Category: Truck Series PR

Drew Dollar Camping World Trucks Daytona Preview (printable)
Drew Dollar: Driver, No. 51 JBL® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: NextEra Energy 250, Race 1 of 22, 100 Laps – 20/20/60; 250 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 12, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Data on Dollar:

• Drew Dollar will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 51 JBL Tundra in Friday night’s season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway as part of an eight-race schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in 2021. Dollar showed a knack for superspeedway racing last year in the ARCA Menards Series, winning at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last June and delivering a third-place finish at Daytona last February.
• In addition to Friday night’s race, the other seven races on Dollar’s schedule in the No. 51 Tundra this season will be Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (May 28), Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (June 12), Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (June 18), Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (Sept. 16), Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (Sept. 24), Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 2) and the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway (Nov. 5). Dollar’s Toyota will feature primary sponsorship from Sunbelt Rentals, the premiere rental company in North America; JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound; and another sponsor to be named later this season.
• The Toyota Racing Development driver finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2020 after recording one win, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes across 20 starts. Dollar led 40 laps en route to his lone series victory at Talladega Superspeedway last June. He also finished inside the top 10 in both of his ARCA Menards Series starts in 2019, including a sixth-place finish in his series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. In addition to his part-time Camping World Truck Series schedule this season, he will also run 13 races on the ARCA Menards Series schedule this year.
• Dollar recorded two top-five and seven top-10 finishes with 49 laps led across eight NASAR K&N Pro Series East starts in 2019. He earned his first late model victory at South Boston (Va.) Speedway in June of 2019 and racked up numerous top-five and top-10 finishes that year. The Georgia native began his racing career in Bandoleros at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in 2016 and in 2018 moved up to Legend Cars where he won 20 races across the country and was crowned the INEX Semi-Pro National Points champion.
• The Tundra that Dollar will be piloting on Friday night, KBM-26, is the same truck that Raphael Lessard drove to his first-career Camping World Trucks victory at Talladega last October. Lessard narrowly edged past former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne just before a caution on the final lap ended the race.
• Mardy Lindley begins his first season as a crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Lindley has guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001.
• KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch will make five starts in the No. 51 Cessna Tundra in 2021. Busch will get behind the wheel for the first time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5) and his schedule will also include Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 20), Richmond (Va.) Raceway (April 17), Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (May 1) and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (June 26).

Drew Dollar, Driver Q&A:
Drew Dollar | Daytona Preview
How excited are you for your eight-race schedule with KBM?
“I’m really excited about these eight races that I have coming up. It is a great opportunity with a good team and a team with a lot of history. It’s really the best opportunity that I could ask for. I’m ready to put in the work and get after it this season.”

Do you think superspeedway racing is something that you are going to excel at this year?
“Last year, we were really good in the Camry in the ARCA series. I was comfortable on the tracks. I think our JBL Tundra will be good this season in the trucks. I am looking forward to it. Hopefully, we keep the same pattern going on and end up at the front of the field.”

How have you prepared for Daytona?
“I have been in the simulator for a little bit of everything feeling out the trucks. I have been watching a lot of film from past Daytona races. I have also been in the gym working on the physical and mental stuff because I feel like those are important when showing up at Daytona. I feel confident heading into the season. I think Daytona is a good race to start it off at.”

Drew Dollar Career Highlights:

• Across 22 career ARCA Menards Series starts has one win, 47 laps led, four top-five and 16 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 8.6.
• Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway June 20, 2020.
• Finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2020 after recording one win, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes across 20 starts.
• Recorded two top-five and seven top-10 finishes with 49 laps led across eight NASAR K&N Pro Series East starts in 2019.
• Began his racing career in Bandoleros at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in 2016 and in 2018 moved up to Legend Cars where he won 20 races across the country and was crowned the INEX Semi-Pro National Points champion.

Drew Dollar’s No. 51 JBL Tundra:

KBM-026: The No. 51 JBL team will unload KBM-26 for Friday night’s season-opening event. Raphael Lessard picked up his first-career Camping World Truck Series at Talladega Superspeedway last October in the Tundra’s last outing. In addition to one career win, KBM-26 earned the pole once, with David Gilliland at Talladega in 2018.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected one win, three poles, 102 laps led, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.1 across 28 starts at Daytona. Owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up the team’s lone victory at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in dramatic fashion in the 2014 season opener, finishing .016 seconds ahead of fellow Toyota competitor Timothy Peters.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) 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).
• With 34 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

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

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: NextEra Energy 250, Race 1 of 22, 100 Laps – 20/20/60; 250 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 12, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Goes to Daytona:

• Chandler Smith will begin his first full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series behind the wheel of Kyle Busch Motorsports’ (KBM) No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra in Friday night’s season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The 18-year-old Georgia native will compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in 2021 after competing in a part-time schedule for KBM each of the last two seasons.
• The Toyota Development Driver has finished inside the top five in half of his 16 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.
• Smith’s third-place finish at Talladega last October came in his first-ever start in any series on a superspeedway. He participated in ARCA Menards Series testing at Daytona in 2020, but since he was not 18 yet, he was only allowed to make single-car runs.
• 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.
• Paul Andrews, KBM’s shop foreman, will serve as the interim crew chief for the No. 18 team this week while Danny Stockman serves the final race of a three-race suspension for a wheel that fell off at Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth last year. Andrews is a veteran crew chief who recorded 12 NASCAR Cup Series wins with Alan Kulwicki (five), Geoffrey Bodine (four), Steve Park (two) and Jeremy Mayfield (one). Kulwicki won the 1992 Cup Series championship with Andrews atop the pit box. The Maine native’s best finish at Daytona was a runner-up result with Jeff Burton in the July Cup Series race in 2003.
• Safelite AutoGlass – the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration services – will adorn the hood of Smith’s No. 18 Tundra for 15 events on Camping World Truck Series schedule in 2021. JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, will be the primary sponsor for the No. 18 team next week when teams return to Florida take on the road course at Daytona.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:
Chandler Smith | Daytona Preview
How does it feel to compete full time for a championship?
“It’s a dream come true. Ever since I was a baby, I’ve always dreamed of running full time in one of the top three series of NASCAR. Here I am with a championship-caliber team in Kyle Busch Motorsports and amazing partners like Safelite AutoGlass. I am beyond blessed for the opportunity.”

What will it be like for you running every race in the same series?
“It’s huge. I can actually focus on one series. I’ve been running ARCA part time, super late models part time, and trucks part time all mixed into one schedule. Last year I was here and there focusing on different packages for different cars. Now, I can solely focus on trucks and where we are that given weekend.”

What goals have you set for yourself this season?
“I think the biggest goal for us as a team is getting to Phoenix and being in the top four with the opportunity to win the championship. I feel like we are more than capable of doing it. There should be nothing holding us back from it.”

You ran Talladega last year. What is your take on superspeedway racing? How are you preparing for Daytona?
“I have a funny story about Talladega. It was a blast for one. For two, I have this weird thing that goes on in my head where I have music playing. I was singing to myself going down the backstretch, but I loved it. It was really stressful, but plate racing is fun.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

• Across 16 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded 93 laps led, eight top-five and nine top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3.
• 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-64: The No. 18 Safelite team will unload, KBM-64, for Friday night’s season-opening race at Daytona. It is the same Tundra that Smith piloted to a third-place finish in his first-ever superspeedway race last October at Talladega. Riley Herbst captured the pole, led 21 laps, won the opening stage and finished 12th with it at Daytona last year.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected one win, three poles, 102 laps led, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.1 across 28 starts at Daytona. Owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up the team’s lone victory at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in dramatic fashion in the 2014 season opener, finishing .016 seconds ahead of fellow Toyota competitor Timothy Peters.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) 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. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 21 career victories.

Sheldon Creed, No. 2 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona International Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 2, Best start: 6, Best finish: 9, Laps led: 23

2020 Season Recap
– Starts: 23, Wins: 5, Best start: 1, Best finish; 1, Top 5s: 9, Top 10s: 13, Laps led: 587, Stage wins: 11

Notes:

– Sheldon Creed returns for his third full-time season with GMS Racing. The 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion earned five wins, nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes and led 587 laps en route to his first title.

– The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers joins Creed as primary sponsor for Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

– Creed and the No. 2 team will compete with chassis No. 053 this week in Daytona. Creed has competed with this chassis four times in his time with GMS and has two top-10 finishes and 53 laps led in those starts. This chassis has been to victory lane twice, including a win from the pole at Daytona in 2017.

– In addition to his two Camping World Trucks starts, Creed has one ARCA Menards series start at the track in 2018 where he led 35 laps en route to a third-place finish.

– 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 ready for Daytona. I feel like we’ve always had fast trucks and we’re always up front, but then disaster strikes in the last few laps for me. We’re just going to try to stay out of trouble all night and give ourselves a shot at the end for a win.”

Zane Smith, No. 21 Michael Roberts Construction Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona International Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 6, Best finish: 11

2020 Season Recap
– Starts: 23, Wins: 2, Best start: 1, Best finish: 1, Top 5s: 7, Top 10s: 13, Laps led: 376, Stage wins: 6

Notes:

– Zane Smith returns for his sophomore season with GMS Racing in the No. 21 Silverado. Smith earned Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors and was voted Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2020. Smith had an impressive rookie season with two wins, seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes with 376 laps led en route to a runner-up finish in the championship standings.

– Returning parter Michael Roberts Construction will be featured on Smith’s Silverado in Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

– Smith and the No. 21 team will compete with chassis No. 134 this weekend in Daytona. Smith competed twice with this chassis in 2020 with a best finish of 11th at Daytona in February.

– In addition to his Camping World Trucks start at the track, Smith has one ARCA Menards Series start at Daytona International Speedway in 2018 where he qualified second and led 24 laps.

– 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:

“It feels good to be back with the same team we had last year. I feel like I’ve never worked so hard in the off season preparing myself for a year. I’ve been doing a lot of iRacing stuff with the Chevy group and my spotter to knock the rust off and prepare. Hopefully we can improve on last year and stay out of trouble to give ourselves a shot at the win.”

Chase Purdy, No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona International Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats
– No prior Camping World Trucks starts at Daytona International Speedway.

2020 Season Recap
– Starts: 7 Best start: 1, Best finish: 10

Notes:

– Chase Purdy is set to compete in his first full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season with GMS Racing in the No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado. Purdy ran a partial season for GMS in the No. 24 in 2020 and earned one top-10 and three top-15 finishes in seven starts.

– Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based company Bama Buggies will sponsor Purdy at the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

– Purdy and the No. 23 team will compete with chassis No. 129 this weekend in Daytona. This chassis has three top-10 finishes in seven starts including a win at Daytona in 2018.

– Purdy has one ARCA Menards Series start at Daytona in 2018 where he qualified third.

– Jeff Hensley rejoins GMS as crew chief for Purdy and the No. 23 team. 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 excited to get the season kicked off in Daytona. It’s been a long off season and I’ve done a lot of preparing for this race. We just need to keep the nose clean, avoid the big one and make no mistakes and try to be there at the end to go after a win.”

Raphael Lessard, No. 24 CANAC Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona International Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 8, Best finish: 20

2020 Season Recap
– Starts: 23, Wins: 1, Best start: 5, Best finish: 1, Top 5s: 4, Top 10s: 7, Laps led: 20

Notes:

– Raphael Lessard will pilot the No. 24 Silverado for his sophomore season and his first season with GMS Racing. Lessard earned his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway and earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 2020.

– CANAC, an independent hardware and construction materials chain from the Quebec City region, will sponsor Lessard for Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

– Lessard and the No. 24 team will compete with chassis No. 127 on Friday. This chassis has raced six times for the organization and has four top-10 finishes.

– 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 excited to get to work with a new team with GMS and Chevrolet. I’m ready to go. There’s going to be an adaptation with my new crew chief and my new spotter. We’re just going to have to get used to working with each other and see what we all like. I feel like they want to win and I do too. There’s a little bit of confidence from my win at Talladega, but I still have a lot to learn. Daytona will be my third start on a superspeedway.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona International Speedway Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 7

2020 Season Recap
– Starts: 23, Best start: 2, Best finish: 2, Top 5s: 3, Top 10s: 10, Laps led: 54, Stage wins: 1

Notes:

– Tyler Ankrum returns for his second full-time season with GMS Racing in the No. 26 Silverado. In 2020, Ankrum qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season and finished the season with three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes and led 54 laps.

– LiUNA returns as primary sponsor for Ankrum’s No. 26 Chevrolet for Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

– Ankrum and the No. 26 team will utilize chassis No. 133 at Daytona. Ankrum competed with this chassis at both superspeedway races in 2020 with a best finish of 16th at Talladega in October.

– 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:

“I’m excited to get the season started. I feel confident heading into a second full-time season with the same team, but also for the opportunity to work with a new crew chief. Last year was a learning year for me and I feel like I’m where I need to be to go out and win races and compete. Last year at Daytona we did a pretty good job of staying out of trouble for most of the race, but got caught up in something towards the end. Hopefully this year we can improve on that and have a shot at the win.”

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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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 9, 2021) – NASCAR Truck Series Champion James Buescher will again return to Niece Motorsports in 2021. Buescher will race the No. 44 FHE/GR Energy Services Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway.

“I’m very thankful for another great opportunity for me to get behind the wheel of a Niece Motorsports Silverado, especially at Daytona,” said Buescher. “Being away from the sport for over five years heading to Texas last fall, I went in with realistic expectations. I was able to knock the rust off and accomplish my goals. I am looking forward to kicking the season off with a great team like Niece Motorsports and if all goes well, we’ll find ourselves fighting for the checkered flag with our FHE, GR Energy Services Chevy Silverado.”

The Texas native has five Truck Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, with his best finish of ninth coming in 2011.

Buescher will race with support from FHE and GR Energy Services. The FracLock system, manufactured by FHE, is a combination of new technologies that makes well sites safer, more efficient, and lowers the cost of operations. This innovation redefines frac.

GR Energy Services is a completions solutions company offering cased hole wireline logging and perforating services to the oil and gas industry. Using GR’s industry leading proprietary ZIP Intervention Platform technology, customers are increasing the efficiency of their operations, lowering overall costs, and increasing the profitability of their wells. Through innovation and collaboration, GR is committed safely deliver a more profitable well.

“We’re excited to have James back with our Niece Motorsports team at Daytona,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager Cody Efaw. “James has a lot of experience in these trucks, especially at Daytona. We are ready to get this season started. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into building these superspeedway trucks. Our team has been working nonstop this offseason. We’re ready to get on track and get the season started.”

Buescher, the 2012 Truck Series Champion, has 120 Truck Series starts, with his most recent coming last season at Texas Motor Speedway. In those 120 starts, Buescher has six wins, five poles and 31 top-five finishes. In addition, Buescher has 62 top-10 finishes and has led 962 laps.

In 2015, Buescher made the move from being a full-time NASCAR driver to becoming a success REALTOR® in the Houston, Texas market, where he and his wife, Kris, currently operate The Buescher Group at Compass Real Estate.

Buescher will take the green flag at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 12 at 7:30 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.

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: With the start of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season days away, Young’s Motorsports has announced the completion of their organizational changes ahead of Friday’s season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2021.

Young’s Motorsports has tapped Eddie Troconis to serve as crew chief of the team’s flagship No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado to be driven this year by Rookie of the Year candidate Kris Wright.

Troconis arrives at Young’s Motorsports with a lengthy resume of NASCAR competition, including several years as a crew chief in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Additionally, Troconis brings an engineering background to the forefront which will be beneficial as the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization returns to a three-truck operation this season.

“I’m happy to be at Young’s Motorsports this season,” said Troconis. “I’ve known Tyler (Young) for several years, having the opportunity to interact with him at the race track and I’ve always admired his work ethic to keep Young’s Motorsports a competitive and successful NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operation.

“I am looking forward to getting to Daytona with Kris (Wright) next weekend and getting our season started off with some momentum, not only for our No. 02 team, but the other two teams too.”

Additionally, Young’s Motorsports announced last week that Ryan “Pickle” London will return to the team and serve as crew chief of the No. 12 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet driven by sophomore pilot Tate Fogleman.

London has prior leadership experience at Young’s Motorsports serving in the crew chief role of the No. 12 Young’s Motorsports truck during the second half of the 2019 NCWTS season.

With a flux of personnel changes during the off-season complete, Young’s Motorsports also successfully launched their ARCA Menards Series program which will make its series debut in the Feb. 13 running of the Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire.

The team announced recently that 19-time female United States Auto Club (USAC) winner Toni Breidinger will pilot the team’s No. 02 Chevrolet at the “World Center of Racing” in her fourth career ARCA Menards Series start, but first at Daytona’s 2.5-mile-high banks.

London will call the shots for 21-year-old Breidinger.

“It is shaping up to be a very fun year at Young’s Motorsports,” said team principal Tyler Young. “With that fun though comes responsibility and dedication and I believe the people that we have put in place from top to bottom will allow us to have a competitive season in both the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“Eddie brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership and will be influential in helping build a successful brigade with Pickle and Joe (Lax, crew chief of the No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet). Hopefully, Daytona treats us well and will be a sign of what is to come for our teams this year.”

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps | 250 miles) is the first of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs, Feb. 11 from 5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., Feb. 12 beginning at 3:10 p.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

The Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Fri., Feb. 12 with a one-hour session from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Group qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 13 at 8:30 a.m. The season-opener for the 69th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports) and follow on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

National service center for the trucking industry partners with Todd Gilliland for second consecutive season

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 8, 2021) – Speedco, a national network of service locations for the trucking industry, will rejoin Todd Gilliland for the second consecutive year as a primary partner aboard the No. 38 Ford F-150. Speedco will be the primary partner for a total of eight races throughout the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, while also serving as a season-long associate partner.

The nation’s largest preventive maintenance and total truck care network will be the primary partner for Gilliland in the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener on Feb. 12 at the Daytona International Speedway, as well as for both races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 7 and Sept. 26; the Bristol dirt race on March 28; the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on May 23; the Bristol night race on Sept. 18; the Talladega Superspeedway race on Oct. 3 and the Martinsville Speedway race on Oct. 31.

The partnership with Front Row Motorsports and Todd Gilliland gives Speedco’s parent company, Love’s Travel Stops, multiple opportunities to capture the checkered flag at the Daytona International Speedway as Love’s will be the primary partner of Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Ford Mustang in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500.

Speedco has been part of the Love’s Family of Companies since 2017. Love’s has over 400 truck service centers, which include Speedco and Love’s Truck Care locations, and provides oil changes, preventive maintenance, inspection services and tire offerings for commercial truck drivers. The network has more than 1,500 maintenance bays and the most comprehensive, roadside coverage in the country.

“In racing, timing is everything,” said Front Row Motorsports Owner, Bob Jenkins. “There’s a profound importance that we put on getting our race haulers to the track on time each week and it’s a big relief to know that the Love’s Truck Care and Speedco roadside technicians are always there to help us out whenever we might need it.”

In 2020, Gilliland secured his first NASCAR Truck Series playoff berth and would go on to close out the season 10th in the overall points standings, with a total of six top-10 and two top-5 finishes.

“It’s really special to be partnered with Speedco for the second year in a row,” said Gilliland. “Last season, we shared success right out of the gate with a top-10 finish in our first race together, before going on to make the Truck Series playoffs. I’m eager to pick up right where we left off and continue to deliver more successful results for Speedco this season.”

The No. 38 Speedco Ford F-150 will first hit the track for practice on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 p.m. ET, airing live on FS1. The NextEra Energy 250 is scheduled to run on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET and will also air live on FS1.

For more information about Speedco, please visit loves.com. You can also follow Speedco on social media: Twitter at @SpeedcoPM, Facebook at @SpeedcoPM and Instagram at @Speedcopm.

About Love’s Travel Stops and Speedco

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is the nation’s leading travel stop network with more than 540 locations in 41 states. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 29,000 people. Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, fresh coffee, restaurant offerings and more. Love’s has over 400 truck service centers, which include Speedco and Love’s Truck Care locations. Love’s and Speedco combined is the largest oil change, preventive maintenance and total truck care nationwide network. Love’s is committed to providing customers with “Clean Places, Friendly Faces” at every stop. To learn more, visit loves.com.

About Front Row Motorsports

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

Concord, NC (February 5, 2021) – WML Enterprises, a specialty construction company based out of northern Virginia has been announced as a primary sponsor for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Spencer Boyd in 2021.

“I’m proud to bring on another Veteran owned company to our sponsor lineup this year,” remarked Spencer Boyd. “It is truly awesome that I get to represent the hard-working team over at WML. They have a motto ‘Always Strive for Better Work’ and that means more to me this year than ever before. In my third year with Youngs (Motorsports), we have circled more tracks to improve at and I simply couldn’t do that without the support of my partners.”

WML Enterprises is a veteran-owned specialty contractor offering comprehensive residential, commercial, and government demolition, landscaping and site preparation services. They combine passion for good old American dirt, trucks and tractors with a healthy appreciation for technology. The logo pays homage in shape and design to many squadron patches that are used throughout the Air Force from the WWII era to present day operations.

“WML is named for my grandfather, a police officer, a volunteer firefighter, businessman and father of four,” noted Corey Lockhart, founder, President, and 4th generation entrepreneur from northern Virginia. “We wanted to partner with Spencer because of his focus on family, veterans, and all people that work with their hands. I’m personally looking forward to having Spencer out to one of our jobsites so he can knock some stuff down, safely of course!”

The company’s mission is to quickly, safely and responsibly complete our tasks – no matter the size or scope. “With NASCAR’s commitment to safety, on the track with constant innovation and at every level of our sport during this COVID-19 pandemic, there isn’t a better match for this partnership,” said Boyd of WML.

WML Enterprises will highlight their partnership by being the primary sponsor at the April 17 race at Richmond Raceway right in their backyard. Quite appropriately, a wrecking ball will be the highlight of the No. 20 WML Enterprises Chevrolet Silverado.

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Young’s Motorsports announced today that female sensation Toni Breidinger has joined the organization to compete in a limited ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) schedule beginning with the 2021 ARCA season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 13., 2021.

Breidinger, a native of Hillsborough, Calif. will make her first ARCA Menards Series start since 2018 where she competed in three races, earning a career-best 10th place finish in her series’ debut at Madison (Wisc.) International Speedway.

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity to continue the next steps of my racing career with Young’s Motorsports,” said Breidinger.

“It’s going to be a busy year of competition in ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but I feel like the program that we have assembled at Young’s Motorsports will be influential in completing our goals and setting the path for the future.”

When Breidinger makes her Truck Series debut in 2021, she will become the first-ever Arabic-American female driver to participate in any NASCAR national series, a major step forward in the direction of progress as well as an inspiration for young women around the globe.

“Daytona is going to be the biggest race of my career, but I’m ready for it,” added Breidinger who participated in the open ARCA test with Young’s Motorsports at Daytona last month. “It’s going to be a competitive race, but I know that the Young’s Motorsports team will prepare me a fast race car and we can contend for a top-10 finish. That is our goal, a top-10 finish.”

A record 19-time female USAC winner, Breidinger shifted her attention from dirt to asphalt and most recently finished fourth in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series in 2020 with DLP Motorsports.

Through her unprecedented success, Breidinger has accumulated over 1 million social media followers across several platforms and has partnered up with several brands including, Head and Shoulders, Sunny D, Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS, Tory Burch, Sparco and Bell Helmets.

Additionally, she has attracted attention from the media being featured exclusively in Paper Magazine, Flaunt Magazine and ESPN.

“We are thrilled to add Toni Breidinger to our Young’s Motorsports portfolio in 2021,” said Young’s Motorsports team principal Tyler Young. “She is not only motivated but determined to make her season a successful one. We know that she can go to Daytona next week and be competitive and contend to become the first ARCA Menards Series national series female winner.”

A detailed schedule for Breidinger aboard the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet ARCA car and No. 82 Chevrolet Silverado NASCAR Camping World Truck Series truck will be announced at a later date.

The Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps | 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Fri., Feb. 12 with a one-hour session from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Group qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Feb. 13 at 8:30 a.m. The season-opener for the 69th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.

For more on Toni Breidinger, please visit, tonibreidinger.com, like her on Facebook (tonibreidingerracing) and follow on Instagram (tonibreidinger) and Twitter (@tonibreidinger).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports) and follow on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Toyota Racing Statement from Paul Doleshal, Group Manager for Motorsports, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA)

“We’re all looking forward to kicking off the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season as we welcome ThorSport Racing back to the Toyota Racing family. This is a great team with an impressive line-up of drivers. Our previous relationship yielded success in the form of race wins and two driver championships for Matt Crafton. We’re looking forward to working with the team again and adding to our accolades together as we focus in on contending for Toyota’s 12th Truck Series manufacturer’s title.”

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.