Category: Truck Series PR

Race Information

• Round: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race No. 4 of 23
• Track Location: Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) – Austin, Texas
• Race Name: XPEL 225
• Broadcast: Saturday, March 25th at 1:30 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 & Travis Sharpe – Dell Children’s Medical Center / Nyle Maxwell Supercenter Chevrolet

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

Circuit Of The Americas Stats

• NCTS Starts: 2; Best start: 16th; Best finish: 4th (2021); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 2

NCTS Road Course Stats (Canada, COTA, Daytona, Mid-Ohio, Sonoma, & Watkins Glen)

• Combined Starts: 8; Best start: 8th; Best finish: 4th (COTA, 2021); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 3, Laps led: 1

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 3; Best start: 7th; Best finish: 5th (Daytona); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 2; Laps led: 3; Current points position: 6th
• 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: Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 145 at the Circuit Of The Americas this weekend. This will be a brand new chassis for Enfinger, purpose built specifically for road course racing.
• Consistency on the Road: In 2022, Grant Enfinger’s road course outings could be summed up by one word: consistent. The driver of the Champion Power Equipment Silverado RST had finishes of 10th (COTA), 11th (Sonoma), and 11th again (Mid-Ohio). This weekend will be the third time that Enfinger has competed at COTA, and if his past two races are of any indication, you might see that No. 23 Chevy up near the front on Saturday. In both races, Grant earned top-10 results, with a best showing of fourth in 2021, a race that included racing action in the rain.
• Stage Points: In Atlanta, Enfinger continued his streak of gaining stage points in all six of the stages that have been completed this season. In total, the driver of the No. 23 Chevy has earned 28 stage points this season (four in Daytona, 13 in Las Vegas, and 11 in Atlanta). He looks to continue that streak this weekend on the road course in Austin.
• GE Appearances: Fans attending the XPEL 225 will have an opportunity to meet Grant Enfinger on Saturday, March 25th:

Team Chevy Stage: All three GMS Racing drivers will participate in a Q&A session at the Team Chevy stage located in the Circuit Of The Americas Fan Zone from 9:45 AM to 10:00 AM local time.
- From The Drivers Seat: Though you don’t necessarily consider yourself a road course racer at heart, your COTA track record may say otherwise. How well do you enjoy racing at this facility?

“I would say that I’ve definitely put a lot of effort into my road course racing over the last couple of years, and I think COTA is one of those tracks that has a little bit of everything – there are some technical sections, there are some slow-speed corners and high speed corners. Obviously, that back straightaway is really, really fast, and it forces you to almost have to get the truck completely stopped at the end of it. But yeah, it’s a place I really enjoy; I enjoy the challenge of it and I’ve worked really hard at learning the layout. I know [Jeff] Hensley and the rest of my guys at GMS Racing have put a lot of effort into this Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet, so hopefully we will have something to contend with.”

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

Circuit Of The Americas Stats

• Rajah Caruth will be making his first start in any series at COTA on Saturday.

ARCA Road Course Stats (Mid-Ohio & Watkins Glen)

• Combined Starts: 2; Best start: 5th; Best finish: 9th (Mid-Ohio, 2022); Top 10s: 1

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 3; Best start: 17th; Best finish: 25th (Atlanta); Current points position: 22nd
• 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 compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 138 in Austin on Saturday. This chassis has been raced in five prior events by Sheldon Creed in 2021 and Grant Enfinger in 2022. Overall, the truck has earned two top-fives and three top-10 finishes, with a best result of third at Watkins Glen, delivered by Creed in 2021. At COTA, the truck has finished in the top-10 on both occasions that it’s been ran, with a best finish of fifth, also earned by Creed in 2021, where it led 14 laps.
• Sunoco Rookie Battle: Though it appeared as if Caruth was on his way to his first top-10 result of the season in Atlanta, a blown right front tire on the white flag dropped him to a disappointing result of 25th place. Heading into COTA, Rajah sits fourth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 29 points behind leader Nick Sanchez and eight points behind his teammate, Daniel Dye, who is in third.
• RC Appearances: Fans attending the XPEL 225 will have an opportunity to meet Rajah Caruth on Saturday, March 25th:

Team Chevy Stage: All three GMS Racing drivers will participate in a Q&A session at the Team Chevy stage located in the Circuit Of The Americas Fan Zone from 9:45 AM to 10:00 AM local time.

• From The Driver’s Seat: You’ve never seen the racetrack at COTA before, so how big of a help has iRacing been to you in preparing for this weekend?

“So since I’ve never been to COTA before, iRacing is going to be so pivotal to me this weekend. Albeit, I’m pretty much on the service all the time for any of the tracks that we go to, but for COTA, since I’ve never raced there before, it’s going to be even more useful for me before I hop in my actual Wendell Scott Foundation Silverado RST. I’m excited to give it a whirl, and I think we will have a strong weekend, especially with all of the prep that Josh Wise and Scott Speed have us Chevrolet athletes doing, and I think the GMS Racing trucks should be pretty sporty across the board.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Dell Children’s Medical Center / Nyle Maxwell Supercenter Chevrolet Silverado RST

Circuit Of The Americas Stats

• Daniel Dye will be making his first start in any series at COTA on Saturday.

ARCA Road Course Stats (Mid-Ohio & Watkins Glen)

• Combined Starts: 2; Best start: 8th; Best finish: 4th (Watkins Glen, 2022); Top 5s: 1, Top 10s: 2

ARCA West Road Course Stats (Portland)

• Starts: 1; Poles: 1 (Portland, 2022); Best finish: 4th (Portland, 2022); Top 5s: 1; Top 10s: 1

2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season Stats

• Starts: 3; Best start: 19th; Best finish: 16th (Atlanta); Laps led: 5; Current points position: 19th
• About Dell Children’s Medical Center: Dell Children’s Medical Center at Ascension Seton is a full-service pediatric medical center dedicated to the needs of children and families. When you choose Dell Children’s, your child’s care is connected across care teams – from 24/7 pediatric emergency care and level I trauma care to primary care, mental health care and specialty care. With the most comprehensive pediatric specialty care in Central Texas, you’ll find all the care your child and family need. Only in Austin. Only at Dell Children’s.

Our doctors are delivering medical breakthroughs every day. Your child’s pediatrician, specialists and care teams are part of an integrated community of experienced doctors who work together as one team. Share your concerns and ask us your questions – big and small. We start by listening to you and your child. Then, we work with you to create a care plan that’s right for your child. For more information, visit here.

• Dell Children’s Medical Center Visit: On Thursday, March 23rd, Daniel Dye will make a visit to Dell Children’s Medical Center to spend time with patients and their families. As a big supporter of The NASCAR Foundation, Dye will deliver the patients with “Speedy Bears” provided by the foundation, as well as tee shirts to commemorate this weekend’s race in Austin. For any media members that would like to attend the event, Daniel will be available for one-on-one interviews during his visit from 2:45 PM to 3:45 PM local time at 4900 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX.
• Chassis History/Info: Dye and the No. 43 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 140 at COTA. This Silverado RST has been driven in five races over the course of the past two seasons by Zane Smith and Jack Wood. Overall, the chassis has two top-10 finishes, with a best result of sixth at Watkins Glen in 2021 driven by Smith. Specifically in Austin, this truck has been ran twice before, earning a best finish of eighth place earned by Smith in 2021.
• Sunoco Rookie Battle: Dye overcame early mechanical gremlins in Atlanta to earn his best finish of the season with a 16th place run. Entering this weekend’s race in Austin, Dye is third in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 21 points behind leader Nick Sanchez and one point behind second place’s Jake Garcia.
• DD Appearances: Fans attending the XPEL 225 will have an opportunity to meet Daniel Dye on Saturday, March 25th:

Team Chevy Stage: All three GMS Racing drivers will participate in a Q&A session at the Team Chevy stage located in the Circuit Of The Americas Fan Zone from 9:45 AM to 10:00 AM local time.

• From the Driver’s Seat: COTA will be the first road course that you run with in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, can you tell us a little more about your previous road racing experiences?

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I mean, COTA is a whole different beast compared to Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, and Portland that I’ve raced at before. I loved road course racing last year in the ARCA Series. It’s going to be fun to try it out in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series; there’s a lot more trucks and competition out there, but to go to a huge place like COTA with 20 turns is going to be super cool. It’s going to be fun, we’re just going to stay on our toes and learn all day to be the best we can be by the end of it with our No. 43 Chevy.”

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.

Kyle Busch: Driver, No. 51 Zariz Transport Chevrolet

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: XPEL 225, Race 4 of 23, 42 Laps – 12/14/16; 143.22 Miles
Location: Circuit of the Americas (3.426-mile, 20-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: March 25, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Report on ‘Rowdy’:

KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch makes his second Craftsman Truck Series start of 2023 behind the wheel of the No. 51 Zariz Silverado in Saturday’s race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Busch was dominant in his first start of 2023, leading a race-high 84 laps and crossing the stripe 4.981 seconds ahead of Zane Smith to pick up his record extending 63rd career Craftsman Truck Series victory. The win was the first for KBM under the Chevrolet banner, after collecting the first 98 with Toyota. For Busch, it was his first win in a Chevrolet truck since November of 2007 at Phoenix Raceway.

Zariz Transport, a fast growing intermodal drayage company specializing in transporting containers from the ports, will be the primary sponsor on Busch’s Silverado for all five of his races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2023. The remaining three races on Busch’s five-race Truck Series schedule will be: Martinsville Speedway on April 14, Kansas Speedway on May 6 and Pocono Raceway on July 22.

Busch, who won KBM’s first Truck Series victory at Nashville Superspeedway in April of 2010, will be looking to collect his organization’s 100th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory on Saturday. His Las Vegas win was KBM’s record-extending 99th-career victory leaving his organization one shy of the century mark. William Byron collected KBM’s record-breaking 51st Truck Series victory in July of 2016. Overall, 18 different drivers have won at least one race behind the wheel of a KBM truck, led by Busch’s 47. Four drivers rank second on the list with seven victories: Byron, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek. Two of KBM’s wins have come on road courses: Busch at Sonoma Raceway last year and Erik Jones at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015.

‘Rowdy’ will be looking to avenge a win that was taken away from him at COTA last year. In his first-ever road course in the Truck Series, the Las Vegas native lead a race-high 31 laps and had a sizeable lead in the closing laps before two late-race cautions bunched the field. He was leading as the field entered Turn 11 on the first lap of the second overtime period, but Alex Bowman and Stewart Friesen both overdrove Turn 11 and slammed into Busch and forcing him off course. After righting its path, the No. 51 would and end the day with a third-place finish.

The Las Vegas native was able to find the winner’s circle in his second career road course start last June. Busch led a race-high 45 laps at Sonoma Raceway en route to his first Truck Series victory of 2022 in his fifth and final start of the year.

Busch is the winningest driver in Craftsman Truck series history with 63 career wins. With his win at Las Vegas, he extended his series-best streak of winning at least one race to 11 consecutive Truck Series seasons (2013-2023), The Las Vegas native has won 37.9% (63/166) of the Truck Series races he has entered in his career and has finished first or second in 56.6% (94/166). In addition to his Truck Series leading 62 wins, he also ranks first all-time among Truck Series drivers in driver rating (123.7), average finish (6.5) and is second in laps led (7,720). Over his last 27 Truck Series starts, Busch has an average finish of 3.1 while recording 15 wins and seven runner-up finishes.

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. 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 two wins as a crew chief in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

This will be Pattie’s first race atop the pit box for a Truck Series race at the COTA, but he has one road course victory in NASCAR’s third division, a win with Ron Fellows at Watkins Glen International in June of 1999. He also has two road course victories with Fellows at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2000 and 2001). In the Cup Series he has been to victory lane twice on road courses, with Juan Pablo Montoya at Watkins Glen in 2010 and at Sonoma with Clint Bowyer in 2012.

Kyle Busch, Driver Q&A:

You already have a win in trucks this year, what is your outlook on getting a second win Saturday?
“I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Zariz Silverado this weekend at COTA. We were able to get Zariz a win at Las Vegas in their first race as a primary NASCAR sponsor — that was pretty cool, and they were pretty pumped about it. Vegas was also the first race for me working with (Brian) Pattie in trucks and a few other new people on the 51 team, so to have that much speed out of the gates shows how hard everyone at KBM has worked to make sure that we didn’t skip a beat with the manufacturer change and the other changes that we had with our crew chief lineup and such over the offseason. Hopefully we can make it two-for-two on the year with a win at COTA Saturday. The goal every year in trucks is to go five-for-five with my five truck races — we’ve been able to accomplish that before and I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again, just have to click them off one at a time. We had a really fast truck at COTA last year, felt like we deserved the win and kind of got one taken from us. We just need to go out there Saturday and execute our race, control what we can control and try to be the first one to the finish line this time around.”

Kyle Busch Craftsman Truck Series Career Highlights:

• Busch has a total of 166 Craftsman Truck Series starts and is ranked first all-time in wins (63), driver rating (123.7) and average finish (6.5).
• The 37-year-old driver has won 37.9% (63/166) of the NCTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.6% (94/166).
• Busch stands alone as the leader in all-time career wins in NASCAR’s national touring series with 226 total victories. He has earned 61 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 102 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and 63 NCTS wins.
• In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NCTS, NXS and NCS races at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top three series at one track on the same weekend. He then repeated the feat in August of 2017.
• Kyle Busch’s No. 51 Chevrolet Silverado RST:

KBM-71: The No. 51 Zariz team will unload KBM-71 for Saturday’s race at Circuit of the Americas. This is the same truck that Busch led 45 of 75 laps with en route to victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway last year. Busch also led a race-high 31 laps in last year’s race at COTA with KBM-71 but was relegated to a third-place finish after getting run off course on the first lap of the second NASCAR overtime.

KBM-71 Performance Profile:
KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected 33 laps led, three top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.2 across six starts at COTA. John Hunter Nemechek’s runner-up finish in last year’s event was an organization best at COTA. Overall, across 41 road course starts, KBM drivers have collected two trophies: Kyle Busch at Sonoma Raceway last year and Erik Jones at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015.
• KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (99) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway last year, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
• With 41 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: XPEL 225, Race 4 of 23, 42 Laps – 12/14/16; 143.22 Miles
Location: Circuit of the Americas (3.426-mile, 20-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: March 25, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

‘Chase’n Checkers:

Chase Purdy will look to build off the momentum of registering back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time in his career as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Circuit of Americas (COTA) for the fourth race of the season. Purdy finished eighth in the second race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and most recently finished seventh in the series last stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 23-year-old driver enters this week’s race at COTA eighth in the Craftsman Truck Series point standings, 34 tallies behind points leader Christian Eckes.

In his two prior Truck Series starts at Circuit of the Americas, Purdy has compiled an overall average finish of 21.5, achieving a track-best 16th-place finish in last year’s event. His best career finish on a road course in the Truck Series was a 13th-place finish in last year’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The Mississippi native is in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and first with KBM. He enters Saturday’s race having totaled seven top-10 finishes and 18 laps led across his 55 career Truck Series starts. He posted a career-best sixth-place result in 2021 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Purdy finished 16th in the Truck Series 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 (Ala.) Superspeedway in October.

Purdy will be looking to etch his mark in the KBM historical archives this weekend at COTA as he looks to collect the organization’s 100th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory. KBM-owner driver Kyle Busch collected the KBM’s record-extending 99th-career victory with his dominant victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway leaving his organization one shy of the century mark. William Byron collected KBM’s record-breaking 51st Truck Series victory in July of 2016. Overall, 18 different drivers have won at least one race behind the wheel of a KBM truck, led by Busch’s 47. Four drivers rank second on the list with seven victories: Byron, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek. Two of KBM’s wins have come on road courses: Busch at Sonoma Raceway last year and Erik Jones at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015.

Since becoming a full-time entry for KBM in 2015, the No. 4 truck has captured both of KBM’s driver championships and totaled 18 wins with five different drivers. The number has found victory lane for KBM in six of its seven seasons, excluding 2018. John Hunter Nemechek piloted the No. 4 to seven wins in his two seasons behind the wheel (2021 and 2022) before moving into a full-time ride in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2023.

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 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. Prior to joining KBM the New Hampshire native served as a truck chief at Athenian Motorsports in 2015 when the team won with John Wes Townley at Las Vegas. He was promoted to crew chief five races into the 2016 season. Saturday’s race will be Villeneuve’s first calling the shots for a race at Circuit of the Americas.

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 Saturday 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:

Do you enjoy road course racing?
“I used to hate it, but now I actually kind of like it — COTA specifically. COTA is probably my favorite road course that I get to race and that I have raced. I’m actually really excited to get to Austin this week and to race COTA.”

What do you think not having stage breaks will do to the flow of the race on Saturday?
“I think it will affect people’s strategy — when they come to pit road and where they want to position themselves for the end of the race. Kind of going back to how it was years ago when you didn’t have stage breaks and you just ran until there was an actual caution or the end of the race. I think there will be a lot of green flag stops, I think that opens the door for that. Just being mindful of the rules changes this weekend and positioning yourself to where you can be there at the end of the race without having stage breaks.”

Evaluate how your team has performed over the first three races.
“I think we are obviously figuring out how to put together races and run consistently up front. We only want to get better from here. I think that if we can continue to get better every week and just get a little bit more at a time, I think one of these days we can finish one off and lock ourselves into the playoffs. Then we can concentrate on continue to have consistent finishes and run strong every week.”

Chase Purdy Career Highlights:

• Across 55 career Truck Series starts, has produced 18 laps led and seven top-10 finishes. Posted career-best sixth-place result at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in 2021.
• 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-76: The No. 4 Bama Buggies team will unload KBM-76, a brand new Silverado, for Saturday’s XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americas.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected 33 laps led, three top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.2 across six starts at COTA. John Hunter Nemechek’s runner-up finish in last year’s event was an organization best at COTA. Overall across 41 road course starts, KBM drivers have collected two trophies: Kyle Busch at Sonoma Raceway last year and Erik Jones at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015.
• KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (99) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway last year, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
• The No. 4 has 18 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

The Front Row Motorsports (FRM) NASCAR CRAFTSMAN truck team will look to extend their Circuit of the Americas (COTA) undefeated streak this weekend with Speedco and PEAK on the No. 38 Ford F-150.

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series has visited COTA twice with FRM taking the checkered flag both times. Todd Gilliland took the win in 2021 with Zane Smith winning last year. FRM has led 19 total laps on the 3.4-mile road course the past two seasons with both wins coming in dramatic fashion. Gilliland came from the back under wet conditions in 2021 and Smith won after passing three trucks in one turn with two laps left last year.

Speedco was riding with Smith when the team won last season and will now welcome PEAK to the No. 38 Ford F-150 for Saturday’s race.

The 42-lap race will be held Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

COMPETITION NOTES:

The team will bring the winning chassis from last season back to COTA for Saturday’s race.

Smith and the Speedco/PEAK team are looking to rebound from a 20th-place finish last weekend at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. They are fifth in the regular season points standing coming into COTA.

CREW CHIEF CHRIS LAWSON:

“We’re going to bring the same chassis. We’ve gone through the truck again and built it back up. We expect it to be fast and we’ll let Zane do the rest.”

DRIVER ZANE SMITH:

“Atlanta didn’t go as we wanted at the end, but we had speed. We’ve still had a good start to this season and now it’s time to rebound at COTA. Last year was a lot of fun and want to repeat it and keep this streak going.

“It’s cool to see Speedco and PEAK back on the truck together. We’ve just had a lot of success with Speedco on the truck and it’d be cool to get a win with PEAK.”

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.

Mooresville, NC (March 21, 2023) – The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas will be held on National Medal of Honor Day, March 25, 2023. Boyd’s long-time partner, Sportman’s Choice® & Record Rack (brand owned by Cargill, Inc.), designed a special paint scheme to honor all Medal of Honor Recipients and Vietnam War Veterans while inviting a special family to the race. Gary Michael Rose | Vietnam War | U.S. Army | Medal of Honor Recipient will be the team’s guest of honor along with his grandson, Christian Bowen, who is also a Gold Star son.

“Record Rack is always raising the bar when it comes to honoring our country’s heroes,” beamed driver Spencer Boyd. “When they came to me with this idea it filled my heart just to be a part of it. I’m looking forward to meeting Mike at the track, shaking his hand and saying thank you. I get to race because of men and women like him who have sacrificed so that we have our freedom.”

The recently designated National Vietnam War Veterans Day is just a few days later on March 29.

Gary Michael Rose “Mike” was presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor on October 23, 2017 by President Donald Trump at the White House for his actions that went above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Special Forces Medic. Read more about his heroic and life-saving actions at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website.

Wildlife Marketing Lead and co-chair for Cargill’s Veterans and Military Support Network, Jodi Cornelison commented on the upcoming NASCAR weekend in Austin, “Spencer and NASCAR give us a great opportunity to bring exposure to the heroes and heroines that make our country great. For years we have highlighted our Bucks for the Brave event and this time around we wanted to pay tribute a very distinguished group of individuals. We are honored to be able to bring Mike out to the race to thank him for his service and sacrifice. It will be my honor to say Welcome Home to this man that will represent all Vietnam War Veterans that didn’t receive this respect upon their return.”

The annual Bucks for the Brave charitable event allows Veterans (no longer serving) and retired First Responders (Law Enforcement, Firefighters, EMTs) the chance to win the hunting experience of a lifetime. The five-day event takes place over Veterans Day weekend at Trinity Oak’s Thumbtack Ranch in Batesville, TX. Nominations will open on Flay Day, June 14, 2023.

In addition to the race, Record Rack has teamed up with Tractor Supply and Fort Worth Stockyards Whiskey & Wine for additional events during the race weekend.

Record Rack and Fort Worth Stockyards Whiskey & Wine will be hosting a race day after-party at Armadillo Den located at 10106 Menchaca Rd in south Austin. Boyd plans to be there at 7pm to kick off a Clay Walker Foundation silent auction where one of his replica helmets will be an item in the auction.

Spencer will also be signing autographs at the Tractor Supply store in Buda, TX on Sunday, March 26 from 11am – 1pm. The address for Tractor Supply is 15555 S I-35 Frontage Rd, Buda, TX 78610.

About Cargill

Cargill helps the world’s food system work for you. We connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients and families with daily essentials—from the foods they eat to the floors they walk on. Our 160,000 team members around the world innovate with purpose, empowering our partners and communities as we work to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, sustainable way.
From feed that reduces methane emissions to waste-based renewable fuels, the possibilities are boundless. But our values remain the same. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing. It’s how we’ve met the needs of the people we call neighbors and the planet we call home for 157 years—and how we’ll do so for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

• NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim, participated in a Goodyear Tire test Monday at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway in preparation for the upcoming Tyson 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on Saturday, May 20
• As part of NASCAR’s 75th anniversary, Cup Series racing will return to the historic 0.625-mile track for the first time since 1996 with the May 21 NASCAR All-Star Race and the May 20 Tyson 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (March 20, 2023) – A trio of NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers, including defending series champion Zane Smith and rising stars Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim, participated in a Goodyear Tire test on Monday at historic North Wilkesboro Speedway in preparation for the upcoming Tyson 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race on NASCAR All-Star race weekend.

The Tyson 250 on Saturday afternoon, May 20 (1:30 p.m. (ET), FOX, MRN Radio), will get North Wilkesboro fans ready for Sunday night’s main feature, the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio). For the first time since 1996, the NASCAR Cup Series will compete at NWS during a jam-packed May 16-21 NASCAR All-Star Race week of action that will also include two nights of late model racing and three concerts in addition to the Tyson 250.

In today’s Goodyear test, the trio of teams worked closely with Goodyear officials to help identify a tire for all Truck teams to use in the Tyson 250.

“It’s going to be a cool event, it’s so crazy to see this place come back to life,” said Smith, driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford. “It’s the perfect place for a throwback race. The infield is beautiful and it’s surrounded by a track with so much history. We are trying to figure out our truck and trying to see where we can be better and what adjustments we can make to it.”

Smith says the unique North Wilkesboro layout, with a downhill frontstretch and uphill backstretch presents a unique challenge.

“I hope we can move around some come race time,” Smith continued. “If you miss the bottom in one and two you are going to pay for it in a big way. We put a lot of focus on handling today. It will be fun trying something new for one weekend.”

He says the buildup for this race throughout the NASCAR industry and sports world has been epic.

“You hear about this track every day in the shop and all of the legends of our sport talk about it and this is a place you always hear about,” Smith said. “The last few years you kept hearing rumors about this place possibly coming back and I think every racer loves short tracks. It was great to see Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and others help make this place a reality.”

Hocevar said when he walked into the property he was in awe the whole time he was here.

“Rarely do you have a test where you are smiling the whole time you are out there going around the track,” said Hocevar, driver of the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevy. “It was a lot of fun to be out there today slipping and sliding around on this historic track. It sounds silly, but this is our ‘Field of Dreams.’ I’m not a baseball fan, but it was super cool to see that. This is just like that, this is our deal. Everyone has high expectations and hopefully we meet it. It felt like I was walking into a track where we weren’t supposed to be. I’m just really glad that NASCAR, Dale Jr. and the CARS Tour kept picking at it. I wanna be the one that goes up that ramp over there (iconic infield Victory Lane on rooftop of Media Center). That is the coolest Victory Lane ever. If I do, I’m not leaving, I will watch the Cup race from there.”

Heim, who had raced Late Models here in the past, said he felt like his team learned quite a bit during the session.

“I feel like we learned a lot and went through a lot of progressions like we normally do for short tracks,” said Heim, driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota. “I feel like this track has a lot more grip than what some people said it had. When we come back in the summer when it will be a lot warmer it should be interesting. It’s really cool and a historic moment for NASCAR and racing in general. To see what NASCAR brings this summer is going to be really exciting. This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

NASCAR All-Star Race week will include six days or nights of entertainment including:

Tuesday, May 16: ASA Stars National Series
Wednesday, May 17: CARS Pro and Late Model Stocks
Friday, May 19: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck and Cup Series practice; Concerts by Midland and Chase Rice
Saturday, May 20: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series qualifying and Tyson 250; NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
Sunday, May 21: Dierks Bentley pre-race concert; NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race
Schedules are tentative and subject to change. Specific on-track schedules and the All-Star Race format will be released at a later date.

TICKETS:
NASCAR All-Star Race weekend ticket packages for all Friday/Saturday/Sunday activities including NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series practice and qualifying sessions; Midland, Chase Rice and Dierks Bentley concerts; NASCAR All-Star Open; NASCAR All-Star Race and Tyson 250 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race are on sale. Single-day tickets for All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil and Saturday’s Tyson 250 are also on sale. Tickets can be purchased online at www.northwilkesborospeedway.com. Single-day May 16-17 late model race tickets will be on sale in March.

MORE INFO:
Fans can connect with North Wilkesboro Speedway and get the latest news regarding NASCAR All-Star week and North Wilkesboro Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan.

CONCORD, N.C. (March 20, 2023) – Spire Motorsports announced today seven-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race winner Alex Bowman will return to the seat of the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado for the March 25 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Additionally, Bowman will race the No. 7 Silverado at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 20.

HendrickCars.com will serve as the effort’s primary sponsor while Ally, Bowman’s primary sponsor in the NCS, will be displayed on the truck’s lower-rear quarter panels.

“We see our racing partnerships as a terrific opportunity to continue building HendrickCars.com into a national brand,” said Greg Gach, president of Charlotte-based Hendrick Automotive Group. “With Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman behind the wheel, we’re excited to join forces with Spire Motorsports and Chevrolet for this opportunity. Both have track records of success in the Truck Series and we look forward to seeing the team compete.”

Bowman, a native of Tucson, Ariz., is the full-time driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NCS. The 29-year-old driver has four top-10 results in five NCS starts this year – best of his career through this point in the season.

“I am excited to get the opportunity to drive the No. 7 truck for Spire Motorsports,” said Bowman. “Last year we were really fast in the truck race at COTA and I am hoping we can be fast again this year. It would be really cool to get a truck win and have won a race in all three of NASCAR’s top series. I feel like racing there in the truck will help me get ready for Sunday as well.”

The team is led by championship-winning industry veterans Mike Greci and Kevin “Bono” Manion.

Spire Motorsports made its first NCTS start of the season in February at Daytona International Speedway where Corey LaJoie led three times for 19 laps. Unfortunately, the race was declared official 21 laps short of the scheduled 100-lap distance because of rain, stalling his bid for the checkers.

Bowman wheeled the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports last season at COTA and Sonoma Raceway and used the opportunity to fine tune his road racing skills in preparation for the NCS event at both tracks. In similar fashion, he’ll look upon the 2023 opportunity to make extra laps at COTA and ready himself for the 2023 NASCAR All Star Race at the legendary Wilkes County (N.C.) .625-mile oval.

“We’re thrilled to have Alex back in the seat of the No. 7 truck for a couple races this season,” said Manion. “He was a tremendous asset in 2022 and will be again in 2023. Alex is a savvy road racer and as good of a short-track racer as they come. We have no doubt that Alex gives Spire Motorsports a strong opportunity to win races every time he’s behind the wheel.”

The NCTS race from Circuit of the Americas will be televised live on FS1 Saturday, March 25 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

About Hendrick Automotive Group …
Representing 131 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 95 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit HendrickCars.com.

About Hendrickcars.Com …
HendrickCars.com is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop thousands of new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a full-time, two-car NASCAR Cup Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2023, Spire Motorsports will field the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for driver Corey LaJoie and No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Ty Dillon. The team also fields NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series teams in select events.

Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway.

STATESVILLE, N.C.: AM Racing confirmed today that Austin, Texas native Logan Bearden will return to the team and compete in Saturday afternoon’s XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Bearden will pilot AM Racing’s flagship No. 22 Ford F-150 for his second NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series start with support from local partners Bearden Automotive and Parker Electric.

In addition to COTA, Bearden, 27, is expected to pilot the No. 22 AM Racing Ford F-150 in select NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races this season.

During the week, Bearden serves as a mechanic at the team’s Statesville, N.C.-based shop assisting the team’s ARCA Menards Series and Truck Series programs respectively.

“I am excited to return to AM Racing this weekend at COTA,” said Bearden. “I learned a lot in my NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut last year – even though we experienced mechanical hiccups early in the race.

“The team worked diligently to fix the truck so I could get as many laps as I could under my belt. Without a doubt, I believe that seat time will pay off this weekend and hopefully, I can contend for a top-15 finish in our No. 22 Bearden Automotive | Parker Electric Ford F-150.”

Outside of his responsibilities at the AM Racing shop and competing for the team in NASCAR, Bearden will also continue driving his family-owned No. 66 Super Late Model in various events in the JEGS | CRA Tour this spring and summer.

Bearden will be the third Truck Series driver for the AM Racing organization this season. In addition to Bearden, Josh Reaume and Max Gutiérrez have also piloted the team’s No. 22 Ford F-150 in the opening three races of the 2023 season.

AM Racing team principal Kevin Cywinski believes Bearden has the talent and capabilities of earning the team their first top-10 finish of the season on Saturday afternoon.

“Logan is a very methodical and talented race car driver and he is an important asset to AM Racing,” offered Cywinski. “He did not get a fair shot last year. He qualified on speed and was competitive in the opening laps of the race but unfortunately experienced mechanical gremlins early in the race.

“We are glad everything worked out where he has another opportunity to not only showcase his craft but race in front of friends and family under the AM Racing banner.

“We believe Logan will surprise a lot of people this weekend.”

Truck Series winning crew chief Ryan “Pickle” London will call the shots for Bearden in the 42-lap race.

While AM Racing won’t have two NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series vehicles in the field as they did last season, the Statesville, N.C.-based organization will field cars in both Trucks and the NASCAR Xfinity Series events on Saturday afternoon from the famed Texas road course.

Alongside Bearden, Brett Moffitt will drive the team’s No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang in Saturday afternoon’s Pit Boss 250 in his first Xfinity Series road course race of the year.

For more on Logan Bearden, please visit LoganBearden.com, like his Facebook page (Logan Bearden Racing) or follow him on Instagram (Logan­­_Bearden66) and Twitter (@LoganBearden66).

For more on AM Racing visit amracing.racing, like them on Facebook (AM Racing) follow them on Twitter (@AMRacingNASCAR) and Instagram (@AMRacingNASCAR22).

The XPEL 225 (42 laps | 143.22 miles) is the fourth of 23 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., March 24, 2022, from 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Qualifying will soon follow from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag on race day, Sat., March 25, 2022, shortly after 12:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

ABOUT AM RACING:

AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series in its seventh year of competition.

The team has named Brett Moffitt and Christian Rose as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series seasons.

Team: No. 45 AUTOChargit Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Lawless Alan (Las Angeles, California)
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsports | Instagram: @NieceMotorsport | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Driver: Twitter: @lawlessalan25 | Instagram: @lawless_alan | Facebook: /LawlessAlanRacing | Web: www.lawlessalanracing.com
Start: 21st | Finish: 32nd | Points Standings: 30th

On Saturday’s Race at Atlanta: “I think we did a really nice job today of being up front and competing. Track position was king so we had to sacrifice sometimes to stay up top. We could go where we wanted because the AUTOChargit truck was so fast; it was just unfortunate getting caught up in the incident with Carson.”

A top-20 finish in Las Vegas for Lawless Alan allowed the California driver to build upon his confidence from the year prior. While Alan was able to run inside the top-15 for a majority of the race in Atlanta, a busted radiator coming from an incident with his teammate would end his day with under 15 laps remaining.

Alan started the race in 21st and quickly made his way up into the top-15 as single-file train formed around the top of the racetrack. A caution late in the first stage would create a strategy opportunity for the No. 45 team to collect stage points. But ultimately, Alan finished just outside the top-ten, in twelfth in Stage One.

The second stage saw a few cautions throughout its running, but Alan stayed up front throughout the stage, ending in the 13th position when the green-white checkered flag flew.

Unfortunately, the final stage of the event wouldn’t go as smooth for Alan and the AUTOChargit team as the caution flew on lap 124 for an incident involving Alan and his teammate, Carson Hocevar. After a tire blew on the truck in front of him, the California driver ran into Hocevar which would ultimately bust his radiator and lead to a 32nd-place finish.

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

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

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: 5th | Finish: 31st | Points Standings: 9th

On Saturday’s Race at Atlanta: “These kind of races just happen. The Worldwide Express team put together a really great truck. We ran top-ten all day but it was just a difficult decision to decide lanes late in the race. At the end, we got a tire-rub and the tire went down instantly; but, that’s just part of it.”

After a seventh-place run two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Carson Hocevar was looking to make strides to build on his impressive start to the season. Unfortunately, a top-ten run throughout most of the race wouldn’t last as the No. 42 team had a tire go down, slamming the outside fence with under 15 laps to go.

From his fifth-place starting position, Hocevar was able to battle up front as the field ran a majority of the first stage in single-file formation. A caution on lap 23 would put a halt in the action and mix up strategy calls amongst the teams on pit road. Under the caution, Phil Gould would bring Hocevar down pit road for two tires and a small adjustment. This would put Hocevar mid-pack on the restart, leading to his 14th-place finish in the first stage.

As the second stage began, a handful of cautions would fly but the No. 42 team would remain on the racetrack and not visit pit road until the stage was over. Hocevar would secure a 17th-place finish in the second stage and would begin saving fuel to make it to the end on one more stop.

The final stage brought an abundance of cautions, including the final two cautions of the race which included Hocevar. A tire rub on the No. 42 Silverado cut the right-rear tire with just 11 laps remaining in the event. But, the repairs wouldn’t be enough as Hocevar was the cause of the next caution as well; getting into the wall once more which would end his day in 31st.

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

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.