Category: Truck Series PR

North Carolina Education Lottery 200 | Charlotte Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 44 FoxNation/The Ruch Life Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Angela Ruch

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Angela_Ruch

Angela Ruch on Racing at Charlotte: “Fresh off of my interview with Tomi Lahren on FoxNation, I have the privilege of competing at my home track, Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Angela Ruch. “I am so thankful for all of those who continue to support me and am excited to be representing ‘No Interruption w/ Tomi Lahren’ on my truck this weekend.”

Ruch at Charlotte: Friday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway marks Ruch’s first at the 1.5-mile track.

This will be Ruch’s third start with Niece Motorsports. The new mom has made four NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts so far this season with a best finish of eighth in Daytona.

On the Truck: The No. 44 Chevrolet will carry The FoxNation colors this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, along with the show banner for No Interruption w/ Tomi Lahren.

The decklid of the No. 44 Chevrolet features Lahren’s book ‘Never Play Dead’, which hits stores July 2.

“I like strong women,” said Lahren. “I like women who don’t take crap from anyone. I like women who not only compete in a man’s world, they excel in it.

“That’s why I like Angela Ruch. I am so thrilled to have my show banner on her truck. That’s what I call girl power!”

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2019, Niece Motorsports enters its fourth season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, with drivers Ross Chastain, Reid Wilson, Timothy Peters, Angela Ruch and Kyle Benjamin. 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.

CONCORD, N.C. – After nearly a seven-week sabbatical, Chad Finley Racing (CFR) returns to NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) competition this week with driver Chad Finley for Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

North Carolina Education Lottery 200 | Charlotte Motor Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 45 TrüNorth™/Paul Jr. Designs Chevrolet Silverado in Honor of Officer Jordan Sheldon
Driver: Ross Chastain
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @RossChastain

Honoring a Hero: The No. 45 Chevrolet will race in honor of K9 Officer Jordan Sheldon of the Mooresville Police Department.  Sheldon tragically lost his life protecting his community on May 4, 2019.  Sheldon, a six-year veteran of the Department, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he earned a degree in criminal justice.  Sheldon joined the Mooresville Police Department in 2013 and in 2015 was appointed to the K-9 unit.  Sheldon is remembered not only for his work as a police officer, but for his charisma, kindness and generosity.

“Niece Motorsports is humbled by the service of our local law enforcement, especially those who have died protecting our community,” said General Manager Cody Efaw.  “As a father, and a proud resident of Mooresville, I’m incredibly grateful for Officer Sheldon’s service to this community.  We are indebted to all our law enforcement officers and hope that this serves as a small gesture of our appreciation for all that they do.”

Ross Chastain on Racing at Charlotte: “I’m still on cloud nine after last week.  This team has worked so hard, so to celebrate a win with them was a dream come true.  I’m excited to get back on track and compete for another win on Friday.

“I’m honored to race this Truck in memory of Officer Jordan Sheldon this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Our police officers, first responders and military are the real heroes, so I hope we can make them proud.”

Chastain at Charlotte: Chastain has three NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with a best finish of ninth in 2013.

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet will carry the TrüNorth™ colors at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  TrüNorth™ is the leading provider of commercial asset related warranty programs and services for dealers, fleets, owner-operators, and commercial finance companies.

The paint scheme that Chastain will run was designed by Paul Teutul, Jr. of Paul Jr. Designs and star of “American Chopper”, in partnership with TrüNorth™.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece.  In 2019, Niece Motorsports enters its fourth season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, with drivers Ross Chastain, Reid Wilson, Timothy Peters, Angela Ruch and Kyle Benjamin.  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.

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
Race: 8 of 23
Event: NC Education Lottery 200 (134 laps, 201 miles)
Entries:
No. 15 Anthony Alfredo
No. 17 Tyler Ankrum
No. 54 Natalie Decker
Schedule:
Friday, May 17
9:05 a.m………..Practice
10:35 a.m……….Final Practice
4:40 p.m…….….Qualifying (FS1)
8:30 p.m………..Race (FS1)
(all times ET)

Anthony Alfredo, No. 15 Steelsmith, Inc Toyota Tundra

Anthony Alfredo is ready to jump back in the No. 15 Toyota Tundra this weekend for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Friday’s 134 lap race will be Alfredo’s fourth NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series start this season.

Even though it will be Alfredo’s first race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he has been able to spend some time on track. Before the race at Texas Motor Speedway, DGR-Crosley went to the track in Charlotte to get some seat time. During the test, Alfredo was able to learn more about 1.5-mile tracks and get some laps under his belt before heading to his third race of the season.

All three of Alfredo’s races have occurred at 1.5-mile tracks this season. He started his Gander Trucks career at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in February where he drove up ten positions to a 17th-place finish. He then went on to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway where he had another top-20 finish. The most recent race for Alfredo was at Texas Motor Speedway where he finished 28th due to an incident on lap 48. Alfredo is excited to strap into his Tundra for his Gander Trucks Series start.

Alfredo on Charlotte: “I’ve been super anxious to get back in the seat since Texas. We had a really fast Toyota Tundra there and didn’t get the result we deserved after an incident early in the race. The speed we had there, and the races before, give me a lot of confidence in our Tundras and our team as a whole heading into the weekend. Charlotte puts on a really good show for the fans and is a really competitive race every year. I’m excited to make my first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway under the lights. I’ve been in the Toyota Simulator and even tested there, so we are looking for a strong finish. We have a new sponsor on the hood this week, Steelsmith, thankful for their support to allow us to race as much as we can this year.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 17 May’s Hawaii Toyota Tundra

Tyler Ankrum is ready to pilot the No. 17 May’s Hawaii Toyota Tundra at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway this weekend for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, where he will make his fifth start of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season.

Friday’s 134 lap race will be the 18-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contenders first start at the track coined as America’s Home for Racing. Earlier this season, Ankrum and his DGR-Crosley teammates were able to test at the 1.5-mile track in Charlotte. Ankrum was able to get more comfortable behind the wheel before heading to his first speedway start at Texas Motor Speedway. He was able to lay down some impressive lap times by the end of the test session.

Ankrum has visited two other 1.5-mile tracks this season with DGR-Crosley. His second race of the 2019 season was at Texas Motor Speedway where he finished sixth. This past weekend at Kansas Speedway, the No. 17 team qualified second and earned an 11th-place finish after an up and down day in Kansas City. Overall this season, Ankrum has two top-10 finishes in four races this season.

Ankrum on Charlotte: “Our goal this weekend in Charlotte is to have a solid weekend without any issues or mistakes. Texas and Dover we were really good for us but we collectively made too many mistakes, so in Charlotte I just really want to focus on cleaning it up and getting a top-five finish. If we all do our job, we’ll be there at the end contending for the win. I know that my DGR-Crosley guys will bring me a fast Tundra, we all just need to do our part so that we put on a good showing and bring home a solid finish.”

Natalie Decker, No. 54 N29 Technologies Toyota Tundra

Natalie Decker and her No. 54 N29 Technologies Toyota team will head to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway this weekend for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

Decker is ready to tackle her first Gander Trucks start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She has raced there once before in the ARCA Menards Series last season where she went on to finish 15th. Earlier this season she had the chance to test her Tundra at the speedway with her DGR-Crosley teammates. Getting more seat time on 1.5-mile tracks has helped teach her how the Tundra will handle in the race.

Friday’s race will be Decker’s sixth start in the Gander Trucks Series this season. Three of those starts were at 1.5-mile tracks, one ending in a top-15 finish. At Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Decker rebounded to a 24th-place finish after spinning due to contact with another truck. She then went on to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway where she moved on to the second round of qualifying and had her season-best finish of 13th-place. This past weekend at Kansas Speedway after an incident on lap 51, Decker was relegated to a 25th-place finish.

Decker on Charlotte: “I’m really excited to race at Charlotte on Friday. There seems to be a lot of excitement around this weekend because it’s a home race for everyone. We tested there a few months ago, and I’ve been working on the simulator to help prepare. My goal for the race is to get a good qualifying lap in, finish all the laps in the race and learn as much as possible. My DGR-Crosley team and I are hoping to get our best finish of the season this weekend in Charlotte.”

Stewart Friesen, No. 52 Halmar International Chevrolet Silverado

Charlotte NGOTS Stats
– Starts: 2
– Best start: 10 (2018)
– Best finish: 6 (2018)

2019 NGOTS Stats

– Starts: 7, Best start: 1, Best finish: 2, Top 5s: 3, Top 10s: 4, Laps Led: 126, Poles : 1, Stage wins: 2

Notes:

– Stewart Friesen and the No. 52 team will utilize chassis No. 311. Friesen competed with this chassis this year at Las Vegas, where he led 20 laps and at Dover, where he qualified fourth.

– Friesen enters the Charlotte race weekend third in points, just 15 points out of first.

– Friesen leads all series regulars in laps led with 126.

Quote:

“I’m ready to get after it this week in Charlotte. Last week was tough but it just makes me that much more motivated to go out there and perform. These 52 guys have been bringing me fast trucks every single week and I can’t thank them enough for everything they do. We’ve been knocking on the door of that first win and we’ll keep pushing until we get there.”

ABOUT HALMAR FRIESEN RACING

Halmar Friesen Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with driver Stewart Friesen. More information can be found at and .

Sheldon Creed, No. 2 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado

Charlotte NGOTS Stats

– Creed is set to make his first start at Charlotte in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

2019 NGOTS Stats

– Starts: 7, Best start: 3, Best finish: 6, Top 10s: 1, Laps led: 92, Stage wins: 1

Notes:

– Although this will be Sheldon Creed’s first Gander Trucks start at Charlotte, he did compete in the 2018 ARCA Series event at the track where he started eighth, finished third and led eight laps.

– Creed and the No. 2 team will utilize chassis No. 308. Creed competed with this chassis at Atlanta this season where he qualified fourth.

– Creed has qualified inside the top 10 in every race this season.

Quote:

“I feel confident going into Charlotte. Our mile and a half program has been so strong this season across our entire organization. We’ve had speed in qualifying every single week and our truck has been a contender, we just haven’t had the finishes to show for it. My team has been working hard all week getting this truck ready and I’m ready to go out there and put together a strong run for them.”

Brett Moffitt, No. 24 Midnight Moon Moonshine Chevrolet Silverado

Charlotte NGOTS Stats
– Starts: 2
– Best start: 6th
– Best Finish: 4th
– Laps Led: 28

2019 NGOTS Stats

– Starts: 7, Best start: 1, Best finish: 2, Top 5s: 4, Top 10s: 5, Laps Led: 125, Stage win: 1

Notes:

– Brett Moffitt enters Charlotte second in points, just 13 points back from the leader.

– The No. 24 team will utilize chassis No. 304. Moffitt competed with this chassis this year at Atlanta and Dover. He qualified first and finished second at Dover. This truck last went to victory lane in Dover in 2018.

– Moffitt ranks second among series regulars in laps led with 125.

Quote:

“Charlotte is always a lot of fun with it being a ‘home’ race for the teams. Our intermediate program has been progressing and we’ve had speed all year, we’re just looking for that perfect execution. We have Midnight Moon Moonshine on our Chevy this week and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to sip some in victory lane.”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with drivers Brett Moffitt and Sheldon Creed, and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with John Hunter Nemechek. The team also expanded their competition to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, as well as in the ARCA Racing Series with Sam Mayer. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 NGOTS Championship and 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.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS)
Kansas Speedway
Race 7 of 23 – 250 miles, 167 laps
May 10, 2019

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Ross Chastain*
2nd, Ben Rhodes*
3rd, TODD GILLILAND
4th, AUSTIN HILL
5th, BRANDON JONES
9th, RILEY HERBST
10th, HARRISON BURTON
11th, TYLER ANKRUM
24th, NATALIE DECKER
29th, BAYLEY CURREY
*non-Toyota driver

Toyota driver Todd Gilliland was the highest finishing Tundra in Friday night’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) race at Kansas Speedway claiming a third-place result.

The finish marked the best for Gilliland to date in the 2019 season.

Kyle Busch Motorsports placed all four of their Toyota Tundras in the top-10 – Gilliland (third), Brandon Jones (fifth), Riley Herbst (ninth) and Harrison Burton (10th).

TOYOTA QUOTES

TODD GILLILAND, No. 4 JBL/SiriusXM Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 3rd

How would you describe your race tonight?

“Uneventful, so that was a good thing. We worked really hard all through practice, got the truck a lot better. Me and my crew chief, Marcus Richmond, really were on the same page all weekend. That’s what it’s all about is putting together just solid weekends like this. We qualified fifth and finished third, that doesn’t sound overly spectacular, but when we have been qualifying in the teens and finishing there too, this is a big difference. Just a big confidence booster and hopefully something we can carry into Charlotte and put our JBL Tundra up front again.”

Was this the type of race you needed to build momentum for your team?

“Absolutely. We’ve really struggled over the last few weeks, but that is what a team is all about. Staying together through everything. It’s definitely the best run we have had in a long time. We just have to try and take this momentum into next week. I think my crew chief and whole team is very excited with the truck we are bringing to Charlotte.”

AUSTIN HILL, No. 16 TRD 40th Anniversary Toyota Tundra, Hattori Racing Enterprises

Finishing Position: 4th

Did you feel you had a truck capable of battling for the win tonight?

“A few guys had some issues – I felt like we had about a sixth or seventh-place truck really. The guys fought hard all day. We fought really loose all race long. The second set of tires got us tight and I just think we had a bad set of tires. Once we put the other set on it was just way too loose after loosening it up, that really hurt us, but I can’t thank TRD enough for coming on board again this weekend and celebrating TRD’s 40th anniversary. It’s really special for them and for me to be able to drive that Tundra. I wanted to put it in victory lane so bad. It just wasn’t in the cards tonight. I can’t thank Shige (Hattori, team owner) and (Mike) Greci (team manager) and everybody back at the shop enough. Really can’t thank Jack (Irving, TRD) and Tyler (Gibbs, TRD) for what they’ve done for me over at Toyota. And tonight, I was racing for Officer Jordan Sheldon. A lot of guys know that he lost his life in Mooresville. I was racing for him tonight and I was wanting to get the win for him and his family, but like I said, it just wasn’t in the cards and we’ll move on to Charlotte. We’re going to keep building. I feel like we have a win under our belt soon, we just have to close it out.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 51 Chigo/Menards Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 5th

How were you able to come back from the early spin to claim and top-five finish?

“I fought loose all night in the truck. We were really tight in practice and I was pretty surprised about that. I just could never get it out of it. I guess we found our limit the first run there. All in all, that’s why you don’t give up in these races. You can always come back to get inside the top-five for the finish and have a shot to get to victory circle. Everybody at KBM kept their heads in the game and looking forward to getting to the next one with these guys.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 46 Monster Energy/Advance Auto Parts Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 9th

How was the race tonight?

“It was definitely a struggle. We had some speed by ourselves, but then once we got in traffic we just stalled out and couldn’t get any front turn in the truck. That was probably the biggest issue. Just overall fighting grip all night long. We just couldn’t find any grip all day since first practice. I don’t really know what it was, but we’ll figure it out. This was a big learning experience for me at an intermediate track and completing all the laps was cool. Just looking forward to the next one.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 18 Safelite Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 10th

How was the race tonight?

“It was not fun. We’re just used to running better than that and we were honestly just terrible tonight. I don’t know why. Just no overall grip. In first practice, I felt really, really good about it and then in second practice it all went away and that was really, really weird. Just could never get it back from that. We tuned on it a ton and it went either way, from tight to loose, but it was just a lack of overall grip. I could have done better on my part, could have had better restarts to take advantage of opportunities and get track position. We just struggled tonight all around as a team. We’ll be back at Charlotte and hopefully get a win.”

Toyota Racing – Natalie Decker
NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS)
Kansas Speedway – May 10, 2019

DGR-Crosley driver Natalie Decker was made available to the media in Kansas:

NATALIE DECKER, No. 54 N29 Technologies LLC Toyota Tundra, DGR-Crosley

How is your familiarity with this track since you have been here in ARCA although it is your first time here in the trucks?

“We’ve been here before so that definitely helps because it is not new to me and it’s not something where I have no idea what to expect. That did help a lot. The truck was super free in the beginning and we were struggling with the handling in the first practice. The second practice we got a lot better. I am excited for qualifying to see what that’s like.”

On a somber note, Officer Sheldon’s life was taken not to far from your shop. Today, you and your teammate (Tyler Ankrum) have a sticker on your trucks honoring him. Talk about what it means to show support.

“Officer Jordan (Sheldon), we have a sticker on the car, right by the post where you get in. I am very happy we get to run that because that was so sad that that happened and it was so close to our shop and it’s just so scary. So things like that happen, it’s really awesome that we get to put it on our truck and show support.”

What’s the advice from the crew chief as we head into qualifying?

“Hold it wide open!”

What is the difference between driving an ARCA car here and driving the Truck?

“It definitely feels a lot different. The body is shaped a lot different so the way the air packs is different. When you race in a pack, it’s a lot different feeling. It’s a lot freer feeling, and also when you are going down the frontstretch going down turn one it punches a way bigger hole when you are behind someone. You get a way bigger draft and a way bigger run in the Trucks than you did in ARCA. So that was definitely different and I had to get used to that. It was good; we got to run with some cars in practice and experience some of that.”

How did the truck feel this morning?

The truck felt really free this morning; it was not feeling that great. We had a lot of front tire chatter; it was doing all kinds of stuff. They worked really hard on it. The last run of the second practice went really, really well.”

Anything that your are working on for qualifying?

“Well, qualifying changed a little bit since we don’t do runs anymore. I hope that clouds come, and there is no sun, and we can just hold it wide open. We didn’t get to do a mock-run in practice, so I am not sure exactly what to expect for qualifying. But I am really excited. We qualified pretty good in Las Vegas; we qualified ninth in the first round and 12th in the second. I am just hoping for a top-15 in qualifying; I would be really happy with that.

What are your expectations for the race?

“Well, we got 13th at the last mile-and-a-half, which was Vegas, so I am hoping we can do better here.”

Have you gotten advice from David (Gilliland, team owner) that has stuck with you?

“Lots of it! Today, just lifting earlier and sooner and getting back in the gas sooner instead of driving it in too deep, and saying ‘Well, I have to lift now.’ and then getting back to the gas. He said, just lift soon, and get back to it soon. I was struggling in one and two, and that really helped.”

Digital Ally 250 | Kansas Speedway Race Advance

Team: No. 45 TrüNorth™/Paul Jr. Designs Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ross Chastain
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @RossChastain

Ross Chastain on Racing at Kansas: “Last week didn’t quite go as planned, but we never gave up and we were able to earn another top-10 finish. We’ve been really strong on the mile-and-a-half tracks to start the season, so I feel very confident that we’ll be able to rebound with a strong result in Kansas.”

Chastain at Kansas: Chastain has two NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) starts at Kansas Speedway, with a best finish of 18th in 2017.

In addition, Chastain has made four NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Kansas Speedway, earning two top-15 and three top-20 finishes.

Chastain also has two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway.

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet will carry the TrüNorth™ colors at Kansas Speedway. TrüNorth™ is the leading provider of commercial asset related warranty programs and services for dealers, fleets, owner-operators, and commercial finance companies.

The paint scheme that Chastain will run was designed by Paul Teutul, Jr. of Paul Jr. Designs and star of “American Chopper”, in partnership with TrüNorth™.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2019, Niece Motorsports enters its fourth season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, with drivers Ross Chastain, Reid Wilson, Timothy Peters, Angela Ruch and Kyle Benjamin. 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.