Douglasville, Ga. native embarks on second NXS season

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 12, 2021): BJ McLeod Motorsports (BJMM) announced today the return of Mason Massey to it’s driver lineup for the 2021 NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) season. Massey competed in 10 NXS events for the team in 2020.

Massey will make his season debut at his home track Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., on Saturday, March 20, 2021 in the EchoPark 250. He will also run at least 11 additional events throughout the 2021 NXS campaign. He will also run a part-time dirt late model schedule when not competing in the NXS.

“We’re thrilled to have Mason (Massey) return to our team,” said team owner BJ McLeod. “Mason showed a lot of promise last year and I think he will surprise people this season. He has a very diverse racing resume and has proven to be a very well rounded race car driver. It’ll be another fun year for our 99 team with Mason a part of the driver lineup.”

BJ McLeod Motorsports will once again field three full-time NXS entries in 2021. In addition, BJ and Jessica (McLeod) have partnered with Matt Tifft to form Live Fast Motorsports (LFM), operating under the charter that Tifft and McLeod obtained alongside Joe Falk. LFM will field the No. 78 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021 with a strategic partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing.

“Last season was a dream come true,” said Mason Massey. “To be given the opportunity to compete at this level of stock car racing is something that I dreamed about for a long time, and to be given the opportunity to continue racing at this level is so special to me. BJ and Jessica (McLeod) have made an even larger commitment and investment into NASCAR racing this offseason with the purchase of the NASCAR Cup Series team with Matt Tifft. As a driver, this is awesome to see and even more awesome to be a part of. I can’t wait to get on-track at Atlanta (Motor Speedway) in a few weeks and get to work!”

About Mason Massey  

Follow Mason Massey news and updates on www.masonmassey.com  and keep track of the latest announcements via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram . Sponsorship and other details regarding Massey’s 2021 NXS season with BJMM will be announced later. 

About BJ McLeod Motorsports

BJ McLeod Motorsports is owned by current NASCAR Cup driver, BJ McLeod, and his wife Jessica. For more information about BJ McLeod Motorsports, including sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.bjmcleodmotorsports.com. Follow along with the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Stewart-Haas Racing announced this afternoon that Riley Herbst will drive the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang in 2021. Herbst, who started all 33 series events last season, will replace Chase Briscoe, who has been promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series. Here is a transcript of today’s Ford Zoom call with Herbst and members of the media.

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN MAKING THE MOVE TO FORD AND STEWART-HAAS RACING? “I’m just excited. I’m happy to be here and ready to get down to Daytona.”

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT HAVING RICHARD BOSWELL AS YOUR CREW CHIEF? “That was a big proponent of me coming over here to the 98 camp. I’m really looking forward to working with Richard and everybody on his team that he has assembled. I’ve spent a little bit amount of time with him so far and he’s a really down to earth guy and he’s a racer and wants to win races, but he also puts in a lot of work behind his effort so I’m looking forward to it.”

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU IN A CREW CHIEF AT THIS STAGE OF YOUR CAREER? “Somebody that will learn with me and grow with me and have some patience. I have a learning curve to be on, I’ll be the first to admit that, but I want somebody to walk me through that and help me get to where I want to be and obviously that’s in the Cup Series and win races in the Cup Series and be competitive week in and week out and Richard is the man and he’s gonna be the man to help me do that and I’m excited.”

DOES THIS FEEL LIKE STARTING OVER IN A WAY FOR YOU? “A little bit. I feel like I’m kind of 17 again and moved out to the east coast because I’ve been over in the JGR family for four years now, so it was a big transition but it’s one I think I needed and I’m looking forward to it. All these new faces kind of give me a blank sheet to start up again and see where this can take me.”

WHAT WOULD A SUCCESSFUL 2021 SEASON LOOK LIKE FOR YOU CONSIDERING WHAT CHASE BRISCOE DID IN THIS CAR A YEAR AGO? “I have to win races. I have to be competitive. This car was the best car week in and week out last year. That has a lot to do with Chase Briscoe. As you can see he’s in the Cup Series now. He’s a heck of a wheel man himself, but I know Richard Boswell and all the guys on the 98 team are really smart and know what they’re doing and they’re gonna bring me just as fast race cars as they did last year with Chase, so it’s on me.”

YOU HAD A SOLID ROOKIE YEAR AND HAD TEAMMATES THAT WERE ABLE TO BREAK THROUGH WITH MULTIPLE WINS. HOW TOUGH WAS THAT TO SEE AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT NOW TO BE HERE AT SHR AND FORD AND BEING THE MAIN FOCUS OF THIS TEAM? “It was difficult for the first half for me to process, but my teammates last year had a lot more experience than I did on these race tracks. Brandon has been in the series for quite some time now and he’s a good driver as well and Harrison has been in the truck series and he knows what it took to compete in the top three national series. Harrison is really fast himself, so I wasn’t surprise that they won races. I was a little surprised that we couldn’t break into victory lane. That did shock me a little bit, but, then again, with the whole Covid protocols and being at these race tracks I’ve never been to before with no practice and no testing I think people forget about that and I was just showing up to race tracks I’ve never seen before and having to race. I think we adapted well to it. Do I think I performed to my expectations or anybody’s expectation? I don’t think so at all, but I think that’s what this upcoming year is for with the 98 team.”

WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE TO NOT HAVE TEAMMATES THIS YEAR? “Kind of going back to 2017 and 2018 when I ran the ARCA Series I didn’t have any teammates there. It’s definitely a different change of environment. You can’t really bounce things off your other teammates during race weekends and things like that, but, like I said before, Richard’s got a really deep notebook so I can lean on Richard super hard for notes and questions like that and trust his setups and trust his notebooks.”

DO YOU FEEL YOU GOT WHAT YOU NEEDED OUT OF JGR TO TAKE THIS STEP TO ANOTHER TEAM? DO YOU WISH YOU HAD DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY? “I don’t know. That’s a tough question. Like I said, I think my time at JGR just came to an end. We left on really good grounds over there. I’m really good friends with Ty and the whole family over there, that they truly are family to me and I loved working with the people over there, but it was time for a change for myself and for my career to try and revitalize it and try to go get wins. Hopefully, I can make it.”

TONY STEWART HAS A HISTORY OF TAKING ON DRIVERS THAT MAY HAVE HAD A ROUGH STRETCH AND WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, ‘WHY DID HE PICK THEM?’ HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING PART OF SHR AND BEING ASSOCIATED WITH A TEAM THAT BRINGS THE MOST OUT OF A COMPETITOR? “I’m hoping it does the same thing as it’s done to previous drivers. I hope that they can find the most out of me. That means good for me. That means good for the team, so that’s what we’re trying to do. When it comes to what people say it sucks. Everybody would like everybody to be happy for everybody, but that’s just not how this world works nowadays. People are just straight-up mean, so it doesn’t really bother too much anymore. A few years ago it did, but those people are probably just haters, so it’s all good.”

HOW DID YOU FEEL LIKE THE COMPETITION WAS IN THE XFINTY SERIES COMPARED TO WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING, AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NEXT SEASON? “The competition in the XFINITY Series is really difficult. All of the guys are really good and I kind of expected that coming up. I knew it was gonna be a challenge to race in this series and those guys were there for a reason and they’re really fast. I hope I’m in a better position to go win races this year, just with that year of experience underneath my belt and with this new team I’ve joined at Stewart-Haas Racing I feel like this is my best foot forward to try to go win races for sure.”

HOW MUCH PRESSURE DO YOU PUT ON YOURSELF IN 2021 AND NOT TRY TO REPEAT WHAT CHASE DID LAST SEASON? “I kind of just worry about myself. Like I said, Chase Briscoe is a really, really good race car driver. He had a phenomenal season last year and he’s in the 14 Cup car now for a reason, but I’m kind of just gonna put my horse blinders on and work with Richard and the guys and try to go out and win races and do the best that I can do.”

WELCOME, N.C. (December 10, 2020) – TaxSlayer, a leading online professional tax and financial company, will continue its partnership with Richard Childress Racing and Myatt Snider in the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series. The second-year RCR driver will compete full-time in the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro with returning crew chief, Andy Street.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Myatt Snider and Richard Childress Racing to engage NASCAR fans across America,” said TaxSlayer President and CEO, Brian Rhodes. “It’s our goal to provide taxpayers with a high-quality, low-cost tax prep option so that they can file quickly and get back to the things they enjoy like watching NASCAR. We have been impressed with Myatt Snider both on and off the track and look forward to continuing our success in 2021.”

TaxSlayer is a family-owned and operated company focused on providing customers with a remarkable tax filing experience. Founded over 50 years ago in Augusta, Georgia, TaxSlayer has evolved into an innovative tax preparation and financial technology company that retains its founder’s commitment to its employees, customers and community.

“We’re proud to be continuing our relationship with both Myatt Snider and TaxSlayer for the 2021 season,” said Richard Childress, chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “TaxSlayer is a great tax and financial company, who prides themselves on being family-focused, much like RCR. We’re looking forward to showing our fans the benefits of using TaxSlayer, as we approach both the racing season and tax season. I know that Myatt will do a great job representing both TaxSlayer and RCR on and off the racetrack.”

Snider, a talented short track racer and road course competitor with experience racing overseas in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, accumulated two top-five and three top-10 finishes under the RCR banner in 2020 while competing in a partial schedule for the Welcome, North Carolina-based team.

“I was so thankful last season to run a part-time schedule with RCR, but knowing I’m going to be racing full-time now with a chance to compete for a championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series means the world to me,” said Snider. “I can’t thank Richard Childress, everyone at RCR and ECR, my family, and TaxSlayer enough for believing in me. Between the quality of people and resources available to me at RCR and Chevrolet, I will have all the tools I need to succeed. I had a lot of success with the No. 2 early in my racing career, so it’s really special to have the opportunity to compete with that number again, especially with all the history it has at RCR.”

“I am so excited and appreciative to have TaxSlayer back on board with us for the 2021 season,” Snider continued. “Despite how crazy last season was, we were able to still accomplish some incredible feats together like winning the pole at Daytona and contending for wins throughout the season. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in 2021, starting at Daytona.”

To learn more about TaxSlayer, visit www.taxslayer.com.

About TaxSlayer
TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million state and federal e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent.

About Richard Childress Racing:
Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2020 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet), along with two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Myatt Snider (No. 2 Chevrolet).

Longtime Crew Chief to Lead Annett’s Championship Charge in 2021

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Dec. 10, 2020) – JR Motorsports announced today that Mike Bumgarner will be the crew chief for driver Michael Annett on the No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet in 2021. The 45-year-old North Carolina native returns to the pit box after a seven-year stint as the team’s director of race operations from 2014-20. Prior to assuming that position, Bumgarner was a full-time crew chief for the team in 2013.

“Mike is the type of person that will do whatever it takes to get the job done,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JRM. “He has been a big part of all three of our NASCAR Xfinity Series championships in a variety of roles, and returning him to the crew chief position of our No. 1 team is huge for JR Motorsports. Mike is a natural leader that I know our group will rally around, and I can’t think of anyone better to lead the No. 1 team with Michael Annett.”

Bumgarner, a native of Huntersville, N.C., has 64 starts as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on his resume since 2007, including four victories, and was a NASCAR Cup Series car chief in the past at Hendrick Motorsports. Bumgarner most recently called the shots atop the pit box for JRM in September of 2018, leading Dale Earnhardt Jr. to a fourth-place finish at Richmond Raceway. Bumgarner was also on the No. 9 team’s pit box at Michigan earlier that year, guiding eventual series champion Tyler Reddick to a seventh-place finish while subbing for Dave Elenz. In 2016, Bumgarner’s skills were called upon as a fill-in for Kevin Meendering in the inaugural winner-take-all championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with driver Elliott Sadler. Sadler eventually finished third in the race and second in the championship.

“I’m very excited to be the leader of the No. 1 team here at JR Motorsports,” Bumgarner said. “What the team has established over the last few years with Michael and Travis Mack…they’ve made a lot of gains. Travis did a heck of a job with the team and they got better, and I am looking to add to that. Looking at where those guys ended the 2020 season, I want to continue on that path in 2021.”

In his position as race operations director, Bumgarner was responsible for getting JRM’s cars prepared on a weekly basis in conjunction with the individual teams.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a big change,” Bumgarner said of the transition. “If anything it’s going to help me be better. I haven’t been able to go to the race track and see what things are going on. You try to learn as much as you can from what the teams bring back to the shop and add that to our cars. Being more involved is a positive and I’m excited for that, being able to go to the track again. I’ll have to learn the stage-racing side of it, and I’m looking forward to that challenge.”

Bumgarner comes to the No. 1 team a season after Annett set a career high in top-10 finishes with 22, three better than the previous mark of 19 set in 2019. The latter season also included the Iowa driver’s first career NXS victory at Daytona International Speedway in the season opener.

The 2020 season was one of steady consistency for the No. 1 team, as Annett challenged for victories at both Daytona and Talladega in the stretch run and had a second-place finish taken away in post-race inspection at Talladega. In the season finale at Phoenix, Annett earned a season-best fourth-place finish and ended the season ninth in series points.

“Mike is a great addition to our No. 1 Pilot Flying J team,” said Annett. “The respect he has throughout the organization and the sport is second to none. We know him and how he works, and he has been instrumental in the building of our cars as a company. I am looking forward to the 2021 season and continuing our mission to earn another championship for JR Motorsports.”

Further details regarding the No. 1 team at JR Motorsports will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and winner of 50 NASCAR-sanctioned races. Now in its 19th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports races in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it won championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also competes in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional late model divisions. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

Kaulig Racing Adds Third Full-Time Entry to NASCAR Xfinity Series Lineup

LEXINGTON, N.C. (December 1, 2020) – AJ Allmendinger will be returning to full-time competition with Kaulig Racing for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season.

Allmendinger, who retired from full-time competition in 2018, joined Kaulig Racing’s NXS lineup in 2019, where he made five starts, earning a win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL and two top-five finishes. In 2020, Allmendinger piloted the No. 16 Chevrolet for 11 races, and recorded two wins, his first-ever on an oval at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as well as a back-to-back win at the Charlotte ROVAL.

“As a part time driver for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity series, I have really enjoyed working with all the women and men in the organization these past two years,” said Allmendinger. “The love of showing up to NASCAR races has returned for me, and I truly have enjoyed myself on and off the racetrack. It starts with Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice. I can’t thank them enough for giving me a call at the start of 2019 and offering me races that continued into 2020. More than anything, I have really loved being part of the team and watching the growth of the organization, and because of that, the opportunity to come back full-time in 2021 was something I just could not pass up.”

Kaulig Racing recently announced the return of 2020 Championship 4 contender, Justin Haley, as well as the addition of Jeb Burton to its stable, who will contend for the 2021 NXS Championship alongside Allmendinger.

“I am very grateful for Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice and everybody at Kaulig Racing for allowing this to happen,” continued Allmendinger. “I can’t wait to work with my son, Justin Haley, full-time and now Jeb Burton as well. I’m ready to go after a championship in 2021!”

During Allmendinger’s tenure in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) from 2007 – 2018, he made 371 starts and recorded one win and 11 top-five finishes. Before joining Kaulig Racing, the California native made 11 NXS starts and recorded two wins and three top-five finishes. In 16 starts with Kaulig Racing, he surpassed that, recording three wins and eight top-five finishes.

“Having AJ race full-time for Kaulig Racing will only elevate our program to another level,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “I truly believe his veteran experience has helped us in every race he has ever run with us, and that is evident in his finishes. I’m sure he will complement our other two great drivers we already have, as he’s been a great teammate since day one. I love the challenge in front of us to go after the championship in 2021 with all three of our drivers.”

Kaulig Racing began as a one-car team in 2016 and expanded to two, full-time entries in 2020 with a part-time, third entry. The 2021 NXS season will mark the first time in the team’s history it fields a third, full-time entry.

“Kaulig Racing has come such a long way in only a few short years,” said team owner, Matt Kaulig. “We started this team in 2016 and have made the playoffs every year. This year we stepped up even more, and had two cars in the playoffs with one in the Championship 4 at Phoenix. With AJ Allmendinger added to our stable, and three fantastic drivers, we will have an even better chance at the championship.”

Allmendinger will pilot the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing beginning at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 13, 2021. Sponsor announcements to come at a later date.

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round for the first time in 2020. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Jeb Burton and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned five wins in 2020 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team also made its first-ever NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) start in the 2020 Daytona 500 with Justin Haley where he finished 13th. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

AVONDALE, AZ – November 9, 2020 – Austin Cindric, in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang, made history by winning the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 race to seal the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Drivers’ and Owners’ Championship titles at Phoenix Raceway.

“Congratulations to Austin, Brian, Roger, and the entire Team Penske organization for winning the drivers’ and owners’ Xfinity championships,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This win marks Austin’s sixth win of the year in addition to his Xfinity Regular Season Championship clinched earlier this year while Chase Briscoe also won nine races during the 2020 season for a total of 15 Xfinity wins. Thanks, and congratulations to everyone at Ford Performance for their dedication, passion and leadership for our NASCAR racing programs and winning the NASCAR Cup Manufacturers’ Championship that included 18 wins for the season.”

During the final laps of the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 with Cindric leading, his crew chief and spotter reminded him to hit his marks and let him know he was clear in back, but then a late race caution came out. Crew chief Brian Wilson then made the call for Cindric to give up the lead and come in for four fresh tires.

Cindric would find himself lined up on the outside of the second row behind the leader, Justin Allgaier, going into overtime. The four fresh tires and the determination of the No. 22 driver proved to be the game changer. Cindric was able to drive his No. 22 Ford Mustang hard into the first corner and muscled his way through the middle of Allgaier and Noah Gragson. Cindric was able to pass both Allgaier and Gragson for the race win and clinch the championship. This marked Ford’s 100th Mustang Xfinity win and the 50th NXS win for Ford, Team Penske and Roush Yates Engines.

“Amazing effort by this 22 team,” remarked Cindric. “Brian Wilson and all the guys. Everyone back at the shop. There was a lot of work put into this race car. Roger Penske. Everyone from Penske Racing. It’s awesome to get them a championship in NASCAR, to be a champion in NASCAR, and do it in front of all these great people cheering us on at championship weekend. Ford Performance, Doug Yates, everybody at Roush Yates Engines. I’m speechless. I can’t believe it. I’m pretty humbled by the effort for sure.”

Cindric led 72-laps out of the extended 206 lap race while Stewart-Haas Racing’s, Chase Briscoe also drove a great race, winning Stage 1 and leading 41 laps to finish the race P9 and fourth in the championship. These two Ford teammates drove for a combined 15 wins out of the 33 races in 2020, which was the most for any manufacturer.

Team-Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski battled throughout the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race Sunday, leading a combined 141 laps out of the 312-lap race and winning Stage 1 and Stage 2 respectively. Keselowski would finish the race in P2 and Logano in P3.

There was a total of five Ford Mustangs that finished in the top-10, fellow Team-Penske teammate, Ryan Blaney finished P6 while NASCAR Cup Regular Season Champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick finished P7 and Wood Brothers Racing, Matt DiBenedetto finished P8.

This coming weekend we will wrap up the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series season with Seb Priaulx / Marco Signoretti piloting the No. 22 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 and James Pesek / Chad McCumbee piloting the No. 40 PF Racing Mustang in the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway.

30 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 412 WINS – 371 POLES!

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

• Austin Cindric captured the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship after winning today’s final race of the season at Phoenix Raceway with a last lap overtime pass of Justin Allgaier.
• This marks the first NASCAR title for Team Penske’s Cindric, who will be back to defend his championship next season before moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022.
• Cindric is the fifth different driver to win the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship with Ford, and the first since Chris Buescher in 2015.

Avondale, AZ., November 7, 2020 – Ford driver Austin Cindric capped off a memorable season by winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship today at Phoenix Raceway, doing it with a last-lap pass to win the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200.

Cindric, who is in his second season driving for Team Penske, opted to give up the lead and pit when caution came out with three laps to go. The four tires he got from his crew proved to be the difference in the final two-lap dash to the finish. Cindric started third on the restart but was able to squeeze between leader Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson shortly after taking the white flag. That move enabled him to eventually pass Allgaier in turn one and then Gragson in turn three to win the race and championship.

“What an amazing effort by this 22 team. Brian Wilson and all the guys. Everybody back at the shop. There was a lot of work put into this race car,” said Cindric, who will be back to defend his championship next season before moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022. “It’s awesome to get them a championship in NASCAR, to be a champion in NASCAR. Ford Performance, Doug Yates, everybody at Roush Yates Engines. I’m speechless. I can’t believe it. I’m pretty humbled by the effort for sure.”

Cindric won six races this season in what proved to be a career year. He and fellow Ford driver Chase Briscoe combined to win 15 of the 33 races, which was the most for any manufacturer.

“It’s incredible to see how Austin has developed from racing in IMSA with us, through trucks and then Xfinity, and to have such a strong breakout season with six wins now and winning the championship shows how much he’s developed,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “In this race he was just patient, looked for his opportunity and drove with a lot of confidence and got it done.”

Cindric’s championship continues an impressive streak that has seen Mustang win a driver’s and/or owner’s championship in all but two seasons since becoming Ford’s full-time NASCAR XFINITY Series model in 2011. Besides winning 10 combined championships in that time, Mustang has also won 100 series races.

“Mustang is a flagship for Ford Motor Company and it tells a great story about the company because it shows what we’re capable of, so to have it representing the company on the track in so many different series, especially in Xfinity with the success that it’s had, is important,” said Rushbrook. “Plus, the new body this year has demonstrated what our engineering tools are capable of in terms of developing and putting successful cars on the track.”

Cindric becomes the first non-Roush Fenway competitor to win a series championship for Ford. The Team Penske driver joins Greg Biffle (2002), Carl Edwards (2007), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011-12) and Chris Buescher (2015) as Ford NASCAR XFINITY Series champions.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.