Category: Truck Series PR

Fr8 Auctions 200 | Atlanta Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 44 CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ross Chastain
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport, @RossChastain

Chastain on Racing at Atlanta: “I always love racing in the Camping World Truck Series any chance I get,” said Chastain. “This Niece Motorsports team is so special to me, and I’m appreciative to Al Niece and everyone at Niece Motorsports for the chance. I can’t thank Plan B Sales and CircleBDiecast.com enough for their support; this Terry Labonte throwback scheme looks awesome. I love racing at Atlanta, we had such a strong truck in this race last year. A huge thank you to Chip and everyone at Ganassi for allowing me to come race on Saturday.”

Chastain at Atlanta: In four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Chastain has three top-10 results, including two sixth-place finishes coming in 2019 and 2020.

He also has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, with his best finish of seventh coming last season.

In addition, Chastain has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

On the Truck: Chastain will race the No. 44 Chevrolet, with support from CircleBDiecast.com.

Plan B Sales was founded in 2010 with the goal of bringing service to dealers that carry licensed motorsports product. 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 product offerings.

Plan B Sales has quickly become the choice of dealers for a stocking one-stop 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.

Fr8 Auctions 200 | Atlanta Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 40 Overton’s Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ryan Truex
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at Atlanta: “Our Overton’s Chevrolet looks awesome, I’m so appreciative to Overton’s, Marcus Lemonis and the whole Camping World family of brands for all that they’re doing for the Series,” said Truex. “I also have to thank Marquis for their continued support. I’m really hoping our luck will turn this weekend in Atlanta. The results from the last two races really are not indicative of how hard this whole group is working, or how good our equipment is. I really believe if we are able to keep our nose clean and stay out of trouble, we will be running up front at the end of Saturday’s race.”

Truex at Atlanta: Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway marks Truex’s fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the track. In his three previous starts, Truex has two top-15 finishes.

In addition, Truex has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, with finishes of 11th and ninth coming in 2011 and 2018, respectively.

Truex also has one NASCAR Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway, coming in 2014.

On the Truck: The No. 40 Chevrolet will carry the Overton’s colors at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

From small grocery carts to virtual online carts, Overton’s has grown over the years and proudly accepts the title of the World’s Largest Watersports and Marine Accessories Dealer. Launched in Greenville, NC in 1976, the company that sold waterskis out of a local grocery store now provides an expanded selection of over 100,000 products worldwide. Overton’s offers the best products at the best value to ensure customers have everything needed to get on the water.

Overton’s is proud to be part of the Camping World family of brands with other reputable organizations like Good Sam and Gander Outdoors. These great partners help to provide customers with a wide scope of outdoor adventures, experiences, and gear to help customers get outdoors faster and on the water longer.

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.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 18, 2021): Spencer Davis Motorsports (SDM) announced today that Bubba Wallace has thrown his hat in the ring to contest the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) on Saturday, March 27th, 2021.

Wallace will pilot the No. 11 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Tundra in search for his second-career Camping World Trucks victory on dirt with Spencer Davis Motorsports in collaboration with Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE).

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.

“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.”

Spencer Davis, owner and driver of Spencer Davis Motorsports, sees this as a tremendous opportunity for the two to combine for a strong effort on dirt at “Thunder Valley”.

“We’re looking forward to having Bubba in our No. 11 Toyota Tundra at Bristol and to work with Columbia Sportswear,” Davis said. “Any time you can get a driver with as much experience as Bubba in your truck, it’s a major boost.

“He’s proven what he can do on dirt as a past winner at Eldora, so we’re definitely optimistic about running well at Bristol, and hopefully giving him some experience to take into the Cup race on Sunday.”

In addition to their venture with Wallace at 23XI Racing, Columbia Sportswear will adorn Wallace’s Toyota Tundra for his return to the Truck Series for his first race in a Tundra since 2014 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

“We’re proud to support Bubba Wallace on his return to a dirt track,” said Joe Boyle, Columbia Sportswear Executive VP and President of the Columbia Brand. “Both Columbia and Bubba can trace our roots back to the dirt, although the dirt trails we typically run are a little more quiet than the track will be in Bristol next weekend. It’s going to be a great race and we’ll be cheering loudly as Bubba continues to build on his exciting season.”

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 20
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile quad-oval
Race: 4 of 22
Event: Fr8Auctions 200 (130 laps, 200 miles)

Schedule
Saturday, March 20
Race: 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Built Ford Tough F-150

• Deegan makes her fourth start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season in the No. 1 Built Ford Tough Ford F-150 on Saturday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The rookie driver will start from the 28th position.
• Deegan is making her second consecutive start at a mile-and-a-half venue. At the last Truck Series race two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Deegan started 30th and finished 28th after suffering damage from a multi-car accident put her multiple laps down for repair.
• This weekend’s livery is the same scheme Deegan ran in her Truck Series debut last year at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The notable difference is the number change from the No. 17 to No. 1. Deegan started 34th and finished 16th in her truck debut last season.
• Veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. has 23 wins in the NCWTS, including one at Atlanta – Todd Bodine in March 2006.

Deegan Quotes:

What made you want to race in NASCAR?

“I would say that when you look at auto racing in America, NASCAR is at the top of the list. As someone who came from off-road racing, I felt like I kind of capped out there. I was at the pro level at 15 years old, and I was wondering where I should go next in my career. NASCAR racing is definitely a challenge and I knew it would be a challenge for me, but it’s something I want to work at.”

What are your goals in motorsports?

“That’s something I’ve talked with my crew chief a lot about. Realistic goals are to go out there and run a clean race, don’t make mistakes early in the race and to be able to get experience throughout the race is crucial since there’s no practice or qualifying. The races are really the only time I have to learn on-track stuff. It’s important for me to learn as much as I can about the trucks.”

Do you have any sort of workout routine or anything you to do physically prepare for the race?

“I love working out. I would say that if I have any hobby, it would be working out and going to the gym. That’s something I’ve been doing my whole life. I have my regimen of what I like to do – cardio, lifting weights, running. Working out is a big part of my life.”

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

• Gray returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second time in his career on Saturday. In 2020, he started 21st and finished 11th in the second race back from the COVID-19 pause.
• The No. 15 Ford Performance F-150 will lineup outside row 7 in the 14th position for Saturday’s 130 lap event.
• On speedways between one and two miles in length, Gray has 18 career starts with two top-five and six top-10 finishes. Consecutive races at mile-and-a-half tracks should bode well for Gray as he narrowly missed out on his first top-10 of the season at Las Vegas after running inside the top-10 for a majority of the race.
• Crew chief Shane Wilson has a combined 18 starts at Atlanta between the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series including a win in Xfinity Series action with Jeff Burton on March 18, 2006. His lone previous Truck Series start came with Gray last season.

Gray on Atlanta:

You are heading back to Atlanta for the second time in your career and are coming off of your best finish of the season. Does that give you confidence heading into Saturday’s race?

“It’s nice to be returning to a mile-and-a-half track again after how we ran at Las Vegas. I tend to enjoy those types of tracks more than short tracks or superspeedways and just feel more comfortable behind the wheel at them. We have the best starting position we have had all season, so hopefully we can get stage points early in the race and then be there to contend for a solid finish at the end.”

Bill Lester, No. 17 Camping World Ford F-150

• Lester returns to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with partner support from Camping World, Greater Atlanta Ford Dealers and Tommy’s Express Car Wash.
• Lester has six Truck Series starts at Atlanta with a best finish of 15th earned in 2004. The Ford driver has an average starting position of 13.7 and an average finishing position of 22.7 at the intermediate track. Lester will start Saturday afternoon’s event from the 31st position.
• Saturday marks Lester’s first Truck Series start since 2007 and will bring his series total to 143. He’s led 92 laps and has two top-five and seven top-10 finishes in the series.
• Lester was the first African American pole award winner in the Truck Series. In total, he’s captured three series pole awards – May 2003 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, July 2005 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, and July 2005 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
• The Atlanta resident will guided by crew chief Seth Smith from atop the pit box and Joel Edmonds from the spotters stand.
• In February, Lester released his memoir titled, Winning in Reverse: Defying the Odds and Achieving Dreams.
• The No. 17 entry has been driven by team co-owner David Gilliland and Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst. After Lester completes his Atlanta start, Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 17 F-150 in next Saturday’s Dirt Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Lester on Atlanta:

What made you want to return to the Truck Series and racing after a hiatus?

“It was time to practice what I preached in my memoir. In it, I wrote about the importance of getting out of one’s comfort zone and pursuing one’s passion. I’ve always loved racing, been a fan of racing, and that interest slowly began to build into a desire to race again. The release of my book became the perfect opportunity for my desire to race again to meet the desire to promote my book.”

How was your experience in the simulator? How much did you use a simulator when previously racing?

“I was fortunate enough to utilize a simulator to get some virtual time at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was quite an experience and I believe it will be well worth while. It helped me to re-acclimate myself to the visual, physical, and audible environment I have been away from for so long. It’s no wonder that drivers spend all their time in them these days! I didn’t have this tool at my disposal when I was previously racing in NASCAR, but it sure would have been nice to.”

What are your goals for this weekend, or what would you consider a successful weekend?

“At a minimum, I expect to compete for the whole event and finish the race. It’s hard to realistically predict a result because I haven’t competed in the series in such a long time. I don’t completely know where I stand, where the competition stands, where my equipment stands, and there are always circumstances beyond your control, but I wouldn’t be out there if I didn’t think I would be competitive. We’ll just see where the chips fall.”

Do you think this weekend might give you the racing bug again and you’ll want to race more frequently?

“One of the reasons I’m so excited is because I don’t know how I’ll feel after this race. ‘Will I enjoy the experience? Will I want more of it?’ I just don’t know. As they say, ‘that’s why they run the race.’ I’ll be just as interested to discover how I feel afterword as everyone else will. Just the simple fact that I’ll be racing from the time I get to the track without practice or qualifying will be a completely different situation in itself. I’m sure it will just get crazier from there but I’m so looking forward to it!”

Toyota Racing Driver Returns to Camping World Truck Series for First Time Since ’06

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 17, 2021) – Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced today that 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. will pilot the No. 51 Tundra March 27 in the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Truex’s Tundra will carry primary sponsorship from Auto-Owners Insurance, one of the nation’s largest insurers. Noble Aerospace, one of the largest and most capable aerospace metal finishing business in the United States, will serve as a major associate sponsor.

Truex Jr., Busch’s Cup Series teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, will make a start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the first time since 2006 when he got behind the wheel of the No. 51 for Billy Ballew Motorsports at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The New Jersey native 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 2004.

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.

“This is something Kyle (Busch) and I have talked about over the last few years and I’m excited that we were finally able to make it happen,” Truex Jr. said. “I’m really thankful for Auto-Owners Insurance coming on board for what is going to be a big weekend for our sport racing on dirt at Bristol for the first time. Also, I want to thank Noble Aerospace and Cessna for their support.”

“We’re excited to have Martin behind the wheel of the No. 51 Auto-Owners Insurance Tundra for the inaugural Bristol Dirt weekend and provide him with the opportunity to join the list of drivers who have been able to win in all three NASCAR National Series,” Busch said. “It’s pretty cool to say that four of the 35 drivers in that exclusive club earned their first Camping World Truck Series victory driving for KBM, and we’re going to do everything we can to help Martin become the fifth.”

“We know that Martin has wanted to compete in another truck series race for almost 15 years and we are thrilled to support him in this opportunity,” said Auto-Owners Insurance Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales Mary Pierce.

The Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Cup Series will take part in the inaugural NASCAR dirt-track race weekend at Bristol. The event will feature unique rules include four 15-lap heat races, with a lineup set by a random draw. where drivers will earn points for positions gained during their heat to calculate the starting lineup for the feature. During the Bristol dirt race tire changes, vehicle work and fueling can only be conducted during the two stage breaks, with the exception being trucks that are involved in incidents.

KBM has earned two of its series-leading 81 career wins on dirt. Darrell Wallace Jr. won at Eldora Speedway, a ½-mile dirt oval in 2014 and Bell made it back-to-back victories for the organization at the famed track in 2015.

Live coverage of the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol will be March 27 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

About 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.

Auto-Owners backs up its products by providing award-winning claims service. The company is represented by over 47,500 licensed agents in 26 states and offers multiple lines of insurance including life, home, auto and business.

Auto-Owners is rated A++ (Superior) by the A.M. Best Company, a nationally recognized independent insurance rating authority. It has received numerous awards from national organizations for customer service and quality, and is certified as a Great Place to Work®.

About Noble Aerospace:

Noble Aerospace is the parent company of Embee Processing in Santa Ana, California and All Metal Processing of Orange County in Stanton, California. Noble Aerospace is one of the largest and most capable aerospace metal finishing business in the United States. For more information, please contact Michael Coburn at michael@nobleaero.com or visit our website at www.nobleaero.com

About Kyle Busch Motorsports:

Since debuting in 2010, Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) has quickly established itself as one of the most successful teams in all of NASCAR. Owned by two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch and fueled by his passion for winning, the organization holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (81) 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).

KBM prepares a fleet of race-winning Toyotas out of its state-of-the art 77,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest KBM news online at www.KyleBuschMotorsports.com, by liking the team on Facebook (KBMteam) and by following the team on Instagram (KBMteam), and Twitter (@KBMteam).

Kyle Busch: Driver, No. 51 Cessna Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Fr8Auctions 200, Race 4 of 22, 130 Laps – 30/30/70; 200.02 Miles
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. (1.5-mile quad-oval)
Date/Broadcast: March 20, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Report on ‘Rowdy‘
• Owner-driver Kyle Busch gets behind the wheel of the No. 51 Cessna Tundra Friday night for his second of five NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series starts in 2021. In his first start of the year, Busch was able to rebound from going a lap down after suffering a flat tire in the final stage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to finish second to KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek.
• ‘Rowdy’ will also pilot the No. 51 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway (April 17), Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (May 1) and Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (June 26). Since Textron Aviation became a partner in 2017, Busch has recorded 12 victories, 1,366 laps led and an average finish of 5.5 in 21 starts with the Cessna and Beechcraft brands adorning his Tundra.
• Busch, the winningest driver in series history, enters Saturday’s event having won 38.1% (59/155) of the Truck Series races he has entered and finished first or second in 55.5% (86/155). He has won multiple races in each of the last eight seasons (2013 2020). The talented wheelman in recent years had scored a victory at every active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series venue that he had made a start at, but with Richmond being added to the schedule this year, he will need to win there to keep that stat intact. He’s made two starts at Richmond (2001 and 2005), with a best finish of 22nd.
• Rowdy’s five victories at Atlanta are the most by a Camping World Truck Series driver. He also leads Truck Series drivers in career laps led at Atlanta (516) and top-five finishes (eight). In Truck Series events at Atlanta since 2005, Busch leads all drivers in driver rating (127.9), fastest laps (279) and average running position (3.7). His most recent truck triumph at Atlanta, in the 2019 event, was the 52nd of his career and made him the winningest driver in series history. It was his first win in the Truck Series at Atlanta driving for his own team, his first four victories (2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009) came while driving for Billy Ballew Motorsports.
• As it did for the historic win in 2019, Busch’s Tundra on Saturday will carry associate sponsorship on the lower rear quarter from the Dawsonville, Ga. location of Ballew’s car dealership. You can find the lowest prices on used Cars, Trucks and SUV’s at www.BillyBallewMotorsports.com.
• In addition to his five Camping World Trucks victories at Atlanta, Busch has two Cup Series victories (2008 and 2013) and two triumphs in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (2016 and 2017) at the Georgia track.
• It will be a busy weekend for Busch as he does triple duty at two different tracks on two distinct surfaces. The Las Vegas native will be driving a Dirt Late Model for Double L Motorsports at the Bristol Dirt Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Friday night. After traveling to Atlanta for Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series race, he will return to Bristol for a second night of Dirt Late Model action at Bristol. The 35-year-old driver will conclude his hectic weekend in the Cup Series race at Atlanta on Sunday.
• After three events, the No. 51 team sits sixth in the Camping World Trucks owner standings, 57 tallies behind KBM’s No. 4 team. Busch’s runner-up finish at Las Vegas was the team’s best result this season. Drew Dollar finished 10th in the season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, and Parker Chase, after a solid run, was relegated to a 23rd-place finish at the Daytona Road Course.
• 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.

Kyle Busch, Driver Q&A
What is it like finishing second to one of your KBM drivers?
“At Las Vegas, John Hunter was a little bit better than us at the end of the race and I hate I finished second obviously, but it’s nice to see our Tundras getting used to their full potential and running up front. I’m excited to have John Hunter racing at KBM this year and to have Eric Phillips (crew chief) back on board. I felt like when we were able to make that move over the offseason and pair those two together it was going to be a winning combination. Three races in we’ve already reaped the benefits. They’ve had really fast trucks everywhere they’ve gone early in the season, the first few races they just had some issues that kept them from victory lane. Now that my first race with Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) is under our belts, hopefully we will come out a little bit stronger at Atlanta and get our Cessna Tundra back to victory lane and have the other KBM trucks finish second and third.” Kyle

Busch Camping World Truck Series Career Highlights
• Busch has a total of 156 Camping World Trucks starts and is ranked first in wins (59) and second in laps led (7,321)
• The 35-year-old driver has won 37.8% (59/156) of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 55.7% (87/156). He has won multiple races in each of the last eight seasons (2013-2020).
• Busch has a total of 103 top-five and 124 top-10 finishes with an average start of 7.3 and an average finish of 6.8.
• Busch stands alone as the leader in all-time career wins in NASCAR’s national touring series with 213 total victories. He has earned 57 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 97 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins, and 59 NGROTS 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-066: The No. 51 Cessna team will race KBM-066 for Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Tundra made three starts last season with Raphael Lessard behind the wheel with a best result of sixth at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

KBM-066 Performance Profile:
Starts Wins Average Start Average Finish Laps Led
3 0 12.0 8.0 2

KBM Notes of Interest
• KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 566 laps led, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8 across 23 starts at Atlanta. Busch led a race-high 92 laps en route to victory in the 2019 event, while Christopher Bell became to the first driver under NASCAR’s new format to sweep all three stages of a race after leading 99 of 130 laps en route to victory from the pole in 2017.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (81) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014.With his victory at Las Vegas, 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 34 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 17, 2021) – Kyle Larson, a winner in all three of NASCAR’s top series, will return to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series action at Bristol Motor Speedway, as the Series makes its debut at the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track.

Larson, who is no stranger to racing on dirt, won at Eldora Speedway in the Truck Series in 2016.  The Elk Grove, Calif. native will pilot the No. 44 Rich Mar Florist/CircleBDiecast.com Chevrolet Silverado.

“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.”

The 28-year-old driver has built an extensive and impressive racing resume with more than 250 career race wins.  Larson has won in every racing circuit he has competed in. Most notably, Larson has earned seven victories in the premier NASCAR Cup Series and won the prestigious Chili Bowl Midget Nationals twice in 2020 and 2021, the NASCAR All-Star Race in 2019, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2015.

He also won the 2011 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway, winning in all three types of USAC cars in a single night, only the second driver in history to accomplish the feat.

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.

“Kyle is obviously one of the best drivers out there today,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager Cody Efaw.  “His resume on dirt speaks for itself.  We are looking forward to him joining the organization at Bristol and contending for a win.”

The No. 44 Chevrolet will carry the Rich Mar Florist and CircleBDiecast.com colors under the lights 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.

“We’re looking forward to taking part in this historic event for the Truck Series and are excited to be alongside Kyle for what is sure to be a stellar performance,” said Jonathan Morrissey, co-owner of Rich Mar Florist.  “This is a huge announcement for Rich Mar Florist Racing Nation and those that support our involvement in NASCAR.  We are extremely thankful for this partnership with Niece Motorsports and are thrilled to share this historic moment together.”

Plan B Sales, who has partnered with Larson for multiple wins on dirt, was founded in 2010 with the goal of bringing service to dealers that carry licensed motorsports product.  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 product offerings.

Plan B Sales has quickly become the choice of dealers for a stocking one-stop 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.

The 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.

Sheldon Creed, No. 2 Overton’s Chevrolet Silverado
Atlanta Motor Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 2, Best start: 4, Best finish: 12

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats

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

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: Sheldon Creed will sport Overton’s colors this Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises, has made an effort to support and cultivate B2B relationships throughout the Camping World Trucks field.
• Chassis history: Creed and the No. 2 team will compete with chassis No. 302 this weekend in Atlanta. Creed scored two top-three finishes and led 182 laps in six starts with this chassis in 2020.
• Crew chief corner: Jeff Stankiewicz returns to crew chief for the No. 2 team this season.The 2020 championship winning crew chief reunited with Creed mid-season in 2019 after winning the 2018 ARCA Menards Series championship together. Stankiewicz has seven Camping World Trucks wins as a crew chief including five in 2020 en route to the series championship.

Quote:

“I’m excited to get back to Atlanta and get back on track after a week off. We had a strong run last year, but didn’t have the finish to show for it. My guys bring fast trucks every single week and I’m looking forward to going out and better our run from last year.”

Zane Smith, No. 21 Overton’s Chevrolet Silverado
Atlanta Motor Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 1, Best start: 7, Best finish: 5, Top 5s: 1, Laps led: 5

2021 Camping World Truck Stats

• Starts: 3, Best start: 8, Best finish: 6, Top 10s: 1

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: Zane Smith will sport Overton’s colors this Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises, has made an effort to support and cultivate B2B relationships throughout the Camping World Trucks field.
• Chassis history: Smith and the No. 21 team will compete with chassis No. 331 this Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Smith has three top-10 finishes in three starts with this chassis in 2020 including his win at Michigan in August.
• Crew chief corner: Kevin “Bono” Manion returns for a second season with Smith and the No. 21 team. The pair racked up two wins and 13 top-10 finds in 2020 en route to a second-place finish in the championship standings. Manion has six Camping World Trucks wins, 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and five NASCAR Cup Series wins in 19 years as a crew chief in the sport.

Quote:

“I like Atlanta, I love wore out tracks where you have to manage tires and manage your truck throughout the race. I feel like our team does that well and finds a way to be there at the end. We’re starting closer to the front than we have our first few races so hopefully it’s a smooth one. We need to score some stage points and be there at the end like we were last year.”

Chase Purdy, No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado
Atlanta Motor Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats

• No prior Camping World Truck starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 3, Best start: 4

Notes:

• New kid on the block: Chase Purdy is set to make his Atlanta Motor Speedway debut this Saturday in the Fr8Auctions 200.
• Chassis history: Purdy and the No. 23 team will compete with chassis No. 306 in Saturday’s race. The 23 team earned a top-10 finish in six of the seven races with this chassis in 2020. This chassis has two victories for GMS at Kansas in October 2020 and Texas in June 2018.
• Crew chief corner: Jeff Hensley rejoins GMS as crew chief for Purdy and the No. 23 team. Hensley has three Camping World Trucks wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway as crew chief. Hensley has 18 Camping World Truck wins in 395 races atop the pit box through 17 seasons in the series. Hensley was previously at GMS in 2016 and served as crew chief for Spencer Gallagher. Quote:

“I’m really excited to go to Atlanta. I’ve never been there before, but it seems like it’s a very multi-groove racetrack with a lot of action. It seems like a fun place to race and I’ve got a lot to learn my first time out on the track. I’ve been relying on a lot of film and what my teammates have to say to prepare.”

Raphael Lessard, No. 24 Richelieu Chevrolet Silverado
Atlanta Motor Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 1, Best start: 19, Best finish: 18

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 3, Best start: 5, Laps led: 17, Stage wins: 2

Notes:

• Sponsor spotlight: Raphael Lessard welcomes Richelieu Hardware as primary sponsor for Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200. Lessard and Richelieu previously partnered in 2020.
• Chassis history: Lessard and the No. 24 team will compete with chassis No. 320 on Saturday in Atlanta. The No. 24 utilized this chassis eight times in 2020 and earned four top-10 finishes including Chase Elliott’s bounty win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Crew chief corner: Chad Walter shifts to the No. 24 Silverado to crew chief for Lessard in 2021. Walter has five wins in 208 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at crew chief and led Tyler Ankrum’s team to a playoff berth in 2020 in his first season as a Camping World Trucks crew chief.

Quote:

“I’m really excited about Atlanta. I had a lot of fun running there last year. As a driver you have some options, you can run the fence or the bottom. It’s really cool, but you’ve got to be careful with your tires. I’m really looking forward to it. We should have a lot of speed with our Richelieu Silverado and it should be a good race.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado
Atlanta Motor Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats

• Starts: 1, Best start: 2, Best finish: 15

2021 Camping World Truck Stats

• Starts: 3, Best start: 11, Laps led: 6

Notes:

• Chassis history: Tyler Ankrum and the No. 26 team will utilize chassis No. 311 on Saturday in Atlanta. Ankrum scored two top-10 finishes in three starts with this in 2020.
• Sponsor spotlight: LiUNA returns as primary sponsor for Ankrum’s No. 26 Chevrolet for Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200.
• Crew chief corner: Charles Denike move to captain the No. 26 crew for Tyler Ankrum in the 2021 season. 2020 marked Denike’s first full-time season as crew chief and produced two memorable wins, with Chase Elliott at Charlotte in May 2020 as well as Sam Mayer’s commanding win of Bristol in September.

Quote:

“GMS has had speed at Atlanta in previous years so I’m excited to see what we can do this weekend. I’m ready to go with Charles (Denike, crew chief) and continue to build our relationship. I’m happy with what he’s been able to do so far with this team and he’s been carrying us through some bad luck the first few races. I’m ready to turn our luck around this weekend. I’ve got one race under my belt at Atlanta and have a better idea of what to expect during the race than I had going into last year’s race with no practice.”

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/.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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

John Hunter Nemechek Camping World Trucks Atlanta Preview (printable)
John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Fr8 Auctions 200, Race 4 of 22, 130 Laps – 30/30/70; 200.02 Miles
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. (1.54-mile quad-oval)
Date/Broadcast: March 20, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ The Facts:

• After capturing the checkered flag at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team return to action Saturday afternoon in the second1.5-mile race of the 2021 season at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After three races, Nemechek sits at the top of the Camping World Trucks championship standings, 14 tallies ahead of Ben Rhodes. The North Carolina native also leads the Camping World Truck Series in stage wins (three), average finish (3.7), laps led (122), driver rating (128) and fastest laps run (41).
• The second-generation driver has made three starts in Camping World Truck Series action at Atlanta, including his victory in the 2016 event. Last season, Nemechek raced at Atlanta in the Camping World Truck Series, where he finished 24th and the NASCAR Cup Series, where he finished in the 23rd position.
• 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 105 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 731 laps led, 30 top-five and 53 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.9. 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. At Atlanta, Phillips has 12 starts in Camping World Trucks competition. In 2014, He has collected six top-fives, six top-10s, and an average finish of 11.7.
• 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 did it mean for you to get back into victory lane at Las Vegas?
“It meant a lot to get back to victory lane. Leaving the Cup series to come back to the trucks. Overall, I felt like Kyle Busch Motorsports was a winning organization. It’s proven to be that way year after year. To be able to have speed like we’ve had and to be able to get to the point where we ended up in victory lane at Las Vegas for the first one of the year in just our third start with a new crew chief, myself getting back into the flow of the truck series, and with Kyle Busch Motorsports, it’s nice to be able to get back. It’s validating. Hopefully we can go check off more wins this year.”

With the victory and stage wins, how will that change the way you and Eric (Phillips) approach the remainder of the season?
“I don’t think we are going to change our plan of attack whatsoever. We are here to win races. #Here4Wins is what we’ve been using since the announcement of myself coming to Kyle Busch Motorsports. Eric and I are on the same page. Kyle, Toyota and all of our partners want to win, and that’s why we’re here. We are going to go try and win everything we can from poles to stages to practice to races. Anything and everything that we can win, we want to.

How does Atlanta compare to the other 1.5-mile tracks? What does it take to be successful there?
“I like Atlanta. Atlanta is a really fun racetrack. The surface is worn out. You slip and slide around. There are multiple grooves. There are multiple lines that you can run. I won there in a truck in 2016. I am looking forward to going back and being competitive. We start on the pole. That’s a good spot to start. I know Kyle starts on the outside in second. Hopefully, we can have a one-two duo again all race long and battle for the win at the end.”

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 105 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 731 laps led, 30 top-five and 53 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-053: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-053 Saturday in Atlanta. Christian Eckes ran the chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September 2020, where he finished in the eighth position.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 566 laps led, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8 across 23 starts at Atlanta. Christopher Bell won the 2017 event while owner-driver Kyle Busch won in 2019.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (81) 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.

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

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Fr8Auctions 200, Race 4 of 22, 130 Laps – 30/30/70; 200.02 Miles
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. (1.54-mile quad-oval)
Date/Broadcast: March 20, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Goes Home:

• Georgia native Chandler Smith will make his first career start on the 1.54-mile quad-oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) in Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200. Smith, who grew up 90 miles north of the speedway in Jasper, Ga., made a name for himself racing Bandoleros on the flat quarter-mile track located on the frontstretch known as the “Thunder Ring.” Smith earned 21 career Bandits Division victories across 40 starts in Atlanta’s Thursday Thunder Series and won three consecutive Bandits Division championships from 2012-2014. In 2014, the racing prodigy won eight consecutive races in the Bandits Division, tying the record set by Joey Logano in 2000. The record has since been broken.
• After three events on the Camping World Truck Series schedule, Smith sits fifth in the championship standings, 60 tallies behind his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate John Hunter Nemechek. His 22 laps led are third in the series and his driver rating of 92.1 ranks sixth. He earned a season-best ninth-place result in the season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The 18-year-old driver leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by 22 points over Carson Hocevar and has won the rookie of the race award in two of the three events this season.
• The Toyota Development Driver has finished inside the top five in eight of his 19 career Camping World Truck Series starts, including a career-best runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2019. Smith 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.
• The talented teenager recorded nine wins, 10 poles and an average finish of 5.3 across 33 ARCA Menards Series starts the last three seasons. He captured the pole in his series debut at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville (Tenn.) in April of 2018 and set an ARCA Menards Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career. He earned his first victory at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in just his fourth series start in June of 2018. Despite running a part-time schedule, he led the series in laps led in both 2018 and 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 XFINITY Series drivers totaled seven wins and 19 poles from 2012 to 2018 and after last season his Truck Series totals stand at eight wins and 13 poles. Stockman’s drivers have recorded two top-10 finishes in three Camping World Truck Series starts at Atlanta, with a best result of sixth with Dillon in 2011.
• Safelite AutoGlass – the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration services – will be the primary sponsor of Smith’s Tundra this weekend at Atlanta and for 15 races total this season. I.T. Consulting St Petersburg LLC, a total IT solutions company with a focus on network infrastructure, is serving as an associate partner on the bedtop of the No. 18 Toyota for Saturday’s 130-lap event.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:

Have you attended a NASCAR race at Atlanta as a fan? If so, what is your favorite memory?
“I’ve attended probably every single NASCAR race at Atlanta ever since I was four years old except for last year due to COVID. I’m really excited to be racing on it. It’s going to be a big deal to me. I was telling my crew chief Danny Stockman about how excited I am to go to Atlanta. It’s going to be a big deal for us, but I don’t really have any favorite memories there.”

After racing on the quarter-mile track as a kid, how cool is it to finally get to race on the big track?
“I’m really excited to get back to Atlanta. The last time I was there was when I was about 12 years old racing on the quarter mile. I’m excited to get out there with my Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra and compete for the win.”

What is your favorite memory of racing on the quarter-mile track?
“I would probably say when the Bandolero Nationals were there. I ended up winning them. It’s probably one of my favorite memories there.”

The surface at Atlanta is worn and tire wear is high. How will your background in super late models help this weekend?
“I think my background in super late model racing is going to help with the old, worn out places I’ve been to. Not only that, wore out, low grip places really fit my driving style. Not only because it is my home track that I’ve had it circled, but because of the track itself.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

• Across 19 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded 115 laps led, eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5.
• 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 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:

KBM-067: The No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass team will unload chassis number KBM-067 for Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 at Atlanta. In its debut, Kyle Busch won last year’s July race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth with this Tundra. Smith piloted it three times in 2020 with a best result of fifth last October at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 566 laps led, eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8 across 23 starts at Atlanta. Owner-driver Kyle Busch led a race-high 92 laps en route to victory in the 2019 event, while Christopher Bell became to the first driver under NASCAR’s new format to sweep all three stages of a race after leading 99 of 130 laps en route to victory from the pole in 2017.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (81) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014.With his victory at Las Vegas, 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).
• The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 21 career victories.