Category: Truck Series PR

Jack Wood: Driver, No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: UNOH 200, Race 20 of 23, 200 Laps- 55/55/90; 106.6 Miles
Location: Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Sept. 14, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Double Shot of Jack at Bristol:

Jack Wood will make his 10th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start of 2023 for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) behind the wheel of the No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet in Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Wood has one prior start at “The Last Great Colosseum,” a 20th-place finish in last year’s race. He also has one ARCA Menards Series race under his belt at the half-mile oval, a 13th-place finish in 2021.

Wood has finished inside the top 10 in two of his nine Truck Series starts this season, including a career-best ninth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Across 44 career Truck Series starts, he has produced four laps led and three top-10 finishes. Last week at Kansas Speedway, he qualified fourth, led one lap and brought home a 16th-place finish.

The California native will be pulling double duty on Thursday night at Bristol as he will also be competing in the ARCA Menards Series race for Rev Racing as part of his limited schedule with the team. Wood has two top-five and five top-10 finishes with an average result of 10.6 across seven ARCA Menards Series starts this season. Across 16 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has recorded three top-five and nine top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.4.

The No. 51 team qualified for the owner’s playoffs after finishing seventh in the regular season owner point standings but did not make it out of the Round of 10. Across 19 starts in 2023, the team has recorded two wins, one pole, 170 laps led, seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. Owner-driver Kyle Busch recorded both of the 51 team’s victories winning the second race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and most recently collecting his organization’s historic 100th win July 22 at Pocono Raceway.

Veteran crew chief Brian Pattie is calling the shots for the No. 51 team this year in his first season at KBM after spending the last 14 seasons atop the pit box in the NASCAR Cup Series. It took the veteran signal caller just two races to get his first win at KBM, winning with owner-driver Kyle Busch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The duo won again in July at Pocono Raceway and collected KBM’s 100th career Truck Series victory. In the Cup Series, his drivers produced six wins, nine poles, 57 top-five and 131 top-10 finishes across 528 starts. The Florida native has also recorded 11 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and now has three wins as a crew chief in the Truck Series. This will be Pattie’s first time calling the shots for a race on the concrete surface at Bristol in the Truck Series. His best result across 28 cup starts at Bristol was fourth with Clint Bowyer in 2012 and equaled by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2018.

Rowdy Manufacturing will serve as the primary sponsor on Wood’s No. 51 Silverado Thursday night. Rowdy Manufacturing offers precision machining of components from concept to completion across all industrial sectors including automotive, aerospace and NASCAR teams. Rowdy Manufacturing builds the chassis that KBM races as well as several other teams in the Truck Series including race-winning organizations Spire Motorsports and Henderson Motorsports. The same attention to detail that has made Rowdy Manufacturing owner Kyle Busch a two-time Cup Series champion goes into every component that comes out of his organization’s Mooresville, N.C. facility. 
Jack Wood, Driver Q&A:

Where does Bristol rank on your list of favorite tracks

“I’ve run there a couple times. It’s a pretty cool venue, it’s tough to race around, it’s tough to pass there. I think our trucks are going to be good. For me, I am just mentally preparing on how I’m going to run up front and what I want to do on restarts. Running both the truck race and ARCA race will be a long day for me running 400 laps. I’m just trying to get prepared to go out and have ourselves a good weekend.”

How beneficial will it be to you to run the ARCA race before the Truck Series race?

“Hopefully it will be very beneficial. I think every time I’ve done it this year it has helped me knock the rust off, especially at a track that I haven’t been to since last year. Hopefully the ARCA car will be good, and we can go out and make laps and run up front the whole race. It’s really just to compliment what we’re doing in the truck and if it can help us just five percent than it’s more than worth it.”

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

“I just want to put together four solid races to end the year on a high note. I think we just need to turn the tide. We’ve shown speed most weeks and there’s just things that have happened that have kept us from reaching our full potential with our finishes — some of it being my own doing and some of them random things that happen like a pit gun breaking in the middle of a stop last week.”

Jack Wood Career Highlights:

• Has produced three top-10 finishes across 44 career starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Posted a series-best ninth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
• Has compiled 14 laps led, three top-five and nine top-10 finishes across 16 career ARCA Menards Series events.
• Has totaled three top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 12 career starts in the ARCA Menards West Series.
• Compiled one top-five and three top-10 finishes across 24 starts in the SRL Spears Southwest Tour from 2017 to 2021.
• Jack Wood’s No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet Silverado RST:

KBM-62: The No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing team will unload KBM-62 for Thursday night’s race at Bristol. In its most recent outing, this Chevrolet finished 18th with Wood behind the wheel at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch has finished second with this chassis twice, earlier this year at Martinsville Speedway and in 2021 at Richmond Raceway.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected four wins, five poles, 628 laps led, 11 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5 across 34 starts at Bristol. Owner-driver Kyle Busch collected the first three of his organization’s victories at the half-mile oval, winning the Craftsman Truck Series race as a part of his historic Bristol Sweeps in 2010 and 2017 and he also won the 2013 event. Chandler Smith picked up the organization’s most recent win in 2022.
• KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). Kyle Busch picked up his organization’s first-ever win at Nashville Superspeedway in April of 2010 and also picked up its 100th Truck Series victory at Pocono Raceway in July of 2023. 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 42 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

It’s the first race of the second round of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs this week at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Zane Smith comes into Thursday night’s race seeded fifth for the second round.

Smith will be in the Speedco colors this weekend with Chevron Delo also on the truck. Chevron Delo is the maker of top performing heavy duty engine oils, coolants, antifreezes, transmission fluids, gear oils, greases and hydraulic oils.

The race is Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1.

COMPETITION NOTES:

Smith is fifth in the playoff standings and is eight points out of first. A win will propel the reigning champion back into the championship race.

Smith will be making his fourth start on the concrete track in the truck series. He best finish is second for FRM just last year.

CREW CHIEF CHRIS LAWSON:

“We know that we need to be a little bit better right now. I like the tracks in this round for us. Bristol, Talladega and Homestead are good tracks for us and we’re going to be ready.”

DRIVER ZANE SMITH:

“It’s always great to have Speedco on the truck and now being joined by Chevron Delo. It seems like we have a lot of success with Speedco.

“For Thursday night, I think we should have a good shot at it. The team has been working really hard, especially on a short week like this, to put in time to have the truck ready. I love that effort.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. 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 CRAFTSMAN 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.

Race Information

• Round: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race no. 20 of 23 (Playoffs Round of 8)
• Track Location: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tennessee
• Race Name: UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics
• Broadcast: Thursday, September 14th at 8:00 PM ET live on FS1 (TV), MRN (Radio), and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90
• Team Entrants:

No. 23 | Grant Enfinger & Jeff Hensley – Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet
No. 24 | Rajah Caruth & Chad Walter – Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet
No. 43 | Daniel Dye & Blake Bainbridge – Champion Container Chevrolet

Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST

Bristol Motor Speedway Stats

• NCTS Starts: 6; Poles: 1 (2020); Best finish: 2nd (2021); Top 5s: 4; Top 10s: 6; Laps led: 57

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 19; Wins: 3 (Kansas I, WWT Raceway, Milwaukee); Poles: 1 (Milwaukee); Stage wins: 3; Top 5s: 7; Top 10s: 10; Laps led: 232; Current points position: 3rd
• About Champion Power Equipment: Since 2003, Champion Power Equipment has earned a reputation for designing and producing the market’s finest power equipment. From our original headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, Champion has expanded its North American footprint to include facilities in Jackson, Tennessee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Toronto Canada. Today, Champion’s product line has expanded to include portable generators, home standby generators, inverter generators, engines, winches and log splitters. With over 2.5 million generators sold in North America, Champion is a market leader in the power equipment field. Visit ChampionPowerEquipment.com for more information.
• Chassis History/Info: Enfinger and the No. 23 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 357 at Bristol on Thursday night. This chassis, which was the newest built by GMS Fabrication, only has one race on its rep sheet. The race? Milwaukee, where he used it to dominate just a few weeks ago. Winning the pole, both stages, and the race win making it a clean sweep, this Silverado RST is a beast, toting 95 laps led out front.
• Bristol Strength: One of the series’ best short track racers, Enfinger has had Bristol circled on his calendar all year long. He says that a win here would be crucial for the entire team, because it gives them the most time to prepare for Phoenix. Out of all current NCTS drivers with multiple starts in “Thunder Valley”, Grant holds the best average finish of 5.2, as well as the best average start of 6.2. Though he hasn’t won before at the track yet, he’s come very close – finishing second in 2021 and fourth in 2017 and 2022.
• Hensley at Bristol: Jeff Hensley has been coming to Bristol for a long time, calling his first race in 1987. Since 2004, he has made 18 total Truck Series starts at the short track, visiting victory lane once before with Mike Skinner in 2005 on top of his pole with Enfinger in 2020. Hensley’s trucks have led 303 laps and finished in the top-10 10 times, with five of those finishes also being top-five results. Jeff has also called 29 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at BMS, with highlights that include a pole award in 1991 and a runner up finish the following year. His Xfinity Series cars have led 122 laps and finished in the top-10 eight times, including three top-five finishes.
• GMS Racing at Bristol: As a whole, GMS Racing as an organization has been very successful at Bristol Motor Speedway. With four Truck Series wins (including 2016 with Ben Kennedy, 2018 with Johnny Sauter, 2019 with Brett Moffitt, and 2020 with Sam Mayer), one ARCA win (2020 with Sam Mayer), and two ARCA East Series wins (sweeping 2019 with Sam Mayer), the team has always been one of the top contenders at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile”.
• FearTheFinger Playoffs Profile: Grant Enfinger enters the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs “Round of 8” seeded third in the points standings. Hoisting three wins this season at Kansas Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway, and the Milwaukee Mile, on top of three stage wins, his total playoffs points count is 24, tied for second highest in the series. Due to a tight points battle, he enters the round only two points above the cutline. The good news for him: he’s ran well in the past at all three of the tracks in this round, and looks to earn his second birth in the Championship 4 at Phoenix.
• From The Drivers Seat: How much pressure, if any, are you putting on yourself in the Round of 8? Which race is going to be the most important to shine in?

“Obviously this Round of 8 is tough, and we have three very different tracks in this round. Our GMS team puts a lot into every race, but we’ve put everything we have into Bristol. It’ll be important to have speed, but it’s just as important to have a truck that you can drive hard every lap. Everything happens so fast at Bristol so you have to be on your game all race long. GMS Racing has had a lot of success at Bristol in the past, and we are hoping to add to that on Thursday.”

• From The Pit Box (Jeff Hensley): What’s going to be the main focus for you as you approach these next three races from a strategy perspective?

“Well, for us the easiest way to get to Phoenix is to win, obviously. That’s always been our main emphasis. I mean yeah, you can point your way in because there’s four spots and only three races, so you’ll only have the three winners, but we want to win. Bristol this weekend, track position will be everything, so we need to go there and be fast. If we can win Bristol, that’ll be a game changer for us through to Phoenix. If we can do that, then we can be even more aggressive at Talladega and Homestead. You’ve got to be aggressive at all three of these racetracks, because winning is the main goal, but you have to be aware of if you can get stage points and good finishes. I’d rather win Bristol though because that way, you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Rajah Caruth, No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet Silverado RST

Bristol Motor Speedway Stats

• Rajah Caruth will compete in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol on Friday night.
• NCTS Starts: 1; Best start: 14th (2022); Best finish: 34th (2022)
• ARCA Starts: 2; Best start: 7th (twice); Best finish: 4th (2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 2

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 19; Best start: 3rd (Nashville); Best finish: 6th (Darlington); Top 10s: 2; Laps led: 1; Current points position: 17th
• About the Wendell Scott Foundation: Founded in 2011, The Wendell Scott Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization inspired by Wendell Scott, Sr. and provides services such as job-skill training, STEM education opportunities, mentoring, and other supportive services to at-risk, underserved youth between the ages of 8-18 years in Danville, Virginia and surrounding areas.

The Foundation’s mission of using educational attainment to end racial disparities in education and health is vital in addressing economic inequality and improving future success in African-American communities. For more information, please visit www.wendellscott.org.

• Chassis History/Info: Caruth and the No. 24 team will race with GMS chassis no. 302 at Bristol. Rajah has driven this truck on three separate occasions this season – Darlington Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. He’s gotten both of his top-10 finishes racing this chassis, and had a shot to make it three for three at Nashville before mechanical gremlins sat him out early. “302” has only raced at Bristol once before, back in 2018 with Justin Haley, who finished sixth with it. Sheldon Creed has one pole (Texas Motor Speedway in 2020) and one race win (Darlington II in 2021) with this truck.
• Kansas Recap: Rajah Caruth gelled well at Kansas in both races this season, showing large amounts of speed in May and September. Last week, he had speed all race long, earning points in stage two with an eighth place finish. Staying on the lead lap all night in a race that saw many trucks go at least one lap down, Rajah was in position to earn his third top-10 finish of the season. However, it was not meant to be, as he got spun on a late race caution, sustaining damage that hindered his finish. The No. 24 team was able to repair it as best as they could, and Rajah was able to rally back to cross the line in 12th place.
• Bristol Experience: Caruth has raced at Bristol three times before, including a Truck Series start from last year, which was cut short following an early crash on lap 40 that resulted in a 34th place finish. He has also competed in two ARCA Menards Series races at BMS, qualifying seventh both times. In 2021, Rajah finished sixth in the ARCA race, and last year, he improved two spots to finish fourth.
• Walter at Bristol: This historic half mile might just be Chad Walter’s best track on the schedule. Walter has made 11 starts as a Crew Chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol, winning twice. His first victory at this track was back in 2006, when he had Kyle Busch as his driver, and he was able to win again with Justin Allgaier in 2010, adding to the total of three top-fives and five top-10 finishes. He has led the team in two Truck Series starts at Bristol, both with GMS Racing drivers, in 2020 where he finished seventh with Tyler Ankrum and 2021 where he finished 12th with Doug Coby.
• Wendell Scott at Bristol: NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Wendell Scott, who’s foundation bares his name on Caruth’s No. 24 Chevrolet, raced at Bristol Motor Speedway 20 times during his NASCAR Cup Series career. Scott drove his way to five top-10 results in ten seasons of racing at BMS, finishing as high as fifth place in 1965. Always known as a tough competitor, Scott was his best on the short tracks.
• Double Duty: For the third time in a row, rookie Rajah Caruth will compete in two races in one weekend. After the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race comes to a close, Rajah plans to stay around an extra night to drive the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro entry for Alpha Prime Racing in Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. He looks to run a total of 500 grueling laps around Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, the most consecutive laps in his career.
• From The Driver’s Seat: Has anyone given you any advice for preparing for a double duty weekend at a physically-demanding track like Bristol?

“Double duty shouldn’t be too much of a challenge this weekend. I prepare just as diligently as I would for any other race weekend, and having had a few doubleheaders under my belt certainly helps. This weekend at Bristol, I feel a really good opportunity is in place for us at a track that both myself and Chad have a great track record at.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Champion Container Chevrolet Silverado RST

Kansas Speedway Stats

• Daniel Dye will make his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at Bristol on Thursday
• ARCA Starts: 2; Best start: 3rd (2021); Best finish: 5th (2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1
• CARS Tour Pro Late Model Starts: 1; Best start: 14th (2020); Best finish: 4th (2020); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 19; Best start: 5th (Milwaukee); Best finish: 11th (Gateway); Laps led: 5; Current points position: 18th
• About Champion Container Corporation: Founded in 1968, Champion Container has evolved into the premier general line packaging container distributor in the Northeast. From our seven strategically based locations we provide packaging container solutions to our valued domestic and international customers.

We serve a diverse customer base in the chemical, flavors and fragrances, paint, cosmetic, food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries. Small, medium, and Fortune 500 companies rely on Champion to deliver quality and service at a competitive price. Our strength, “just in time” shipments, is the value added provided through our own fleet of trucks and significant investment in inventory.

Our knowledgeable sales representatives and customer service associates have the expertise required to provide packaging guidance and solutions for the most unique and demanding projects. Companies rely on us to be their technical source in the ever-changing packaging container landscape. For more information, please visit www.championcontainer.com.

• Chassis History/Info: Dye and the No. 43 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 343 at Bristol on Thursday. Daniel has only raced this chassis three times this season, and has finished in 19th both times with it at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway. Those are the only two races that the chassis has on its build sheet, so it will make its first race in Thunder Valley this weekend.
• Kansas Recap: For the most part, Daniel and the No. 43 team put together a pretty solid outing last weekend in Kansas. Staying on the lead lap throughout the race, Dye was in position to have a top-15 finish before the final pit stop of the evening, where he was caught speeding and had to serve a pass-through penalty under the green. He was credited with a 23rd place finish due to that setback, but the speed was there.
• Bristol Experience: Dye has raced three times at Bristol Motor Speedway before, including two ARCA Menards Series races with GMS Racing and one CARS Tour Pro Late Model race when he was only 16 years old. In his lone CARS Tour start here, Dye finished in fourth place at the prestigious 2020 Short Track US Nationals race. In his first ARCA start, he raced inside the top-five for a considerable amount of the race before a flat tire relegated him to a 12th place finish. Last year in ARCA, Daniel finished in fifth place, one spot behind his future teammate, Caruth.
• Bainbridge at Bristol: No. 43 Crew Chief, Blake Bainbridge, has made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, finishing a best of sixth place in 2005 with Jeremy Mayfield at the helm. His most recent race held in Thunder Valley was back in 2020, where he coached Taylor Gray to a seventh place finish in the ARCA Menards Series race. Blake also has called two ARCA Menards Series East races, and in 2019, he finished second here with Ty Gibbs as his driver.
• News on the Horizon: Following the news that GMS Racing would be coming to a close at the season finale in Phoenix, many fans have questioned where the team’s drivers may end up. Dye has hinted that he has a ride secured for the 2024 season, and also has some other exciting plans to be announced soon regarding this year.
• From the Driver’s Seat: You’ve had the chance to race at Bristol a few times in the past, so do you like this track? What do you think is going to be the most important goal for you on Thursday night?

“I like Bristol for the most part, for sure. Having two ARCA races under my belt is going to be helpful, I also ran fourth there in a Super Late Model as well a couple years ago, so I’ve got quite a few laps around that joint. Just looking forward to getting there with Champion Container on board. It’s their last race with us for this year, and it’s been a pleasure having them at the racetrack. I think one of the most important things will be track position. You hear that about a lot of places on our schedule, but Bristol is so tiny and fast, so we have to make sure that we can turn well enough to get under guys and pass them, but we also have to qualify good and maintain our track position.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Team: No. 45 IEDA / Niece Products of Kansas Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Lawless Alan (Los Angeles, California) | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Lawless Alan: Twitter: @lawlessalan25 | Instagram: @lawless_alan | Facebook: /LawlessAlanRacing | Web: www.lawlessalanracing.com

Start: 34th | Finish: 22nd | Driver Point Standings: 23rd

Alan on Friday’s Race at Kansas: “That wasn’t the way we were hoping tonight’s race would go,” said Lawless Alan. “I appreciate everyone’s hard work – we kept fighting the whole race. We’ll regroup and come back ready for Bristol.”

Race Recap: A mechanical issue in practice left the 45 team making repairs and required Alan to start shotgun on the field due to the unapproved adjustments. Alan and team worked hard to gain track position, but a lack of cautions left little time to regroup and make adjustments. The No. 45 ultimately ended the day in 22nd.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman 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.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com | www.niecemotorsports.com

About AUTOParkit:
AUTOParkit™ designs, manufactures, and constructs fully automated parking systems for new and existing buildings. AUTOParkit system structural steel and modular design can provide double the capacity of a traditional parking garage, providing up to 17 LEED points and drastically reducing construction time.

AUTOParkit automated systems are 40 percent less expensive to operate, safer for the user and reduces carbon emissions associated with parking by more than 80 percent. AUTOParkit’s charging pallets provided by AUTOChargit, are a fast and convenient way of charging EVs and Hybrids. AUTOChargit’s patented technology allows for shuffling charged vehicles cutting infrastructure costs by up to 80 percent.

For more information on AUTOParkit, visit www.autoparkit.com

About AUTOChargit:
AUTOChargit designs, manufactures and installs EV charging systems for automated and conventional parking applications. AUTOChargit can decrease capital expenditures by up to 75 percent by providing automated coupling and decoupling of EV charging stalls from the power source. For conventional parking applications, a single 40-AMP circuit coupled with a single AUTOChargit System can be multiplexed to four, eight, or 12 stalls. Each charging stall is individually metered for the exact tracking of electricity usage. The AUTOParkit Mobile APP provides a touchless experience for the user.

Team: No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar (Portage, Michigan) | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Carson Hocevar: Twitter: @CarsonHocevar | Instagram: @CarsonHocevar | Facebook: /carsonhocevarracing | Web: www.CarsonHocevar.com

Start: 17th | Finish: 6th | Driver Point Standings: 4th

Hocevar on Friday’s Race at Kanas: “I can’t thank everyone enough at Niece Motorsports for building such a fast Worldwide Express Chevrolet,” said Carson Hocevar. “That truck was a rocket. It’s definitely disappointing that we didn’t end the day in Victory Lane, because I feel like we had a truck capable of winning. But, I’m so proud of this team for their hard work and advancing into the ‘Round of 8’. We still have a shot at this championship and that’s our ultimate goal as an organization.”

Race Recap: The No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet lined up 17th to start the 134-Lap race. Hocevar and team felt confident in the speed of the No. 42 Chevrolet, and quickly advanced through traffic in the opening stage of Friday night’s race, collecting stage points in Stage One. Those stage points locked Hocevar into the ‘Round of 8’ in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs. After locking in, the gloves came off and Hocevar made light work of the front of the pack, taking the lead for the first time on Lap 49. Hocevar led a total of 32 laps on the day, before being shuffled back on a late race restart, ultimately finishing sixth.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman 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.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com | www.niecemotorsports.com

About Worldwide Express:
The WWEX group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz, offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 115,000 customers across the country. With access to industry-leading small package, truckload, less-than-truckload and managed transportation solutions, its customers benefit from enhanced visibility and value for their supply chains. The company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS Authorized Reseller® in the U.S., with an annual systemwide revenue nearing $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations. A highly selective carrier portfolio, proprietary technology, unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities provide clients with unmatched options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. The WWEX Racing initiative was borne of a desire to address the complex but underserved logistic needs of the performance motorsports industry, using the unique combination of capabilities offered by the three brands’ combined 80+ years of insight. To learn more about the WWEX Racing program, visit www.wwexracing.com. For media inquiries, contact racing@wwex.com.

Team: No. 41 Unishippers Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Bayley Currey (Driftwood, Texas) | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman Jr.
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Bayley Currey: Twitter: @BayleyCurrey | Instagram: @bayleycurrey05 | Facebook: /bayleycurrey05 | Web: www.bcurrey.com/

Start: 22nd | Finish: 21st | Owner Point Standings: 17th

Currey on Friday’s Race at Kansas: “I don’t feel like we ever really got a chance to show what we had tonight,” said Bayley Currey. “We lost a couple of laps after that early spin and spent the rest of the race trying to get them back. Not the outcome we were looking for, but I’m proud of the fight of everyone on this team and appreciate Worldwide Express and Unishippers for their support.”

Race Recap: Currey and the No 41 team lined up 22nd to start the 134-lap race at Kansas Speedway on Friday night. A spin in Stage One left Currey with four flat tires and forced him to limp his truck to pit road, losing two laps in the process. The team fought hard the remainder of the race to get back on the lead lap, but the cautions did not fall at the right time. Currey ended the night with a 21st-place result.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2023, Niece Motorsports enters its eighth season in the NASCAR Craftsman 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.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com | www.niecemotorsports.com

About Worldwide Express:
The WWEX group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz, offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 115,000 customers across the country. With access to industry-leading small package, truckload, less-than-truckload and managed transportation solutions, its customers benefit from enhanced visibility and value for their supply chains. The company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS Authorized Reseller® in the U.S., with an annual systemwide revenue nearing $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations. A highly selective carrier portfolio, proprietary technology, unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities provide clients with unmatched options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. The WWEX Racing initiative was borne of a desire to address the complex but underserved logistic needs of the performance motorsports industry, using the unique combination of capabilities offered by the three brands’ combined 80+ years of insight. To learn more about the WWEX Racing program, visit www.wwexracing.com. For media inquiries, contact racing@wwex.com.

Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 12TH
FINISH: 17TH
POINTS: 3RD

Post-Race Quote: “Overall, we had a decent Champion Power Equipment Chevy. We just weren’t great. Seemed to struggle a bit for the first five or six laps, and then it would come to life. I’m proud of Jeff for making a gutsy call there at the beginning and getting us off-sequence. And honestly, it played out about as good as it could have. I really thought once we got back on sequence with everybody, we would drive to the front, but we just couldn’t for whatever reason. It was a little free to fire off, and then it would come to me where we would spot them a little too much on the short run. And then, I just screwed up coming down pit road; sped, and that was all she wrote. We ended up finishing 17th, but probably gave up finishing with a shot at a top-five. We probably didn’t quite have a race-winning truck tonight, but definitely it was better than what the driver gave it. All eyes are on Bristol now.”

Rajah Caruth, No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 19TH
FINISH: 12TH
POINTS: 17TH

Post-Race Quote: “Definitely a heartbreaking night with the amazing speed we had in our No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet. Worked back into the top-10 in stage two, had a jack break on the stop. Caught the fence a little bit, then I got the tire clearance and I was ripping the wall. I think we were a good spot there in 10th, well before the caution came out and got caught in the crapshoot there at the end. Definitely frustrating but I’m proud of this No. 24 team. Want to thank all of our partners and Maury Gallagher, Mike Beam, and Ron Booth for this deal. We will just go execute at Bristol next week.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Race To Stop Suicide Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 23RD
FINISH: 23RD
POINTS: 18TH

Post-Race Quote: “We had good speed and got faster all night. Blake and I communicated well and made good changes. Our No. 43 team brought a fast truck, but when I got caught speeding on pit road on the final stop, it put us in a bad spot and took us out of contention to have a good finish. All-in-all, it was great to have the support from Race to Stop Suicide, and we appreciate everybody’s efforts in bringing fast Chevys to the racetrack.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Kansas Lottery 200 | Friday, September 8, 2023

Ford Finishing Results:
5th – Zane Smith
18th – Ty Majeski
25th – Ben Rhodes
28th – Chase Janes
30th – Hailie Deegan
33rd – Matt Crafton
35th – Mason Maggio
36th – Spencer Davis

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 RTA rtatel.com Ford F-150 – HOW NERVE-RACKING WAS THAT FINAL RESTART? “It was a crazy one. I felt like we were in a really good position. I thought the No. 19 was coming with the push there, and he did as I would have. Had the run – three-wide, you get such a massive run when you’re behind two trucks like that. He just got me in a good spot , where he was able to run up the track… and just nowhere [to go]. Fortunately, I didn’t wreck. I shot at it, and I thought we were going to get it. But still, all-in-all, a good day. I felt like our truck was pretty strong. Just not quite fast enough.”

HOW DO YOU ASSESS GOING INTO THE ROUND OF 8 WITH ANOTHER TOP-FIVE PERFORMANCE? “To be honest, I forgot about points there. I was just going for the win. Happy our whole team at FRM and all our partners advance to the Round of 8. It’s a wild round as we know with Bristol, Talladega and Homestead. So, I feel like we’re in a good spot playoff position wise. So, we’ll try to carry some of this momentum into this next round.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Kubota Ford F-150 – “We had some instability in general and as you noticed with the truck all night long, and I’m not quite sure what happened that got us into the wall. But, we ended up having a tire issue, and I have to do some research on that. But, lucky to be into the next round. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, I guess. But, thankful for all our supporters. We let them down a little bit tonight, but we’re going to rebound and be back stronger for the next round.”

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Flex Seal/Menards Ford F-150 – “It just started on the second lap of practice, when they did a half-assed job cleaning the racetrack off of Turn 2. Got in a hurry, and a bunch of people went through there and blew tires – we were one of them. At the end of the day, you have to thank the clean-up crew that didn’t do their job in Turn 4, and then that got us behind. So, we had to bring out a back-up truck. As the driver, I busted my butt trying to make something happen. Trying to get up there and get as many points as we could. That part’s on me – 100 percent on me. The practice still had nothing to do with any of us here. It was just a pathetic job of cleaning up.”

TAYLOR GRAY EARNS CAREER-BEST RUNNER-UP FINISH
Corey Heim moves on to the Round of 8 with his 12th straight top-10 run

KANSAS CITY (September 8, 2023) – Taylor Gray finished second to set a new career-best in the NASCAR Truck Series to lead Toyota at Kansas Speedway on Friday evening.

Corey Heim, who clinched his spot in the Round of 8 at the Milwaukee Mile, continued his strong performance with his 12th straight top-10 finish. The Toyota development driver finished in fourth.

ARCA Menards Series points leader Jesse Love (ninth) scored his second top-10 in as many Truck Series starts, while Jake Drew (11th) set new career-bests in starting position and finishing position in his third series start.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Kansas Speedway
Race 19 of 23 – 134 Laps, 201 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Christian Eckes *
2nd, TAYLOR GRAY
3rd, Matt DiBenedetto*
4th, COREY HEIM
5th, Zane Smith*
7th, STEWART FRIESEN
9th, JESSE LOVE
10th, TYLER ANKRUM
11th, JAKE DREW
15th, DEAN THOMPSON
24th, TIMMY HILL
26th, TANNER GRAY
29th, JUSTIN CARROLL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 17 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 2nd

Can you talk me through that last restart and how chaotic the last few laps were?
“Yeah, first, I can’t thank all of my guys enough at TRICON Garage for bringing me a pretty good JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro – just needed a little bit more to be able to get the 19 (Christian Eckes). It’s disheartening, because on a long run we were faster than the 19. I should have passed him before that first caution came out, when we started having multiple cautions there in the end. But like I said, I can’t thank all of my guys enough for bringing me good JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, just needed a little bit more there at the end.”

COREY HEIM, No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 4th

Can you take me through those last few laps?

“Yeah, I feel like every time we got up front there was a caution. Can’t say enough about our speed tonight. Definitely an improvement from the first Kansas, and we were really fast then. Big thanks to TRICON Garage, Safelite and Toyota Racing for everything they do for me. “

JESSE LOVE, No. 1 HomeSmiles Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 9th

Two top-10s in two truck starts. Can you talk about your day?

“Yeah, I think we made the HomeSmiles Toyota Tundra TRD Pro a lot better. I feel like we were really good all race long. We might have been a top-15 truck at the beginning, and I feel like we were a top-five truck on speed at the end. I just did not a great job today on restarts. I couldn’t restart worth a hell today. I just need to go work and it feels good. I can go to work and get better and work on myself. I’m looking forward to getting to work over the next few weeks, and upping my restart game when there is a lot of cars around me.”

JAKE DREW, No. 61 Cyclum Truck Stops Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Hattori Racing Enterprises

Finishing Position: 11th

Third start, and nearly got your first top-10 on the biggest track you’ve raced at. How was your race?

“Yeah, just continuing to learn the aero games in the Truck Series. It’s been a blast. Super happy with the career-best tonight in qualifying and race finish. Can’t thank all of the guys around me enough on this Cyclum Truck Stops Tundra who have been guiding me through this and teaching me and giving me all of the support to succeed. Looking forward to keep growing and improving every time.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.