Category: Truck Series PR

Saturday, October 22nd
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
Race: 22 of 23
Event: Baptist Health 250 (134 laps/201 miles)

Schedule
Friday, October 21st
Practice: 4:00 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, October 22nd
Race: 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Wastequip Ford F-150 

• Hailie Deegan straps in at Homestead-Miami Speedway for her 45th career start and first NCWTS appearance at the facility.
• In the series last outing at Talladega Superspeedway, the Ford Performance driver escaped last-lap carnage and carried her Ford F-150 to a career-best finish of sixth.
• Deegan is fresh off the heels of her Xfinity Series debut, placing 13th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Saturday.
• The 21-year-old has plenty of confidence on 1.5-mile tracks, boasting a higher average finish on intermediate speedways than in any other pavement configuration.
• Veteran Crew Chief Jerry Baxter is a former winner at Homestead-Miami, scoring two victories alongside Cale Gale and Bubba Wallace. In addition, the shot-caller has netted three top fives, four top ten’s and carries an average finish of 11th.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Place of Hope Ford F-150

• Tanner Gray will make his 70th career NCWTS start on Saturday afternoon when the series invades Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• At Talladega Superspeedway two weeks ago, Gray ran inside the top-10 for most of Stage 1, but disaster struck on lap 78 when he was caught up in a five truck pileup ending his day early with a 31st-place finish.
• In two previous appearances at Homestead, the 23-year-old has finishes of 16th and 12th in 2019 and 2020.
• Mike Hillman Jr. possesses two wins, three poles, six top-fives, six top-10s in 14 starts at the 1.5-mile track. The victories came with Todd Bodine in 2005 and 2008.
• Place of Hope will be featured on the sides of the No. 15 F-150 this weekend. The Florida-based foundation provides programs and services to children, youth, and families to end the cycles of abuse, neglect, homelessness, and human trafficking in local communities.

Ryan Preece, No. 17 RaceChoice Ford F-150

• Ryan Preece will make his 10th and final NCWTS start of the season in the DGR No. 17 F-150 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday.
• RaceChoice.com returns as a primary partner for the third time in 2022 with Preece. Vehicle remote start and security solutions company Compustar will be featured on the hood.
• The Connecticut driver looks to continue his remarkable consistency in the Truck Series. After a fourth-place finish at Talladega, he bettered his average finish to 4.7 in 11 starts.
• Chad Johnston will be atop the pit box this weekend for the No. 17 team. In 2022, the driver and crew chief duo has combined for finishes of 4th, 3rd, 11th, 2nd and 3rd.

No. 38 Team Enters Final Race Before Championship Race in Phoenix

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 18, 2022) – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Zane Smith, will look to grab one of the Championship Four spots this weekend at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon’s race will be Smith’s last change to lock himself into the ‘Round of Four’ before Phoenix’s championship race in two weeks’ time. A task that he does not take lightly.

“Everything we have done this year has led to this moment right here,” Smith stated. “I’ve said it all year, getting locked into the ‘Round of Four’ is a championship of its own. All we can control is our truck and our race. We will do just that to give us the best shot at advancing to the final round.”

Saturday also marks the end of the year for Speedco, a premiere partner for Smith that adorned the No. 38 for two of Smith’s three wins in 2022 and an associate with Love’s for his season opening win at Daytona.

“Everyone at Love’s and Speedco have meant so much to me this season,” said Smith. “Without them, a lot of this would not be possible. They’ve been with us for each of our wins starting all the way back in Daytona. I really want to go out on a high note with them this weekend and deliver them that fourth win.”

Smith and the No. 38 Speedco Ford F-150 will hit the track at Homestead on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on FS1.

About Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 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 NASCAR Camping World 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 (October 6, 2022) – Apparel company, Off The Grid Surplus, has stepped up their sponsorship of NASCAR driver Spencer Boyd. The motor-driven adventure brand will be featured as the primary sponsor at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway.

Boyd provided insight on the partnership and news, “I wear a flat bill. Always have. I love the outdoors. Always will. I love motorsports. Obviously. So when I met Josh, with this company that believed in so many of the same things that I do, I knew we had to partner up. They are the perfect balance of outdoors and edgy, I love their stuff. It’s exciting that they wanted their own paint scheme and I’m happy to introduce NASCAR fans to their brand.”

Off The Grid is the motor-driven adventure brand, built to inspire more connection through adventure. They find retreat in motorized adventure, whether it is off road racing in a Jeep, camping in Baja or connecting around campfire. They make functional clothing with this lifestyle always front of mind hoping to inspire people to get away and connect with each other, person to person.

Founder of Off The Grid Surplus, Josh Patterson, shared part of his story, “I started this clothing company in 2017 as a creative outlet for the lifestyle that I was passionate about. I never would have imagined we’d be at this point where our logo would be on the hood of a NASCAR truck. We are stoked to partner with the most patriotic NASCAR driver because the military always gets a discount for our products. Spencer is a great human and we’re excited to see this grow.”

Spencer added, “The company’s motto is stated on their website offthegridsurplus.com – “Off The Grid” isn’t just a saying or a place, but it is a state of mind. We can all use a bit more of it, especially in this day and age. – In the off-season you will find me out in the woods and around a campfire. It’s simple, they make clothes for me.”

The Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway on Friday, November 4, 2022 airs live on FS1 at 10:00pm ET. The season finale and championship race is series sponsor, Camping World’s swan song and Off The Grid’s first primary race with Spencer Boyd and Young’s Motorsports.

TWO TUNDRAS TALLY TALLADEGA TOP-FIVES
Wild Talladega Finish Results with Four Tundras in the Top-10

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 1, 2022) – Tundra teammates Ben Rhodes (second) and Christian Eckes (fifth) scored the top-finishes for Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. The two ThorSport Tundras were running one-two coming to the white flag, but a wild finish and accident coming to the checkered flag mixed up the final results and sent several trucks crashing and spinning through the infield.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 21 of 23 – 100 Laps, 250 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Matt DiBenedetto*

2nd, BEN RHODES

3rd, Bret Holmes*

4th, Ryan Preece

5th, CHRISTIAN ECKES

7th, CHASE PURDY

10th, TYLER ANKRUM

11th, KADEN HONEYCUTT

12th, CLAY GREENFIELD

14th, CHANDLER SMITH

15th, TIMMMY HILL

20th, STEWART FRIESEN

22nd, MATT CRAFTON

23rd, TY MAJESKI

24th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

25th, JOHNNY SAUTER

26th, COREY HEIM

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Kubota Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What happened in the final lap of the race with the accident?

“As the saying goes, I haven’t’ seen the replay. I can’t help but feel that I had a hand in on that big one somehow. I believe that I went up to block and came back down and the hole was already filled and I didn’t know it. Split second decision. I hate it for my team and everybody at ThorSport most of all. They worked so hard to get these trucks there and we were right there to lock our ticket into Phoenix and now we have to really put in the work at Homestead to make sure we get in for another championship run. I just know we were on the bottom and I had a really, really good push. I felt like I got pushed out a little bit in the trioval, but again, I haven’t seen a replay and I saw the outside start to pull out and I knew we were going to lose momentum as that group pulled out. But they had a run still somehow and as I moved up to block, they filled the gap and I think I made contact, but again, I haven’t seen the replay for sure. Just hate it for Kubota and everybody involved. It’s s shame to be that close to punching your ticket and not get it.”

What would you have done differently on the final lap to try to get the win?

“Honestly, I think everything worked out fine until the last few hundred feet. If I could change it, I would have just stayed right on the bottom. I’m not saying we could have got the win, maybe we would have had second, but we wouldn’t have a torn up race truck right now. A lot of things would have been better for really everybody involved.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, No. 98 FarmPaint Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

What happened in the final lap of the race?

“Just wrong lane. I thought the 25 (Matt DiBenedetto) would push me better than the 32 (Bret Holmes) and I was just wrong. They passed us and I tried to do some different moves. I’m not really sure what happened there at the end, I’m not sure if the 51 (Corey Heim) bailed on me or what. Coming to the checkered, I finished seventh and had a decent points day and the truck is mostly in one piece. We’ll move onto Homestead.”

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

Finishing Position: 10th

How was your race overall?

“Had a pretty good handling truck. It was a little darty, but we ran up front all day long and inside the top-10 and were running sixth there at the end. Just made a wrong decision to push the 51 (Corey Heim) and he spun. Actually happy to finish at race at Talladega. I can say for once that I want to come back. We’ll have a better speedway truck for the next one.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 66 Tenda Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 23rd

What happened in the final lap of the race that ended your race early?

“We were just trying to make some moves at the end and trying to get the top formed and it just never came through and got passed by a couple trucks there at the end. Coming out of four, they all started wrecking and we were in the top lane and in the top lane, a lot of times you really don’t have anywhere to go. Got into a few trucks and another superspeedway race in the infield care center.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 24th

How was your race today?

“Up and down. Maximized stage points there with Chandler (Smith) in the first stage and in the second stage, put ourselves in a good position to gain as many points as possible. Just didn’t work out there at the end. Stuff happens and I was one of the trucks that was spinning through the grass there. Probably lost around 10 or 12 spots there by spinning through the grass. It hurt our points day a little bit and we’re now just four points behind the cut going into Homestead.”

COREY HEIM, No. 51 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 26th

What happened on the final lap of the race?

“I’m really not sure. I haven’t seen a replay, but just going for every spot I can get and it looked like we had a chance to win with our Tundra TRD Pro. Generally this is how it goes at Talladega, it’s unpredictable and you know, one driver doesn’t cause a wreck. There’s going to be another one half a lap later. Did everything I could today with my JBL Tundra TRD Pro today. KBM gave me a great truck and looking forward to the next one for sure.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

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.

Young’s Motorsports | NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway | Chevrolet Silverado 250

Fast Facts
No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Team:
Driver: Kaz Grala
Primary Partner(s): Young’s Building Systems | Randco Industries Inc.
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST
Crew Chief: Steven Dawson
2022 Driver Points Position: 29th
2022 Owner Points Position: 18th

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

Still Truckin’: This weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Young’s Motorsports welcomes back Kaz Grala as the driver of the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST who returns to the organization for the 11th time during the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

The former Truck Series winner has competed for Young’s Motorsports at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, Knoxville Raceway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Richmond (Va.) Raceway and most recently at Kansas Speedway earlier this month.

Sponsor Intel: For the 21st Truck Series race of 2022, Young’s Motorsports welcomes Texas-based Young’s Building Systems and Randco Industries Inc. as the primary marketing partners on Grala’s No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the Chevrolet Silverado 250.

Welcome Back: Young’s Motorsports and Grala welcome back Ruedebusch as an associate marketing partner on Grala’s No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the 94-lap event this weekend.

Ruedebusch Development & Construction Inc. is a highly qualified, vertically integrated full-service commercial construction, and real estate development company located in Madison, Wisconsin which offers: Commercial Real Estate Development Design Build Construction Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Economic Development, Commercial Real Estate, and Facility Consulting.

The Lowdown: Earlier this year Young’s Motorsports confirmed that Grala who will race in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions throughout the 2022 season will pilot the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST for a minimum of 11 races throughout the season including Saturday afternoon’s Chevrolet Silverado 250.

In addition to Las Vegas, COTA, Bristol, Sonoma, Knoxville, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Pocono, Indianapolis, Richmond, Kansas and Talladega, Grala is also slated to race in the penultimate Truck Series race of the year at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

2022: In his 10 Truck Series races this season as the pilot of the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports flagship entry, Grala has delivered a season-high seventh-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150.

In addition to his top-10 finish at Mid-Ohio, Grala has also delivered two top-15 finishes with 14th place efforts twice in March at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and in the inaugural Door Dash 250 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June.

In his other events for the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, Grala has finished 30th at Las Vegas, and 26th twice at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt and Knoxville Raceway, 23rd at Pocono Raceway, a solid 20th in the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 22nd at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and earned his fifth top-20 finish of the season in his most recent race at Kansas Speedway respectively.

Kaz Grala Truck Series Talladega Superspeedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway will mark Grala’s third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the famed Alabama 2.66-mile superspeedway.

In his two previous efforts, he has earned a track-best of ninth after starting 28th in the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 250 for Niece Motorsports.

He holds an average finish at Talladega of 19.0.

Kaz Grala Truck Series Superspeedway Stats: At NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tracks classified as a superspeedway, Grala has made three starts throughout his career with one win, two top 10s and carrying an average finishing position of 13.0.

Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway | UNOH 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Grala’s teammate Jesse Little made his planned final Truck Series race of his career in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics.

After starting his 13th race of the Truck Series season from the 25th place starting position, Little contended for a top-20 finish before settling for a lead lap 25th place finish at the checkered flag.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Grala as crew chief of the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST is crew chief Steven Dawson.

A long-time Young’s Motorsports employee, Dawson will serve as crew chief for just his 21st Truck Series race. The Chevrolet Silverado 250 will be his first race as crew chief at the monstrous 2.66-mile facility.

Dawson, 34, is a native of Concord, N.C.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Kaz Grala, please visit, kazgrala.com, like him on Facebook (Kaz Grala) and follow him on Twitter (@KazGrala).

Kaz Grala Pre-Race Quote:

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

On Talladega Superspeedway: “I have really high hopes for Talladega this weekend. Young’s Motorsports has won two of the last three Talladega races, so I know that we’re going to have a good piece to work with.

“We’re focused on getting the flagship No. 02 Truck in Victory Lane for the first time ever and we feel like this weekend could be a great opportunity to do so.

“First, we’ll have the survive the chaos that the Truck Series always provides on the superspeedways, so that’s our game plan for the race.

“If we can accomplish that, then we’ll be in a really good position to capitalize when it counts.”

No. 12 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Spencer Boyd

Primary Partner(s): Alabama Roofing Professionals

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

Crew Chief: Ryan “Pickle” London

2022 Driver Points Position: 27th

2022 Owner Points Position: 30th

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

Back To Familiar Territory: Fan favorite Spencer Boyd returns to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway aboard his new Truck number and leadership eyeing his first top-10 of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and second win of his Truck Series career.

No. 140: This weekend at Talladega, Boyd will make his 140th career NASCAR start. Boyd has three starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, 50 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and will make his 87th start in Trucks when the green flag waves Saturday afternoon.

The highlight of his NASCAR career is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October 2019 driving for Young’s Motorsports.

Welcome Back: This weekend at Talladega, Spencer Boyd and Young’s Motorsports welcome back Alabama Roofing Professionals as the primary marketing partner for the 21st race of the 2022 Truck Series season.

Saturday afternoon’s event will mark the third time that Alabama Roofing Professionals has supported Boyd at the famed Alabama race track, including his first career Truck Series victory at Talladega in 2019.

It’s in our name, Alabama Roofing Professionals: we consider ourselves roofing pros. If it involves your roof, we’re the guys that you can trust to get the job done.

We offer new roofs, roof inspections, roofing repairs, and a variety of other services to cater to the needs of every customer in the area.

If you need the job done, our experts have you covered. Give us a call at 205-722-ROOF (7663) and speak to one of our highly-trained professionals about your roofing needs or to request your free estimate.

We’d love to hear from you.

Visit us on the web at alroofpros.com.

Spencer Boyd Truck Series Talladega Superspeedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 will mark Boyd’s fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Alabama-famed race track.

In his four previous efforts, Boyd has a win in the 2019 Sugarlands Shine 250, while posting two top-10s overall and also carrying an average finish of 14.8 since 2017.

Spencer Boyd Truck Series Superspeedway Stats: At NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tracks classified as a superspeedway, Boyd has made eight starts throughout his career earning one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes and carrying an average finishing position of 13.2.

Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway | UNOH 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Boyd made his 86th career Truck Series start.

After starting his 20th race of the Truck Series season from the 33rd place starting position, Boyd suffered a mechanical failure and ended his night after just 25 laps and registering a 36th place finish.

persevered during the race after suffering a mechanical failure which left him 33rd at the checkered flag.

To The Point(s): Entering Talladega, Boyd sits 27th in the championship standings.

117 points separate Boyd from 20th in the championship standings currently held by Timmy Hill with three races remaining this season.

Young’s Motorsports’ No. 12 team secures 30th in the Truck Series owner standings.

Chasing That W: Boyd is eyeing his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory for himself and Young’s Motorsports.

In 2019 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Boyd pulled an upset during the Truck Series Playoffs by winning the Sugarland Shines 250 at the 2.66-mile superspeedway edging Todd Gilliland by 0.027 seconds.

Truck Series Rundown: In six years of Truck Series competition, Boyd has 86 career Truck Series starts with one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes, and a championship best of 17th in 2019 and carries an average finish of 23.6.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Boyd as crew chief of the No. 12 Alabama Roofing Professionals Chevrolet Silverado RST is veteran crew chief Ryan “Pickle” London.

He will crew chief his 66th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday afternoon. In his previous 65 races, he has one win, two top-five, and four top-10 finishes to his resume.

This weekend marks his fourth race as crew chief at Talladega.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Spencer Boyd, please like him on Facebook (Spencer Boyd Racing) and follow him on Instagram (SpencerBoydpr) and Twitter (@SpencerBoyd).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports) and follow on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Spencer Boyd Pre-Race Quotes:

On Alabama Roofing Professionals Reunion: “This one is for Alabama! The team over at Alabama Roofing Professionals has such pride in serving their community that it raises the stakes for me to put a good run together for them.

“Our Young’s Motorsports team has won two of the last three races at Dega so we feel good about making the whole state of Alabama proud with this year’s effort.”

No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Parker Retzlaff

Primary Partner(s): FunkAway

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

Crew Chief: Andrew Abbott

2022 Driver Points Position: N|A

2022 Owner Points Position: 29th

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

Truck Debut: Young’s Motorsports welcomes Rhinelander, Wisc. native

Parker Retzlaff who will drive the team’s No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the second and final superspeedway race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

Saturday afternoon’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 will also mark Retzlaff’s debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Welcome To The Team: FunkAway, a line of odor elimination products that removes the horrible effects of bad smells will serve as the primary marketing partner on Retzlaff’s No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado RST Saturday afternoon.

B2Z Products Inc. is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, and is the developer of FunkAway, a line of odor elimination products that removes the horrible effects of bad smells.

Guaranteed to work on clothing, shoes, gear, pet products, car interiors and more, FunkAway allows users to renew and refresh, rather than throw away.

Looking Back at 2022: Despite running a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule this season, Retzlaff has made noise.

In six starts overall, he earned a career-best sixth place qualifying effort in his Xfinity Series debut at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in March and followed the performance up with his first top-10 finish at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in April after starting 10th.

Additionally, he earned two impressive top-12 performances at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway respectively.

Overall, he has one top-10, three top-15s and four top-20 efforts in six career Xfinity Series starts this season.

Accomplished Virtual Racer Too: Outside of the cockpit, Retzlaff is an accomplished iRacer with more than 1,615 poles, 1,653 wins, 3,291 top-five and more than 68,800 laps led.

He is also the rookie driver of the No. 6 KOHLER Generators Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.

Parker Retzlaff Truck Series Talladega Superspeedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway will mark Retzlaff’s first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the famed Alabama 2.66-mile superspeedway.

Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway | UNOH 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Young’s Motorsports ARCA Menards Series East driver Leland Honeyman Jr. made his Truck Series debut in “Thunder Valley.”

After qualifying for the race on speed in the 31st position, Honeyman embraced his Truck Series debut by staying out of trouble and delivering a 29th place finish at the checkered flag.

Calling the Shots: Guiding Retzlaff as crew chief of the No. 20 FunkAway Silverado RST is veteran crew chief Andrew Abbott.

He will crew chief his 102nd NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday afternoon.

In his previous 101 races, he has one pole, two top-five and seven top-10 finishes

to his resume.

This weekend marks his fourth race as crew chief at Talladega.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Parker Retzlaff, please visit parkerretzlaff.com, like him on Facebook (Parker Retzlaff Racing), Instagram (@parkerRetzlaff) and follow him on Twitter (@Parker79p).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Parker Retzlaff Pre-Race Quote:

On Talladega Superspeedway: “I am excited to make my NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with Young’s Motorsports and FunkAway at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend.

“I really feel like if we can stay out of trouble, we can have a good finish with our No. 20 FunkAway Chevrolet Silverado RST.”

Race Information:

The Chevrolet Silverado 250 (94 laps | 250.04 miles) is the 21st of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2022 schedule. Qualifying is set for Friday, September 30 beginning at 2:30 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag on Saturday, October 1, shortly after 11:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

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

Talladega Superspeedway Stats

• NCWTS Starts: 8, Wins: 1 (2016), Best start: 2nd, Top 5s: 2, Top 10s: 3, Laps led: 96
• ARCA Starts: 6, Poles: 1 (2014), Best finish: 3rd (2009), Top 5s: 1, Top 10s: 3, Laps led: 89

2022 NCWTS Season Stats

• Starts: 20, Wins: 1 (IRP), Best start: 3rd, Top 5s: 7, Top 10s: 11, Laps led: 44, Current points position: 7th

— About Champion Power Equipment: Since 2003 Champion Power Equipment has earned a reputation for designing and producing the market’s finest power equipment. From our original headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California, Champion has expanded its North American footprint to include facilities in Jackson, Tennessee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Toronto Canada. Today, Champion’s product line has expanded to include portable generators, home standby generators, inverter generators, engines, winches and log splitters. With over 2.5 million generators sold in North America, Champion is a market leader in the power equipment field. Visit ChampionPowerEquipment.com for more information.

• Chassis History/Info: Enfinger and the No. 23 team will compete with chassis no. 141 at Talladega Superspeedway. This Chevrolet made its on-track debut in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, where Grant ran inside the Top-10 for the majority of the event before getting swept up in a crash coming to the white flag. Saturday’s race will mark the first time that this chassis has raced at ‘Dega.
• Sweet Home Alabama: Every time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rolls into Talladega, hometown fans have Grant Enfinger on pinned high on their list to cheer for. Enfinger, who grew up in nearby Fairhope, AL, has had plenty of memorable moments at his home track. In 2010, Enfinger made his first career NCWTS start at the 2.66-mile super speedway, and in 2016, he earned his first career victory in the series driving for GMS Racing. You’d better believe that this track is one of his favorite stops of the season!
• Trackside Appearances: Fans attending Saturday’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 will have a chance to meet the hometown hero on race day at the NASCAR Trackside Live stage where he will be participating in a Q&A session from 9:30 AM – 9:45 AM local time.
• Breast Cancer Awareness: As part of a team tradition, Grant Enfinger will be honoring several women who have been affected by breast cancer with pink ribbons lining his No. 23 Chevrolet at Talladega. The women highlighted are family members of GMS Racing employees directly associated with his team.
• FearTheFinger Playoffs Profile: One race down, two left to go in the Round of 8 for the NCWTS playoffs. Grant and the No. 23 team have been on a hot streak since the start of the postseason, posting four Top-5 finishes in four races including a win in the opening round at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Entering Talladega, the veteran is seeded in seventh position in the points standings, currently 15 points below the cutline. - GE Quote: Enfinger ‘s thoughts on racing at his home track during the Round of 8:

“Talladega is always a special place for me, so I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for a while. Jeff Hensley and the guys have our Champion Power Equipment Chevy as prepared as we can possibly be. Speedway racing is always chaotic, but hopefully we have the speed and make the right decisions to get some valuable stage points and contend for a win. Roll Tide!”

Jack Wood, No. 24 Logitech G Chevrolet Silverado RST

Talladega Superspeedway Stats

• NCWTS Starts: 1, Best start: 24th, Best finish: 40th (2021)
• ARCA Starts: 1, Best start: 12th, Best finish: 11th (2021)

2022 NCWTS Season Stats

• Starts: 20, Best start: 10th, Best finish: 13th (Atlanta), Current points position: 23rd
• Game On: Earlier this week, GMS Racing officials announced a two-race primary sponsorship with Logitech G on Jack Wood’s No. 24 Chevrolet. One of the most iconic brands in the esports industry will be promoted by Wood at the next two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Talladega Superspeedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• About Logitech G: Logitech G, a brand of Logitech International, is the global leader in PC and console gaming gear. Logitech G provides gamers of all levels with industry-leading keyboards, mice, headsets, mousepads, and simulation products such as wheels and flight sticks – made possible through innovative design, advanced technologies, and a deep passion for gaming. Founded in 1981, and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI). Find Logitech G at logitechG.com, the company blog or @LogitechG.

Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries.

• Chassis History/Info: Wood and the No. 24 team will compete with GMS Racing chassis no. 127 on Saturday afternoon. Having raced at the plate tracks since 2016, this Silverado RST has always shown speed on the high banks. In nine previous races, this chassis has finished in the Top-10 four times, including a pair of second place finishes at Talladega with Spencer Gallagher and at Daytona with Justin Haley.
• Breast Cancer Awareness: As part of a team tradition, Jack Wood will be honoring several women who have been affected by breast cancer with pink ribbons lining his No. 24 Chevrolet at Talladega. The women highlighted are family members of GMS Racing employees directly associated with his team. - JW Quote: Wood’s thoughts on super speedway racing in the Truck Series:

“There are a lot of unknown variables that come along with super speedway racing, but I think Talladega provides us with a great opportunity to capitalize. I wasn’t able to get much experience racing in the pack there last season as we had a mechanical failure, but I learned a lot earlier this year at Daytona and Atlanta that I look forward to using this weekend. Our main goal has to be all about surviving, so if we can avoid ‘the big one’ and put ourselves in a good spot to be there when it counts, that is going to pay huge dividends. I’m looking forward to taking on this challenge with my No. 24 Logitech Silverado RST.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operating the No. 23 and the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs, as well as the ARCA Menards Series with the No. 43 Chevrolet SS. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA Menards Series 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 Petty GMS, a two car full-time NASCAR Cup Series team formed in 2021.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 iBUYPOWER Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Playoff Race at Talladega, Race 21 of 23 (Race 2 in the Round of 8)
94 Laps – 20/20/54; 250.04 Miles
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile, tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Oct. 1, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Chandler Chatter:
Chandler Smith and the No. 18 iBUYPOWER team head to Talladega Superspeedway for the second race of the Round of 8 looking to stay above the playoff bubble. Smith dominated the early portion of the opening round of the Round of 8 at Bristol Motor Speedway, picking up the opening two stage wins after taking the lead on lap 28 and remaining out front until he hit pit road on lap 117. After the pit stop, the 20-year-old driver found passing to be at a premium and was only able to work his way back to a ninth-place finish. After scoring 48 points over the course of the Bristol race, he sits second on the playoff grid, 24 points above the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4 with two races remaining in the Round of 8.

Saturday’s race will mark Smith’s third start in Truck Series action at Talladega. In his first-ever superspeedway race in any series, he brought home a third-place finish in the 2020 event. Last year, he ran inside the top 10 for the majority of the first half of the event before getting caught up in a 21-truck accident in the Final Stage that relegated him to a 19th-place finish. He also raced in the Xfinity Series race at the 2.66-mile tri-oval this year but was relegated to a 38th-place finish after getting caught up in an early wreck.

Smith punched his ticket to the Round of 8 with a win at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. Smith dominated the middle race of the Round of 10, leading 176 of the final 177 laps, picked up the Stage 2 win and the victory and added six playoff points that have carried over to the Round of 8. The victory was Smith’s third of 2022 and the fifth of his career.

The Toyota Racing Development product has produced three wins in 2022: the second race of the season at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, the regular season finale at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and in the Round of 8 at Richmond. Across 20Truck Series starts this season Smith has recorded eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. He ranks first among Truck Series regulars in laps led (423), average running position (8.506), laps completed (2803) and quality passes (619), is second in average finish (8.7) and fastest laps run (202), and third in driver rating (103.9).

Smith made the playoffs last year in his first full-time campaign as the 10th seed. He advanced to the Round of 8 with a must-win victory at Bristol in the final race in the Round of 10. He found himself in another must-win situation in the final race in the Round of 8 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and saw his playoff run end when he finished fourth. As a consolation prize, he won the pole and swept all three stages in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

The Georgia driver earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September of 2021. Across 58 career Truck Series starts, the Toyota Racing Development driver had recorded five wins, one pole, 729 laps led, 22 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8.

Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will once again call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2022. Stockman’s drivers have produced eight victories at KBM since he joined the organization in 2020, including four with Smith behind the wheel. The veteran crew chief captured a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and also won an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s drivers have produced one top-five and three top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.3 across four Truck Series starts at Talladega. Smith’s third-place result in 2020 was his best result. In Xfinity Series action, his drivers have complied three top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 13.2 across six races.

iBUYPOWER will serve as the primary sponsor on Smith’s No. 18 Tundra TRD Pro on Saturday. Since 1999, iBUYPOWER has been delivering on its promise to build the best gaming systems for the most discerning gamers. Friday’s race will be the sixth event for iBUYPOWER sponsoring Smith’s KBM entry since 2019. Smith has finished inside the top 10 in all five of those races, including an eighth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth earlier this year. Safelite, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services, will be back on the No. 18 for the final two races of the season: Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:
With being 24 points above the cutoff line, how will you approach Saturday’s race?
“We’ve had some meetings about how we will approach it and I still don’t think we have an answer – we’re kind of up in the air. It’s super situation dependent – it depends on who we are racing around, where the other guys that we are racing for points are and what they are doing, how much energy is in the pack – and our strategy could change lap to lap. The ultimate goal is to finish the race in our iBUYPOWER Tundra TRD Pro and if we can collect some stage points along the way that would be a bonus. At the end of the day, we just need to be safe about it.

How important is it to have a good spotter for superspeedway races?
“It’s huge, if my spotter tells me to bail, I trust in his judgement and I’m going to bail without thinking about it twice. I have full trust in (Chris)Lambert and he’s obviously really good at what he does – you see what he and Denny (Hamlin) are able to do in the superspeedway races and they have the Daytona 500 rings to prove it.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

• Across 58 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded five wins, 729 laps led, 22 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.8.
• Earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory.
• Has posted an average finish of 29.5 across two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2022, with a best result of 22nd coming at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
• Has collected 10 wins, 10 poles, 1894 laps led, 23 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.2 across 35 career ARCA Menards Series starts.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 iBUYPOWER Tundra: TRD Pro:
KBM-64: The No. 18 iBUYPOWER team will unload KBM-64 for Saturday’s Truck Series race at Talladega. It is the same Toyota that Smith has piloted in all four of his superspeedway races across his career with a best result of third coming with it at Talladega in 2020 in his first career superspeedway start.

KBM-64 Performance Profile
KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 79 laps led, 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.1 across 31 starts at Talladega. Raphael Lessard collected the first victory of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career at the 2.66-mile tri-oval in 2021 and owner-driver Kyle Busch was victorious in the 2010 event when he finished 0.002 seconds ahead of Aric Almirola in the closest finish in Truck Series history since electronic scoring was instituted.
• KBM holds the Camping World 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 earlier this 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. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 26 career victories.

John Hunter Nemechek: Driver, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Talladega 250, Race 21 of 23 (Race 2 of 3, Round of 8)
94 Laps – 20/20/54; 250.04 Miles
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Oct. 1, 2022, at 12:30p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’chek’ the Facts:
John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team head to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for the second race in the Round of 8 in the Camping World Truck Series playoffs nine points below the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4. In the last Truck Series event at Bristol, an incident in practice forced the No. 4 team to bring out their backup truck and start from the rear of the field. Despite starting in the rear, Nemechek drove to a 12th-place finish and picked up three stage points with an eighth-place finish at the end of Stage Two.

The 25-year-old driver has made six Truck Series starts at Talladega, with a best result of fourth in last year’s event. He was leading on the final lap last year before being turned as the field came through the tri-oval and sent sliding sideways across the stripe. He finished eighth in each of his Cup Series starts at the Alabama track, both in 2020. In the Xfinity Series, he has finished inside the top 10 in both of his Talladega starts, with a best result of sixth in 2019.

In his most recent superspeedway race in the Truck Series, Nemechek led 50 laps in the 2022 season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway before a late-race incident relegated him to a 24th-place finish.

With just three races remaining in the 2022 Truck Series season, Nemechek continues to lead Truck Series regulars in poles (six) and driver rating (105.3). He is also second in average running position (8.772) and third in laps led (352) and average starting position (7.9).

The Toyota Racing driver made his tenth Xfinity Series start of the season this past weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, piloting the No. 18 GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. Nemechek qualified fourth and led the second most laps (60) before being caught up in an incident on lap 116, relegating him to a 28th-place finish.

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, an industry leader in commercial fire protection since 1946, will serve as the primary sponsor for Nemechek at Talladega. Pye-Barker, who acquired Nemechek’s long-term partner Fire Alarm Services in 2021, will also serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 4 Tundra TRD Pro for the season finale at Phoenix Raceway (11/4).

Nemechek is a 13-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports, and returning to victory lane in 2021 and 2022 with KBM. Across 144 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, he has compiled eight poles, 1,533 laps led, 49 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3.

Eric Phillips returned to lead the No. 4 team in 2022. His 43 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 34 of those coming while at KBM including five last year. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the first team in Truck No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. At Talladega, Phillip’s drivers have collected one win, two top-five and six top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.0 across eight starts. He was victorious with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch at the 2.66-mile tri-oval in 2010.

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
How will you approach Talladega Being nine points below the cutoff with two races remaining in this round?
“You just have to go race. Stage points matter and finishing position matters. Talladega can make or break you.”

You were so close to a win there last year. Do you feel like maybe it owes you one?
“It’s superspeedway racing. All you can do is put yourself in a position to have a shot at the end and control everything you can control. It would be a very good weekend to get back to victory lane and lock ourselves into the Championship 4.”

What do you think makes a good superspeedway racer?
“I think overall, being a good superspeedway racer is recognizing the situations – being able to know when to side draft and when not to side draft and using the air and the run to your advantage. The Trucks are a little bit different than a Cup car or an Xfinity car, they definitely draft different. I feel like it’s more single-file or pack-style racing compared to the other series. There are a lot of new guys to superspeedway racing, with not a lot of experience in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series compared to the other two series. You have to be on the lookout for that as well. I think just recognizing the situations, knowing when to take a run and when not to take a run. Knowing who your drafting partners are – who you can trust and who you can’t trust is what all goes into making a really good superspeedway racer.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

• 13-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 144 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled eight poles, 1,533 laps led, 49 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.3. Registered a career-high and series-leading five victories in 2021, earned the NCWTS Regular Season championship and finished third in the final standings after qualifying for the Championship Four for the first time in his career.
• Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
• Across 66 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled two wins, one pole, 570 laps led, 17 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.5.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Pye-Barker Tundra TRD Pro:
KBM-13: The No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team will unload KBM-13 for Saturday’s race at Talladega. Nemechek has raced this Tundra once earlier this season at Daytona where he qualified second and led 50 laps before getting caught up in a late-race incident and finishing 24th. KBM-13 is the same chassis that Nemechek piloted at Talladega last fall, where he was leading on the final lap before being turned and crossing the finish line sideways in the fourth position. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch won with KBM-13 at Daytona in 2014.

KBM-13 Performance Profile
KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 79 laps led, 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.1 across 31 starts at Talladega.
• Raphael Lessard picked up the organization’s most recent victory, collecting his first win of his Camping World Truck Series career in 2020 at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Owner-driver Kyle Busch was victorious in the 2010 event when he finished 0.002 seconds ahead of Aric Almirola in the closest finish in Truck Series history since electronic scoring was instituted.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (98) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19, 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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Camping World Series
Talladega Advance | Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Zane Smith, driver of the No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops/PEAK Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Front Row Motorsports, is currently second in the series point standings and 21 points above the cut line going into Saturday’s scheduled race at Talladega Superspeedway. Smith was part of a media Zoom call this afternoon and discussed his current situation and how he’s approaching the final two events in the Round of 8.

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops/PEAK Ford F-150 – HOW ARE YOU LOOKING TOWARDS THIS WEEKEND WITH A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY AROUND THE WEATHER? “I kind of approach it just like any race weekend to say the least. I don’t know. I was honestly really happy with our truck, for the most part, at Daytona and Daytona went really good for us. I felt like I was able to take a push way better than I have been able to in the past. We didn’t have the best speed. I wish we were better in a few areas with our truck, but we’ve made a few small changes. We won’t be able to see those because there’s no practice at Talladega, but I had seen that we were most likely gonna have rain and I was kind of excited about that qualifying-wise because I think I would start second and my qualifying efforts at Daytona weren’t great, but I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t know where we should qualify. The changes we made may be really good, but I guess time will tell. There’s no doubt I think we’ll race good and that’s what matters.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO GET STAGE POINTS OR WILL YOU GIVE THOSE UP IF THINGS GET TOO CRAZY TO MAKE SURE YOU GET TO THE FINISH? “I’ve been gung ho on just racing the whole time. I’ve been involved in a wreck everywhere at Talladega. I feel like I’ve been wrecked riding and I’ve been wrecked leading, so I wanted to race but a few guys on my team are saying that they think we should ride, but I don’t know. I feel like it’s one of those deals where I want to race and if you’re gonna be up there, then I feel like you take advantage of some stage points, but obviously you just kind of read who is around you and how they’re racing. Obviously, if it’s getting too much, then I think you need to get out of it. We’re above the bubble by 21 points right now and so that’s just something we need to keep in mind and keep track of where we’re at with that. I know there will be a few guys that will be really aggressive that are below the cut line, so you just need to watch them and how they’re racing and hopefully not get involved in someone else’s mess.”

THERE’S BEEN SOME CHATTER ABOUT DGR POTENTIALLY CHANGING MANUFACTURERS. IF THEY DO AND YOU GUYS NEED TO BRING MORE THINGS IN-HOUSE, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT YOU CAN DO AT FRONT ROW ON YOUR OWN? “Yeah, I am. I don’t know what is done and what is going to happen there, but I’m just mostly focused on our group, but, no, I’m not too concerned. I feel like the attention to detail is the best I’ve ever seen with the group that we have on this 38 truck and so that really matters in that department. It’ll be tough finding the right people if that is the case, but hopefully whatever the case is, we know sooner than later so we know which direction we need to move in.”

ARE YOU AT A DISADVANTAGE WITH THE NUMBER OF FORD TRUCKS IN THE FIELD AT TALLADEGA COMPARED TO THE OTHER MANUFACTURERS? “We had our meeting yesterday of just helping each other. It’s really hard to go into these races just with a set plan and this is what we’re gonna do. Typically, when that happens I think everything possible as far as bad things to mess up that plan happens. I know the 17 truck is chasing the owner’s championship, so I don’t know how much below he is, but I’m sure he’s gonna be aggressive and then the 1 and the 15 will hopefully help with some stage points, whether that’s helping us push and get some or take away stage points from others. I know Parker and I worked well together at Daytona and I’ve worked with Grant some on some superspeedway stuff. I feel like in the beginning chasing stage points, yeah, there is manufacturer help that people work together with, but towards the end I feel like it just becomes all for themselves and whoever lines up behind you on restarts, especially now that it’s in the Round of 8 and if you win you get into the Round of 4, so, yeah, it’s low numbers in the Ford camp, but it didn’t affect us too much at Daytona, so I’m not too worried about it.”

HAVE YOU DEVELOPED A GOOD SENSE OF WHEN A WRECK MIGHT BE COMING ON THE SUPERSPEEDWAYS AND, IF SO, WHAT IS THAT LIKE? “Yeah, I don’t know if I get lucky with just reading other trucks around me. At Talladega, I don’t have a great track record about that, but in most situations I feel like I’ve read those situations very well and got lucky with that, so I feel like some of that is spotter-related, too. I think I have probably the best spotter up there in Josh WIlliams. He’s great at reading those situations. I mean, you see it on Sunday too with Ryan always being up there, so I’m just super confident in the group I have around me and I now have more experience and now, fortunately, a race win on a superspeedway, so that just gives confidence. I’ve just been on every side of situations on a superspeedway in a truck, so I don’t know what Talladega will bring. I don’t think anyone knows, but we’ll do our best and hopefully come out OK and go to Homestead still above the bubble.”

WITH THE LONG BREAKS THE TRUCK SERIES HAS COMING UP IN THE PLAYOFFS IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVE PLANNED TO GO RACE, LIKE CARTING OR SOMETHING, TO KEEP YOUR SKILLS SHARP – AND WHAT ARE THESE BREAKS LIKE? “I definitely wish I was able to race more of whatever it is. I have just done my same training routine that I’ve done for the past three years and it keeps me busy, but, yeah, I wish I was racing more. I got really sick after Bristol, but I am all good now and ready to get going again. The long breaks definitely really suck, especially since it’s right after our eight week stretch, so hopefully in the future I hope that’s a little different. I know next year I have hopefully planned a lot of races to keep me busy. I’m excited for that.”

YOU WON AN ARCA RACE AT TALLADEGA IN 2018 AND HOMESTEAD IS AFTER THAT. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THESE NEXT TWO RACES? “That was a really cool experience winning at Talladega in an ARCA car and a super exciting finish. The ARCA races, back then we still actually raced pretty hard. There was at least two lanes. I feel like now it’s mostly single-file, but the trucks are just way different with how big the runs are that you get and just obviously way more competition. I just got a glimpse of what I had at Daytona and I was happy with my truck for the most part. It played out really good for us, so obviously we’re bringing back that same truck and hopefully do the same thing.”

IS THERE A CHANCE YOU WILL RUN PART-TIME XFINITY IN 2023 AND THE DAYTONA 500? “Yeah, right now I have a few races scheduled on the Cup side with Front Row, starting with trying to make it into the Daytona 500. Other than that, we don’t have any races set in stone yet. We’re waiting on a few other dominoes to fall. It’s the same exact deal on the Xfinity side. I’m not really sure who that will be with or what, but we’re trying to put together some Xfinity races, but that goes back to what I was saying, where we’re just trying to stay busy and race more. That’s my main goal for next year.”

Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 JBL Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Playoff Race at Talladega, Race 21 of 23 (Race 2 in the Round of 8)
100 Laps – 20/20/54; 250.04 Miles
Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile, tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: Oct. 1, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Story on Corey:
Corey Heim and the No. 51 JBL team head to Talladega for the second race in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s playoffs. Saturday’s 100-lap event will mark Heim’s first Truck Series start at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. Heim was victorious in the ARCA Menards Series at the Alabama track in 2021 and finished third in this year’s event. He also has gone two-for-two in ARCA Menards Series races at the other superspeedway, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, winning there in 2021 and again this season.

The Georgia driver has put together a stretch of five consecutive top-10 finishes in Camping World Truck Series action, including his 10th-place result at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in the series’ most recent event. With two races remaining in the Round of 8, the No. 51 finds themselves sixth on the owner’s playoff grid, 18 points below the cutoff line for advancing to the Championship 4. Heim propelled the team through the Round of 10 with three top-10 finishes, putting them 33 points above the cutoff line for advancing.

The No. 51 team qualified for the owner’s portion of the playoffs via Heim’s two wins this season (Atlanta Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway). They are tied with the No. 18 and No. 38 teams with a series-leading three wins this season. In addition to Heim’s two wins, Kyle Busch was victorious at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June. The No. 51 team has captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s championship three times (2013-2014 & 2019) and as on organization KBM has collected a series-record seven owner’s titles.

Across 13 Truck Series starts this season, Heim has produced two wins, two poles, 64 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.4. The 19-year-old driver leads the Truck Series rookie of the year standings by 140 points over Lawless Alan. Heim will look to join three other KBM drivers that have won the award, reigning winner Chandler Smith, William Byron (2016) and Erik Jones (2015). Overall, Heim sits 15th in the driver point standings, despite only starting 13 of the 20 events, and is ahead of seven full-time competitors.

The Georgia driver picked up his first career Truck Series victory in just his fifth start earlier this season at Atlanta and won again at Gateway in is ninth start. With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts; Heim became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.

Heim picked up his ninth career ARCA Menards Series victory Sept. 10 at Kansas Speedway. Across 43 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has produced 814 laps led, 31 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3. Heim finished second to Ty Gibbs in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship standings.

Mardy Lindley returned to KBM for his second season atop the pit box of the No. 51 team. Lindley has led his team to six wins since coming to KBM at the start of the 2021 season, including two with Heim and one with Kyle Busch this year. In 2021, his drivers produced three victories, two with Busch and one with Martin Truex Jr. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley’s lone race calling the shots at Talladega resulted in a 35th-place finish with Drew Dollar in last year’s race.

JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, will be onboard with Heim at Talladega in their final primary race of the season. Crescent Tools, a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, will be the primary sponsor on Heim’s No. 51 Tundra TRD Pro for the final two races of the season.
Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:
You’ve won three times in four starts on superspeedways in the ARCA Menards Series. What has been the key to your success?
“I think just staying patient is the main thing. Lots of people try to jump the gun early in the race. When realistically you can make up 5 to 10 positions in the matter of a few laps if you’re in a good spot. So, placement and timing are everything.”

How much different is racing on superspeedways in the Truck Series than it is in the ARCA Menards Series?
“It’s definitely a lot more intense. The field is much deeper, so mistakes come back to bite you a lot worse.”

How does your preparation for a superspeedway race compare to your preparation for other races?
“Speedway races are the most mentally challenging in my opinion. So doing research and making sure that I’m mentally prepared is going to go a long way.”

Corey Heim Career Highlights:

• Picked up first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway March 19, 2022 in just his fifth start. Across 16 career starts has two wins, two poles, 66 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.8.
• With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts, the 19-year-old driver became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.
• Finished runner-up in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2021 after collecting six wins, three poles, 406 laps led, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 3.1 across 20 starts.
• Across 43 career ARCA Menards Series starts has nine wins, 814 laps led, 31 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3. Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
• Corey Heim’s No. 51 JBL Tundra TRD Pro:
• KBM-26: The No. 51 JBL team will unload KBM-26 for Saturday’s 250-mile race at Talladega. This Tundra TRD Pro has one victory under its belt, which came with Raphael Lessard at Talladega in 2020. It also has one pole at Talladega, with David Gilliland in 2018. Heim drove this Tundra TRD Pro earlier this year at Daytona, where he finished fourth in the opening stage before getting in an incident on pit road and would ultimately exit the race early with a 32nd-place finish.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers have collected two wins, two poles, 79 laps led, 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.1 across 31 starts at Talladega. Raphael Lessard collected the first victory of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career at the 2.66-mile tri-oval in 2021 and owner-driver Kyle Busch was victorious in the 2010 event when he finished 0.002 seconds ahead of Aric Almirola in the closest finish in Truck Series history since electronic scoring was instituted.
• KBM holds the Camping World 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 earlier this year, 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.