MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 25, 2021) – Carson Hocevar will run a special paint scheme honoring Bryan Clauson in this weekend’s Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“Bryan Clauson was a hero of mine and I got a chance to learn from him in quarter midgets,” said Hocevar.  “I really look at how big of an impact he had on the racing community and how he handled himself on and off the track.”

Hocevar first met Clauson as a young racer, while in quarter midgets.  Clauson and his father Tim helped Hocevar through the years, which Hocevar credits with helping him to become a better race car driver.  Bryan and Tim helped Hocevar the first time he raced on dirt, which Hocevar says he remembers like yesterday.

Through the first four races of the season, Hocevar leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings, on the strength one top-five and three top-15 finishes.  The 18-year-old driver’s best finish of the year was a fifth-place result in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

“Carson has really impressed me with how quickly he picks up each track that he visits for the first time, and I’m confident that will continue into this weekend,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager, Cody Efaw, who also serves as Hocevar’s crew chief.  “I have to remind myself often that Carson is only 18-years-old because of the maturity that he carries himself with.  I know this paint scheme is really special to him – we are honored to carry Bryan’s logo, and hope to make him proud.”

Hocevar’s No. 42 Chevrolet will carry a blue and white paint scheme that resembles a scheme that Clauson competed with in 2008, in what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The No. 42 Chevrolet will also carry familiar partners Scott’s and GM Parts Now.

Scott’s Sport Cards, Coins & Jewelry 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.

“I’m really excited to get our Truck on track,” said Hocevar.  “I know this will definitely be a unique challenge, so we will be using the practice time we get to acclimate to the track as much as possible.  I’m confident in the Chevrolet our team has prepared, and ready to tackle the challenge.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be on track Friday, March 26 for practice, and will race on Saturday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET, airing live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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.

BRISTOL, Tenn: On the heels of their solid top-20 finish in their first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race of the season last weekend at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Spencer Davis Motorsports (SDM) treks to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for the highly anticipated Pinty’s Dirt Truck Race.

Announced last week, Bubba Wallace in a collaborative effort with Hattori Racing Enterprises will pilot the No. 11 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Tundra for the 150-lap event.

Wallace lays claim to six victories in the Camping World Truck Series, including the 2014 dirt race at Eldora Speedway.

The Mobile, Ala. native is gunning for his first series win since 2017 and is focused to gain precious experience for the NASCAR Cup Series’ dirt event on March 28th.

SDM and driver Spencer Davis will utilize the fifth Truck Series race of the season to also gather notes for the upcoming dirt race at Knoxville Raceway in July.

“Even though I am not driving, this is an exciting weekend for Spencer Davis Motorsports,” said Spencer Davis. “We know that Bubba is going to go out there and wheel that No. 11 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Tundra to a good finish.

“I know that his prior Truck Series experience on dirt should prove to beneficial for him and his feedback will only help us accelerate as a company moving forward.”

Wallace, the full-time driver for 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series is set to compete in his first Truck Series race in nearly seven years since competing in the season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in 2014 for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

“I’m pumped to get to Bristol and run on the dirt in the No. 11 Tundra,” said Wallace. “This is a race I’ve had circled on my calendar for the Cup race, so to be able to add the Truck race and have Columbia come on board just adds to the excitement for that week.

“I have the one win in the Truck Series at Eldora, and it was a lot of fun. I may need to pull some notes from that race to prepare, but I’m just really looking forward to getting back in a Tundra and starting the Bristol weekend with a win.”

Following Atlanta, Spencer Davis Motorsports locks 35th in the championship standings, up one position from the previous race at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway on Mar. 5, 2021.

“I am really proud of our efforts at Atlanta,” sounded Davis. “We wanted to come out of the box with a strong result that we could build on and we did exactly that. It is important for us to keep up that momentum and hopefully, the results will come too.”

The Pinty’s Dirt Truck Race at Bristol (150 laps | 75 miles) is the fifth of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. Practice begins for the inaugural event on Fri., Mar. 26, 2021, from 3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m., with a final session, etched in from 5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m. Heat races begin on race day, Sat., Mar. 27, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag later in the day at 8:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90.

Saturday, March 27
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway, .5-mile dirt oval
Race: 5 of 22
Event: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt (150 laps, 75 miles)

Schedule
Friday, March 26

First Practice: 3:05 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
Final Practice: 5:35 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Saturday, March 27
Qualifying Races: 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox Sports 1)
Race: 8:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Monster Energy F-150

• Deegan makes her fifth start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season in the No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150 on Saturday night in the Dirt Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The rookie driver will participate in a qualifying heat race to determine her starting spot.
• Deegan has four starts at Bristol. One ARCA Series start in September of 2020 where she earned a sixth-place finish. Two K&N East Series starts in 2019 with a best finish of ninth, and one in 2018 resulting in a 22nd-place finish.
• Deegan has three starts at a dirt track in a stock car – two in the K&N Pro Series West at the Las Vegas Dirt Track, which included one win and a pole award. She has one start in the ARCA Menards Series at the Springfield Dirt Mile in Illinois.
• Last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Deegan started 28th and finished 21st in her first start at the mile-and-a-half track.
• Veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. has called five Truck Series dirt races in his career, all at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio which was previously on the truck schedule.

Deegan on Bristol Dirt:

Will any of your time racing on the dirt track at Las Vegas translate to racing dirt at Bristol?

“The Las Vegas dirt track and the Bristol dirt track will be two totally different feelings. Vegas dirt feels and looks completely different because it gets so dry there. There’s a very noticeable different in the colors of the dirt – Vegas dirt is a lot lighter. When you get to tracks where they bring the dirt in, its more like clay and holds the moisture so much better.”

What is a noticeable difference for you between dirt and pavement?

“Dirt is tough and it’s very uncomfortable for people that are used to racing on pavement. People that have raced on a lot of dirt are comfortable being uncomfortable. Pavement is super smooth and there’s a lot of grip. On dirt, you feel a little out of control but you’re trying to be precise.”

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

• Gray has one career start at Bristol Motor Speedway coming in 2020 where he started 16th and finished third.
• Starting positions for the 150-lap main event on Saturday night will be determined by passing points after four qualifying races. The lineup for the qualifying races will be determined by random draw on Thursday afternoon.
• Through five starts this season, Gray has a best finish of 12th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He finished 19th last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• While the 21-year-old driver doesn’t have experience on dirt in a truck, he turned quite a few laps in 600cc micro sprints in his younger years, and still owns one to race at Millbridge Speedway in his spare time.

Gray on Bristol:

“I think I’m equally as excited as I am anxious heading into this race. I’m excited because I think it will be really fun and it’s something different compared to what we usually race. At the same time I have no idea what to expect when we hit the track. Thankfully we have practice and heat races so we can get as many laps as possible and adapt to racing on dirt.”

Kevin Harvick, No. 17 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford F-150

• Harvick returns to the Truck Series for his first race since his lone 2015 series start` at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in August. The veteran driver started seventh and finished runner-up in the 69-lap event.
• Harvick has support from long time partner Hunt Brothers Pizza for his first dirt race in a truck. The California native will also carry a Hunt Brothers Pizza on-board camera for Saturday night’s event.
• The Ford driver has 123 career Truck Series starts which includes 14 wins, four pole positions, 48 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes. Harvick will utilize his Cup Series spotter, Tim Fedewa, for the truck race.
• Seth Smith will be calling the shots from atop the pit box this weekend for the No. 17 F-150.

The DGR trucks will sport a “Get Well Soon Wes” decal this weekend at Bristol in support of shop foreman, Wes Ward.

Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt | Bristol Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 44 Rich Mar Florist/CircleBDiecast.com/CRC Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Kyle Larson
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport, @KyleLarsonRacin

Larson on Racing at Bristol: “I really appreciate the opportunity given by Niece Motorsports,” said Larson.  “I’m excited to get back into a truck at one of my favorite race tracks.”

Larson at Bristol: Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway marks the first dirt race for the series at the track. 

Larson has one Camping World Truck Series win on dirt, coming in 2016 at Eldora Speedway.

In 2020 Larson turned in one of the most impressive years in the history of dirt-track racing.  While primarily driving sprint cars, he racked up 46 victories in 97 attempts. Larson led the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in victories with 12 despite competing in only 26 of its 54 events and he secured his first Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series win

On the Truck: The No. 44 Chevrolet will carry the Rich Mar Florist, CircleBDiecast.com, and CRC colors at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Rich Mar Florist story began with the vision of Richard P. Morrissey, his wife, Dolores A. Morrissey, and his parents, Frieda and Vincent Morrissey.  Together, they founded the company in 1955 in Allentown, Pa.

Since its inception, Rich Mar is renowned for its service across Pennsylvania, as the award-winning floral provider has become a community staple in its Allentown and Bethlehem locations.  Building upon its already stellar reputation, the family-owned and operated business has blossomed into the trusted florist of Pocono Raceway, Dover International Speedway and both Lehigh Valley professional sports organizations.

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.

CRC began in a Pennsylvania garage in 1958 as Corrosion Reaction Consultants with a single product: CRC Corrosion Inhibitor, a multi-purpose lubricant.

Today, CRC is a global supplier of specialty products and formulations, manufacturing over 1,300 items and developing specialized formulas to meet the unique needs of the Automotive, Marine, Heavy Truck, Hardware, Electrical, Industrial and Aviation markets. CRC serves customers around the world with manufacturing and distribution throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, South Africa and Asia-Pacific marketing areas.

CRC trademarked brands include: CRC®, K&W®, Sta-Lube®, SmartWasher®, Marykate®, Ambersil®, KF®, Kontakt Chemie®, Ados®, Action Can®, Kitten® and WELD-AID®.

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.

Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt | Bristol Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 45 CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Brett Moffitt
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Brett_Moffitt

Moffitt on Racing at Bristol: “I love coming to race at Bristol,” said Moffitt.  “This week will obviously present a new challenge when you throw dirt into the mix, but I’m excited and our team is ready.”

Moffitt at Bristol: Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway marks the first dirt race for the series at the track. 

In two starts on dirt at Eldora Speedway in the Truck Series, Moffitt has one top-five finish, coming in 2018.

On the Truck: Moffitt’s No. 45 CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet will pay homage to dirt-racing legend ‘Barefoot’ Bob McCreadie.

“This is a really special opportunity to honor Barefoot Bob and his contributions to dirt racing,” said Moffitt.  “Our CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet looks great.  I’m really excited about this weekend’s race.  It’s going to be a challenge, but I also think it will be a lot of fun.  Hopefully, we can make Bob proud.”

McCreadie, an incredibly accomplished race car driver, raced across the United States, Australia, and Canada.  He is credited with 507 wins, from 1975-2005. 

“I’m honored that Niece Motorsports is running a paint scheme that so many people in the Northeast saw race every Saturday night,” said McCreadie.  “I’ll be watching the race and would love to see those colors up front again.”

McCreadie’s 29 point championships and eight series championships earned him a place in the DIRT MotorSports Hall of Fame along with Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame.

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.

Toyota Racing – Matt Crafton
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Quotes

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 24, 2021) – ThorSport Racing driver Matt Crafton was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Bristol event today:

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing

What did you learn last weekend that you think you will be able to apply to this weekend?

“Just seeing what the track did throughout a run and seeing how the track changed. All dirt tracks since I’ve been racing them these last few years, they all change, they all look a little different – where you can go, where you can’t go, preferred lane and just seeing how much it would widen out, so I definitely learned some stuff on it.”

Do you think it will widen out?

“It will widen out if the track prep people will let it. It showed that the other night. We ran three-quarter up the way to the fence; we ran on the bottom. We put on some amazing races. I don’t know if you were able to watch it but the late models – the really, really fast stuff – was more painted in the middle of the race track, but if you want to call it more the hobby stock – the heavier cars – they put on probably the best race of the weekend and at the end of the day that’s what the Trucks and the Cup cars are going to be. They are heavier vehicles. They were three-wide, four-wide at points and door slamming each other. It should be exciting without a doubt.”

Can you give me a sense of the challenge of dirt racing for those who don’t have very much experience?

“It’s one thing to be good on it. There’s going to be some drivers go out when it’s heavy – and we will call it muddy at that point – it’s got a lot of traction. Those are the easier tracks to drive. When the track slicks out – when it’s really slick – and you are really struggling for traction, that’s when you separate the guys that can drive the dirt and can’t drive the dirt as much – where experience will pay off and understanding where you should be on the racetrack and where you shouldn’t be. I enjoy it so much because it’s so different than something I’ve raced my whole life and I started racing it with the trucks. I started racing other people’s cars and I fell in love with it and ended up buying my own car and spend a lot of time doing it. I think I’ve raced 15 races this year already on dirt.”

How big is the disparity going to be? Can someone learn and figure it out and score a top-10?

“Without a doubt. These guys are all really good race car drivers. They are going to figure it out without a doubt. I hope for the Cup race’s sake and the Truck race’s sake that maybe at some point that on one of the breaks that they work the track just a little bit at that point. Only thing that I’m a little bit worried about is it taking rubber – and if it takes rubber, it will become a one-lane racetrack at that point. That’s one of the things that I will be pushing for would be during one of the pit stop breaks that we have that they go out there and work the track a little bit to get it where it’s multi-groove again.”

What are your thoughts on a lot of Cup drivers running with the Trucks this weekend?

“I’m not so much worried about the Cup drivers. It’s those dirt guys that you are a little bit more worried about and this guy – Kyle Larson – I would be worried about that guy as well. He does a little bit of everything. He’s going to be one of the ones to beat, no doubt. (Stewart) Friesen will be really, really fast as well. You’ve got Mike Marlar, a World of Outlaws dirt late model champion. You are going to have a lot of really, really good drivers out there without a doubt.”

How big would you say this race is when it compares to other races in your career?

“It’s just going to be a really cool race. The Cup guys that are in it – it’s going to be cool to race them, but at the end of the day – I think they should be able to race with us every week. They should push for that. I’m not one of the advocates where they only get to run four or five races. I wish that Kyle could get to run more of them, and Kevin (Harvick) would get to be able to run more of them and (Brad) Keselowski. One of my biggest wins I can honestly say was Eldora. I won that race, just because I put so much into it myself. I spent so much of my hard-earned Truck money, asphalt racing, to go and buy a dirt car and try to perfect that. That one is definitely one of my top wins without a doubt. It would be awesome to able to do it in Bristol, especially the first time NASCAR is on Bristol with the dirt.”

Do you think a cushion will develop at the track and are you concerned about that?

“No. I don’t think there is going to be a cushion – there is a difference in a cushion and widening out. It is a finer dirt on there than Eldora. Eldora, you build the big cushion up against the wall, but you will widen out when the moisture starts drying up on the bottom, you are going to start looking for moisture. It will widen out at that point, but I don’t see a cushion building, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to be wide with good side-by-side racing.”

What do you think about the return to Toyota? Do you feel like you are getting a little more support from the manufacturer?

“I love the Toyota people and everybody at TRD and all of the tools they give us. I’ve spent so much time on the simulator this year – all of the sims that they give us – and it’s amazing what we’ve learned already this early in the year, which is making our stuff better and better and we see how much better we can still get. Everybody at TRD – it’s truly amazing the tools that they give you to make you build a winner.”

What would you grade your performance so far this year?

“I’d give it a C, at best. We haven’t led the laps that we want. I think we’ve led one. We’ve been decent, but we haven’t been great. We know the areas that we need to keep working on and Junior (Carl Joiner, crew chief) and every one of these guys, Duke and Rhonda (Thorson, team owners) are giving us the go ahead to go get it and keep working on it. That’s what we are doing, and I think you are going to see us keep getting better and better.”

Why do you think so much emphasis has been put on this weekend?

“I think because it’s something you can’t go to the simulator. It’s not something that we’ve ever done. Majority of the NASCAR drivers have no dirt background, or virtually no dirt background, so whenever there’s something like this that comes up, you better figure it out because that one race at the end of the day could land you in the chase and be able to fight for a championship. That’s why you see so many people going off and driving different dirt cars to try to get that experience. We don’t need that experience when we go to Bristol or Atlanta or anything like that, because we’ve been there, and we’ve all raced on asphalt tracks and we all haven’t raced on dirt.”

What do the Cup drivers add in terms of exposure for this race?

“I think it’s good that we have as many Cup drivers in it, because it does help. The Cup guys have a lot of fan base and for them to be able to run the Truck race is great. I wish they would come do it more and get us more exposure and be able to race and compete against those guys. At the end of the day, kids that are wanting to go Cup racing need to learn how to race and beat those Cup guys and if you can’t learn to beat them in the Truck Series, I guess you don’t need to move up.”

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.

John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt, Race 5 of 22, 150 Laps – 40/50/60; 75 Miles
Location: Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. (half-mile dirt oval)
Date/Broadcast: March 27, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ The Facts:

• After a third-place finish at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team return to action Saturday night in the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. After four races, Nemechek sits at the top of the Camping World Trucks championship standings, 47 tallies ahead of Ben Rhodes. Nemechek currently leads the field in average running position (6.539), stage wins (five), laps led (143), and driver rating (126.6).
• While this will be the first dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Camping World Truck Series, the series competed at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio from 2013 to 2019. Kyle Busch Motorsports captured two victories at Eldora. Darrell Wallace Jr. led a race-high 97 laps en route to victory in the 2014 event and Christopher Bell led a race-high 106 laps in his 2015 triumph. The truckers will race a second dirt race July 9 at Knoxville (Iowa) Speedway.
• The second-generation driver has made five starts in Camping World Truck Series action at Eldora. Nemechek has four top-10 finishes at Eldora with a best finish of fifth in 2017.
• Nemechek will get two 50-minute practice sessions on Friday and a 15-lap heat race on Saturday to dial in his Mobil 1 Tundra before Saturday night’s 150-lap race. While the lineups for the heat races will be determined by a random draw, the starting grid for the race will be determined by a formula that weighs finishing position plus positions gained during each heat race. Drivers finishing first in their heats earn 10 points, second place earns nine, third place earns eight and so forth. Additionally, drivers earn one passing point for each position gained in their heat; there are no points deductions or “negative points” for drivers who lose positions in their heats. One other noticeable difference you will see during Saturday’s race is that there will not be live pit stops. The only time that teams will be permitted to change tires, add fuel or work on their vehicles will be during the stage breaks. Scoring will be frozen during stage breaks, but those who elect not to pit will be scored ahead of those who elect to hit pit road during the break for the ensuing restart.
• Nemechek is a seven-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 106 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 752 laps led, 31 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8. 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.
• The 23-year-old driver 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.
• 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 38 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 28 of those coming while at KBM. On dirt, Phillips has one start in Camping World Trucks competition. He captured the pole with Erik Jones and led the first 24 laps but was relegated to a 29th-place finish after suffering suspension damage.
• The world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1, features anti-wear technology that provides performance beyond our conventional motor oils. This technology allows Mobil 1 to meet or exceed the toughest standards of car builders and to provide exceptional protection against engine wear, under normal or even some of the most extreme conditions. Mobil 1 flows quickly in extreme temperatures to protect critical engine parts and is designed to maximize engine performance and help extend engine life.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:

What is your take on racing on the dirt at Bristol?
“Racing trucks on dirt is fun. Luckily having some experience from racing on Eldora will transfer to racing at Bristol this weekend. They like to slide around. They feel kind of slow and sluggish, but it’s still a blast being able to throw slide jobs, run the bottom, and run the top to search around for grip. I feel like it is every driver’s dream to be able to go and run.”

What are the similarities and differences between racing at Eldora and racing at Bristol?
“I think racing at Eldora is that it is a purpose-built dirt track, so you normally get a cushion up against the wall and are able to move around a lot. From watching the dirt event last week and the World of Outlaws race, it is one of those things that didn’t really happen and move around a lot. It seemed like the track chunked out quite a bit. It seemed like there were some big holes in the racetrack. It turned black really fast. I’m not really sure how the trucks are going to drive on it this weekend or what the track conditions will be, but hopefully, we are able to move around and it’s not all around the bottom.”

Is it a relief having a win and stage points heading into the weekend?
“I definitely think it is a relief having a win underneath our belt and winning stages. We’ve won a stage in every race so far this year, so hopefully, we can do it this weekend on the dirt track at Bristol and keep the momentum rolling. Our attitude doesn’t change. We want to go and win practice, win our heat race, win all the stage, and the feature. Hopefully, we can do that. I am confident in our guys. KBM has won two races at Eldora on dirt. Hopefully, a lot of that information will transfer over and I can go get the job done.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

• Seven-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 106 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 752 laps led, 31 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.9.
• 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 51 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 11.6.
• John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
• KBM-X134D: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-X134D Saturday in Bristol. The chassis was obtained from Bragg Racing Group and has run four times with a best finish of fourth coming at Eldora Speedway in 2015 by Erik Jones.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected two wins, one pole, 302 laps led, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.8 across 20 starts on dirt tracks, all coming at Eldora Speedway. Darrell Wallace Jr. led a race-high 97 laps en route to victory in the 2014 event at Eldora and Christopher Bell led a race-high 106 laps in his 2015 triumph.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (82) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). 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 12 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Sheldon Creed, No. 2 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Dirt Camping World Trucks Stats

• No prior starts on the Bristol Dirt Track.

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 4, Best start: 2, Best finish; 2, Top 5s: 2, Top 10s: 3, Laps led: 25

Notes:

• Dirt details: Sheldon Creed has four Camping World Trucks starts on dirt with a best finish of second in the Eldora Dirt Derby in 2019. Creed’s dirt background includes the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series, Speed Energy Stadium Trucks, the world-famous Dakar Rally and the acclaimed Baja 100-. He was a gold medalist in Stadium Super Trucks at X-Games Austin in 2015 and won the ARCA West race at the LVMS Dirt Track in 2018.
• Chassis history: Creed and the No. 2 team will compete with chassis No. 021 this weekend in Bristol.This chassis finished inside the top-10 four times at Eldora from 2016-2019, most notably a second-place finish for Creed in 2019 and a win for Kyle Larson in 2016.
• Crew chief corner: Jeff Stankiewicz has one win as crew chief in a dirt race in the Camping World Trucks with Kyle Larson at Eldora in 2016 and finished second at Eldora with Creed in 2019. Stankiewicz has one win as a crew chief on a dirt track in the ARCA Menards Series in 2015 at DuQuoin and won at the LVMS Dirt Track with Creed in 2018 in the ARCA West Series.

Quote:

“I’m really excited to get back to dirt racing, it’s a style of racing I know well. It’s a new track for everybody, but I’m confident in myself and my team and I think this will be a good week for us to try to make up some points on the championship lead.”

Zane Smith, No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Dirt Camping World Trucks Stats

• No prior starts at the Bristol Dirt Track.

2021 Camping World Truck Stats

• Starts: 4, Best start: 7, Best finish: 6, Top 10s: 2

Notes:

• Dirt details: Zane Smith is no stranger to dirt racing having earned a fifth-place finish at DuQuoin in the ARCA Menards Series in 2018 and competing in several trophy trucks events.
• Chassis history: Smith and the No. 21 team will utilize chassis no. 136 this weekend in Bristol. This chassis is a brand new addition to the GMS stable.
• Crew chief corner: Kevin “Bono” Manion has been crew chief in four dirt races in the Camping World Truck series and has one top-10 at Eldora in 2019.

Quote:

“I’m looking forward to Bristol Dirt. It’s going to be crazy to see what the track turns into with a 150 lap race. Luckiy, I’ve been able to get some dirt experience thanks to Chevy and GMS Racing. It’s going to be a fun night and I’m just ready to get it going.”

Chase Purdy, No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Dirt Camping World Trucks Stats

• No prior starts at the Bristol Dirt Track.

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 4, Best start: 4, Laps led: 4

Notes:

• Dirt details: Chase Purdy’s last start on dirt was at DuQuoin in 2018 in the ARCA Menards Series where he finished eighth.
• Chassis history: Purdy and the No. 23 team will compete with chassis No. 009 this weekend in Bristol. This chassis has two starts at Eldora for GMS in 2018 and 2019.
• Crew chief corner: Saturday’s race will mark Jeff Hensley’s 400th Camping World Trucks race atop the pit box. Hensley heen a fixture in the Camping World Trucks since 2004. Hensley has bee crew chief for six dirt races with three top-five and four top-10 finishes. Quote:

“I’m excited about Bristol Dirt this weekend! I don’t really know what to expect with the new track and neither does anyone else so that’ll be interesting. Hopefully we can figure it out quickly and have a great run this weekend with this No. 23 team.”

Raphael Lessard, No. 24 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Dirt Camping World Trucks Stats

• No prior starts at the Bristol Dirt Track.

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 4, Best start: 5, Laps led: 17, Stage wins: 2

Notes:

• Dirt details: Friday’s practice session will be Raphael Lessard’s first professional race on dirt.
• Chassis history: Lessard and the No. 24 team will compete with chassis No. 315 this weekend in Bristol. This is the same chassis that went to victory lane at Eldora in 2019 with a GMS affiliate team.
• Crew chief corner: Chad Walter will call his first dirt race as crew chief in Saturday’s Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt.

Quote:

“I’m really excited for Bristol Dirt! It will be a great experience making my first start on dirt. I’m ready to learn and go out and get a good finish for our team.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Dirt Camping World Trucks Stats

• No prior starts at the Bristol Dirt Track.

2021 Camping World Truck Stats

• Starts: 4, Best start: 11, Laps led: 6

Notes:

• Dirt details: Tyler Ankrum has one Camping World Trucks start on dirt at Eldora in 2019 where he started 26th and finished 9th.
• Chassis history: Tyler Ankrum and the No. 26 team will utilize chassis No. 228 this weekend in Bristol. This chassis finished 16th at Eldora in 2018 for GMS.
• Crew chief corner: Charles Denike will call his first dirt race as crew chief on Saturday, but is no stranger to success on dirt. Denike was engineer for Stewart Friesen’s victory at Eldora Speedway I 2019.

Quote:

“I’m excited for Bristol. I’m pumped up to get back on dirt. I’m happy we’re going back to Bristol, it’s a really cool track and it’s something special that NASCAR is doing for all of us. I’ve been doing a lot of dirt testing and a lot of preparation for this race. I think we’ll go fast and the whole GMS team will be strong. I’m really excited.”

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 Raphael Lessard. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Jack Wood. 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/.

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Martin Truex Jr.: Driver, No. 51 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt, Race 5 of 22, 150 Laps – 40/50/60; 75 Miles
Location: Bristol Motor (Tenn.) Speedway (half-mile dirt oval)
Date/Broadcast: March 27, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Tidbits on Truex Jr.

• Martin Truex Jr. returns to the Camping World Truck Series for the first time since 2006 driving the No. 51 Auto-Owners Insurance Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in Saturday’s Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Truex Jr., has just two career starts in NASCAR’s third division, with a best result of 19th at the Milwaukee (Wisc.) Mile in 2005.
• The Toyota Racing driver has 28 career Cup Series victories, including the series-best eight he collected en route to the championship in 2017. Truex Jr. is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion (2004 and 2005) and has earned 13 career wins in that series. He has one win on the pavement at Bristol, which came in the XFINITY Series race in March of 2004.
• Truex will be pulling double-duty this weekend, with both his Camping World Truck Series Tundra and his Cup Series Camry carrying primary sponsorship from his longtime partner, Auto-Owners Insurance. Established in 1916, Auto-Owners Insurance Group is a Fortune 500 insurance company headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. Auto-Owners is 100% committed to the Independent Agency System and is a values-driven company. Recognized for exceptional financial strength and stability, it is among the nation’s largest insurers, writing over 5 million policies annually. The No. 51 Tundra will carry associate sponsorship this week from Noble Aerospace, one of the largest and most capable aerospace metal finishing business in the United States, and Cessna, an aircraft solutions provider with a line of Citation jets, Caravan turboprops and classic piston aircrafts.
• The Camping World Truck Series will have unique format this week, with two 50-minute practice sessions on Friday and a 15-lap heat race on Saturday. While the lineups for the heat races will be determined by a random draw, the starting grid for the race will be determined by a formula that weighs finishing position plus positions gained during each heat race. Drivers finishing first in their heats earn 10 points, second place earns nine, third place earns eight and so forth. Additionally, drivers earn one passing point for each position gained in their heat; there are no points deductions or “negative points” for drivers who lose positions in their heats. One other noticeable difference you will see during Saturday’s race is that there will not be live pit stops. The only time that teams will be permitted to change tires, add fuel or work on their vehicles will be during the stage breaks. Scoring will be frozen during stage breaks, but those who elect not to pit will be scored ahead of those who elect to hit pit road during the break for the ensuing restart.
• Truex will be looking to join an exclusive club of just 35 drivers that have won at least one race in all three of NASCAR’s National Series. Christopher Bell, who won his first Camping World Truck Series race for KBM in 2015, became the most recent member of the club after winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course earlier this year. Erik Jones (2013) and William Byron (2016), like Bell, earned their first career Truck Series victory at KBM on their way up the ladder, winning in order of progression through each series. Denny Hamlin won his first XFINITY Series race in March of 2006 and then won his first Cup Series race later that year. It was not until 2011 that Hamlin won his first Truck Series while racing driving for KBM. Busch is also a member of the club, but he earned his first Truck Series victory driving for Billy Ballew Motorsports in 2005, five years before the debut of KBM.
• While this will be the first dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Camping World Truck Series, the series competed at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio from 2013 to 2019. Kyle Busch Motorsports captured two victories at Eldora. Darrell Wallace Jr. led a race-high 97 laps en route to victory in the 2014 event and Bell led a race-high 106 laps in his 2015 triumph. The truckers will race a second dirt race July 9 at Knoxville (Iowa) Speedway.
• Mardy Lindley is in his first season as a crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Lindley picked up his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory last week at Atlanta with owner-driver Kyle Busch. He has guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer in 2019 and 2020. 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 has crew chiefed two ARCA Menards Series races on dirt tracks, earning a best result of fifth with Zane Smith at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds in 2018.
• With Busch’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway last week, the No. 51 team moved up two positions to fourth in the Camping World Truck Series owner’s championship standings.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver Q&A:

When is the last time you raced on dirt? Are you looking forward to it? Are you nervous, scared?
“I’m excited. I’m excited about it. I’ve only raced twice on dirt. Both of them were at Schrader’s, having a charity race out in Missouri, did that a few times in a modified. I grew up on four-wheelers and motorcycles. It’s going to be a learning curve for sure. I look at it as Bristol has been our worst track for the past couple years. Why the heck not lay down dirt and see what we can do? I think it’s going to be fun. New challenge, something different.”

What kinds of things are you doing to get ready to run on Bristol dirt?
“I talked to C. Bell (Christopher Bell) a little bit and kind of got his thoughts on what it might be like and I asked if there was anything that I really needed to pay attention to or to think about. I got a little insight from him, but honestly, it’s like anything else, until you actually do it, it’s hard to really know. It’s another instance where it’s really hard to prepare. That’s why I wanted to race the truck race – to help with the Cup car, and also, I haven’t been in a truck since 2005, so I look forward to that opportunity. Auto-Owners came on board and we put that together, so really excited about that. Thanks to Kyle (Busch) and everyone at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) for putting it all together. I’m just really using it for a learning experience, and hopefully, have some success at the same time. I’ll do some iRacing, I guess, this week, and hopefully that helps a little, but I doubt it will.”

Martin Truex Jr. Career Highlights:

• Across 555 career NASCAR Cup Series starts has recorded 28 wins, 19 poles, 9963 laps led, 118 top-five and 232 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.4. Won the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
• Across 104 career NASCAR XFINITY Series has recorded 13 wins, 10 poles, 1966 laps led, 41 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.3. Won back-to-back NASCAR XFINITY Series championships in 2004-2005.
• Has just two career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts with a best result of 19th at the Milwaukee Mile in 2005.
• Won five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races from 2000 to 2003.

Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 51 Auto-Owners Insurance Tundra:
KBM-12: The No. 51 Auto-Owners Insurance team will unload chassis number KBM-12 for Saturday’s Pinty’s Truck Race on dirt. The chassis has four career dirt starts at Eldora Speedway. The chassis best result on dirt was in 2018 when Logan Seavey led 53 laps and brought home an eighth-place finish. On pavement, this Tundra has one victory, with Erik Jones at Iowa Speedway in Newton in July of 2014.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected two wins, one pole, 302 laps led, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.8 across 20 starts on dirt tracks, all coming at Eldora Speedway. Darrell Wallace Jr. led a race-high 97 laps en route to victory in the 2014 event at Eldora and Christopher Bell led a race-high 106 laps in his 2015 triumph.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (82) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Las Vegas earlier this season, John Hunter Nemecheck became the 15th 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 35 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.