 million annually for the region. NASCAR has crowned its champions in all three of its premier series at Homestead-Miami Speedway each of the past 14 years (2002-15) at Ford Championship Weekend. Champions crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2015 were Kyle Busch (Sprint Cup Series), Chris Buescher (XFINITY Series) and Erik Jones (Camping World Truck Series). The 2016 Ford Championship Weekend will be held November 18-20.

    About “Driving for a Cause”
    “Driving for a Cause,” the charitable arm of Homestead-Miami Speedway, operates under the auspices of the NASCAR Foundation as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. Homestead-Miami Speedway will continue each of its charitable activities, including its in-kind donations to local groups, support of Homestead Hospital’s Speediatrics unit, and its program where organizations can work track events in exchange for a donation to their group or cause.

  • Johnny Sauter Wins 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship

    Johnny Sauter Wins 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship

    Chevrolet Tradition Runs Deep in Truck Series as Bowtie Brand Earns 13th Driver’s Title

    HOMESTEAD, Fla. – (November 18, 2016) Johnny Sauter continued Chevrolet’s winning tradition in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) by capturing his first Championship with a third-place finish in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Since the inception of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 1995, Chevrolet and Silverado have been competing for wins and championships.  Sauter is the 13th NCWTS driver in Chevrolet’s storied history to take the Bowtie Brand to the Championship Stage.

    “Congratulations to Johnny Sauter and the No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado team on clinching the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway tonight,” said Jim Campbell, US Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “We couldn’t be more proud for Johnny to earn his first title behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.”

    Sauter, behind the wheel of the No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado, used experience to his advantage in capturing his long-awaited first title.  Over the course of the 23-race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Sauter and his team earned three wins, 12 top-five’s and 19 top-10’s in route to his championship victory.

    “I just ran a smart race,” said Sauter after climbing from behind the wheel of his Silverado at the championship stage.  “I’m not going to lie when we qualified as poorly as we did today I thought this was going to be tough to do because you’ve got to take tires here on every pit stop.  There is not real easy way to get track position, so I knew we were going to have to do it by pit stops and passing people.  I just can’t thank everybody at GMS Racing, Allegiant Travel and Chevrolet, ECR horsepower, this is awesome.  To be a champion, I’m speechless.”

    Sauter is the inaugural winner of the Chase for the NCWTS title.  This is the first season in the history of the series that the champion has been decided by a winner take all final race.  Sauter becomes the eighth different Chevrolet driver to win the NCWTS championship, joining James Buescher (2012), Austin Dillon (2011), Ron Hornaday Jr. (2009, 2007, 1998 and 1996), Jack Sprague (2001, 1999, and 1997), Travis Kvapil (2003), Mike Bliss (2002) and Mike Skinner (1995).

    The title gives GMS Racing and team owner Maurice Gallagher their first NCWTS championship in only the organizations third year of operation.

    “This championship means a lot to me, but it means a lot to my family,” the newly crowned champion continued.   “I just can’t thank these guys enough.  They executed like they needed to and I can’t thank the Gallagher family enough for giving me this opportunity. It was a leap of faith to come here over the off season.  Being in a Chevrolet was very important to me and this is just awesome.”

    The series returns to action for the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at the World Center of Speed, Daytona International Speedway.

     

     

     

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    About Chevrolet:
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • Byron wins the race, Sauter takes the title in Miami

    Byron wins the race, Sauter takes the title in Miami

    William Byron took the lead in the closing laps to close out the season with a victory, but it was Johnny Sauter, one of the elder statesman of the series, who beat the competition to finally add a championship to his resume.

    Byron scored the pole for the race and led the 20 laps before ceding the lead to Matt Crafton. He didn’t make much noise for most of the race until the final caution flew with 24 laps to go. He came out second behind Tyler Reddick, who exited pit road with the race lead.

    He stayed hot on Reddick right from the final restart with 20 to go and took the lead exiting Turn 2 with 10 to go to drive on to victory.

    “It feels awesome,” Byron said. “It’s just – it’s incredible. I mean this team has worked so hard all year. We just had an unfortunate situation last week that we couldn’t control, but, man, they brought a good truck. Qualified on the pole.”

    It was the seventh victory in 24 career starts in the Camping World Truck Series for the driver of the No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota.

    “These guys just are awesome,” he added. “God, I hate leaving this – I just hate this team not being together next year. It’s just insane how good they are and so many talented people on this race team. Can’t thank KBM enough, Toyota, Kyle and Samantha (Busch, Kyle Busch’s wife), everyone at KBM, (sponsor) Liberty University – it’s just amazing.”

    He also secured Sunoco Rookie of The Year honors.

    Sauter brought his No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet home third, which was enough to secure him his first series championship.

    “You know, not just me, it’s the whole team, everybody at GMS Racing,” Sauter said in victory lane. “We qualified bad today. Really, we were kind of worried about it. Felt pretty good in race trim.

    “Just proud of these guys for their flawless execution tonight. Joe (Shear) made great adjustments to where I could just kind of hang on. I’m not a high line guy. So I elected to keep doing my deal and they actually found some pretty good grip on the bottom of the race track.

    “Proud to be a champion. I’m gonna do everything in our power to represent NASCAR as best we can.”

    He was asked what point he realized he had a truck that could win the title.

    “I was pretty conservative at the beginning of the race just trying to take care of it and not make any stupid mistakes,” he added. “Then there was about probably 85 laps to go, I was like ‘Okay, we’ll start picking them off here,’ and just had a solid day in the pits.

    “With about 50 to 60 to go, I was like ‘Okay, we’ve got something here,’ and we were really catching the 88. It looked like he was pushing real bad.”

    Kyle Larson, who led a race high of 76 laps, finished fourth.

    Matt Crafton, Christopher Bell and Timothy Peters finished seventh, eighth and ninth.

    Three of the four cautions were brought out by Patrick Staropoli. The other was for a spin by Stewart Friesen.

    Twenty-four trucks finished the race on the lead lap and only Ryan Truex failed to finish the race.

    The race lasted one hour, 32 minutes and 57 seconds at an average speed of 129.747 mph. There were 15 lead changes among five different drivers and four cautions for 18 laps.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/T1623_UNOFFRES.pdf” title=”t1623_unoffres”]

  • NASCAR Racing Schedule for Homestead

    NASCAR Racing Schedule for Homestead

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup, XFINITY and the Camping World Truck Series travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the season finale. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.

    All times are Eastern.

    Wednesday, Nov. 16:

    Live Stream: (Watch live)
    11 a.m. ET: Championship 4 Crew Chief Video Conference

    Thursday, Nov. 17:

    Live Stream:
    3:05 p.m. ET: Media Day (Watch live)
    4:10 p.m. ET: Miss Sprint Cup Championship 4 Chat (Watch live)

    Friday, Nov. 18:

    On Track:
    8:30-9:30 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series First Practice – FS1
    10:30-11:25 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series Final Practice – FS1
    12:30-1:55 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    2-3:25 p.m.: XFINITY Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    3:45 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying – FS1
    5-5:55 p.m.: XFINITY Series Final Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    6:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    8 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (134 laps, 201 miles) – FS1

    Garage Cam: (Watch live)
    Noon: Sprint Cup Series
    1:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    10:15 a.m.: Darrell Gwynn Foundation
    11:45 a.m.: Tony Stewart
    2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship 4 owners – Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske
    7:30 p.m.: Post-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying (time approx.)
    10 p.m.: Post-Camping World Truck Series Race (time approx.)

    Saturday, Nov. 19:

    On Track:
    10-10:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup Series Second Practice – CNBC/NBC Sports App
    11:15 a.m.: XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying – CNBC/NBC Sports App
    1-1:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App
    3:30 p.m.: XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (200 laps, 300 miles) – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    2 p.m.: Sprint Cup Championship 4 manufacturers – Jim Campbell, Ed Laukes and Dave Pericak
    6:30 p.m.: Post-XFINITY Series Race (time approx.)

    Sunday, Nov. 20:

    On Track:
    2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) – NBC/NBC Sports App

    Press Conferences: (Watch live)
    11 a.m.: NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France
    7 p.m.: Post-Sprint Cup Series Race (time approx.)

     

    Find NBCSN in your area | Watch live online at NBCSports.com

    Complete NASCAR TV Schedule