Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: United Rentals 176, Race 15 of 22, 72 Laps – 20/25/27; 176.4 Miles
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International Raceway (2.45-mile, seven-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: Aug. 7, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Turns Left and Right:

• Chandler Smith and the No. 18 JBL team head to Watkins Glen Saturday looking to solidify their spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs. Entering the regular season finale, Smith holds a 40-point advantage over Derek Kraus for the 10th and final spot on the playoff grid. Saturday’s race marks the first time that the Truck Series has raced at the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course since 2000.
• When the Camping World Truck Series left Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Smith sat 12th on the playoff grid, 35 points behind Johnny Sauter for the 10th position with six races remaining in the regular season. Over the last five races he has made a remarkable rally by tallying 171 total points, fifth-most in the series during that span. Smith’s average finish over the last five races is 10.2, compared to an average finish of 20.4 during the first nine races of the season.
• Smith has stayed busy while the Truck Series has been on hiatus for the second half of July. On July 17, he was married to his high school sweetheart Kenzie Grams in a ceremony on the beach in Oak Island, N.C. The following weekend he got behind the wheel of a Super Late Model for the Twin 100s at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. On Friday July 23, he led 94 of the 100 laps, but surrendered the lead to late model ace Bubba Pollard with three laps remaining and ended up the bridesmaid. Saturday, July 24, Smith took the lead on lap 30 and remained out front for the remainder of the 100-lap event to earn his first career Blizzard Series victory. Finally, on Saturday July 31, he finished second to Matt Craig in the CARS Super Late Model Tour Throwback 276 at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
• Across 14 total starts this season, Smith has three top-five and five top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 16.8. He produced a season-best result of second in the series’ last stop at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway. He led a race-high 71 laps at the famed dirt track and despite being on worn out tires was able to hold serve on restarts in the first to overtime periods, before surrendering the lead to eventual race winner Austin Hill on the restart in the third overtime.
• Smith ranks second to his KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek among full-time Truck Series drivers with 165 laps led this season. The Georgia native has accumulated 119 of those laps led over the last three races. He and Kraus were tied for the most laps led (48) at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and then Smith led a race-high 71 laps at Knoxville.
• In his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series road course event, the talented teenager recorded the third best average running position (8.315) of all the drivers in the field at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course in February and was in line for a top-10 finish before getting spun from behind while running seventh in the second of what would be three attempts at NASCAR overtime. After pitting for four fresh tires before the start of the final overtime period, Smith would drive from 27th to 12th before the race ended under caution.
• The Toyota Racing Development driver has 11 top-five, and 14 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.4 across 30 career Camping World Truck Series starts. His runner-up finish at Knoxville Raceway equaled the career-best finish he achieved at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2019.
• Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman calls the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team this season. Stockman led the No. 51 team to four wins in his first season atop the pit box at KBM in 2020. He came to the organization with experience as a crew chief in all three national series, including a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s drivers produced an average finish of 12.5 across six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen, with Ty Dillon’s eighth-place finish in 2014 being his best result.
• Safelite AutoGlass – the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration services – will serve as the primary sponsor on Smith’s Tundra this weekend at Watkins Glen and for 16 races total this season. Smith General Contracting and Fortune-Johnson, a premier building contractor for multifamily projects in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, will be associate partners on the bedtop of the No. 18 Toyota for Saturday’s 72-lap event.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:

You have a 40-point advantage heading into Saturday for the final playoff spot. Will you be on offense or defense?
“I think the biggest thing for us going to Watkins Glen is just not beating ourselves. We’ve got to finish the race, make sure we are 25th or better, have a solid day on my end and the pit crews end and hope everything goes our way.”

You ran inside the top 10 for the majority of the Daytona Road Course race. How have you adapted so quickly to road course racing with very little experience?
“I don’t know to be honest with you, I don’t have a road race background every. My first road course race was in an ARCA car down at Daytona Road Course and the second time I ever hopped in one was Daytona Road Course in a truck. It definitely helps having all the data and all the tools that we have offered for myself, and the team and it definitely helps having a lot of good people surrounding me as well.”

What have you been doing since the Truck Series last raced at Knoxville?
“Actually, I haven’t had any off weekends. Right after Knoxville I went and got married. Right after that, we went down to Pensacola, Fla. to race some Super Late Model races, Friday night finished second and Saturday night won it, and then I raced at Hickory this past weekend and finished second again. Hopefully we’ll combine all these seconds and turn it into a first at Watkins Glen.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

• Across 30 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded 258 laps led, 11 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.4.
• Posted an average finish of 7.7 across his final seven of 12 total Truck Series starts in 2020, including third-place finishes in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway and his first career superspeedway start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October.
• Produced three top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.2 across his first four career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2019. He led 55 laps and finished eighth in his Gander Trucks debut at Iowa Speedway last July and then posted top-five finishes in his final three starts, including a runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1783 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.4 across 34 career ARCA Menards Series starts. Set an ARCA Racing Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career and earned his first victory after leading a race-high 102 laps at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:
KBM-72: The No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass team will unload a brand new Tundra, KBM-72, for Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have earned one win, 85 laps led, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 12.4 across 29 starts on road courses. Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (88) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Truex Jr. became the 16th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
• The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 21 career victories.

Watkins Glen International Race Advance
United Rentals 176

Team: No. 42 Premier Security Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on Racing at Watkins Glen: “I’ve enjoyed the road courses so far this season,” said Hocevar. “I’m thankful for the chance to turn some laps here and get some extra track time in the ARCA Series on Friday. We’re hoping for a solid weekend, where we can keep our nose clean and run all of the laps.”

Hocevar at Watkins Glen: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to Watkins Glen International for the first time since 2000.

Hocevar has three Truck Series starts on road courses, coming at Daytona (2020, 2021) and Circuit of the Americas (2021). This season, Hocevar earned a 14th-place result at Daytona and a seventh-place finish at Circuit of the Americas.

In the Points: Following the most recent race at Knoxville, Hocevar moved up one position in the driver point standings to ninth. In addition, he retained the lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings.

On the Truck: The No. 42 Chevrolet will race with support from Premier Security Solutions, Scott’s Coins, Jewelry & Sports and GM Parts Now.

Premier Security Solutions started in 2013, with a police officer helping at his child’s local high school. After consulting with local superintendents and teachers, Premier Security Solutions became the go-to protection service for school security.

The goal of Premier Security Solutions is to deflect and deter unlawful activity, create a safe campus, and provide a secure environment. As a company fully committed to community protection, Premier Security Solutions believes that the prevention of criminal actions is its primary duty. The company prides itself on its efficient service and the ability to deliver a safe environment.

Scott’s Coins, Jewelry & Sports carries the largest selection of high-quality estate jewelry, rare coins, and anything in between in Southwest Michigan. Since 1972, Scott Hocevar has been collecting, buying, and selling gold and silver jewelry, coins, and bullion. Having earned a reputation for offering fair prices, working with Scott’s allows customers to be confident that they are getting the best, most current prices available when buying gold and silver, estate jewelry, and sports memorabilia.

GM Parts Now is the go-to online auto parts store for OEM car parts. Whether customers are looking to repair or customize an old or new vehicle, GM Parts Now has what you need. GM Parts Now offers car parts and GM accessories for a variety of years, makes and models.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Watkins Glen International Race Advance
United Rentals 176

Team: No. 40 Niece/Marquis Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at Watkins Glen: “I’m excited to get back to the track after a few weeks off,” said Truex. “Road course racing presents a fun and unique challenge. We’re going to do our best to run a solid race, stay out of trouble and complete all of the laps.”

Truex at Watkins Glen: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to Watkins Glen International for the first time since 2000.

Truex has four Truck Series starts on road courses, with his best finish of fifth coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2017.

The New Jersey native has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen, with his most recent coming in 2018.

Truex also has one NASCAR Cup Series start at the New York road course, coming in 2014.

On the Truck: Truex will race with support from Niece Equipment and Marquis this week at Watkins Glen International.

For over 40 years, Niece Equipment has provided clients with water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity, and dependability.

Marquis, an employee-owned company founded in 1980, builds world-class hot tubs in the USA. Designed with cutting-edge features, Marquis hot tubs deliver the ultimate hydromassage experience, costing less to operate, and requiring the least amount of maintenance. Marquis is proud to craft spas designed to enhance health and well-being. For more information, visit: www.marquisspas.com.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Watkins Glen International Race Advance United Rentals 176

Team: No. 45 Buckle Up New York/Protect Your Melon Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Chad Chastain
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @ChadChastain36

Chad Chastain on Racing at Watkins Glen: “I was excited to get the call to come race with Niece Motorsports in this great ‘Protect Your Melon’ Chevrolet,” said Chad Chastain. “I’m thankful to everyone at Niece Motorsports for their hard work and our great partners with Buckle up New York and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. This will definitely be a new challenge, but I’m so excited for the opportunity and will do my best to make the most of it.”

Chad Chastain at Watkins Glen: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to Watkins Glen International for the first time since 2000.

While Saturday’s race marks Chad Chastain’s debut in the Truck Series, the Alva, Florida native is no stranger to racing.

He has amassed over 40 feature wins across the southeastern United States running everything from Late Models to FASCAR Pro-Trucks.

He was crowned the FASCAR Pro-Truck and Pro Late Model Champion at Desoto Speedway in 2015. He followed that up with the 2016 Pro Late Model Championship at 4-17 Southern Speedway. In addition, he has won on famed road course venues including Homestead-Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway.

On the Truck: Chad Chastain will race the Protect Your Melon No. 45 Chevrolet in conjunction with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and their Buckle Up New York initiative.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee is giving New Yorkers a chance for a virtual meet and greet with Ross Chastain, who promotes the use of seat belts with the “Protect Your Melon” theme.

“I take a lot of pride in representing the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and promoting seat belt usage in New York,” said Ross Chastain. “From growing up on a farm to now racing at 200 mph, safety is key, and sometimes people need a simple reminder to buckle up. I am looking forward to visiting the Watkins Glen area before the race to remind people to buckle up and promoting the “Protect Your Melon” message with Niece Motorsports.”

Cutouts featuring Ross Chastain’s image are in 100 Tops Stores throughout New York. These cutouts will include a QR code. If customers scan the code, they will be entered to win a personal, one-on-one interview with Ross Chastain. Contestants will be asked to explain why wearing seat belts is important. Two winners will be selected later this summer.

The contest runs June 15- August 15. The zoom sessions for the two winners will be conducted on August 18.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Saturday, August 7
Track: Watkins Glen, 2.45-mile road course
Race: 15 of 22
Event: United Rentals 176 (72 laps, 176 miles)

Schedule
Race: 12:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Toter Ford F-150

• Deegan is making her 16th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start in her first event at Watkins Glen International (WGI).
• Deegan returns behind the wheel of the No. 1 Toter Ford F-150 after the NCWTS took a three-week break. During the hiatus, Deegan celebrated her 20th birthday and traveled to Jamaica for vacation.
• The California native will drive her first ever lap at Watkins Glen when the green flag drops on Saturday afternoon at the 2.45-mile road course.
• The NCWTS has completed two road course races so far this season – Daytona (Fla.) Road Course and Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Deegan scored a best finish of 14th between the two events.
• In the most recent NCWTS race three weeks ago at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, Deegan started fourth and finished 21st after contact during several late race cautions.
• Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. a native of Lockport, New York, has called the shots for two Xfinity Series events at WGI. Hillman guided Brian Scott in 2015 and Brandon Jones in 2016, and garnered a best finish of sixth with Scott. The New York native has called one Cup Series race at the road course in 2014. Saturday’s event with Deegan will be Hillman’s first time calling a NCWTS race at the New York track.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

• Gray makes his 15th start of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season at Watkins Glen International.
• The Ford Performance driver has never raced at the 2.45-mile road course. He has three career road course starts in the NCWTS with a best finish of 15th at the Daytona (Fla.) Road Course.
• The last time out in the No. 15 at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, Gray was running inside the top-10 when he was caught up in a big wreck on lap 153 that ended his evening early.
• Crew chief Marcus Richmond has been atop of the pit box for six road course events in his career with two top-five and three top-10 finishes. All six races were at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance F-150

• Taylor Gray will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Watkins Glen International (WGI) after his scheduled debut at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April was delayed. This will be the first of five Truck races for the younger Gray. He is scheduled to compete at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison Ill., Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
• The 16-year-old driver has raced the last four weeks with the ARCA Menards Series with four consecutive top-five finishes. He will take that momentum into a double duty weekend at WGI, where he will compete on Friday night with ARCA in the No. 17 Ripper Coffee Fusion before hopping in the No. 17 Ford Performance truck on Saturday afternoon.
• Gray comes into this weekend with three career road course events under his belt, all coming in 2020 with the ARCA and ARCA West series’. He finished fourth and 11th in West action at the Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele and fourth at the Daytona (Fla.) Road Course.
• Crew chief Chad Johnston has called 20 career road course races in his career with one win, three top-fives and eight top-10s. The win came at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway with Martin Truex, Jr. in 2013.

Toyota Racing – Stewart Friesen
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Quotes

WATKINS GLEN, NY (August 3, 2021) – Halmar Friesen Racing driver Stewart Friesen was made available to media prior to the Watkins Glen race weekend today:

STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra, Halmar Friesen Racing

How do you go into this weekend with it being the Playoff cutoff?

“I think everybody’s kind of been up on it these last few weeks with how Knoxville went. Hopefully, we have a little bit of a smoother event, and we can use some of our road race speed that we had with the Halmar team at COTA and at Daytona and kind of showcase that and run in the top-10 and top-five. We need to have a good run and not get knocked out early. We will see what happens. The last couple of truck races have been pretty wild, pretty exciting, especially on road courses, so we will see how that goes.”

How do you look at the battle this weekend to clinch your spot in the Playoff field?

“We wish we had a win to be sitting on right now to guarantee a spot in. We have a little bit of a buffer zone points wise unless we have a bad day and a new winner behind us in points can jump up there and knock us out. We need to have a good and use the road course speed that we had at Daytona. I think we had the third-fastest lap time back at COTA a couple of months ago. We have speed in the truck. It’s the same piece that we ran at the last two or three road races. Hopefully, we can use that, stay up in the hunt and have a good day and a good finish. Then the points will take care of themselves after that.”

Is going to the simulator different when you go to a track for the first time versus to a track that you have notes for?

“I think I was a little more keyed into it, dialed into the simulator. That is our practice, so we try to treat it like a practice session. We went through some shock changes, some stuff to try to find some rear grip. I feel like that’s what we lacked at the other two road courses – Daytona and COTA. I think we found some, so whether that applies to real life, that’s kind of the thing with simulators, sometimes you find stuff on there that’s dead notes on, and sometimes it’s kind of off. Hopefully all of that work we did last week on the simulator and the sim program’s 1-to-1 – and it applies.”

Do you have to play it conservatively with your points position?

“No, we just need to go and race and run well. Whether we try some short pit strategy or this or that or try to get up front, I believe running up front at the end of the race will kind of seal our fate as far as Playoffs go. That being said, if we can score some stage points, somehow, someway, we will try to do that too. We just need to have a clean race, a good race. Have something that has fenders and a rear tailgate at the end that we can finish up with.”

How great has it been to see Jessica (Friesen, Stewart’s wife) get back on track?

“Absolutely, and the results have followed. She’s got two wins on the season. One at Utica (Utica-Rome Speedway), another one at Fonda a couple of weeks ago, which was the day after we drove back from Knoxville. It’s been pretty cool. Parker (Jessica and Stewart’s son) has been doing great. He will start Kindergarten in a few weeks here and we are excited for that. It will be a little bit of a change to our schedule being racers and being up all the time. We are going to have to turn around and start getting to bed earlier for school nights. That’s something he’s looking forward too, and Jess and I are as well.”

What was your feedback from your time on the simulator?

“Kind of getting the lay of the land, some shift points. It’s a little bit different than just an iRacing simulator as the power and gear ratios are pretty much 1-to-1 on what we run in real life. That was something that I took away from it. It is a very high-speed road course. A lot different than Daytona or COTA – you have a lot of real stop and go turns. That and trying to dial in the forward-bite as best we could with some shock changes. Hopefully it all pays off for us.”

Do you wish there was practice this weekend?

“Absolutely. I wish there was practice every week. Nashville, we had practice and we were able to turn that into a really good run, dial our truck in for race trim. Hopefully, we can get back to a regular race schedule. On the flop side of that, it’s allowed me to run a lot more modified races than I had planned on running this year because we are not away the day before doing practices. Yeah, for sure. I wish we had a set to back up our simulator stuff on and see what we’ve got, but I guess it will make it all that more exciting when they drop the green flag on Saturday afternoon.”

How important is a strong run this weekend after a long break in the schedule?

“That’s the tough thing. The break was kind of needed. We had to fix some stuff. I wrecked a truck at Pocono and then obviously our dirt stuff got tore up pretty good at Knoxville. We got some work done in the shop and the guys got to it and got things straightened out. That’s the thing with the Truck Series. It’s tough. It’s kind of hard to build momentum and keep that momentum rolling when you’re not racing week to week. This break can hopefully erase some of those bad runs that we had, and we can get back to it at Watkins and have a good run and hopefully get ourselves in the Playoffs and hopefully regain some of that lost momentum.”

How important has been to see your progression with Toyota this past two seasons?

“We’ve had a lot of speed. We’ve had some races that didn’t really play in our favor. We’ve had some ones that we’ve run in the top-five, which at this point last year, we were maybe a top-10 to top-15 team at best. When we do everything right and check all of the boxes, we are competitive and that’s been really rewarding for myself, Chris Larsen (team owner), everybody at Halmar International, and all of our other partners. The guys at TRD and Toyota included. They have been instrumental in getting us up to speed and find the right people and put them in the right places. Jon Leonard being crew chief now was one of those. It’s been awesome. Hopefully we can get into the Playoffs. Hopefully we can get a win here and with everything going the right way, we could have a side shot at competing for a championship. I don’t think that is out of the question by any means. It’s just executing with the equipment that we have and getting the job done.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Sheldon Creed, No. 2 LiftKits4Less Chevrolet Silverado

Career NCWTS Road Course Stats

• First start at Watkins Glen International
• RC Starts: 4, Wins: 1, Best finish: 1st (Daytona, 2020), Top 5s: 4, Top 10s: 4, Stage wins: 1, Laps led: 50

2021 NCWTS Season Stats

• Starts: 14, Wins: 1, Best start: 2nd, Best finish: 1st, Top 5s: 5, Top 10s: 6, Stage wins: 1, Laps led: 161

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: LiftKits4Less.com returns this week to feature on Sheldon Creed’s No. 2 Silverado. LiftKits4Less will sponsor Creed for the remainder of the season all the way through the season finale in Phoenix.
• Chassis history/info: Creed and the No. 2 team will utilize chassis no. 138 at Watkins Glen. The chassis was previously used by Creed in the inaugural race at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season where it finished 5th.
• Playoff outlook: Creed is currently seventh in the championship points standings, 192 points behind the leader. Creed is locked into the Playoffs by virtue of his win at Darlington.

Quote: “I am excited for Watkins Glen this year as we’ve had some great road course success in the past with my No. 2 GMS Racing Chevy team. I hope I can learn the track layout quickly and pick up as many points as possible as we finish out the regular season this weekend. It would be great to head into the Playoffs with a solid run, as that would definitely help build momentum going forward!”

Zane Smith, No. 21 Bay Mountain Air Chevrolet Silverado

Career NCWTS Road Course Stats

• First start at Watkins Glen International
• RC Starts: 3, Best finish: 8th (COTA, 2021), Top 10s: 1

2021 NCWTS Season Stats

• Starts: 14, Best start: 2nd, Best finish: 4th, Top 5s: 1, Top 10s: 9, Stage wins: 3, Laps led: 43

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: Bay Mountain Air will make their season debut aboard Smith’s No. 21 Chevrolet this Saturday. Last season at Michigan, Smith took the familiar white, blue, and yellow colors to victory lane at Michigan International Speedway. Bay Mountain Air services a variety of environmental systems from commercial and industrial refrigeration and air conditioning to residential HVAC units.
• Chassis history/info: Smith and the No. 21 team will utilize chassis no. 140 at Watkins Glen. This chassis was previously used by Smith at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season where it finished 8th.
• Playoff outlook: Smith is currently fifth in the championship standings, 154 points behind the leader. In the series’ last race at Knoxville, Smith locked himself into the Playoffs by virtue of points.

Quote: “I am ready to take on the challenge of Watkins Glen this weekend. I’ve never competed in any kind of race there, so it’ll be new to me, but the track seems like a lot of fun and should race well. We have Bay Mountain Air back onboard my No. 21 Silverado this week, and this paint scheme means a ton to me. Last time I drove the Bay Mountain Air scheme, it carried me to my first truck win, so hopefully we can repeat and have the same success this time.”

Chase Purdy, No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado

Career NCWTS Road Course Stats

• First start at Watkins Glen International in NCWTS competition, but Purdy has one start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
• RC Starts: 2, Best finish: 22nd (Daytona, 2021)

2021 NCWTS Season Stats

• Starts: 14, Best start: 4th, Best finish: 15th, Laps led: 4

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: Bama Buggies returns this week to feature on Chase Purdy’s No. 23 Silverado.
• Chassis history/info: Purdy and the No. 23 team will utilize chassis no. 121 at Watkins Glen. This chassis has a long, celebrated history on road courses, including one win with Brett Moffitt at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2019. In total, the chassis has five Top 10 finishes. The last time chassis 121 was used in competition was at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season, where it finished 27th. - Playoff Outlook: Purdy is enters the final race of the regular season sitting 19th in the championship points standings, 174 points behind the playoff cut line. - Seat time: In addition to this Saturday’s NCWTS race at Watkins Glen, Chase Purdy will also compete in the ARCA Menards Series race on Friday afternoon driving the No. 63 Chevrolet. Quote: “I am excited to race at Watkins Glen this weekend in a truck for the first time. I have some experience there in the K&N Pro Series in 2017, and will have some extra track time by running the ARCA race on Friday, so that should come into play. I think it’ll be a fun weekend with my No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevy.”

Jack Wood, No. 24 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado

Career NCWTS Road Course Stats

• First start at Watkins Glen International
• Starts: 1, Best finish: 28th (COTA, 2021)

2021 NCWTS Season Stats

• Starts: 5, Best start: 2nd, Best finish: 11th

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: Chevy Accessories returns this week to feature on Jack Wood’s No. 24 Silverado.
• Chassis history/info: Wood and his No. 24 team will utilize chassis no. 123 on Saturday at Watkins Glen. The chassis’ best finish of 7th place came with Stewart Friesen behind the wheel at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2018. Last time chassis no. 123 was used, Jack Wood was behind the wheel at Circuit of the Americas, where it finished 28th.
• Seat time: In addition to this Saturday’s NCWTS race at Watkins Glen, Jack Wood will also compete in the ARCA Menards Series race on Friday afternoon driving the No. 21 Chevrolet entry for GMS Racing.
• Birthday wishes: Jack Wood will celebrate his 21st birthday during the NCWTS race at the Glen on Saturday. Birthdate: August 7th, 2000.

Quote:

“I have been putting in a lot of work for this race, and am very excited to see it pay off. Watkins Glen has been a track I have always wanted to race at and this will be a great opportunity to improve upon my road course experience. This will be our first race back in a while and I am excited to get back to the track with my No. 24 GMS Racing team.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado

Career NCWTS Road Course Stats

• First start at Watkins Glen International in NCWTS competition, but Ankrum has one start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
• RC Starts: 4, Best start: 1st, Best finish: 3rd (COTA, 2021), Top 5s: 1, Top 10s: 3, Laps led: 4

2021 NCWTS Season Stats

• Starts: 14, Best start: 1st, Best finish: 3rd, Top 5s: 3, Top 10s: 4, Laps led: 12

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: LiUNA! returns this week to feature on Tyler Ankrum’s No. 26 Silverado.
• Chassis history: Ankrum and his No. 26 crew will utilize chassis no. 124 at Watkins Glen. This chassis has only finished once outside of the Top 10, and has an impressive stat sheet of its own with a total of four Top 5 and six Top 10 finishes. The last time chassis no. 124 was used, Tyler Ankrum won the pole and finished an impressive 3rd place at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season.
• Playoff outlook: Ankrum sits 13th in the playoff standings, just 44 points behind the cutoff line entering Watkins Glen. He will have one final shot at making the Playoff grid this weekend.
• Seat time: In addition to this Saturday’s NCWTS race at Watkins Glen, Tyler Ankrum will also compete in the ARCA Menards Series race on Friday afternoon driving the No. 42 Chevrolet.

Quote:

“I am pumped to go to the Glen this weekend! I’ll be running both the ARCA and Truck race so I’ll have a lot of time on track this weekend. I ran at Watkins Glen with the K&N Pro Series in 2018 and had a blast. We are looking for a win to make the playoffs, so we are gonna give it our best shot!”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Jack Wood. The team also competes in the ARCA Menards Series with Daniel Dye. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship and 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

Crosley Brands Brings New Look to 38 Truck

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 3, 2021) – Todd Gilliland brings back Crosley Brands to the No. 38 Ford F-150 this weekend at the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course. Crosley Brands and Gilliland have one win this season and are looking for another this weekend before the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs.

“It’s exciting to go back to Watkins Glen,” said Gilliland. “I think it’s great for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It’s insane how many people camp at the track and it’s such an energetic atmosphere- so it’s a great fit for Camping World. And for us, Crosley is a great fit because we’ve won with them at a road course and we want to win again with them on Saturday. We’re coming back with the Crosley red and black and the truck looks great. And, it’s cool to have a Ford dealer on our F-150 with Bence Motor Sales.

Gilliland comes into Watkins Glen with six consecutive top-10 finishes. This is the last race before the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs begin. Gilliland is fourth in points and is looking for more stage wins to help him maintain third once the Playoff teams have their points reset.

“There is a lot to race for this weekend to set us up for the Playoffs,” continued Gilliland. “A win will be huge, but even getting a stage win or two will go a long way. I felt that we had some stage wins slip away from us, so hopefully we can get some back and be in really good shape going into our Playoffs.”

Saturday’s race will be televised live on FS1 at 12:30 p.m. ET.

ABOUT CROSLEY BRANDS
For over 30 years, Crosley Brands has been a leader in the nostalgic electronics category. From their beginning in the premium incentive industry, Crosley Brands went on to develop their own exclusive product lines and built solid relationships with some of the most well-known catalogers and retailers in the business. Today, Crosley Brands has a solid reputation with their own exclusive brands such as Crosley Radio and Crosley Furniture.

For more information about Crosley Brands, visit www.crosleybrands.com.

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

Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 JBL® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: United Rentals 176, Race 15 of 22, 72 Laps – 20/25/27; 176.4 Miles
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International Raceway (2.45-mile, seven-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: Aug. 7, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Story on Corey:
Corey Heim will make the second start of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career behind the wheel of the No. 51 JBL Tundra in Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series event at Watkins Glen. Heim was originally slated for a two-race deal with KBM in 2021 but will now make three starts with the addition of Watkins Glen to his schedule. The Toyota Racing Development product will also drive the No. 51 Tundra Oct. 30 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Heim made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway May 7. Despite not getting any practice or qualifying time, The Georgia native was impressive behind the wheel of his Toyota. After starting 13th, he finished the opening stage eighth and by the end of the second stage had moved into the runner-up position behind his KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek. With just under 30 laps remaining, he restarted on the front row next to Nemechek, but as the field exited the restart zone another competitor tapped the bumper of the JBL Tundra sending Heim into Nemechek and a 17-truck pileup ensued. With major damage all around his Toyota, the over-the-wall crew threw feverishly attempted repairs but ended up with a 23rd-place finish when the six-minute clock expired under NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy.

The 19-year-old driver will be pulling double duty this weekend, as he will pilot the No. 20 Camry for Venturini Motorsports in Friday’s 41-lap ARCA Menards Series event. Entering Friday’s event, Heim has raced just once on a road course, he started on the pole, led three laps, and finished seventh at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio in June.

Heim currently ranks second in the ARCA Menards Series standings, seven points behind Ty Gibbs with 12 races completed. He opened the season with a victory at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February and also has victories at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., and Elko (Minnesota) Speedway. He leads the ARCA Menards Series this year with an average finish of 2.5 and 12 top-10 finishes, while he is tied with Gibbs with 11 top-five finishes.

In addition to his four ARCA Menards series wins this season, the Toyota Racing Development driver earned his first victory in the series finale last October at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. Across 28 career ARCA Menards Series starts, the talented teenager has recorded five wins, 397 laps led, 21 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes, resulting in an average finish of 4.3.

Heim has also found his way to victory lane in the Late Model Ranks the last few seasons. Most recently, the Georgia driver brought home a victory March 27 in the Super Late Model Georgia Spring Nationals at Crip Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga. It was his second Super Late Model win at his home state track, where he also won CRA SpeedFest at the 3/8-mile track in 2020. On the CARS Tour, Heim has one Super Late Model win at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2018 and one Late Model Stock victory at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2020.

Entering the final race of the regular season, the No. 51 sits fourth in the Camping World Trucks owner standings. Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., and Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, while Martin Truex Jr. got his first-ever Truck Series victory at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track.

Mardy Lindley has guided the No. 51 team to three victories across seven races is in his first season as a crew chief at KBM. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Across two road course starts as a crew chief in the Truck Series, Parker Chase produced a best result of 12th at the Daytona Road Course earlier this season. In his line ARCA Series event atop the pit box, he finished third with Sam Mayer in the 2020 event at the Daytona Road Course.

Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:

Corey Heim | Watkins Glen Preview
You’ve raced on a road course in ARCA just one time. How do you feel about road course racing?
“I’m really excited because regardless of where we go with KBM I know Mardy and all the guys on the 51 team are going to bring a really good JBL Tundra for me. Like you mentioned, I made one start at Mid-Ohio in ARCA a couple months ago and it went well for the most part. We didn’t get the finish that we wanted but we had a lot of speed, and I learned a lot. Without that it might have been a little bit of a struggle, but I that experience will help me do well this weekend.”

How beneficial will it be getting to run the ARCA Menards Series race on Friday before getting in the truck on Saturday?
“I think it is going to benefit me a lot actually. Me coming into a road course race with no practice in the Truck Series is going to be tough, but I think the ARCA race is going to help me a bunch. Having an entire race under my belt, plus the combined practice and qualifying session as well. I think I’ll have all the experience and all the seat time I’ll need prior to the truck race and I’m excited to get going.”

How do you think racing at Watkins Glen will compare to what experienced Mid-Ohio?
“I don’t know. As far as the sim I’ve done so far, I think Mid-Ohio is a little bit more technical and Watkins Glen is a little more of a high-speed type of race track. Through the bus stop, the carousel and all the way down the backstretch as well, it’s all really high speed, but not quite as technical. It will all come down to me adapting to the race track and getting my braking points right. Of course, just being fast and trying to go win the race.”

Corey Heim Career Highlights:

• Across 28 career ARCA Menards Series starts has five wins, 397 laps led, 21 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3.
• Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
• Brought home a victory March 27, 2020, in the Super Late Model Georgia Spring Nationals at Crip Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga. It was his second Super Late Model win at his home state track, where he also won CRA SpeedFest at the 3/8-mile track in 2020.
• On the CARS Tour, has collected one Super Late Model win at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2018 and one Late Model Stock victory at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in 2020
• Captured the 2017 Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday Thunder Pro Series championship and the 2016 Atlanta Motor Speedway Young Lions Legends Car championship
• Corey Heim’s No. 51 JBL Tundra:
• KBM-X134: The No. 51 team will unload X134 for Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen. Parke Chase piloted this Tundra in two road course events for the 51 this year, with a best result of 18th at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course in February. Erik Jones won with the Tundra at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015. Prior to being converted to a road course truck for the 2014 season, KBM-X134 was victorious at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October of 2012 with Denny Hamlin.

• KBM Notes of Interest:
• KBM drivers have earned one win, 85 laps led, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 12.4 across 29 starts on road courses. Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (88) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Truex Jr. became the 16th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
• With 37 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.