Category: Truck Series PR

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

START: 16TH
FINISH: 5TH
POINTS: 7TH

Post-Race Quote: “Overall, I feel like we had a good Champion Power Equipment Chevy today and yesterday. I was very disappointed in qualifying, but the honestly, the truck did everything I asked it to the whole time in practice yesterday and in the race today. I feel like we handled better than most, and Jeff made some good calls. We were in the right lane when the big one happened on the backstretch, and my spotter Tyler Monn helped me get through the second big one in turn 3.

We had a fast truck, but never were able to lead a lane. I would get some good runs on guys and be able to push them but wouldn’t have anywhere to go. I think overall though, it was a good performance. We wanted to win, but I think NASCAR made the right call to end the race because the rain really settled in. Not exactly the result we had hoped for, but all in all a good way to start off the year.”

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

START: 17TH
FINISH: 29TH
POINTS: 26TH

Post-Race Quote: “I really learned a lot tonight, that’s just a pretty unfortunate deal. The No. 99 was pushing me really good there and I was just trying not to get put three wide in the middle. I didn’t want to jack up the No. 35 so I just filled it, and the No. 38 was coming down, so I lifted to not hook him, and I don’t really know what happened at that point. Our Wendell Scott Foundation Silverado was really good tonight, and I can’t say enough about the men and women at GMS Racing, General Motors, and Chevy for their support of me, along with Butlerbuilt Seats, Alpinestars, and Bell Helmets. Wish it worked out tonight.”

Daniel Dye, No. 43 Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 29TH
FINISH: 30TH
POINTS: 27TH

Post-Race Quote: “It was a bit crazy for us, just had a little trouble in qualifying. Overall in the race, I was happy with what we had working, I was just trying to learn. The first stage was kind of our practice plan, I was just trying to get my practice there, but those guys having trouble coming to five to go in that first stage kind of helped us out. But we had a good little fight back, we were in the mix there for a second, but just got caught up in the big one.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

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

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
NextEra Energy 250 | Friday, February 17, 2023

ZANE SMITH REPEATS SEASON-OPENING DAYTONA VICTORY

Defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Zane Smith won the season-opening NextEra 250 for the second consecutive year in a race that was called due to rain 20 laps from the scheduled distance.

The win is Smith’s eighth career series victory and the 114th all-time NCTS triumph for Ford.

Smith led 17 of the 79 laps that were completed while Matt Crafton and Ty Majeski led two each.

Ford Finishing Results:
1st – Zane Smith
6th – Ty Majeski
9th – Matt Crafton
11th – Ben Rhodes
21st – Jason M. White
24th – Mason Massey
35th – Hailie Deegan

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops/Speedco Ford F-150 – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN AGAIN? “It’s huge. The past couple times I’ve actually been to Daytona I’ve gotten to Victory Lane. To do that for a third time, I honestly tried to play that race as smart as possible. When it was getting really aggressive I was getting out of it. I knew that patches of rain were a thing in our Ford meeting earlier in the day. I didn’t think it would stick around for this long, but I just wanted to be there. A huge shoutout to Love’s Travel Stops, Speeco, RTA, Ford Performance. It was awesome working with some more Fords out there this year. This is exactly how we started last year, so we’re looking good.”

ARE YOU THE FAVORITE FOR THE TITLE THIS YEAR? “It’s so early. Honestly, we should have scored some stage points there, but we’re locked in the playoffs.”

HOW DOES THIS WEEKEND FEEL WITH THE CUP RACE TOO? “It’s just been a huge week. It’s so busy going from my F-150 to my Mustang. It’s been such an awesome experience.”

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Mold-Armor/Menard’s Ford F-150 – “I ran in the top five pretty much all night, but we had somebody that was leading that second lane on the outside in front of me that didn’t quite know what to do. He wouldn’t drive back to me and he sank us back to ninth and I hate it because I know I would have got back up front. At the end of the day, we had a very fast truck all night long and ran in the top five. If you run in the top five, you’ll win some races and I’m really looking forward to this year because you’ll see this Menard’s Ford F-150 back up front again.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Ford F-150 – “The accident took away our best chance, but we still had a good chance because my guys got it sealed up really good with bearer bond and it looks like drywall screws. They got really creative and I couldn’t tell a difference. I was out there drafting and we made it all the way back up to the front again before we came in and pitted for a few more repairs when some of the bearer bond came loose. All in all, I felt like we had a really good Clark’s Pump-N-Shop F-150. It was very stable. I looked more stable than the other people that were around me. I felt like I was racier for that reason. The draft is the draft here. It’s just the wild Daytona. I just wish we were able to get some long runs together and capitalize on getting some stage points. We just had a mix of a lot of bad things happen for us tonight, and I wouldn’t say that any of it was any fault of our own, it was just racing conditions and circumstances that are Daytona. I’m ready to get to the next racetrack now. I’m hungrier than ever. When you have a race like this where you feel like you didn’t even get to go out and perform, the next race can’t get here fast enough.”

HAILIE DEEGAN, No. 13 Ford Performance F-150 – “I saw the 84 sideways and that was pretty much that. I saw him going down the track, so I went up. It was a split-second decision. You just go right or left and they ended up bouncing back up off another truck, so it is what it is. We know that Daytona is one of those races where you either finish in the top 10 or you end up on the trailer home.”

YOU SEEMED COMPETITIVE IN THE FIRST STAGE. DOES THIS STING MORE? “I think it hurts even more than any of them have because of the fact we were running really good. My truck had killer speed. We ran good with some of the other guys and I just think we could have had a good one. I mean, it’s superspeedway racing. A lot of people have a good truck or a good car here and end up in one.”

THE COMMUNICATION SEEMED GOOD WITH THE TEAM. “Yeah, it was great. All of those guys, we’ve been doing a lot of work together during the offseason and just getting to know each other and each other’s style of how they talk and what they want from me during these races, and kind of what to expect. I think we all set some really good goals and I was really looking forward to showing my ability, but I think I came into this weekend with the mindset that if it goes good, great. If it doesn’t, don’t let it affect the rest of the season. For me, where we really see is Vegas.”

HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH YOUR TEAMMATES? “It’s awesome. I love my new teammates. They’re great. They’re super helpful. You can tell it’s a really tight team and a tight organization. I worked with Ben at the IMSA race and he was great and he’s a great teammate. They’ve all be super open with information and just wanting to help me, which is really nice.”

IT LOOKED LIKE YOU HAD NOWHERE TO GO, BUT HOW WAS THE HIT? “It was fine, not one of the bad ones. I’d say I’ve had worse.”

WHEN DID YOU SEE THE TRUCK WAS ON FIRE? “It was when they called the red flag. I was down in the middle of three and four on the apron and one of the fire and safety guys came over and he was looking under the truck. I guess it was leaking some oil or something, and he saw a small flame, but nothing that I could see.”

TANNER GRAY EARNS CAREER-BEST FINISH IN TRICON DEBUT
Gray begins the season with a top-five run for the second consecutive season

DAYTONA BEACH (February 17, 2023) – Tanner Gray battled through damage from multiple incidents to lead Toyota with a career-best second-place finish in the rain-shortened NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday evening.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Daytona International Speedway
Race 1 of 23 – 100 Laps, 250 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Zane Smith*
2nd, TANNER GRAY
3rd, Christian Eckes*
4th, Colby Howard*
5th, Grant Enfinger*
7th, TYLER ANKRUM
8th, COREY HEIM
14th, SAMMY SMITH
15th, JASON WHITE
16th, TIMMY HILL
25th, CHRIS HACKER
28th, STEWART FRIESEN
34th, CLAY GREENFIELD
36th, DEAN THOMPSON
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TANNER GRAY, No. 15 Dead On Tools Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 2nd

How do you feel with the second-place finish with the rain-shortened race?

“Obviously with the way our night was going, second was a good night for us. Not as smooth of a race as we would like. Got caught up in every wreck there was, but it’s a good finish and that’s all we can ask for. Everyone at TRICON Garage did a great job bringing fast trucks this weekend and happy to have Dead On Tools on board and get them a good finish. We’re going to go back to the shop and regroup to make our speedway stuff a little bit better. I feel like we’re good, but we can be a little bit better. Just have to figure it out and get ready for Las Vegas.”

What kind of momentum does it give you to kickoff the season with a second-place finish?

“For sure, anytime you can leave Daytona and be good it helps a lot. It gets the ball rolling and gets momentum on our side so that’s good. We were lucky enough to be in the same boat last year and to start the year off again like this is awesome.”

TYLER ANKRUM, No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Hattori Racing Enterprises

Finishing Position: 7th

How do you feel about your performance tonight and winning the first stage?

“We had a really fast truck. I was super happy with my LiUNA! Tundra TRD Pro. It was just so awesome. I think I made two passes for the lead with no help and no pushes, just a really, really fast truck. Doug Randolph (crew chief) on the box made some awesome calls to get us up front after starting in the back. You get to that fifth to 12th range so he made some really good calls to get us to the front and lead. We stayed in the top-five for the whole night. I hate to have it finish like this because I really thought if we were going to go back green we could have it won. We could make moves on the top or on the bottom, it was insane. I don’t like that we’re going home seventh, but this is part of it. I would rather be seventh than caught up in a wreck early on or have a blown engine. It’s unfortunate, I hate it. I really wanted to win this race after seeing how fast we were.”

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

Finishing Position: 8th

How do you feel about the rain-shortened event and your performance through the rest of the race?

“It’s super disappointing, I thought we brought a really strong Safelite Toyota TRD Pro with TRICON. Ran such a conservative race and we were conservative on strategy for the very end there. Didn’t worry about stage points and now here we are with 21 laps left and nothing to show for it. Just really proud of my TRICON guys. Just unfortunate.”

DEAN THOMPSON, No. 5 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 36th

What happened out there?

“I don’t know. They slowed up in front of me. I hit (Matt) DiBenedetto in left rear. It is what it is. I tried to slow up in time and what happened, happened. I don’t know if it was my fault, or Clay Greenfield, or who. I will look back at and see.”

Is the amount of frustration due to how early it was?

“I get an opportunity at Toyota, coming where I came from, and now I’m here. I have the opportunity to go and win this now and look where I am, so it is frustrating.”

How was it working with the TRICON team this weekend?

“It was fantastic. They’ve been top tier. Toyota has established itself as a top manufacturer in the Truck Series, frankly all three series, so to work with them has been awesome. TRICON guys have been good. They’ve been on top of it. My truck was perfect. All of our trucks were perfect. I could have gone out there and won the race, but look where we are at.”

Does the fact that you felt like you could have won the race give you some peace in this situation?

“It hurts even more because now I have an opportunity to go out there and show all of you guys who I actually am. I don’t think I had that opportunity last year, and now this year I do. Now I can go out there and show who I am, and stuff like this happens. It is racing. I will look back at and see what I did wrong and be better next time.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 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 20 electrified options, with more in showrooms later this year.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla: AM Racing confirmed today that veteran NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series driver and fellow team owner Josh Reaume will drive the team’s No. 22 Ford F-150 in Friday night’s 2023 season-opening NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

A veteran of the Truck Series scene with 64-career starts, Reaume will drop the green flag on a busy weekend of racing for the Statesville, N.C.-based team who will also compete in Saturday afternoon’s ARCA season-opener with Christian Rose and follow later with their Xfinity Series debut with Brett Moffitt in the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300.

“The stars aligned for Josh to pilot our truck at Daytona,” said AM Racing team principal Kevin Cywinski. “We were preparing to go to the race with another AM Racing driver and because of circumstances, we opted to move the race to another event this season.

“Everyone knows the hardship that Josh and his team have experienced over the past several weeks and as a family-oriented team, we stepped in and asked Josh to race the truck in hopes it will strengthen our relationship both on and off the track this season with his team also competing under the Ford Performance umbrella.

“We believe with the foundation that we have laid when it comes to our superspeedway program, Josh will be competitive and have an opportunity to challenge not only for a top-10 finish but hopefully a win. We are proud for him to represent our brand and partners.”

Reaume has been appreciative of the AM Racing team led by crew chief Ryan “Pickle” London who will guide the No. 22 Ford F-150 as crew chief on Friday night.

Daytona is the home of Reaume’s career-best finish in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series. In the 2019 NextEra Energy 250, he finished sixth after starting 32nd.

“Certainly there have been a lot of emotions over the past couple of weeks but once I climb aboard the No. 22 Motorsports Safety Group | JAG Metals Ford F-150 on Friday night, all of that will subside for a few hours and I have the opportunity to compete for a team who has showcased over the years that they have a strong superspeedway program.

“Hopefully, all the dots will connect where I’ll be able to work with our other Ford Performance trucks, including my Reaume Brothers Racing drivers Mason Massey and Jason White and we can all contend for strong finishes to get our year off with some success.”

In addition to Motorsports Safety Group and JAG Metals, Colonial Countertops, Dozier Miller Law Group, Levrack, QCollar, RESource Material Handling and Vyper will all serve as associate marketing partners for the first of 23 races this season.

For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing) or follow them on Instagram and Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

The NextEra Energy 250 (100 laps | 250 miles) is the first of 23 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs, Feb. 16 from 5:05 p.m. – 5:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., Feb. 17 beginning at 3:00 p.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

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.

Jack Wood: Driver, No. 51 Eberlestock Chevrolet

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: NextEra Energy 250, Race 1 of 23, 100 Laps – 20/20/60; 250 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Get to Know Jack:

Jack Wood will make his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) debut behind the wheel of the No. 51 Eberlestock Chevrolet in Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The Daytona race will be part of a 13-race schedule for Wood this year sharing the No. 51 with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch and other drivers yet to be announced. The 22-year-old driver finished ninth in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona in 2021 and recorded one top-five and four top-10 finishes across eight starts that season. He was elevated to the Truck Series in May of 2021, where he posted one top-10 and three top-15 finishes while competing in 12 of the last 13 races on the schedule. He returned to full-time Truck Series action in 2022 and finished tied for third in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

Friday night will be Wood’s second career start in the Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona. He started 11th but was relegated to a 33rd-place finish after getting caught up in a lap-63 crash in last year’s event. He finished ninth in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series race at the “World Center of Racing.” Wood will be performing double duty this weekend and he makes his first of seven scheduled starts in the ARCA Menards Series event on Saturday driving the No. 6 Chevrolet for Rev Racing.

Eberlestock, an outdoor apparel and tactical gear company, will be the primary sponsor on Wood’s No. 51 Chevrolet Friday night and again in May at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. From their original roots in the radical design of Olympic class biathlon racing rifles to current projects, Eberlestock has shown the world how much performance should be expected of outdoor gear. They have always been a pioneer and a leader, not a follower. For the hunter, the tactical operator, the shooting sports, or the hardcore adventure outdoorsman, they invite you to explore our current designs. You’ll find something that you can really use — use it hard, and use it well. And they’ll be excited to show you what’s around the next corner. Check them out at www.eberlestock.com.

The California native is part of a new-look KBM that will hit the track for the first time Friday night as a Chevrolet team with two full-time entries of its own and a technical alliance on REV Racing’s first-ever entry in the Truck Series. The manufacturer switch aligned with owner-driver Kyle Busch’s signing with Richard Childress Racing for 2023, one of the premier Chevrolet teams in the Cup Series. Across its 13 seasons with Toyota, KBM collected and amazing seven owner’s championships (2010, 2013 – 2017 and 2019), two driver championships (Erik Jones 2015 and Christopher Bell 2017) and a Truck Series-record 98 wins. At Daytona, Pattie has one Cup Series win, which came in the summer race with Stenhouse Jr. in 2017.

Veteran crew chief Brian Pattie will call 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 has one win across six starts as a crew chief in the NASCAR Craftsman World Truck Series. Pattie’s drivers have two wins at Daytona, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the July Cup Series race in 2017 and Joe Nemechek in the July NASCAR Xfinity Series event in 2002. Stenhouse Jr. also captured the pole with his Pattie-produced Chevrolet for the 2020 Daytona 500.

KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch will make his first of five starts behind the wheel of the No. 51 Zariz Transport Silverado March 3 in the second race of the season at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.

Jack Wood, Driver Q&A:
Jack Wood | Daytona International Speedway Preview
How has the transition to KBM been?
“The transition has been good. Having a veteran crew chief like Brian (Pattie), and then having a great mentor like Kyle has been incredible. There is such a wealth of knowledge in this building and I think that is really going to help me in my career and growing as a driver in this sport. Really excited to work with these guys, seems like a great group and we have a lot to prove.”

What is your outlook heading into Friday night?
“I’m still pretty new to speedway racing, so my goal for that race is to survive as long as I can and if we can get ourselves in a good spot with five or 10 laps to go then me and Brian can start working on a strategy to get closer to the front. The first thing for me is to learn and get comfortable with the guys around me, build trust with other drivers and teammates or whatever it may be and then kind of make that push to the checkered flag at the end.”

Do you enjoy speedway racing?
“I do, I don’t – I think there is definitely a skill to it. I think a lot of people says it’s a luck thing but I think there is definitely a skill involved in speedway racing. It’s pretty much a big chess match on the race track at 200 mph. I do enjoy and think the more that I start to do it, I’ll like it more, but right now its just like everything else, it’s all new to me and just learning every time I get to the track.”

Jack Wood Career Highlights:

• Has produced one top-10 finish across 35 career starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Posted a series-best 10th-place finish in August of 2021 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
• Has compiled five laps led, one top-five and four top-10 finishes across nine career ARCA Menards Series events.
• Has totaled one top-five and four top-10 finishes across nine ARCA Menards East Series races.
• Has totaled two top-five and seven top-10 finishes across 10 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 Chevrolet Silverado RST:

KBM-27: The No. 51 Eberlestock team will unload KBM-27 for Friday’s season-opening race at Daytona. This chassis has made just one prior start, a 35th-place finish with Drew Dollar at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October of 2021. After finishing seventh in the opening stage and 11th in Stage Two, Dollar got caught up in a 12-truck incident that ended his day prematurely.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected one win, three poles, 188 laps led, four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.1 across 34 starts at Daytona. Owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up the team’s lone victory at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in dramatic fashion in the 2014 season opener, finishing .016 seconds ahead of Timothy Peters.
• KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (98) 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 40 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Overview:
Event: NextEra Energy 250, Race 1 of 23, 100 Laps – 20/20/60; 250 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

‘Chase’n” Checkers:

Chase Purdy will make his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) debut behind the wheel of the No. 4 Bama Buggies Silverado in Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The 23-year-old driver will be beginning his third full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and first with KBM. He enters Friday night’s race having totaled five top-10 finishes and 17 laps led across his 52 career Truck Series starts. He posted a career-best sixth-place result in 2021 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

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.

Purdy finished 16th in the Truck Series standings last year 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. He missed the season-opening event at Daytona last year after experiencing a mechanical failure in qualifying prevented the engine in his truck from getting up to full speed and his truck number was not guaranteed in on points. He has one prior start in the Truck Series at the “World Center of Racing,” which came in 2021 when he qualified fourth but saw his event end after an electrical issue sidelined him with nine laps remaining in the race. He finished 21st in his line ARCA Menards Series start at the Florida track, after getting caught up in a lap-87 crash.

The Mississippi native is part of a new-look KBM that will hit the track for the first time Friday night as a Chevrolet team with two full-time entries of its own and a technical alliance on REV Racing’s first-ever entry in the Truck Series. The manufacturer switch aligned with owner-driver Kyle Busch’s signing with Richard Childress Racing for 2023, one of the premier Chevrolet teams in the Cup Series. Across its 13 seasons with Toyota, KBM collected and amazing seven owner’s championships (2010, 2013 – 2017 and 2019), two driver championships (Erik Jones 2015 and Christopher Bell 2017) and a Truck Series-record 98 wins.

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 before moving into a full-time ride in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2023.

Jimmy Villeneuve will be 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 and he was promoted to crew chief five races into the 2016 season. Friday night’s race will be Villeneuve’s first calling the shots for a race at Daytona.

Chase Purdy, Driver Q&A:
Chase Purdy | Daytona International Speedway Preview
How is your comfort level heading into Daytona with a new team?
“I feel pretty comfortable, obviously I’ve done a few speedway races over the course of my career so I kind of know what to expect. Really, its kind of like any other speedway race, you kind of enter into it thinking about survival and being in the right place at the right time. It you can keep the nose on it, by the end of the race you’ll have a shot.”

You ran up front and led laps in the fall at Talladega. Does that give you confidence heading into Friday night?
“Definitely, any time you go some where and can run up front and lead laps it gives you a lot of confidence going into similar type places. So, I don’t see why we can’t do the same thing this year.”

Do you enjoy superspeedway racing?
“Yes and no. I think when you have a good day and keep yourself out of trouble then yes, it’s pretty fun to speedway race. If you get collected in the big one, or something dumb happen and its not even your fault and it’s just a product of what’s around you then it’s not really fun to speedway race.”

Chase Purdy Career Highlights:

• Across 52 career Truck Series starts, has produced 17 laps led and five 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-13: The No. 4 Bama Buggies team will unload KBM-13 for Friday’s season-opening race at Daytona. This chassis has led at least one lap in its last seven races, including a race-high 50 laps with John Hunter Nemechek in last year’s Truck Series race at Daytona. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch captured his organization’s only victory at Daytona with this chassis in the 2014 event.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected one win, three poles, 188 laps led, four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.1 across 34 starts at Daytona. Owner-driver Kyle Busch picked up the team’s lone victory at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in dramatic fashion in the 2014 season opener, finishing .016 seconds ahead of Timothy Peters.
• KBM holds the Craftsman Truck Series records for most career wins (98) 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.

NextEra Energy 250 | Daytona International Speedway (100 Laps / 250 Miles)
Friday, February 17 | Daytona Beach, Florida | 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Team: No. 45 AUTODockit 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

Lawless Alan on Friday’s race at Daytona: “I have no idea what to expect in the race; it’s a superspeedway so it’s all up in the air. A lot of it is out of my control, but I’m excited for it. It’s the start of the season and it’s what I love to do, so I’m ready to get after it. I know our team is working hard to bring the best possible AUTODockit Chevrolet to the track to get the season started off strong.”

Alan at Daytona International Speedway: Alan raced at the oval configuration of Daytona for the first time in 2022. He qualified inside the top-10 for the event, but ultimately finished in 25th after getting caught in the “Big One.”

On the Truck: “I feel really good about the changes we’ve made with my team and what we’ve done with the trucks. I think we’ll be really competitive and really strong this season.”

Alan on heading into his sophomore season: “I feel really good going into my second full-time season with AUTODockit and Niece Motorsports. I think my confidence from last year to now is a night and day difference. I think it will really show at Daytona just in the confidence of racing in the draft.”

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 AUTODockit:

AUTODockit delivers fully automated boat storage. Boats are safely stored indoors in a rack and rail system, protected within a site-specific hurricane-protected structure. Vessels are placed in Rack Storage structures of unoccupied space driven by industrial automation technology. AUTODockit uses the same trusted and proven modular scalable architecture from AUTOParkit™ a market leader in Autonomous Parking Systems. AUTODockit uses all electric motors and does NOT use forklifts, overhead cranes, robotics, hydraulics, or pneumatics. Travel lanes are significantly reduced in AUTODockit sites allowing increased storage capacity and maximizing revenue

AUTODockit provides two solutions: Coastal and Inland. AUTODockit Costal lifts boats directly from the water while AUTODockit Inland is for trailered boats.

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

NextEra Energy 250 | Daytona International Speedway (100 Laps / 250 Miles)
Friday, February 17 | Daytona Beach, Florida | 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Team: No. 41 Worldwide Express/Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Travis Pastrana (Annapolis, Maryland) | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman Jr.
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Travis Pastrana: Twitter: @TravisPastrana | Instagram: @TravisPastrana | Facebook: /TravisPastrana | Web: www.travispastrana.com

Travis Pastrana on Friday’s Race at Daytona: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Al [Niece], Cody [Efaw] and the Niece Motorsports crew quite a bit since the team was formed. I was looking to be part of as much racing as possible during Daytona Speedweeks this year and couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to drive their 41 truck with support from WWEX Racing in my first Daytona start in the Truck Series.

Cody was my car chief when I raced Daytona for my first time in the Xfinity Series. We qualified third and
finished 10th, despite being backward across the grass when I crossed the line! We have an amazing team with amazing sponsors like Worldwide Express/WWEX Racing, Black Rifle, Dixxon and Wienerschnitzel. As always, we are approaching the race with optimism that we have the package to put in a great result, while having the most fun of anyone at the track!”

Pastrana at Daytona International Speedway: Pastrana has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, including a 10th-place result in 2013.

The Action Sports legend has five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts to his credit, with his most recent coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2020.

Pastrana’s trip to Florida is off to a strong start after winning Feature No. 1 at Volusia Speedway Park in a DIRTcar UMP Modified on Feb. 9.

On the Truck: Pastrana’s No. 41 Chevrolet will also race with support from WWEX Racing, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Dixxon and Wienerschnitzel.

Through its WWEX Racing program, the Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers brands will provide full-season support to the No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado as Niece Motorsports eyes the Truck Series Owners Championship.

Logistics leaders Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz provide access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. Together, the three brands are the Official Logistics Partner of Niece Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing and NASCAR.

Black Rifle Coffee Company was founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret Evan Hafer and built upon the mission to serve coffee and culture to people who love America.

Established in 2013, Dixxon began with the goal of creating the world’s best flannel and used that approach – classics redefined – for their full array of products, which now includes apparel for men, women and youth, as well as hats and accessories.

Founded in 1961 by John Galardi with a single location in Southern California, Wienerschnitzel has grown to be the world’s largest hot dog chain serving more than 120 million hot dogs a year.

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:

Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 115,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains.

With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $5 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.

NextEra Energy 250 | Daytona International Speedway (100 Laps / 250 Miles)
Friday, February 17 | Daytona Beach, Florida | 7:30 p.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: CarsonHocevar.com

Carson Hocevar on Friday’s Race at Daytona: “We were pretty fast last year, but we opted to ride in the back most of the race. We were fast at Talladega and led laps. The plan is to not ride. We want to win both stages, and just be up front, and hopefully not get crashed. That’s the expectation but, if we crash, I’d rather crash up front. I feel that we’re going to be the truck to beat when we go to Las Vegas and throughout the rest of the year.”

Hocevar at Daytona International Speedway: In two starts at the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway, Hocevar has finished inside the top-10 in both appearances, including a top-five finish in 2021.

On the Truck: “With the support of WWEX Racing, Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz, and Unishippers, along with Chevrolet support, we have the most resources we’ve ever had and have really high expectations this season.”

Hocevar on heading into his third season: “I feel really good. We now know what we were missing and that should be everything. We have really good pit crews, trucks, builds and notes going into the season. My number is about five; I think it’s going to take about five wins to win the NASCAR Truck Series championship; so that’s our goal.”

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:
Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 115,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains.

With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $5 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.