Category: Truck Series PR

LONG POND, Pa.: After sitting idle for the last two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races at Texas Motor Speedway and Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, CR7 Motorsports returns to action with Grant Enfinger for Saturday afternoon’s CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

The two-race sabbatical allowed the team led by general manager Codie Rohrbaugh and crew chief Doug George to prepare for an upcoming stretch of races beginning with the 60-lap battle at the “Tricky Triangle.”

Rohrbaugh will return to Truck Series competition in the next event at Knoxville Raceway on Fri., July 9, 2021.

In their most recent race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway nearly four weeks ago, Enfinger delivered a solid 14th place effort – keeping him nestled inside the top-10 in the championship standings.

After two races with another organization and two podium finishes to boast, Enfinger returns to the No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet Silverado looking to continue that same pace and keep the Statesville, N.C.-based team pointed in the right direction.

“We are always thankful to have Grant in our race trucks and we’re glad to be back in action this weekend at Pocono,” said Rohrbaugh. “We’ve spent the last several weeks working hard to make sure we’re doing our part as an organization to be ready for the rest of the season.

“Pocono is a demanding race track, but I think it’s a track that fits Grant’s style well and I think his statistics prove it.”

Enfinger, a native of Fairhope, Ala. is no slouch when it comes to racing at the 2.5-mile triangle.

In four previous Truck Series starts, he has delivered two top-10s and four top-13s with an average showing of 10th. Both driver and team hope they can improve on that statistic.

“Grant always has tremendous feedback, and he has certainly done his part to help make our intermediate program better,” added Rohrbaugh. “Doug (George, crew chief) and him have an executed plan of what they want to on Saturday and I think they will easily be able to deliver.”

“We aren’t starting near the front, but I don’t think it will take longer for our No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet to get there.”

Overall, looking at the team’s program, Rohrbaugh is satisfied with the direction of the team heading into the summer stretch.

“Whether it’s me or Grant behind the wheel, you can see that there has been progress in 2021,” he said.

“We’re getting there but there’s still work to be done. We want to be competitive week in and week out. Eventually, we’d like to take our team from contenders to winners.

“Everyone is working hard to achieve that goal; we just have to keep ourselves focused and humble and we will get there soon.”

Enfinger’s hood will adorn a decal remembering CR7 Motorsports general manager Mark Huff who passed away in February after a brief illness. Huff was responsible for launching CR7 Motorsports’ Truck Series program in 2018.
It’s a busy weekend at Pocono for CR7 Motorsports. In addition to Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, the organization will field an ARCA Menards Series entry for the General Tire #AnyWhereIsPossible 200 with Jason Kitzmiller behind the wheel.

Enfinger, a six-time NCWTS winner has eight prior ARCA Pocono starts, including a win in 2016. Rohrbaugh also competed in four ARCA Menards Series races with a best finish of
seventh in the 2018 edition.

CR7 Motorsports has 36 NCWTS starts to their credit with a career-best finish of third at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (February 2020). Additionally, the team owns six other top-10 finishes including two this season at Circuit of the Americas (fourth | Grant Enfinger) in May 2021 and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (seventh | Grant Enfinger) in March 2021. An 11th place qualifying effort at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 2019) is the team’s best time trials effort to date.

With 10 races remaining, Enfinger despite missing one race is sixth in the championship driver standings, just one point from fifth.

CR7 Motorsports holds a respectable 22nd in the championship owner standings after 12 races.

In 20 career ARCA starts, Rohrbaugh has a best finish of seventh twice at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (July 2018 and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (February 2019). He has qualified a career-best fourth on four different occasions, most recently at Kansas Speedway (Oct. 2018).

Marketing partnership(s) opportunities are also available for the No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well as the team’s ARCA Menards Series No. 97 A.L.L. Construction | Grant County Mulch Chevrolet program with driver Jason Kitzmiller for the 2021 seasons and beyond. Interested inquiries are encouraged to contact tonya@gcmulch.com or 304.257.8783.

The CRC Brakleen 150 (60 laps | 150 miles) is the 13th of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-truck field will take the green flag on Sat., Jun. 26, 2021, shortly after 12:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

Team Report
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: CRC Brakleen 150
Date: Saturday, June 26, 2021
Venue: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway
Track Description: 2.5 mile(s)
Race: 60 Laps / 150 miles

Rackley W.A.R.’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History … Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in 2021, the Centerville, Tenn.,-based organization has logged 13 starts with three drivers, Josh Berry, William Byron, and Timothy Peters, resulting in an average starting position of 20.8 and an average finishing position of 24.8.

Catch the Action … The CRC Brakleen 150 at the Pocono Raceway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Saturday, June 26, starting with NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS Pocono at 11:00 a.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Josh Berry
No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado

Tricky Triangle Debut … This weekend marks Josh Berry’s debut at the Pocono Raceway with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Starting Lineup: The lineup for the 60-lap event was determined by using NASCAR’s competition-based formula, which takes into account finishing positions from the previous race (weighted 25% owner and 25% driver, 19th-place Nashville), the ranking in team owner points (35%, 24th-place) and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%). Josh Berry will start at the Pocono Raceway from the 20th-place on Row 10.

Pit Stall Selections … Pit Stall 18, towards Turn 1.
Atop the Pit Box: Chad Kendrick … Chad Kendrick, crew chief for the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado, has two top-five finishes and two top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Long Pond, Pa.,-facility in nine starts. Kendrick has led 9 laps as a crew chief at the “Tricky Triangle.”

In the Rearview Mirror: Nashville Superspeedway … Josh Berry, driver of the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley W.A.R., finished in the 19 th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rackley Roofing 200 at the Nashville Superspeedway on Friday, June 18, in Lebanon, Tenn. Berry started in the 12th-place in the 36-truck field, and at the end of Stage 1 on Lap 45 he was in the 14th-place. By the end of Stage 2 on Lap 95, Berry was scored in the 24th-place. He was scored as high as the 12th-place at the Nashville Superspeedway.

QUOTE WORTHY

Josh Berry, driver of the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley W.A.R.
“I am looking forward to building on our last couple of races this weekend at the Pocono Raceway. We had a fast No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado at the Nashville Superspeedway for the Rackley Roofing 200, but just needed to clean up some of our mistakes to have a better result. We are going to try to do just that on Saturday and take the Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet Silverado to the front.”

Follow Rackley W.A.R. on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit Rackley W.A.R.’s Twitter page – @Rackley_WAR, and on Instagram at @rackley_war. “Like” Rackley W.A.R. on the official Facebook page at facebook.com/RackleyWAR.

Pocono Raceway Race Advance
CRC Brakleen 150
Team: No. 40 Marquis Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at Pocono: “It’s been a while since I’ve raced a Truck at Pocono,” said Truex. “Pocono is a track that I’ve always enjoyed, so I’m really optimistic and looking forward to this weekend. Niece Motorsports has had some really fast trucks at Pocono the last few years, and I know everyone in the shop has been working really hard on our Marquis Chevrolet.”

Truex at Pocono: Truex will make his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Pocono Raceway since 2017 this weekend.

In his previous start at the 2.5-mile track, Truex qualified fourth and finished third. In 2018, Truex qualified second and finished 10th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Pocono Raceway.

Truex also has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at ‘The Tricky Triangle’, both coming in 2014.

On the Truck: Truex will carry the Marquis colors this week at Pocono Raceway.

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.

John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Power Up Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: CRC Brakleen 150, Race 13 of 22, 60 Laps – 15/15/30; 150 Miles
Location: Pocono Raceway (Pa.) in Long Pond (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: June 26, 2021 at noon ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ the Facts:

• John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Power Up team head into Pocono Raceway for the CRC Brakleen 150. So far in 2021, Nemechek leads the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series in wins (four), stage wins (eight), top fives (seven), and laps led (473). Nemechek continues to lead Ben Rhodes by 70 point standings.
• Nemechek will be looking to accomplish Saturday what he has done twice already this season, beat KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch head-to-head. Nemechek bested his boss at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March and at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. Busch finished second to his pupil in both of those events. Busch was victorious at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March and Kansas Speedway in May. Saturday’s 60-lap event at Pocono will be Busch’s fifth and final Truck Series start of 2021.
• Across three career Camping World Trucks starts at The Tricky Triangle, Nemechek has collected one top five, two top 10s, nine laps led and an average finish of 8.7. Across two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, Nemechek has a best finish of seventh and an average finish of 9.5. Across two NASCAR Cup Series starts in 2020, Nemechek’s best finish was 19th.
• Nemechek is a 10-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane this year with KBM. Across 114 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 1082 laps led, 35 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.6. The North Carolina native qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017. He was voted the series most popular driver in 2015.
• Eric Phillips returns to KBM to lead the No. 4 team this season. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. His 41 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 31 of those coming while at KBM. Across four starts at Pocono, Phillips has collected three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 3.8. His driver’s have finished in the runner-up finish twice; Kasey Kahne (2010) and Kyle Busch (2011).
• Saturday’s race will mark the 12th time that the Camping World Truck Series has raced at Pocono. Across 26 starts, KBM has collected five wins (Kyle Busch: 2015 & 2018; William Byron: 2016; Christopher Bell: 2017; Brandon Jones: 2020), 12 top fives, 20 top tens, 244 laps led and an average finish of 9.1.
• The Power Up® Brand evolved out of the ethos of the Gourmet Nut company, which upholds that good health and great taste should always go hand-in-hand and be easily accessible. All of our mixes are crafted from carefully selected ingredients and packaged in premium, small batch blends that provide the nutrients your body needs to keep you going and feeling your best. Perfect for after an intense workout or when you’re racing the kids to soccer practice, Power Up Premium Trail Mixes provide real fuel for everyday life. Made using wholesome, simple ingredients, our unique blends provide the nutrition and satisfaction your body craves and elevates flavors your taste buds will love.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:

Pocono is known as The Tricky Triangle. What’s the trickiest part of Pocono?

“The trickiest part of the Tricky Triangle is getting your truck to handle in all three corners. What Turn 4? There is no Turn 4 there. Turn 1 is completely different from Turn 2 and Turn 2 is completely different from Turn 3 and Turn 3 completely different from Turn 1. There are a lot of differences, but you have to make your truck go around the racetrack and handle in all three in order for it to be fast. There are a lot of handling characteristics this weekend. There is a lot a driver can do as well in trying to manipulate what the truck can do handling wise trying to get speed out of it, especially for the long run.”

It’s a short race this week. Do you think with your playoff spot solidified it will give you an advantage over those racing for points?

“I think being able to pull some different strategy with having four wins now and being the points leader. Obviously, we don’t want to lose a ton of points with three races left in the regular season. We want to go out and close on that regular season championship, but if it comes down to a strategy call, then I’m sure Eric will be on top of it, whether that’s pitting early, pitting late or whatever it may be. It opens the window of opportunity for us to gamble a little bit more and go out and get that race win. We want to go out and win stages and gain as many points as we possibly can, but we also want to win the race. Whatever it comes down to, winning the race is more important to us right now.”

Kyle is running his final truck race of 2021 this weekend. What would it mean for you to come out with three wins over Kyle’s two Saturday?

“Well, the series is tied 2-2. Hopefully I can end up on top. Out of five races, it would be really cool for us to bring home three of those victories and Kyle only two. I think before I came this year to KBM, Kyle had either finished first or second in 19 of the last 20 races out of what he’s run. I’m OK with him finishing second, but I need to beat him. It would be amazing to be able to accomplish that. I feel like we have the best team in the garage. We just have to continue to push through, work hard, keep our head down, and race the racetrack.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

• Ten-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 114 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 1,082 laps led, 35 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.6.
• Qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017.
• Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
• Across 52 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled one win (Kansas Speedway, 10/20/18), one pole, 225 laps led, 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.0.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Power Up Tundra:

KBM-056: The No. 4 Power Up team will unload KBM-56 Saturday at Pocono for its maiden voyage in 2021. Last season, Raphael Lessard ran the chassis three times with a best finish of 11th at Homestead-Miami Speedway in June and again at Kansas Speedway in July. Overall, the chassis has been run eight times with an average finish of 12.9.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• Across 26 starts at Pocono Raceway, KBM drivers have earned five wins, two poles, 244 laps led, 12 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 8.1 and an average finish of 9.1.
• Brandon Jones picked up his first career Truck Series victory in last year’s race. Busch won in 2015 and 2018, William Byron was victorious in 2016, and Christopher Bell brought home the hardware in 2017.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (87) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Martin 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. 4 has 15 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Saturday, June 26
Track: Pocono Raceway, 2.5-mile triangle
Race: 13 of 22
Event: CRC Brakleen 150 (60 laps, 150 miles)

Schedule
Race: 12:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Toter Ford F-150

• Deegan is making her 14th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start and her first in the series at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Without practice and qualifying this weekend, the Ford driver will start 19th based on NASCAR’s metric qualifying system.
• Deegan has two ARCA Series starts at Pocono Raceway, one in 2019 and one in 2020. She started inside the top-10 both times and finished seventh in each event.
• Last Friday’s race at Nashville, Deegan qualified 14th for her first start at the 1.33-mile track. The Ford driver had a loose-handling truck and ultimately finished 21st in the Monster Energy F-150.
• Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. has one win at Pocono, earned in 2018 with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. Busch started from the pole position and captured the victory with a 1.4 second lead over runner-up Erik Jones.
• After last Friday night’s race at Nashville (Tenn.) Superpeedway, Deegan went to Knoxville, Iowa, to participate in her first race in the SRX Racing Series on Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway. She scored a second-place finish in her inaugural race.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

• Gray makes his 13th start of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at the Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. He will start from the 17th position.
• At Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway last Friday night, an uncontrolled tire penalty at the end of Stage 2 mired the No. 15 deep in the field and the Ford driver would ultimately finish 18th in the series return to the 1.33-mile oval.
• The 22-year-old has one career start at the “Tricky Triangle” coming last season where he started 15th and finished 12th.
• Seth Smith has called one previous race at Pocono with Hailie Deegan in the ARCA Menards Series in 2020 finishing seventh.

Ryan Preece, No. 17 Morton Buildings Ford F-150

• Coming off of a win last Friday night at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Ryan Preece will return to the seat of the No. 17 F-150 with support from Morton Buildings. He will start from the eighth position.
• Preece’s Nashville victory was his third career NASCAR national series win and first in the Truck Series in his series debut. It also marked the second ever win in the series for David Gilliland Racing.
• The Connecticut native has six career starts at Pocono: four in the Cup Series with a best finish of 20th and two in the Xfinity Series with a best finish of fourth.
• Chad Johnston has been atop the pit box for eighteen races at the 2.5-mile track with three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His best finish was a second with Kyle Larson in 2018.

Pocono Raceway Race Advance
CRC Brakleen 150
Team: No. 45 CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Bayley Currey
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @BayleyCurrey

Currey on Racing at Pocono: “I’m thankful for another chance to get behind the wheel of one of these Niece Motorsports Chevrolets,” said Currey. “A huge thank you to Al Niece, everyone at the team, and CircleBDiecast.com for making this possible. I think Pocono is a fun track, even though it has a reputation as a tough track. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Currey at Pocono: Currey will make his fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start this weekend at Pocono Raceway. In his three previous starts, he has a best finish of 16th, which came last season.

The Texas-native has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at ‘The Tricky Triangle’, coming in 2020.

Currey also has one NASCAR Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway, coming in 2019.

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet will race with support from CircleBDiecast.com this weekend at Pocono Raceway.

Plan B Sales was founded in 2010 with the goal of bringing service to dealers that carry licensed motorsports products. Plan B Sales started as a Lionel diecast and Chase Authentics apparel distributor. Over the last few years Plan B Sales has grown to be the largest account for Lionel, servicing the motorsports market and has expanded its product offerings.

Plan B Sales has quickly become the choice of dealers for a one-stop stocking distributor. Its product offering also includes Auto World, Greenlight Collectibles, BrandArt and are the exclusive distributor for University of Racing product lines.

In September of 2020, Plan B Sales decided to split its wholesale and retail business into two different websites to better serve each segment of customers, effectively launching CircleBDiecast.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.

Pocono Raceway Race Advance
CRC Brakleen 150
Team: No. 42 Sparco Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on Racing at Pocono: “We’re heading to another track that I’m going to be seeing for the first time when we take the green flag,” said Hocevar. “I know Pocono definitely has a well-earned reputation as a tough track, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Phil and Ross were able to bring home a win there in 2019, and I’m hoping that Phil and I can try and do the same thing on Saturday.”

Hocevar at Pocono: Hocevar will make his first Pocono Raceway start this weekend.

In the Points: Hocevar remains 10th in the driver point standings after last week’s race at Nashville Superspeedway. In addition, Hocevar retained the lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings.

On the Truck: The No. 42 Chevrolet will race with support from Sparco.

Since 1977 Sparco S.p.A. has developed and produced equipment for the racing environment. Sparco has more than 300 partner teams throughout the world in various motorsport competitions including, F1, Indy, WRC, NASCAR, Dakar and many others.

Since 2000, The Sparco Group has diversified its activities, entering the carbon fiber automotive components’ industry for super sports car and luxury car manufacturers. In addition, Sparco has expanded its business to the gaming-simulation racing industry as well as the safety clothing industry (safety footwear and workwear).

Sparco is headquartered in Volpiano, Italy, and has more than 1,000 employees that operate in eight production plants (four in Italy, three in Tunisia and one in the USA).

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.

LONG POND, Pa: On the heels of his career-best NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) finish two races ago at Texas Motor Speedway, rookie Howie DiSavino III returns to Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) for Saturday afternoon’s CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

Receiving an 11th-hour call from team owner Jordan Anderson days before his second career Truck Series start at Texas, DiSavino made most of the opportunity – finishing 23rd – a respectable finish for his intermediate track debut.

With confidence on his side, the 20-year-old treks to Pocono looking to dance with the track dubbed the “Tricky Triangle” and eager to deliver another solid result.

“Texas was an unbelievable opportunity and I’m thankful to have another chance to run for Jordan Anderson Racing this weekend at Pocono,” said DiSavino. “I learned a lot at Texas, especially when it comes to the handling of a truck at higher speeds – including side drafting.

“I honestly feel that should all be helpful for me at Pocono this weekend too. We’ve been planning to run this race since Texas and I’ve been focusing really hard, studying film, doing a lot of iRacing, and just talking to the team and some others close to me about what to expect and anticipate this weekend.

“It is a very short race, but I have the mindset to be methodical and do my best to have another clean, strong race together.”

To help DiSavino grasp Pocono’s monstrous layout, he will attend Thursday’s ARCA Menards Series open test session as a guest of Rette Jones Racing.

“I won’t be competing in the ARCA test at Pocono, but being able to be at Pocono with my manager Austin (Theriault) and be a guest of Rette Jones Racing will extremely be beneficial to me,” added DiSavino.

“I’ll be able to get on a radio and digest the feedback between the team, experience the test from different locations of the track and just put my head into the game even more by watching other cars compete on Thursday.

“You can truly learn a lot just by watching and I plan to do a lot of that on Thursday afternoon. Hopefully, it helps for Saturday too.”

Longtime DiSavino partner Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning will serve as the primary marketing partner on the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado, while KEES Vacations will hold an associate partnership role in the quadruple weekend with two races for the NASCAR Cup Series, as well as Truck and Xfinity Series competition.

“I cannot thank my primary partners Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning and KEES Vacations enough for this opportunity and I hope it continues to open the door to do some more Truck Series racing throughout the remainder of the 2021 season.”

In addition to KEES Vacations and Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Azalea D Realty, Bommarito Automotive Group, Lucas Oil, MassMutual Greater Richmond, and Q Barbeque Richmond will serve as associate marketing partners on DiSavino’s No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado.

In addition to Texas, DiSavino made his NCWTS debut in April at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. He is also a six-time participant in the ARCA Menards Series where he earned two top-10 finishes for AM Racing.
Former winning NASCAR driver Reed Sorenson will continue to guide DiSavino from above this weekend as his spotter.

Based on the metrics set by NASCAR without practice or qualifying, DiSavino will start his Pocono Raceway debut from the 33rd position.

For more on Howie DiSavino III, please visit howiedisavino.com, like him on Facebook (Howie DiSavino III Racing), follow him on Twitter (@hdisavino) and Instagram (HowieDiSavino).

The CRC Brakleen 150 (60 laps | 150 miles) is the 13th of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-truck field will take the green flag on Sat., Jun. 26, 2021, shortly after 12:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).
About Bud’s Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electric:

Bud’s Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electric is the recognized leader in residential and light commercial mechanical contractors in the Hampton Roads market. From simple, honest beginnings in 1969, Bud’s quickly rose to prominence, establishing a legendary reputation for quality, service and professionalism while always maintaining the same home-town personalized connections with clients throughout its 51-year history.

In 2000, Bud’s expanded under the current leadership of CEO Robert W. Nelson Jr. adding plumbing and electrical departments and introducing a science-based whole home approach that has now become the industry benchmark, while national influencing the market through innovative business and customer relations practices.

About KEES Vacations:

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KEES Vacations on the Outer Banks, a division of KEES Travel™, is your source for quality vacation rentals from hotels to oceanfront homes. KEES FlexStay™ gives you the freedom to plan your ideal vacation with flexible check-in and check-out dates. We believe everyone deserves a vacation no matter the length and strive to provide the best experience possible.

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Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 JBL® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: CRC Brakleen 150, Race 13 of 22, 60 Laps – 15/15/30; 150 Miles
Location: Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: June 26, 2021 at noon ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Goes to Pocono:

• Chandler Smith will look to turn the momentum of his recent stretch of strong runs into a victory lane birthday celebration at Pocono Raceway this weekend. The talented teenager will celebrate his 19th birthday Saturday behind the wheel of the JBL Tundra in the 60-lap shootout. It will be Smith’s first Truck Series start at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, but he has an average finish of 5.0 across his two ARCA Menards Series starts at The Tricky Triangle, including a runner-up finish last June. Smith will be pulling double-duty this weekend, as he will be piloting the No. 25 Safelite AutoGlass Camry in the ARCA Menards Series event on Friday. It will be his first ARCA Menards Series start this season.
• The Georgia native is coming off one of his strongest runs of the season last week in the Camping World Truck Series event at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. He put the Safelite AutoGlass Tundra out front for a race-high 48 laps, picked up his first stage win of the season in Stage Two, but was shuffled back after getting put four-wide on a late restart and ended up finishing in the 13th position. In the two events prior, he registered a fifth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and fifth-place finish at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
• Over the last two events, Smith has earned 85 points, second in the series to Zane Smith’s 87. With his strong runs, the Toyota Racing Development driver has moved himself above the cutoff line for the playoffs. While he currently sits 11th in the standings, Grant Enfinger missed one race and is not eligible for the playoffs, moving Smith up to 10th on the playoff grid. With three races remaining in the regular season, he sits 15 points ahead of Johnny Sauter for the coveted 10th and final playoff spot.
• Across 11 starts this season, Smith has two top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.3. He produced a season-best result of fourth at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April. He sits second in Rookie of the Year standings, 15 points behind Carson Hocevar. Smith has earned the rookie of the race award five times this season. The Toyota Racing Development driver has 10 top-five, and 13 top-10 finishes across 28 career Camping World Truck Series starts, including a career-best runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2019.
• Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will call 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 Camping World Truck Series drivers have one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3 across three starts at Pocono. Stockman was atop the pit box when Brandon Jones collected his first career Camping World Truck Series victory in last year’s race at The Tricky Triangle.
• JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, will be the primary sponsor for the No. 18 team this week at Pocono and at the series next two stops July 9 at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway and Aug. 7 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International Speedway. Safelite AutoGlass – the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration services – returns to Smith’s Tundra Aug. 20 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:

You led some laps and won a stage last week at Nashville. How did it feel to be running back up front?
“It was definitely awesome. Overall, to get my driver confidence – I wouldn’t say back up – it’s pretty high especially after the last few races we’ve had. For me to get my first stage win with Danny and Safelite on board, it was a good experience.”

You’re doing double duty this weekend. How beneficial will it be to get some more laps around Pocono before the truck race?
“Yes, just overall seat time. The ARCA car and truck are similar in a way with the same fundamentals at Pocono such as throttle control. Overall, just getting seat time is key at these tracks especially with no practice for me.”

Pocono is known as the tricky triangle. What’s the trickiest part about Pocono?
“For me, it’s getting through Turn 3. It’s a really flat, high-speed corner. When you’re back in traffic, at least when I was in an ARCA car, if you didn’t have clean air through Turn 3 in traffic, it got really tight. Trying to manipulate the air a little bit and find clean air and being able to maintain good speed is probably the trickiest part for me.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

• Across 28 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded 187 laps led, 10 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.5.
• 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, 1761 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.2 across 33 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 JBL Tundra:
KBM-060: The No. 18 JBL team will unload chassis number KBM-060 for Saturday’s 60-lap event at Pocono. Brandon Jones picked up his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Pocono with the same Tundra last year and KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch was victorious with this chassis at Las Vegas last March. Smith drove KBM-60 to a season-best fourth-place finish at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April in its lone start this season.
Click here to see KBM-060 Performance Profile

KBM Notes of Interest:

• Across 26 starts at Pocono Raceway, KBM drivers have earned five wins, two poles, 244 laps led, 12 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 8.1 and an average finish of 9.1.
• Brandon Jones picked up his first career Truck Series victory in last year’s race. Busch won in 2015 and 2018, William Byron was victorious in 2016, and Christopher Bell brought home the hardware in 2017.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (87) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Martin 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.

Kyle Busch: Driver, No. 51 Cessna Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: CRC Brakleen 150, Race 13 of 22, 60 Laps – 15/15/30; 150 Miles
Location: Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: June 26, 2021 at noon ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Report on ‘Rowdy’:

• Owner-driver Kyle Busch will make his fifth and final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start of 2021 behind the wheel of the No. 51 Cessna Tundra at Pocono Raceway. ‘Rowdy’ picked up his 61st career victory in May at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City in his most recent start and also was victorious at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., in March. In his other two starts, Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and Richmond (Va.) Raceway, he finished runner-up to Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driver John Hunter Nemechek.
• Busch, the winningest driver in series history, enters Saturday’s event having won 38.3% (61/159) of the Truck Series races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.6% (90/159). Since the start of the 2018 season, ‘Rowdy’ has finished first (12) or second (five) in 17 of 19 Truck Series starts, resulting in average finish of 3.37 over that span.
• The 36-year-old driver has two wins (2015 and 2018), three top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 7.3 across four Camping World Trucks starts at Pocono. In addition to his pair of truck wins, Busch has three NASCAR Cup Series victories (2017, 2018 and 2019) and one NASCAR Xfinity Series triumph (2018).
• After 12 events, the No. 51 sits fourth in the Camping World Truck Series owner standings, 126 tallies behind KBM’s No. 4 team. With four races remaining in the regular season, they are 88 points above the cutoff line for making the owner’s portion of the Truck Series playoffs. The No. 51 team ranks second in the series with three victories. Busch collected victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, while Martin Truex Jr. picked up first-ever Truck Series victory at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track.
• Mardy Lindley 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. Lindley was atop the pit box for one ARCA Menards Series event at Pocono, a third-place finish with Sam Mayer last June.
• Since Textron Aviation became a partner in 2017, Busch has recorded 14 victories, 1,553 laps led and an average finish of 5.0 in 24 starts with the Cessna and Beechcraft brands adorning his Tundra.
• For more than 90 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability, and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. For more information, visit www.txtav.com
• Rowdy Energy, the enhanced hydration formula energy drink created by Busch, and vendor partner Gopuff will adorn the bedtop of the No. 51 Tundra for Saturday’s race. Gopuff is the go-to solution for consumers’ everyday needs, fulfilling customer orders of cleaning and home products, over-the-counter medications, baby and pet products, food, drinks, and in some markets, alcohol – in just minutes. Gopuff currently carries two flavors of Rowdy Energy; Strawberry Lemonade and Chisled Ice. The company operates in more than 650 U.S. cities, to see if Gopuff delivers in your area, go to https://gopuff.com/go/delivery/cities

Kyle Busch, Driver Q&A:
You have 12 wins and 17 top-two finishes across your last 19 Truck Series starts. How tough is that to accomplish at any level of motorsports?
“Good numbers are good numbers and bad numbers are bad numbers. It feels good. Obviously, it’s a testament to what we’re doing. How many of those slipped through our fingers and could’ve, would’ve, should’ve been wins? Overall, that’s pretty awesome. I feel like it justifies what I’ve been telling people all along – KBM is a great place to race, we’ve got good stuff, we’ve got great people and John Hunter being able to add into our win total this year already and have good, solid top-five finishes is nice as well.”

How has the success of John Hunter Nemechek and Eric Phillips matched up with your expectations of them coming into the season?
“It’s matched up really well. Did I expect them to do what they’ve been doing? Absolutely. This was kind of the idea and the reason why we did what we did. Did I think they would have this many Playoff points by this point? Probably not that, but did I think that they would have three wins? Certainly. Did I think they would beat me twice? No. So we’ve got one more, I told them don’t screw it up. I got to win Pocono and then he can have the rest of the year. It’s all his.”

Kyle Busch Camping World Truck Series Career Highlights:

• Busch has a total of 159 Camping World Trucks starts and is ranked first all-time in wins (61) and average finish (6.7)
• The 36-year-old driver has won 38.4% (61/159) of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.6% (90/159).
• Busch has a total of 106 top-five and 127 top-10 finishes.
• Busch stands alone as the leader in all-time career wins in NASCAR’s national touring series with 219 total victories. He has earned 58 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 100 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and 61 NCWTS wins.
• In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NCWTS, NXS and NCS races at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top three series at one track on the same weekend. He then repeated the feat in August of 2017.
• Kyle Busch’s No. 51 Cessna Tundra:
• KBM-054: The No. 51 Cessna team will race KBM-054 for Saturday’s CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway. Busch has won both of his starts driving this Tundra, including its maiden voyage at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. in July of 2018. Rowdy was victorious with it again in his most recent Camping World Trucks outing this year in May at Kansas Speedway.
• KBM Notes of Interest:
• Across 26 starts at Pocono Raceway, KBM drivers have earned five wins, two poles, 244 laps led, 12 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 8.1 and an average finish of 9.1.
• Brandon Jones picked up his first career Truck Series victory in last year’s race. Busch won in 2015 and 2018, William Byron was victorious in 2016, and Christopher Bell brought home the hardware in 2017.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (87) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Martin 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.