Category: Truck Series PR

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
TSport 200 Qualifying | Friday, August 11, 2023

Ford Qualifying Results:

2nd – Ty Majeski
8th – Zane Smith
13th – Matt Crafton
18th – Conner Jones
21st – Ben Rhodes
25th – Hailie Deegan
26th – Logan Bearden

TY MAJESKI, No. 98 Road Ranger Ford F-150 – “I think we’re okay. The track is going to change a lot tonight. It’s a lot slower than last year. So, we had to make a lot of changes in about 15 minutes, trying to get the balance where we wanted it. Overall, we should have a good Road Ranger Ford F-150 for tonight.”

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Boot Barn Ford F-150 – “It was definitely an improvement from where we were last year. I feel like we chased it a little bit in practice and then in qualifying, we were really bad. Plus, it’s tough at short tracks in general… I feel like anywhere we go, but especially worn-out short tracks like this where you have one racetrack in the daytime and then when we race at nine o’clock tonight, it’s something way different. It’s really hard finding a balance with that, but Chris Lawson does a great job with knowing where too much is too much and when we should probably leave it alone. I feel like we’re in that area where we’ll be alright for tonight. Like I said, it’s definitely an improvement from where we qualified last year. My night is already easier.”

WHAT KIND OF RACING DO YOU EXPECT WITH COOLER TRACK TEMPERATURES? “I think there will be more grip overall – or at least I hope. I think that’s what we’re sort of struggling with right now. Last year, we had that. We were really loose – ten times as loose as we are now – but then in the race we were all good. Excited to see what we have tonight in our Boot Barn Ford F-150.”

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Generac/Menards Ford F-150 – “It wasn’t really what we wanted. I tried something on the first lap – didn’t work. Not many people were picking up on the second lap, and we picked up a tenth and a half on the second. So, I screwed up on the first one, just trying something different. But, we have a very good race truck. We buried ourselves a little deeper than we should have, but all-in-all, we’ll be alright.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Young’s Motorsports and Greg Van Alst Motorsports confirmed today that Daytona ARCA Menards Series winner Greg Van Alst will pilot the team’s No. 20 Chevrolet entry for the remainder of the 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series season beginning with Friday night’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (LOIRP).

A veteran of the short track scene, the Anderson, Ind. native will carry support from CB Fabricating for a minimum of five of the seven remaining races, including Van Alst’s hometown race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on August 11, 2023.

Headquartered in Anderson, Ind., CB Fabricating offers a complete list of fabricating from design, laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, welding, powder coating and assembly.

Their 40,000-square-foot facility allows them to service the needs of many different industries. Everything from the Automotive, agricultural, aquatic, medical, transportation, electrical enclosures and much more.

“I am very appreciative of this opportunity with Young’s Motorsports,” said Van Alst. “I have been weighing our options on what path to take for the remainder of the 2023 season and when Tyler and I chatted, the pairing made sense.

“I know he holds a lot of the same values and expectations that I have being a racing veteran but also a new face on the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series tour. I think we can put together some strong finishes that could lead to more for next season.

“I am ready to get started at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park this weekend in our No. 20 CB Fabricating Chevrolet Silverado!”

Van Alst, 42, has 36 ARCA Menards Series starts to his resume, including his popular Daytona win, three top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. In five ARCA races this season, he earned one win, one top-five and three top-10 finishes.

Before transitioning to Young’s Motorsports, Van Alst, the 2019 ARCA | CRA Super Series champion recently competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Alpha Prime Racing competing at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway respectively.

“I am thrilled to welcome Greg to the Young’s Motorsports family,” offered Young’s Motorsports team principal Tyler Young. “I have watched Greg for several years now and his determination and passion is going to be a great asset to our organization over the next three months.

“With his experience and background, we feel he can bring a lot to the table and help us not only evaluate our Truck Series program – but also offer a good trajectory for improvements for the 2024 season.

“We are definitely looking forward to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and the remaining six races thereafter. With Greg’s ability and craft behind the wheel, I know we’re in good hands.”

In addition to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Van Alst will return to the ARCA Menards Series tour and compete in Friday’s Truck Series preamble, the Reese’s 200 slated to roll off at 6:00 p.m. ET.

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).

For more on Greg Van Alst and Greg Van Alst Motorsports, please visit GregVanAlst.com, like them on Facebook (Van Alst Motorsports) and follow him on Twitter (@GregVanAlst35).

For more on CB Fabricating, please visit CBFabricating.com and like them on Facebook (CB Fabricating).

The TSport 200 (200 laps | 137.2 miles) is the 17th of 23 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Fri, Aug. 11 from 3:30 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Qualifying follows at 4:05 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 9:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

LANDEN LEWIS IS BACK WITH ROPER RACING IN THE #04 CARQUEST CHEVROLET AT L.I.R.P.

Mooresville, NC (August 8th, 2023) – Roper Racing once again is handing over the wheel to ARCA West Series regular, Landen Lewis. Lewis made a run with the team last month at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and was struck with bad weather dampening his NASCAR Truck Series debut. The series rookie survived the run in the rain and as the sun came out found time to learn and progress. “Yes, the weather conditions may have hindered my debut and made things a little difficult,” Lewis said. “However, it was a great learning experience, and I was glad to run inside the top 15 for most of the race. Unfortunately, the results didn’t reflect our good performance. I am looking forward to hopefully having better weather conditions at LIRP and capitalizing on a strong run.” Landen’s crew chief Bruce Cook added, “There’s a lot of hard braking, and steering input at LIRP, as a young driver with Landen’s ability to know how much speed to carry through a corner with brakes and momentum is very good. I feel LIRP is a track Landen and his style should exceed at.” Landen commented, “Yes, I believe the short track runs in the ARCA West car will likely help me in the Truck race at Indy. The truck’s definitely drive differently but I believe the short track racing experience will help.”

A rookie driver yet far from a rookie team. Roper Racing has concreted themselves into the series with success and remains competitive. Putting together a program to work with a young driver like Landen is an amazing feat and what keeps the series and sport growing. “I was 40 years old before I had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of these trucks,” said team owner Cory Roper. He continued, “I had to build a career and a few successful companies to give myself and my family this opportunity to be a part of this great sport we all love. I always knew this was the path Roper Racing was going to take, to be able to give young talent the opportunity we as a family just didn’t have. CarQuest came onboard with us about a year after we started in the truck series and they have been a wonderful partner in this dream for me and my family. Landen now has the opportunity because of what he has accomplished in his young career and I’m looking forward to watching him grow and blessed to be able to give him the opportunity. And with Landen’s family owning a CarQuest store and passed down for a couple of generations, just completes the circle.”

The fourth generation driver is humbled and filled with gratitude. “First and foremost, I would like to thank Cory, Craig, and the entire Roper family for giving me this opportunity.” Landen continued, “I also want to thank Bruce Cook for recommending me for this chance to drive for the Roper family. And a special thanks to CARQuest for supporting this opportunity and allowing me to represent their colors.”

Race details:
Date: Friday, Aug 11th, 9:00 PM ET – 6:00 PM PT
Track: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
Televised on: FS1

Roper Racing –

For more information about Roper Racing, please visit: www.roperracingteam.com

Landen Lewis –

For more information about Landen Lewis visit: www.LandenLewis.com

Indianapolis Raceway Park Preview
Aug. 11 | 9:00pm ET | FS1 – MRN – SiriusXM

Indianapolis Raceway Park Stats

• Daniel Dye will make his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at IRP on Friday night.
• ARCA Starts: 1; Best start: 6th; Best finish: 4th (2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1

About Bettenhausen Automotive: Bettenhausen Automotive, a family-owned dealership with over 60 years of commitment to Chicagoland, is known for its welcoming and hassle-free environment. Their non-commissioned staff has helped them become the “One Price” Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram FIAT dealership since 1992, emphasizing a unique service level. After completing a significant renovation in spring 2017, they now offer a state-of-the-art showroom, offices, and car service center with more space and five additional service bays. These improvements reflect their mission to provide the most customer-friendly dealership experience in the area. Visit www.BettenhausenAuto.com to explore their latest deals and services.

Gary Bettenhausen Tribute: Daniel will make local Indiana race fans proud by paying homage to legendary USAC competitor, Gary Bettenhausen, with a paint scheme that resembles his 1983 championship-winning Silver Crown car. The legendary driver was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993 as well as the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998. Dye will host several members of the Bettenhausen family, who currently own and operate the Chicagoland-based automotive dealership, as honorary guests of the team.

Chassis History/Info: Dye and the No. 43 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 335 at IRP, the same truck that just raced last time out. Used primarily as a short track truck, Dye has raced this chassis at Martinsville Speedway (31st due to a late-race spin), North Wilkesboro Speedway (14th), and Richmond Raceway (21st). This chassis has yet to compete at Indy during its tenure with the organization since the truck was built in 2021.

Bainbridge at IRP: Blake Bainbridge has two starts as a Crew Chief at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. His first start came in the 2005 NASCAR Xfinity Series race where he worked alongside Mike Wallace, who finished 10th in that race. Fifteen years later in 2020, Bainbridge called the shots for Taylor Gray in the ARCA Menards Series, who had a strong run finishing in the fourth position.

Richmond Recap: Though the finishing result wasn’t quite what Dye had been looking for in the previous race at Richmond Raceway, he was able to run a smooth race and bring home the No. 43 Chevy clean, a tough feat at a short track. Daniel qualified in the 18th position and ran inside the top-20 for a long period in the race before he endured a drive-through penalty on the final pit stop of the night. Since the penalty came under green, he lost a lot of ground, but was able to finish in the 21st position.

ARCA Short Track Record: IRP was a track that Dye ran well at last season driving for GMS Racing in the ARCA Menards Series. In his one prior start at this track, he started sixth and finished fourth. Dye typically excelled at short tracks during his ARCA tenure, winning at Berlin in 2021, and posting six top-fives and eight top-10 finishes in 12 total starts at tracks under a mile in length.

From the Driver’s Seat: Does having a strong finish at this track last year give you an extra boost of confidence heading back to IRP?

“We were pretty fast last year at IRP in the ARCA race. The GMS guys brought us a really fast car, but it was a tricky place to figure out. As the race went on, I figured out how to pass other drivers as we had to kind of come up through the field from where we started. So I’m looking forward to getting back there knowing what I know now. It’s going to be cool to go there with Bettenhausen Automotive and have them on our truck with that cool sprint car throwback paint scheme. Hopefully we can have a good run; the trucks are a bit different than the ARCA cars, so they’ll probably turn a little bit better than how we were last year. Just got to be ready for that and make sure we can finish it off with a good result. Our speed has been building over the last couple of months, but we have to make sure that we can put it all together and finish the race where we run. It’s all going to be about building on it little by little, and continuing to improve on how we unload.”

About Race to Stop Suicide

Race to Stop Suicide, a non-profit organization co-founded by Daniel and Randy Dye, is passionately dedicated to creating awareness, removing stigma, and normalizing the conversation surrounding suicide. By providing entry-level education on identifying symptoms and knowing how to check up on loved ones, they aim to empower individuals to make a difference. The organization also ensures that people have convenient access to crucial resources such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and 988. To learn more about Race to Stop Suicide and join their vital cause, please visit their website at www.racetostopsuicide.com.

Jack Wood: Driver, No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: TSport 200, Race 17 of 23, 200 laps – 60/60/80; 137.2 Miles
Location: Lucas Oil Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park (IRP) (0.686-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Aug. 11, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Get to Know Jack:

Jack Wood will make his eighth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start of 2023 for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) behind the wheel of the No. 51 Rowdy Manufacturing Chevrolet in Friday’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP). Wood will kick off the owner’s playoffs for the 51 team, who qualified for the postseason after finishing seventh in the regular season owner point standings. Wood qualified 19th and finished 25th in last year’s Truck Series race at IRP.

After the reseed, the No. 51 team enters the playoffs eighth on the playoff grid, right at the cutline for advancing to the Round of 8. Matt Mills will be in the No. 51 J.F. Electric Silverado at The Milwaukee Mile Aug. 27 and then Wood will finish out the remainder of the season. The Round of 10 will consist of three races before two teams are eliminated.

Wood has finished inside the top 10 in two of his seven Truck Series starts this season, including recording a career-best ninth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Across 42 career Truck Series starts, he has produced three laps led, three top-10 finishes and an average result of 24.9.

In addition to his part-time schedule for KBM in the Truck Series this season, Wood is running a limited schedule in the ARCA Series with Rev Racing. The California native has two top five and five top-10 finishes with an average result of 10.0 across six ARCA Menards Series starts this season. Across 15 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has recorded three top-five and nine top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3.

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. In 2012, he guided Clint Bowyer to three victories and a runner-up finish in the Cup Series championship standings. In 2017, he guided Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to two wins and a berth in the playoffs. 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 race atop the pit box for a Truck Series race at IRP. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, his drivers have collected two top-five and three top-10 finishes across five races, with the best result being a runner-up finish with Reed Sorenson in 2006.

Across 17 starts in 2023, the No. 51 team has recorded two wins, one pole, 170 laps led, seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.8. 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. Matt Mills finished fifth for the team in the Truck Series most recent stop at Richmond Raceway July 29.

The No. 51 team has captured the NASCAR Craftsman World Truck Series owner’s championship three times (2013-2014 and 2019) and as an organization KBM has collected a series-record seven owner’s titles.

Rowdy Manufacturing will serve as the primary sponsor on Wood’s No. 51 Silverado Friday 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:

How hard is it having breaks in your schedule behind the wheel of the No. 51 truck?

“It has its ups and downs; it was nice to have time to kind of travel a little bit and spend time with friends and family. I’ll go to the simulator before the race this week and knock some of the rust off and try to get in some other vehicles before the race this weekend.”

IRP has a unique configuration. How do you attack that track?

“It reminds me a lot of a track that I grew up racing at in Southern California — Irwindale (Speedway). It’s a cool track to go to with the trucks and I think that it will race really well. Last year it was a struggle for me to get that place figured out, but the KBM stuff was really fast there last year and the short track program this year in general at KBM has been really strong, so I’m excited to go there with the 51 guys.”

Do you approach this race differently with the 51 team being in the owner’s playoffs?

“You think about it, but in the end, I just have to go out there and do my job. The trucks obviously have speed — Kyle’s been able to win the two races and bring home the 100th win for KBM. We are going to do our best to get the 51 team as far as we can in the owner’s playoffs and if we can just go out and execute, I think that we will be just fine.”

Jack Wood Career Highlights:

• Has produced three top-10 finishes across 42 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 15 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 Friday’s race at IRP. This Silverado raced most recently at North Wilkesboro Speedway where William Byron led 11 laps before finishing 11th. 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 recorded one pole, two top-five and three top-10 finishes across five Truck Series starts at IRP resulting in an average finish of 11.4. Owner-driver Kyle Busch’s runner-up finish in 2010 was the organization’s best result.
• KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). KBM owner-driver 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.

Chase Purdy: Driver, No. 4 Bama Buggies Chevrolet
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: TSport 200, Race 17 of 23, 200 laps – 60/60/80; 137.2 Miles
Location: Lucas Oil Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park (IRP) (0.686-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Aug. 11, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

‘Chase’n Wins:

Chase Purdy and the No. 4 Bama Buggies team head to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) for Friday night’s TSport 200. The Mississippi native entered the 2022 season having never earned a top-five result in Truck Series action but has produced two across 16 races in his first season at Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), including a career-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April. He has already produced a career-high seven top-10 finishes this season, after posting just two each in 2021 and 2022. He currently ranks 13th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver point standings.

Purdy finished 27th in last year’s Truck Series race at IRP. He led 24 laps and finished fourth in the 2018 ARCA Menards Series race at the 0.686-mile oval.

The 23-year-old driver is in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and first with KBM. He enters Friday’s race having totaled two top- five and 12 top-10 finishes across his 68 career Truck Series starts.

Purdy finished 16th in the Truck Series final standings in 2022 after competing in 22 of the 23 events. He posted two top-10 finishes and nine laps led, with a season-best finish of seventh coming at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

Jimmy Villeneuve is atop the pit box for Purdy and the No. 4 Chevrolet team this season. Prior to being promoted to crew chief for the 2023 season, Villeneuve had served as a Truck Chief at KBM since the 2017 season and in that role was a part of 18 wins, a driver’s championship with Christopher Bell in 2017 and the 2019 owner’s championship with the No. 51 team. This will be Villeneuve’s first race calling the shots for a race at IRP.

Bama Buggies, your one-stop shop for all the biggest names in powersports and utility vehicles, will be the primary sponsor on Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Friday night and for the majority of the events on the 2023 schedule. They are Central Alabama’s powersports experts, serving as an authorized dealer of Polaris, Slingshot, and Seadoo.
Chase Purdy, Driver Q&A:

With not being in the playoffs, how do you approach the rest of the season?

“Honestly, more than ever we are hungrier, and our only goal is to go out and win races. At Richmond, I felt like we were on the wrong end of a judgement call and if we weren’t then we probably had the fastest truck there and had a good shot at the win. We need to move on from it and take it and let it fuel us for the rest of the season. We need to finish strong. We’re going to chase wins — we have nothing to lose now.”

IRP has a unique configuration. How do you attack that track?

“I’ve raced there two times before and had a shot at winning there a few years ago. It’s a track that I’m familiar with and have been able to be fast at. You need to have a truck that will keep turning and have good drive up off the corners. It’s just like every other worn-out short track, you have to take care of your stuff and be there at the end. Short tracks are my specialty, and we have a lot of them coming up on the schedule, so I’m really, really excited and hungrier than ever to try and get this Bama Buggies Silverado in victory lane.”

Chase Purdy Career Highlights:

• Across 68 career Truck Series starts, has produced 20 laps led, two top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Posted a career-best runner-up finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April of 2023.
• Finished 16th in Truck Series championship standings in 2022.
• Finished fourth in the 2018 ARCA Menard’s Series championship standings after recording 84 laps led, 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.
• Earned the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East rookie of the year honors and finished fourth in the championship standings after posting four poles, 200 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 14 starts.
• Won the prestigious Snowflake 100 Pro Late Model race at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., in Dec. of 2018.
• Chase Purdy’s No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado RST:

KBM-58: The No. 4 Bama Buggies team will unload KBM-58 for Friday night’s race at IRP. John Hunter Nemechek raced this truck three times in 2022, with a best result of second coming at Richmond Raceway. In 2021, Nemechek piloted KBM-58 to three wins: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. KBM-58 has recorded four career wins, three with Nemechek in 2021 and one with owner-driver Kyle Busch at Charlotte in 2019. This Silverado raced most recently with Purdy at North Wilkesboro in May, where he brought home an eighth-place finish.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have recorded one pole, two top-five and three top-10 finishes across five Truck Series starts at IRP resulting in an average finish of 11.4. Owner-driver Kyle Busch’s runner-up finish in 2010 was the organization’s best result.
• KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (100) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). KBM owner-driver 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).
• The No. 4 has 18 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

Toyota Racing – Corey Heim
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Quotes

CHARLOTTE (August 8, 2023) – TRICON Garage driver Corey Heim was made available to media as part of the NASCAR Truck Series Playoff Media Day on Tuesday:

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

How do you continue the momentum going into the Playoffs?

“I would say our consistency over the last two or three months has been really good – just being able to collect a lot of stage points and get some top-fives and wins along the way. I think as long as we are able to continue that and continue the momentum heading into the Playoffs, we will be in really good shape.”

How much does the regular season championship mean to you?

“I think from a logistical viewpoint as far as the amount of Playoff points that put us ahead – it definitely means a lot. Just being able to have that buffer going into the Playoffs, and not have that close counter with the Playoff cutline, right from the start. I feel like it is nice to start the Playoffs off with a little less stress and being able to go from there. I feel like at the same time, if you have one bad race, one DNF and you are kind of back to earth again. I feel like that there’s positives and negatives to it. I think that kind of stems from the Playoff format as it is, but it is certainly not a bad thing to be the regular season champion, but I guess there could be more to put us ahead.”

What do you and your team have to do to make the Championship 4?

“Well, I think he wrecked like twice in the last round, so that’s a good place to start and not do that. Just do what we’ve been doing – not put ourselves in bad positions, keep on getting stage points and finishing races well. I think these last couple months have been a really good display of consistency for us and as long as we carry that through and hopefully collect some wins along the way, we will be in good shape.”

Is there anything specific that you are working on as a driver?

“The main thing is just closing races out. There has been a couple of instances this year where we’ve led the most laps, and had the best truck, and I feel like we kind of faded at the end. As an organization, we’ve been working on our longer runs and how to improve that on a weekly basis. As a driver, I think I have to get better too at keeping the tires on it and pacing myself for the end of the race, just to put ourselves in a better position come 10 laps to go. If we have a weak point, I feel like that is our weak point right now – is just finishing races out, but if anything, that’s it.”

How important is it start the Round of 10 strong?

“It’s vital to start the round right and have a good run at IRP. That’s a tough place, because there is just not a lot of experienced drivers there, so I feel like there is going to be some chaos ensuing for the first couple of stages, and then I think everybody kind of settles it out in the third stage for the most part. Then you have Milwaukee – that is a completely unknown race track for most people as well. It is going to be super important for us as drivers to be on top of it and prepare the best we possibly can, because you can’t really rely on experience, because most people have little to none at those race tracks, but then we go to Kansas, which is kind of the opposite, where everyone has laps there, that’s in the Playoffs. We raced there in the Spring already, so everyone is in the same mindset on what they have to do better.”

What is your approach to the Playoffs, and did you get any advice?

“I feel like we try to take it one race at a time. I’ve never really tried to be a type of person that projects throughout the year. I feel like, people have told me the same thing – take it one race at a time, don’t stress about the next one until you get there. I’ve been able to lean on my crew chief Scott Zipadelli a lot with his Playoff experience. I did kind of race the Owner’s Playoffs last year with KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) with the No. 51 truck. I raced every Playoff race, so I got a taste of what that is like, but it’s certainly a lot more stressful being in drivers and owners, so taking it one race at a time is the most important thing to me.”

What expectation do you have for your first Playoff run?

“I feel like just going out and being on top of it from the very beginning is going to be really important. Just being able to unload at IRP in practice and being on top of it as soon as we get there. Have a good practice, qualify well, get a good pit selection and just run up front all race. If you put yourself in a hole early, it’s really hard to recover from that, so I think just being in the right mindset going into IRP and following that up with Milwaukee and Kansas, and then the next two rounds is going to be very important.”

How important was it to have the duel with Kyle Busch in Pocono?

“I think for me it just shows that nothing is guaranteed. We had the race won coming to the white flag. I saw him like 10 truck lengths back in the mirror going into (turn) one. I thought we were in good shape, and the next thing you know, he’s blowing my doors off. I think just to always be on top of it. You can never take a deep breath and call the races quits, not that I did, but I feel like it really puts it in perspective at the same time. It really shows you have to be on it, every single race. There is no time for relaxing, you just have to be mentally aware of everyone at all times.”

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.

TSPORT 200 | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (200 Laps / 137.2 Miles)
Friday, August 11 | Indianapolis, Indiana | 9:00p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Team: No. 45 AUTOChargit 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

Richmond Recap: Lawless Alan had an uneventful night in Richmond, finishing 28th after battling the handling of his truck throughout the race. Alan remains 24th in the driver point standings heading into the final seven races of the season.

Alan on Last Race at Richmond Raceway: “We struggled to pass in Richmond and it showed in the results. We had a really competitive lap in practice and qualifying, but we just weren’t there in the race. I think I learned a lot this time in Richmond and it will be nice to have those notes whenever we go back there.”

Alan at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: In one start at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Lawless Alan qualified 22nd and finished 34th after an incident with 53 laps remaining.

Alan on Friday’s Race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: “I’m looking forward to this weekend. We showed really good speed there last year before being taken out in a wreck. I’m hoping we can get a better result this time around and I’m excited to get back there.”

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado will carry the AUTOChargit colors this weekend at Indianapolis Raceway Park. AUTOChargit designs, manufactures and installs EV charging systems for automated and conventional parking applications.

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 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.

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

TSPORT 200 | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (200 Laps / 137.2 Miles)
Friday, August 11 | Indianapolis, Indiana | 9:00p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Ch. 90

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

Richmond Recap: Last week at Richmond Raceway marked Carson Hocevar’s third win of the season. After starting in the rear due to a flat tire on the pace laps, Hocevar led 64 laps, but it took a battle for the lead with four laps to go for Hocevar to pull out the victory.

The Fight for a Championship Starts Now: There’s no driver carrying more momentum into the Playoffs than Richmond winner, Carson Hocevar. The Michigan-born driver commanded the second-half of the Worldwide Express 250. Hocevar enters the playoffs 19 points above the cutline with two stage wins and three victories to his credit – the most of any driver in the Craftsman Truck Series this season.

Hocevar on Last Race at Richmond Raceway: “It felt so good to win the Worldwide Express 250 in the Worldwide Express truck. They do so much to support our team and we wouldn’t be chasing a championship without them. I think this win gives us a lot of momentum heading into the postseason. I want a championship more than anyone, and I’m excited to chase that in the next seven races.”

Hocevar at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: Last year, Carson Hocevar finished 21st after qualifying inside the top-10. Hocevar led 34 laps in his lone start at the track and collected top-five stage points in both stages.

Hocevar on Friday’s Race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: “I’m feeling optimistic heading into IRP this weekend. Coming off Richmond, it’ll be nice to get back to another short track. Last year we ran top-five for most of the race and I’m hoping we can do more of the same this time.”

On the Truck: Hocevar’s No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado will race with support from the WWEX group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz, and offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 115,000 customers across the country.

Carson Hocevar will be wearing a special fire suit for this weekend’s race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with support from Sparco. The Italy-based company develops and produces race equipment for drivers in NASCAR, F1, Indycar, and more. Lately, the company has diversified its products with carbon fiber for luxury car manufacturers, gaming-simulation equipment, and safety clothing including workwear and footwear.

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.

About Sparco:

Starting in 1977, Sparco S.p.A. has developed and produced equipment for the racing environment. Sparco has more than 300 partner teams throughout the world in various motorsport competitions including, F1, Indy, WRC, NASCAR, Dakar and many others.

Since 2000, The Sparco Group has diversified its activities, entering the carbon fiber automotive components’ industry for super sports car and luxury car manufacturers. In addition, Sparco has expanded its business to the gaming-simulation racing industry as well as the safety clothing industry (safety footwear and workwear).

Sparco is headquartered in Volpiano, Italy, and has more than 1,000 employees that operate in eight production plants (four in Italy, three in Tunisia and one in the USA).

TSPORT 200 | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (200 Laps / 137.2 Miles)
Friday, August 11 | Indianapolis, Indiana | 9:00p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Team: No. 44 Illianna Watermelon Association Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Chad Chastain (Alva, Florida) | Crew Chief: Tim Mooney
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Chad Chastain: Twitter: @chadchastain36 | Instagram: @chad36chastain | Facebook: /ChadChastainRacing

Chastain at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: Friday night will mark Chastain’s second start at IRP and his second start in the Craftsman Truck Series this season. Last year, Chastain finished 30th after qualifying in the same position.

Chastain on Friday’s Race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: “I’m appreciative to everyone at Niece Motorsports for allowing me to get behind the wheel of their trucks. I grew up running short tracks and I love racing those whenever I can in NASCAR. IRP is a tricky track but I think we’ll have a good piece this weekend and I’m looking forward to seeing what the outcome can be.”

On the Truck: Chastain will pilot the No. 44 Illiana Watermelon Association Chevrolet Silverado Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with associate sponsorship from Melon 1, Browning & Sons, Inc., and Robinson Fresh.

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 the Illiana Watermelon Association:

Founded in 1989, the Illiana Watermelon Association represents about 90 percent of the over 10,000 loads of watermelon shipped in the Illinois-Indiana region. Indiana ranks fifth in melon production nationally. To learn more, visit IllianaWatermelon.com

About Robinson Fresh:

​​Robinson Fresh provides a full line of high-quality fruits and vegetables, while also providing fresh produce supply chain solutions–from customer insights and marketing support, to category, inventory and cold chain management—to help retailers, restaurants, growers, and foodservice companies meet consumers’ demand for fresh. Through premier fresh product and innovative solutions, Robinson Fresh brings global scale to local customers.

About Melon 1:

Melon 1 was founded when two third-generation watermelon companies joined forces to better serve customers. F. H. Dicks of South Carolina combined his growing, harvesting and shipping experience with the distribution, packaging and sales capabilities of Lawrence Lapide of New York to create a rapidly growing company. In 1999, Richard Chastain rounded out our year-round growing capabilities, and the rest is history. Melon 1 has come a long way since 1935; now shipping nationwide from distribution points across the U.S. and Central America, using cutting-edge technology to meet food safety and traceability standards and providing customers with the freshest, highest quality product possible.

About Browning and Sons, Inc.:

Browning & Sons has always prided itself in staying ahead of the curve when it comes to binning, sizing, and now food safety technology. Browning and Sons, Inc. stays current with changing regulations and all of their farms and facilities hold Primus GFSI certificates. Browning and Sons, Inc. also utilizes Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) software in all locations in order to help ensure the safety and security of its supply chain. With over 100 years of combined experience in the watermelon industry, Browning and Sons, Inc. looks forward to managing the changing demographics of the industry in the future.