RSS Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series Circuit of the Americas (COTA) | Pit Boss 250
Fast Facts No. 38 RSS Racing Team: Driver: Joe Graf Jr. Primary Partner(s): G-Coin Manufacturer: Ford Mustang Crew Chief: Steve Addington Spotter: Joe Campbell Engine: Roush-Yates Engines Driver Championship Point Standings: 19th Team Championship Point Standings: 21st
Notes of Interest:
New Home: After spending the last three seasons with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (2020 – 2022), Joe Graf Jr. moved to RSS Racing during the offseason where he’ll spend the majority of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season competing for the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team.
In addition to RSS Racing, Graf will also compete in a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Fast Start: With a career-best seventh-place finish earned at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with RSS Racing and two respectable top-15 finishes with Joe Gibbs Racing at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway respectively, Graf enters Saturday afternoon’s Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of the Americas 19th in the championship point standings.
RSS Racing’s No. 38 team has also had a solid start to 2023 – which has the team a respectable 21st in the owner championship standings likely guaranteeing Graf into Saturday afternoon’s starting field.
Welcome Aboard: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome G-Coin® as the primary partner of the team’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for Saturday afternoon’s Pit Boss 250.
COTA marks the sixth race of the 2023 Xfinity Series season and 15th race overall from 2021 to 2023 where G-Coin, a product that brings gold into the digital age, making it accessible and giving it true utility will be the primary partner.
The first road course of the season will mark the company’s first event as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Graf Jr. at RSS Racing respectively.
Sponsor Intel: G-Coin® (gcoin.com) is a digital title to real physical gold, where 1 G-Coin® equals 1 gram of a 99.99% pure, ethically sourced Responsible Gold™ kilobar. G-Coin® allows for easy savings and sending of real gold with zero transaction fees and near instantaneous settlement times.
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Thanks For Your Support: With just 15 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: AVOID, Bass Reaper Bait Company, Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, EAT SLEEP RACE Apparel, fgrACCEL, GTECHNIQ, JACOB Companies, Lefcourt Brothers Racing, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics and ShopRite for their continued support.
Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 G-Coin® Ford Mustang on Saturday afternoon, the RSS Racing driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90 with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, March 25, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.
Graf will also spotlight a new commercial featuring G-Coin® in several spots throughout the weekend, including the full four-hour program on Sunday, March 26, 2023.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Circuit of the America Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Pit Boss 250 will mark Graf’s second start at the 3.42-mile road course
In his COTA debut last March, he delivered a 34th-place finish after experiencing mechanical gremlins throughout the 46-lap event after qualifying on speed in the 31st position.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Road Course Stats: At tracks classified as a road course, Graf has competed in 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. He holds an average starting position of 28.5 and an average result of 26.5.
Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway | RAPTOR King of Tough 250 Race Recap: In his most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Graf and the RSS Racing team showcased the No. 38 JACOB Companies Ford Mustang in the fifth Xfinity Series race of the season.
Without the benefit of practice or qualifying due to inclement weather, Graf continued to showcase speed in his new tenure at RSS Racing but late-race contact with another car caused significant front-end damage to his automobile hindering him in the green-white-checkered finish.
Still, Graf clung to the lead lap and recorded a 25th-place effort. His finish was second best of the RSS Racing trio.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.
The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Steve Addington is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.
He will crew chief his 269th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his second race at the prestigious road racing facility in the Lone Star State
In his previous 268 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected 11 wins, 10 poles, 68 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has two teammates at RSS Racing.
Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 CMRroofing.com Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 RSS Racing Ford Mustang.
Ryan Sieg is set to make his 307th career Xfinity Series start overall and third at COTA. His best Xfinity COTA track finish occurred in the 2022 Pit Boss 250, where he finished 11th after starting 35th for his family-owned RSS Racing team.
Kyle Sieg is set to make his 24th career Xfinity Series start overall and first at Circuit of the Americas.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), Twitter (@JoeGrafJr), Instagram (@joegrafjr) and YouTube.
For more on RSS Racing, please like them on Facebook (RSS283839) and follow them on Instagram (@rss283839) and Twitter (@RSS283839).
Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:
On Circuit of the Americas: “I am incredibly thankful to welcome G-Coin® to the RSS Racing and have them onboard for their first race of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season Saturday at Circuit of the Americas.
“Even though our finish did not reflect it, we had a very good race car at Circuit of the Americas last year. We were able to qualify on speed and progress forward before a mechanical failure ultimately hindered our day and kept us at bay from contending for a stronger finish.
“You could say that Saturday is an opportunity for us to rebound and I’d like nothing more than to do that and give my guys at RSS Racing something to be excited about.”
On 2023 Season Outlook: “This is a year of opportunity for me. I’ll be competing for two different teams which brings some pressure for me but only because I want to go out there and do my very best in every race run for both Joe Gibbs Racing and RSS Racing.
“I just need to stay focused, communicate with my team and utilize the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past three years to have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”
Race Information:
The Pit Boss 250 (46 laps | 156.86 miles) is the sixth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Mar. 24 from 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 6:00 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag shortly after 4:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. ET) on Sat., Mar. 25 with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Central).
About RSS Racing:
RSS Racing fields multiple entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series led by mainstay driver Ryan Sieg.
RSS Racing has competed in NASCAR events since 2009 from its headquarters in Sugar Hill, Ga.
AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series Circuit of the Americas | Pit Boss 250
Fast Facts No. 25 AM Racing Team: Driver: Brett Moffitt Primary Partner(s): AM Technical Solutions Manufacturer: Ford Mustang Crew Chief: Joe Williams Jr. Spotter: Tony Raines Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. 005 Engine: Roush-Yates Engines Driver Championship Point Standings: 13th Team Championship Point Standings: 15th
Notes of Interest:
Inaugural Journey: After spending the past several seasons as a full-time team in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, AM Racing will embark on its inaugural journey in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season with driver Brett Moffitt for the entire 33-race tour continuing with Saturday afternoon’s Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).
Future Focused: With AM’s inaugural Xfinity journey set to continue at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, the team has chosen veteran driver Brett Moffitt to lead the team’s campaign from the driver’s seat aboard the No. 25 Ford Mustang.
Moffitt, a native of Grimes, Iowa hails numerous starts across all three of NASCAR’s National Series, including the 2018 Truck Series championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises.
Moffitt, 30, arrives on the scene at AM Racing after a stint at Our Motorsports.
Back For More: The Statesville, N.C.-based team will sport the signage of AM Technical Solutions on the No. 25 Ford Mustang for the fourth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.
Headquartered in Austin, TX, AM Technical Solutions (AMTS) was founded in 1994.
AM Technical Solutions is a Global Architecture, Engineering & Construction firm specializing in the high-tech markets. AMTS has managed over $20B of global capital projects for over 170 different customers in 24 countries and across five continents.
AM Minute: In addition to Brett Moffitt, AM Racing will field an entry in Saturday afternoon’s XPEL 225 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas.
Austin, Texas native Logan Bearden will drive the team’s No. 22 Bearden Automotive | Parker Electric Ford F-150 in his second career Truck Series start as the opening act for the Xfinity Series on March 25.
Mainstay AM Racing driver Austin Wayne Self went to Victory Lane this past Saturday night with AM Racing’s Dirt Division. Self-netted his first win of the season in the American Racer Modified Tour at Harris Speedway in Rutherfordton, N.C.
Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Circuit of the America Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Pit Boss 250 will mark Moffitt’s third start at the 3.42-mile road course
In his previous two efforts, he has delivered one top-10 and two top-12 finishes. His track-best result occurred during the 2022 spring edition of the Pit Boss 250 when Moffitt steered to a track best of seventh after starting 13th for Our Motorsports.
Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Road Course Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a road course, Moffitt has made 13 starts throughout his career earning one top-10 finishes. He also holds an average finishing position of 25.5.
Brett Moffitt NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 89 career Xfinity Series starts, Moffitt has earned two top-five and 25 top-10 finishes, including a second-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021.
In addition to 84 Xfinity Series starts, he has achieved 45 NASCAR Cup Series and 92 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to his credit.
Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway | RAPTOR King of Tough 250 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Brett Moffitt and the AM Racing team continued to showcase their speed in their race cars in the fifth race of the 2023 season.
Without the benefit of practice or qualifying, Moffitt quickly advanced from his 12th place starting position aboard the No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang – last weekend dubbed in a retro black paint scheme.
The Statesville, N.C.-based team remained a factor throughout the race, including finding themselves in contention for the win on a green-white-checkered restart in Stage 3. Ultimately, Moffitt finished sixth – recording the best Xfinity Series finish for AM Racing in just their fifth race.
In five races this season, Moffit has delivered two top-10s, three top-15s and an average finish of 15.8.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Brett Moffit’s crew chief.
He will crew chief his 104th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon and his third race at the prestigious road course in Austin, Texas.
In his previous 103 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), seven top-five and 23 top-10 finishes.
Follow on Social Media: For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing) or follow them on Instagram and Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.
For more on Brett Moffitt, please visit BrettMoffitt.com, like his Facebook page (Brett Moffitt Racing) or follow him on Instagram (@brett_moffitt_racing) and Twitter (@brett_moffitt).
Brett Moffitt Quoteboard:
On Circuit of the Americas: “I am very optimistic about returning to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend. We have some good momentum with our AM Racing team right now. We had a strong performance last Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the vibe is really strong.
“Circuit of the Americas is the first of several road course races on the 2023 Xfinity Series schedule. It is important to make sure we showcase our potential on the road courses because I feel it will provide the opportunity for our No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang to sneak in a win and propel us into the Playoffs.”
On 2023 Season Outlook: “There has been so much effort put into the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and honestly, I am so excited about it. I cannot thank everyone on the AM Racing team enough for the opportunity and for taking a chance on me to lead them in the inaugural year.
“I believe we will exceed everyone’s expectations and not only will we challenge for race wins, but we will achieve them and contend for the 2023 Xfinity Series championship.”
Race Information:
The Pit Boss 250 (46 laps | 156.86 miles) is the sixth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Mar. 24 from 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Qualifying immediately follows at 6:00 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag shortly after 4:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. ET) on Sat., Mar. 25 with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Central).
ABOUT AM RACING:
AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.
Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.
The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series in its seventh year of competition.
The team has named Brett Moffitt and Christian Rose as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity and ARCA Menards Series seasons.
COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST COTA NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today (Round 6 of 33) • Date: Saturday, March 25 • Location: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas • Layout: 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course • Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EDT on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Cole Custer Notes of Interest
• Cole Custer is ready for a new challenge as the No. 00 Haas Automation team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) heads to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, for Saturday’s Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today. Not much luck has been dealt to Custer thus far in 2023, but he’s looking to turn that around with an entirely different style of racing this weekend. After three consecutive 12th-place finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, and Atlanta Motor Speedway, respectively, Custer is trading in the superspeedway-style and intermediate tracks for the complexities of road-course racing. Saturday’s 48-lap, 156.86-mile race marks Custer’s 116th NASCAR Xfinity Series start and his 16th on a road course. Best of his previous 15 road-course outings was a third-place finish at COTA last March in the No. 07 Ford Mustang for Bobby Dotter Racing.
• The Pit Boss 250 will be Custer’s third Xfinity Series start at COTA. Before last year’s third-place finish at the 3.426-mile, 20-turn circuit, Custer finished seventh in 2021. He also has a pair of NASCAR Cup Series starts there with a best result of 23rd earned last March.
• Custer’s strong road-course performances have not been limited to the Xfinity Series. He also has top-10s in all three of his NASCAR Truck Series outings on road courses, all occurring at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario. Best of those was his most recent outing in 2016 with the No. 00 JR Motorsports entry, for which he qualified on the pole, led a race-high 39 laps and finished just .034 of a second behind race winner John Hunter Nemechek. Custer also made three road-course starts apiece at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series with a best finish of third in the 2016 race at Watkins Glen.
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
• Riley Herbst is proving to be a silent title contender as the Xfinity Series heads to its sixth race of 2023 at the COTA. After leading laps and running up front in last Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Herbst picked up his second consecutive top-five finish. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for SHR has now scored eight top-10 finishes in a row dating back to his eighth-place result on Oct. 22, 2022, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That consistency has spilled over to a pair of top-10s that Herbst secured outside the Xfinity Series, as well. He co-drove to a third-place finish in last November’s Baja 1000 off-road race in the Terrible Herbst Motorsports entry and earned a 10th-place finish last month in his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 65th running of the Daytona 500.
• Herbst’s five consecutive top-10s to start the 2023 Xfinity Series season is a career first. He’s one of only three drivers who have posted top-10s at each race thus far – Austin Hill and Nemechek are the others. Herbst arrives at COTA tied with Nemechek for second in the driver standings, the highest position he’s held at this point in a season. Herbst has collected a total of 44 stage points in 2023, and he’s finished outside the top-10 in just one stage so far this season.
• Saturday’s Pit Boss 250 will mark Herbst’s third career Xfinity Series start at COTA. His first start there in the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang in 2021 resulted in a 16th-place finish. He returned last March to post a 26th-place finish after struggling with balance issues.
• While Herbst looks to make a breakthrough Xfinity Series run at COTA this weekend, he’ll try to capitalize on the momentum from his string of strong road-course outings the latter half of last season. After an incident ended a top-three run at a rainy inaugural race June 4 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, he went on to earn top-10 finishes at each of the next three road-courses events – July 2 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (seventh), July 30 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (sixth), and Aug. 20 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (seventh). He also ran in the top-five for a majority of the playoff race Oct. 8 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval, but a late-race incident on a restart ended his day early and took him out of the running for the championship.
Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang
You’re returning to COTA, which you’ve experienced in both the Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Talk about your thoughts heading into the race and how you think those prior starts will help.
“I’ve always loved road-course racing and, honestly, COTA’s been a solid track for me. Road-course racing is fun. I ran the Xfinity race there the past two years as well as the Cup races, so hopefully we can keep building on what I learned there and go for the win this weekend. Any laps on a road course helps, but I have laps there in an Xfinity Series car, so thankfully I kind of know what to expect.”
After the first five races of the season, what do you believe it will take to get you back to victory lane in the Xfinity Series?
“Honestly, the team isn’t lacking in anything. We’ve brought fast cars and led laps, it’s just about having a perfect day where everything goes our way. We were fast at Auto Club, but bad luck and a cut right-front tire took us out of the running. Then, we have just struggled to get the position on the track and the balance right the past three weekends. We’re close. Hopefully, we can get it done this weekend.”
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang
You’re competing up front, leading laps, finishing well, and you’re currently tied for second in the driver standings. Would you consider the No. 98 Monster Energy team something of a silent contender?
“As much as I love to see the growth, I’m also OK with running under the radar. We’re going for the win every week, but I also don’t think it hurts to see just how far we’ve come. I think people are realizing that we can race for wins and be a top team, but I’m also OK being a dark horse in the series. I know what this No. 98 team and I are capable of and I hope to be able to show that to people each and every week.”
COTA has been a tough track for you in the past, but you and the team did seem to elevate your road-course game the latter half of last year with top-10s at Road America, Indy and The Glen, and you also had a strong runs cut short on the Charlotte Roval and at Portland. How do you feel going into this Saturday’s race?
“Yeah, I just haven’t really figured out COTA. It’s just a difficult track to figure out, to be honest. It definitely hasn’t been my best track on the circuit, but there’s always room for improvement. Cole performed well there in the Xfinity Series the past two years, so I’m hoping to learn from him. We did do well at the other road courses last year, but COTA is a beast of its own. Each road course is different. We have limited practice, but we’re ready to take on the challenge and continue to improve on our finishes.”
NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix The Place: Circuit of The Americas The Date: Sunday, March 26 The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET The Purse: $9,294,829 TV: FOX, 3 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 231.88 miles (68 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 68)
NASCAR Xfinity Series Next Race: Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today The Place: Circuit of The Americas The Date: Saturday, March 25 The Time: 5 p.m. ET The Purse: $1,695,270 TV: FS1, 4 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 156.86 miles (46 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 14), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 46)
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Next Race: XPEL 225 The Place: Circuit of The Americas The Date: Saturday, March 25 The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET The Purse: $740,517 TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 143.22 miles (42 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 12), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 26), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 42)
NASCAR Cup Series
Circuit of The Americas sets the stage for the NASCAR Cup Series
Crank up the lights and focus-in the cameras, because the stage is set for the NASCAR Cup Series to return to one of the country’s premiere tracks, the Circuit of The Americas (COTA), for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Sunday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. This week the NASCAR Cup Series teams are preparing for the first of six road & street courses on the 2023 schedule – Circuit of The Americas (Mar. 26), Sonoma Raceway (June 11), Chicago Street Course (July 2), Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Aug. 13), Watkins Glen International (Aug. 20) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Oct. 8).
On 1,500 acres of land just outside of Austin, Texas construction began in 2010 on what is now known as the Circuit of The Americas. The 20-turn, 3.41-mile, multi-elevational counterclockwise circuit takes advantage of the naturally rolling landscape, including a 133-foot hill at Turn 1. The track also has an amphitheater, the largest permanent outdoor amphitheater in Central Texas, and a 251-foot observation tower.
The sprawling Circuit of The Americas road course has hosted two NASCAR Cup Series races (2021, 2022). The inaugural event was held on May 23, 2021, but was shortened from its scheduled 68 laps to 54 due to inclement weather. The race produced 11 lead changes among 10 different leaders, but it was Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott who won the inaugural event under caution.
The series returned to 3.41-mile track in 2022 and this time ran the full scheduled length (68 laps) producing 13 lead changes among nine different leaders. The final lead change of the NASCAR Cup Series March 27, 2022 race took place with two laps to go – Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain passed Tyler Reddick for the lead – and went on to win his first career Cup Series race.
Last season’s race was also the premiere of the Next Gen car on a road course, and it didn’t disappoint. Circuit of The Americas produced a NASCAR Cup Series record for green flag passes for the lead on road course tracks with 30 green flag passes for the lead. The previous record was held by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course with 22 green flag passes for the lead in 2021.
This weekend’s on-track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series begins with practice on Friday, March 24 at 2 p.m. ET followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday, March 25 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Both events will be televised on FS1.
NASCAR introduces new package for short tracks and road courses
NASCAR has announced this season updates to the components of the NASCAR Cup Series car for races held at road courses and short tracks (excluding Bristol and Dover). The Road Course and Selected Short Track Package will consist of the following:
2” Spoiler
Remove Engine Panel Strakes
Remove Center and Inner Diffuser Strakes. Only the Outer Diffuser Strakes will remain installed. Spacers will be installed between the diffuser flap and diffuser due to removing the inner diffuser strakes.
Remove Diffuser Fences and Replace with Baseline Fences.
Splitter stuffers will remain unchanged from the current components.
The rules are in place at the following tracks: Charlotte Roval, Chicago Street Course, Circuit of The Americas, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Martinsville, New Hampshire, North Wilkesboro, Phoenix, Richmond, Sonoma and Watkins Glen.
So that teams and drivers can have additional track time to adjust to these new components, NASCAR has made Circuit of The Americas an ‘extended practice’ weekend. A 50-minute practice is scheduled for Friday from 1:05 p.m. to 1:55 p.m. local time.
Standings leader Joey Logano dominated Atlanta, looks to keep success rolling at COTA
After a prevailing performance at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, that saw Team Penske’s Joey Logano lead 130 of the 260 laps and pass RFK Racing driver Brad Keselowski to win, has leaped to the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings lead by one point over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell in second place.
Holding the points standings lead for the second-time already this season, Logano’s win has also etched his name on the list of 2023 Playoff drivers to secure their spot; joining Ricky Stenhouse Jr., William Byron and Kyle Busch. He has also earned his spot in this year’s NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race which will be held at the newly renovated North Wilkesboro Speedway (May 21). Now, the 32-year-old will look to extend his points lead and get his first series career win at Circuit of the Americas this weekend.
Logano is already an established road course racer in the series, taking the win at Watkins Glen International in 2015. In his two series starts at Circuit of The Americas he has put up one top-five finish (third) and an average finish of 17.0. Last season at COTA, he started sixth and ran well but was caught in a late race incident that relegated him to a 31st-place finish.
NASCAR road course aces to watch this Sunday
Heading into this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, the NASCAR Cup Series has 12 former road course winners entered in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Sunday, March 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and 11 of them are looking for their first win of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season (all except Kyle Busch and Joey Logano).
Three new drivers were added to the NASCAR Cup Series road course winners list last season; including Trackhouse Racing teammates Ross Chastain, who won his first career Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas, and Daniel Suárez, who earned his first career Cup Series win at Sonoma Raceway, and not to mention, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who earned two road course wins last season driving for Richard Childress Racing at Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
“When I look back at our first win, I think of all of the people who helped me get here,” said Chastain. “My family, sponsors, team owners, all of the men and women who have spent time trying to help me put everything together so I could race. It would’ve been so easy for me to give up and go back and work at the farm. Instead, I kept working at it, and kept trying and so many people were there to help me.”
Of the three (Chastain, Suarez and Reddick) the pre-race loop data stats are pointing to Ross Chastain as the one to watch for this weekend at COTA. In his two starts at 3.42-mile course, he has posted one win and two top fives. He leads the series in average finish with a 2.5, average running position with a 6.785, driver rating with a 125.8, fastest laps run (20) and laps in the top 15 (112 laps, 91.1%).
Active Road Course Winners (12)
Total Wins
Sonoma
WGI
Charlotte
Daytona
Indy
COTA
Road America
Kyle Busch
4
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
Martin Truex Jr
4
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
Kyle Larson
4
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
Kevin Harvick
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
AJ Allmendinger
2
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
Christopher Bell
2
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
Tyler Reddick
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Joey Logano
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
Ryan Blaney
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
Denny Hamlin
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
Daniel Suárez
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Jimmie Johnson
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Ross Chastain
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
With current active Cup Series road course wins leader, Chase Elliott (with seven road course wins), sidelined with a broken leg, which leaves three drivers assuming the role this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas – Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson – each with four road course victories in their careers and none have come at COTA.
But of the active road course wins leaders – Busch, Truex and Larson – the pre-race loop data stats are pointing to Kyle Busch as having the most success this weekend at Circuit of The Americas. He ranks in the top five in nearly every category: average running position (9.065), second-best; driver rating (92.4), ninth-best; fastest laps run (9), third-best; laps in the top 15 (102 laps, 82.9%), second-most; and quality passes (80), second-most.
Probably, the hungriest to revisit Victory Lane of the three active road course wins leaders is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr., who hasn’t won a points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race since Richmond on Sept. 11, 2021 – 49 races ago. Three of Truex’s four road course wins have come at Sonoma Raceway (2013, 2018, 2019) and he earned his fourth at Watkins Glen (2017). The veteran from New Jersey ran well at COTA last season posting a seventh-place finish after starting 17th.
Button, Räikkönen and Taylor join the Cup Series at COTA
With the announcements of Formula One champions Jenson Button and Kimi Räikkönen and IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car champion Jordan Taylor joining the NASCAR Cup Series to compete in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas on March 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio the level of road racing competition in the series was officially raised.
Rick Ware Racing and Mobil 1 have worked in conjunction to bring the 2009 Formula One world champion Jenson Button to NASCAR to compete in three races this season – Circuit of The Americas (March 26), Chicago Street Course (July 2) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Aug. 13). This weekend, Button, native of Frome, England, will attempt to make his series debut piloting the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet with crew chief Billy Plourde on top of the pit box.
“Obviously, racing a Cup car is very different than what I’m used to,” Button said. “But I just get excited about that new challenge, and when I throw myself into something, I am 100% in.”
The 43-year-old driver has won 15 races in 306 career Formula One starts. His final start came in 2017, and his last full-time F1 season was in 2016.
Returning to the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend, after making his career debut at Watkins Glen International last season, is the 2007 Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen. The driver from Espoo, Finland will be back in the Trackhouse Project No. 91 Chevrolet with crew chief Darian Grubb on the pit box.
This will be Räikkönen’s second stint in the Project 91 car, he helped introduce the program last season at Watkins Glen International. The 43-year-old driver started the race at The Glen in 27th but was caught in an incident exiting the bus stop that relegated him to a 37th-place finish.
“Last year was a great experience,” said Räikkönen. “Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what we were looking for because we got caught up in a wreck, but that’s part of racing. I am excited to have another go and hopefully we will stay out of any big issues. This will be tricky for sure, but the further we go in the weekend the easier it gets. At least I have an idea of how we can approach the weekend. I think we did a good job last year. Is the car going to give us a better result? I don’t know, I hope so.”
Joining Button in making his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas will be IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car champion Jordan Taylor, who has been selected to replace an injured Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on road courses until Elliott is healthy enough to return. Taylor will be working with crew chief Tom Gray this weekend.
Taylor, from Orlando, Florida, has also been tapped as the fourth driver in the NASCAR Garage 56 project that will have an adapted NASCAR Next Gen car compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year.
“Jordan is a world-class road racer and has recently been working with our Garage 56 team preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “He’ll be able to step in and do a great job at COTA.”
Jimmie Johnson will check off a ‘bucket-list’ item this weekend at COTA
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and current owner/driver at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Jimmie Johnson, will be returning to the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas – his second start of his 10-race part-time 2023 schedule.
“COTA has been on my racing ‘bucket list’ for a very long time,” said Johnson. “But my timing was off by a year or so. I was hoping it was going to be on the INDYCAR schedule – and it wasn’t – and then they added it to the NASCAR schedule after I left. I’m excited to finally be able to check this one off the list and thankful to Club Wyndham for making it happen. From everything I’ve heard, NASCAR drivers have had a lot of fun racing at COTA, so to say I’m looking forward to it is an understatement.”
Johnson made his return to the series in the season opening DAYTONA 500, where he started 39th and finished 31st.
Throughout Johnson’s NASCAR Cup Series career, he has made 40 starts on road courses posting one win (Sonoma, 2010), nine top fives and 20 top 10s. His most recent NASCAR Cup Series start on a road course was on Oct. 11, 2020 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval; where he started 30th and raced his way up to a 13th-place finish.
Top performers in the Next Gen last season on road courses
Last season the NASCAR Cup Series competed on six road courses in the newly introduced NASCAR Next Gen car. Now, the series is about to embark on the first of six different road courses this season, but before they do lets take a look at the top performers on road courses last season in the new car.
Wins – Five different drivers won on road courses in the Next Gen car last season, led by Tyler Reddick who scored two victories in 2022 at Road America and the Indianapolis Road Course. The other four winners were Ross Chastain (COTA), Daniel Suarez (Sonoma), Kyle Larson (WGI) and Christopher Bell (Charlotte Roval).
Runner-Up Finishes – Six different drivers finished runner-up in the six road course Cup Series races last season: Alex Bowman (COTA), Chris Buescher (Sonoma), Chase Elliott (Road America), Austin Cindric (Indianapolis RC), AJ Allmendinger (WGI) and Kevin Harvick (Charlotte Roval).
Top Fives – A total of 18 different drivers scored top-five finishes in the six road course races run last season, led by Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez and Tyler Reddick with three top fives each.
Top 10s – A total of 26 different drivers posted a top-10 finish in the six road course races run last season, led by Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick with five top 10s each.
Average Finishes – A total of five different drivers had an average finish of 10th or better in the six Cup road course races last season – Chase Elliott (9.0), Chris Buescher (9.0), Austin Cindric (9.3), Tyler Reddick (9.5) and Michael McDowell (10.8).
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Honorary Starter Darius Rucker will perform pre-race concert at COTA – Three-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Darius Rucker will perform his chart-topping hits during a one-hour pre-race concert prior to the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix NASCAR Cup Series race this Sunday, March 26 at 12:45 p.m. CT. Rucker has been named the Honorary Starter for the event.
Darius Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Diamond-certified debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the Top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, including RIAA Platinum-certified Learn to Live and True Believers, plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012 and in 2014 he won his third career GRAMMY Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his 9x Platinum version of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time.
Actor Brendan Hunt named Grand Marshal of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix – Two-time Emmy Award-winning actor, writer and producer Brendan Hunt, who co-stars in the Apple TV+ global phenomenon Ted Lasso, will serve as the Grand Marshal for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).
Hunt will have the honor of providing the “Drivers, start your engines” command to the field prior to Sunday’s race.
Hunt is best known for his role as “Coach Beard” in Ted Lasso and has won consecutive Emmy Awards in 2021 and ’22 for “Outstanding Comedy Series” as the show’s producer. Hunt is a six-time Emmy Award nominee, including five with Ted Lasso. In 2021, he was a nominee for “Best Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series” as well as two nominations for “Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series.”
Cup Series driver milestone starts to watch for – Over the next few races several drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series will reach milestones starts if they continue to run fulltime in the series.
This weekend at Circuit of The Americas on March 26, Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger will be making his 400th career NASCAR Cup Series start.
Then at Richmond Raceway in two weeks on April 2, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric will be making his 50th career NASCAR Cup Series start.
And at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt on April 9, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch will be making his 650th NASCAR Cup Series career start. Busch will become the 27th different NASCAR Cup Series driver all-time to make 650 or more starts.
Then at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick will be making his 800th career NASCAR Cup Series career start. Harvick will become just the 10th different NASCAR Cup Series driver all-time to make 800 or more starts in the series.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Hometown boy Austin Hill wins again at Atlanta
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill has proven that he is the one to beat, having already snagged three wins in the first five races of the season. The last time a driver won three of the first five races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series was in 2016 with Kyle Busch.
The Winston, Georgia native, Hill, raced his way to the checkered flag from the third starting position. He led three times for a race-high 103 of 163 laps. This was his second win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his home track.
Hill will now prepare for the next race on the schedule – Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Although he has yet to post a win on a road course in the Xfinity Series, this very well could be the weekend he accomplishes the feat. Last season on the Texas 3.41-mile road course, Hill posted a runner-up finish.
He also did well on other road courses last season, posting a third-place in Portland, a fourth-place finish at Road America, and a ninth-place finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
Getting rowdy in Texas: COTA up next
The NASCAR Xfinity Series just wrapped up its fifth race of the season last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway and will now gear up for the first road course on the schedule – the Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, March 25 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – the second race of a doubleheader Saturday at COTA joining the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race, the XPEL 225, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The Circuit of The Americas road course is a relatively new track on the NASCAR circuit, having only produced two Xfinity Series races. There has been a different winner in Victory Lane in both years – Kyle Busch won the inaugural race in 2021 and A.J. Allmendinger snagged the checkered flag last season.
Busch, who won the 2021 race from the pole position, is not entered in this weekend’s Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today, but Allmendinger will be pulling double duty in the No. 10 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing in hopes of pulling off a back-to-back win at COTA.
The road course ringer, Allmendinger, is not the only NASCAR Cup Series driver pulling double duty this weekend. Aric Almirola (No. 08 SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet), William Byron (No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) and Ty Gibbs (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) will also join in on the fun.
Drivers will hit the track for practice on Friday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 7 p.m. streamed on FS1.
Circuit of The Americas bringing in drivers from all over the Americas
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will spice things up this weekend at COTA as two drivers from South America will attempt to qualify for the Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today.
One of the drivers is someone race fans have seen in a Xfinity Series race before – Miguel Paludo. The Brazilian driver has eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts under his belt. He has made two starts at the Austin, Texas road course, placing a top-10 finish last year in the No. 88 Chevrolet with JR Motorsports.
Also joining NASCAR this weekend will be Baltazar Leguizamón, who will be racing in hopes of becoming the first Argentinian driver to post a start in a NASCAR national series race.
Leguizamón will make his qualifying attempt behind the wheel of the No. 74 Chevrolet for CHK Racing.
Although the 22-year-old has yet to run some laps in a Xfinity Series car, he has plenty of experience on road courses. He won the 2018 Atlantic Championship Series title and earned a runner-up championship finish in the inaugural season of F3 Americas.
“I am really proud to be the first Argentinean with a NASCAR national series license. It’s been a long way on my career living my dream in international motorsports. All the hard work is paying off right now, said Leguizamón. “This is huge for us, for my country, and for South America. It’s my childhood dream beginning to come true.”
Dash 4 Cash program returns in 2023 starting at COTA
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash program was designed to add elements of unpredictability and drama leading up to and during four designated races, increase on-track competition, engage fans and reward / recognize NASCAR Xfinity Series regular competitors.
Eligible Xfinity Series regulars who are the top finishers at those designated events will pocket cash bonuses. This weekend’s race at COTA will act as a qualifying race to determine the four eligible drivers with the first crack at the extra money.
The four events in the 2023 Dash 4 Cash initiative are:
The top four eligible Xfinity Series regulars from each event will form the field for the next race’s bonus.
Eligibility requirements for this year will be similar to the 2022 structure. Drivers who have not declared to collect Xfinity Series points may not participate in the series’ Playoffs, elimination events, or Dash 4 Cash races. That list of restricted events also includes the Chicago Street Race on July 1.
Top performers on road courses in the Xfinity Series
The first NASCAR Xfinity Series race on a road course took place in 1986 at Road Atlanta and the event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip – the only road course on the schedule that season. Fast forward to this season, and the Xfinity Series will take on seven road courses – this weekend’s Circuit of The Americas, Portland International Raceway (June 3) Sonoma Raceway (June 10), Road America (July 29), Indianapolis Road Course (Aug. 12), Watkins Glen International (Aug. 19) and Charlotte Roval (Oct. 7). But before the competitors take to the track this weekend, here is a look at some of the top road course performers in the series.
In total, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has run 74 road course races all-time (1982-Present) producing 37 different winners, led by Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger with 10 road course wins. Four road course winners in the Xfinity Series are active this weekend – A.J. Allmendinger (10 wins), Justin Allgaier (three wins), Ty Gibbs (three wins) and Jeremy Clements (one win).
Last season, a total of eight different drivers had an average finish of 15th or better in the six Xfinity Series road course races – A.J. Allmendinger (2.0), Noah Gragson (6.3), Ty Gibbs (10.0), Josh Berry (10.8), Austin Hill (12.8), Brandon Jones (13.3), Ryan Sieg (14.3) and Sam Mayer (14.5).
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Derek Kraus to make Xfinity Series debut – A familiar face at NASCAR, Derek Kraus, will be joining Kaulig Racing next weekend at Richmond Raceway behind the wheel of the No. 10 Chevrolet to make his Xfinity Series debut.
Kraus has been racing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2018 and has run three full-time seasons (2020-2022). In his 74 starts, he’s posted four top fives, 26 top 10s and has a best standings finish of 11th (2020, 2022).
Hocevar is taking his signature ‘fancy hats’ to the Xfinity Series – Rising NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series star Carson Hocevar will be seen this weekend attempting to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the first time in his career. The Portage, Michigan native, who has been seen around the tracks wearing his signature hats has been tapped to pilot the No. 07 SS-Greenlight Racing Chevrolet with crew chief Mike Hillman in the Xfinity Series race.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Truckin’ in the great state of Texas
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series just wrapped up race number three at Atlanta Motor Speedway and now heads to Austin, Texas for the fourth race of the season, the XPEL 225 on Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). The race will be the first of a double-header Saturday that features the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at 5 p.m. ET.
The No. 38 Ford seems to be a lucky truck at the 3.41-mile road course as Todd Gilliland drove No. 38 to Victory Lane in the inaugural COTA race in 2021 and Zane Smith accomplished the same feat in 2022 once he got behind the wheel.
Smith will now have the chance to go back-to-back at the Texas road course and once again bring the No. 38 Ford to Victory Lane. The 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champ already has one win under his belt this season (Daytona), two top fives and two top 10s.
Stats and figures: Texas edition
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is heading to Circuit of The Americas for the third time in its history. The previous two races have produced a different race winner and different pole winner each time.
In the inaugural race in 2021, Tyler Ankrum won the pole with a speed of 75.041 mph, while Todd Gilliland went on to win the race.
In last season’s COTA Truck race, Sheldon Creed had the fastest truck in qualifying with a speed of 90.985 mph and Zane Smith ultimately took the checkered flag.
This year’s XPEL 225 winner will look to take the COTA race record from Todd Gilliland, a record he secured with a speed of 70.79 mph.
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will kick off the triple-header weekend with practice on Friday, March 24 at 4:30 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 5 p.m. ET.
Several competitors pulling double duty action this weekend
Circuit of The Americas seems to be a popular track amongst drivers as many will be pulling double duty this weekend. Cup series regulars Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman, and Xfinity Series driver Kaz Grala will kick off their COTA weekends with the XPEL 225.
This weekend’s Truck race will be Busch’s second start of the season. He made his first 2023 CRAFTSMAN Truck series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where he won the race from the pole position. This will be Busch’s second time behind the wheel of his No. 51 KBM Chevrolet at the 3.41-mile Austin road course. In last year’s race, he posted a third-place finish.
Like Busch, Chastain has also made one Truck Series start this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but this will be his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at COTA. He will be driving the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. Although he hasn’t ran COTA in a truck, he did get behind the wheel of a truck at Sonoma’s 1.99-mile road course last season and finished fourth. Plus, he won the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA last season.
Bowman will be piloting the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet and posting his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start of the season this weekend. Last season, he made a Truck Series start at COTA and ultimately finished in the 25th position.
Grala will be behind the wheel of the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota this weekend. He has made one Truck Series start this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He enters this weekend’s XPEL 225 having made two Truck Series starts at COTA. In the 2021 inaugural race, he posted a runner-up finish and last season, he finished 14th.
Top performers on road courses in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series has competed on road courses throughout its history, including the inaugural season in 1995. This season, the series will take on two road courses – this weekend’s Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 8. But before the trucks take to the track this weekend, here is a look at some of the top road course performers in the series.
In total, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series has run 30 road course races all-time (1995-Present) producing 24 different winners, led by Joe Ruttman and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. with three road course wins each. Four road course winners in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series are active this weekend – Ben Rhodes (Daytona RC, 2021), Zane Smith (COTA, 2022), Parker Kligerman (Mid-Ohio, 2022) and Kyle Busch (Sonoma, 2022).
Last season, a total of five different drivers had an average finish of 10th or better in the three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series road course races – Zane Smith (1.7), Chandler Smith (5.3), Carson Hocevar (5.7), Parker Kligerman (9.0) and Grant Enfinger (10.6).
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.
“Tyler Ankrum Day” in Austin, Texas – Tyler Ankrum, who won the inaugural pole at COTA in 2021 and went on to finish third in the race, will have the honor of saying that March 25, 2023 is officially “Tyler Ankrum Day” in the city of Austin, Texas.
The mayor of Austin, Kirk Watson, will officially proclaim “Tyler Ankrum Day” on March 25 at 9:50 a.m. CT at the No. 16 hauler in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series garage.
“This is really special,” Ankrum said. “To have my very own day in Austin for the second consecutive year, is crazy, but it’s truly an honor to be recognized and represent not only the city of Austin, but the more than 500,000 LiUNA! members and all the NASCAR fans out there.”
Truck Series drivers run a tire test at North Wilkesboro – Truck Series drivers Zane Smith, Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar spent some time at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Monday ahead of the much-anticipated race in May.
Monday’s test ran seven-plus hours as a prelude to three NASCAR Cup Series teams scheduled for their own Goodyear session Tuesday.
“Rarely do you have a test where you are smiling the whole time you are out there going around the track,” Hocevar said. “It was a lot of fun to be out there today slipping and sliding around on this historic track. It sounds silly, but this is our ‘Field of Dreams.’ I’m not a baseball fan, but it was super cool to see that. This is just like that. This is our deal. Everyone has high expectations and hopefully we meet (them). It felt like I was walking into a track where we weren’t supposed to be. I’m just really glad that NASCAR, Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and the CARS Tour kept picking at it.”
JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW: TRACK: Circuit of the Americas RACE: Pit Boss 250 (46 laps / 156.86 miles) DATE: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Broadcast Information – TV: 5 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 4:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90
Sam Mayer No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions Chevrolet • Sam Mayer returns to Circuit of the Americas for only his second start at the 3.41-mile road-course. In this event last season, Mayer finished fifth, which qualified him for his first career Dash 4 Cash race. • The young driver has nine starts on road courses and has secured one top-five and five top-10 finishes on such tracks. • Crew chief Mardy Lindley has achieved three career roadcourse wins, most recently as crew chief for Kyle Busch last season at Sonoma Raceway in the Truck Series.
Josh Berry No. 8 Tire Pros Chevrolet • Josh Berry’s lone start at COTA came last year, and the Tennessee native finished 27th after being involved in an opening-lap incident. • In seven starts on road courses in his NXS career, Berry has a pair of top-five finishes and five top 10s. • Berry’s top-five results came in the NXS debut at Portland (fourth) and at Road America (third) last season. • This weekend’s event is the qualifier for the opening round of the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash. Berry won the bonus in 2021 at Dover Motor Speedway.
Brandon Jones No. 9 Menards/Char-Broil Grills Chevrolet • Brandon Jones has made 31 career starts on road courses in the NXS and has recorded five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. His best finish of second came at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in 2020. • Jones has a victory on a road course in his career. The 26-year-old won at Watkins Glen International during an ARCA Menards Series race last season. He started second and led the most important lap – the last one – to claim the victory. • Jones has made two starts at the 3.41-mile Austin road course, with a best finish of 17th coming in the inaugural race in 2021.
Justin Allgaier No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet • In two previous starts at COTA in the NXS, Justin Allgaier has scored a best finish of third, coming in this event in 2021. • In 44 career starts on road courses in the NXS, the Illinois native has earned three wins, 13 top fives and 26 top 10s. • Two of Allgaier’s three road course victories in the NXS have come with JRM (Mid-Ohio and Road America – 2018). • Allgaier’s No. 7 Camaro will have a different look for thisweekend. As one of two BRANDT Chevrolets on the road course at COTA, the JRM driver’s paint scheme will have a white base with the familiar bright red accents. • For the third consecutive season, Miguel Paludo makes his return to JRM behind the wheel of the No. 88 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. • This marks the first of three starts this season for the NovaPrata, Brazil native in the No. 88. Paludo will also be running at the inaugural street course event in Chicago and the road course at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. • In six previous starts for JRM, Paludo has scored two top 10s, with a best finish of seventh coming at the Daytona Road Course in 2021.
Driver Quotes
“I am pretty excited to get back to COTA this weekend. We had a really good run there last year that qualified us for the Dash 4 Cash that we were able to win the following week. I am confident that my No. 1 Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions team will bring a fast car to our first road course of the year and hopefully we will be able to contend for the win.” – Sam Mayer
“This is a big weekend at COTA for us and BRANDT Professional Agriculture. To be able to welcome Miguel (Paludo) back in the No. 88 with BRANDT is really special. Hopefully we can give Rick (Brandt) a good show and come away with a one-two finish. The last couple weeks didn’t go as we had hoped, but this No. 7 group is resilient and I know that we will be strong this weekend.” – Justin Allgaier
“Road courses were very important to our team last season, points-wise. I’ve had solid runs at most of the ones we’ve run on. Last year at COTA, we got into trouble on the first lap and did some damage to the Tire Pros Chevrolet, but we rallied and earned stage points despite that. I’m looking for good things this weekend with Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and the team.” – Josh Berry
“This Menards/Char-Broil Grills team has had speed all season, we just don’t have the results to show for it. These guys have built great cars in the past for COTA and we have been in the sim working hard preparing for this weekend. Hopefully we can go out and have a good run and be there when it matters.” – Brandon Jones
“I can’t thank Rick (Brandt), and everyone at JR Motorsports enough for the opportunity to come back this year and drive this No. 88 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. We were able to get a top-10 finish here last year, and I know that we can improve on that once we hit the track this weekend. I can’t wait to get out there and contend for the win, especially with our BRANDT teammate Justin (Allgaier).” – Miguel Paludo
JRM Team Updates
• JR Motorsports at COTA: JR Motorsports has competed at the 3.41-mile Circuit of the Americas a combined nine times in the NXS. Over the course of those starts, the organization has recorded three top fives and four top 10s. The best finish for JRM came during the inaugural race in 2021 with Justin Allgaier racing to a third-place finish. • Souvenir Rig Autograph Session: All five JRM drivers will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports/Legacy M.C. souvenir trailer at COTA on Saturday, March 26 from 12 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. local time. • Chevy Display: JRM drivers will be appearing at the Team Chevy display located in the COTA fan zone on Saturday at the following times: • Justin Allgaier/Miguel Paludo: 11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. local time • Brandon Jones: 11:45 p.m. – 12 p.m. • Josh Berry: 12 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. • Sam Mayer: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. • Start No. 500 for Allgaier: This weekend in COTA marks the 500th career start for Justin Allgaier across NASCAR’s three major touring series. In totality, Allgaier has made eight starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 410 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 81 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
March 21st, 2023 – For Immediate Release: SS GreenLight Racing announced Tuesday that the organization and Blaine Perkins, driver of the 07 Chevrolet, have mutually parted ways effective immediately. The team, which has had a disappointing start to the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Season, is coming off of its best finish of the season at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Carson Hocevar, driver of the Niece Motorsports no.42 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will attempt to make his Xfinity Series debut at the 3.42 mile road course in Austin, TX.
“Obviously we are disappointed with how the season has started,” said team owner Bobby Dotter “But after talking with Blaine and his group, we feel that it is in the best interest of all parties involved to mutually part ways, and work to build some momentum heading into the next few weeks. We are extremely grateful for Carson, Al (Niece) and everyone involved in this decision, helping us move swiftly as the 07 team prepares for this weekend.”
Eagan, Minn. (March 21, 2023)– Factory Motor Parts (FMP) and its FVP brand, is proud to announce an expansion of its partnership with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport (JAR) for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity season. This marks a continued relationship with the team that dates to the 2019 season, but a first on the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro with NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of The Year contender Parker Retzlaff.
Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport is a well-established team that has been competing in NASCAR since 2018. With a focus on hard work, dedication, and performance, the team has built a reputation for excellence on and off the track. FMP recognizes these qualities and is excited to support the team as they compete in the 2023 Xfinity NASCAR season.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity season,” said Dave Schumacher, Director of Marketing “Their group of partners aligns with the FMP family and the FVP brand. We’re confident that our partnership will help us both achieve great things on and off the track.”
“As our team continues to grow each year, my gratefulness for partners like FMP and their FVP brand continues to grow,” said team partner Jordan Anderson. “They see the value that their involvement in motorsports provides and the opportunities that exist in the business-to-business space. Our entire organization is proud to carry their colors, and we hope to deliver them some great results both on and off track as the 2023 rolls on.”
Team partner John Bommarito was equally excited. “Our entire Bommarito Automotive Group has relied on the excellent products and service that FMP delivers to our entire line up of dealerships for years. The synergy that exists to partner our race team up with the competitive spirit of FMP was an equal opportunity for us to see this relationship continue to grow.”
FVP will be featured on the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS, as well as on the hauler, pit box, driver suit, and team apparel. The partnership will also include promotional activities, social media campaigns, and other marketing initiatives to raise awareness of both FVP and Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport.
For more information about FVP and Jordan Anderson Racing, visit their websites at –
FMP is a multi-generational, family-owned company that prides itself on servicing the unique needs of our customers. We provide premium, original equipment (OE) and name brand automotive parts, serving as the total solution for independent service centers, dealerships, fleets, and wholesale customers.
FVP is a leading supplier of maintenance products and accessories for the automotive industry. Their products are designed to deliver the quality and performance that drivers and technician’s demand.
About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport is a NASCAR team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito. Established in 2018 the organization is fueled by an incredible, close-knit team of employees, fans, and sponsors with a focus on integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Our goal is to embrace the journey we’re on and to never give up – whether on the track, in the pits, or in life. Every single team partner, and fan of ours, is what keeps our race cars running strong and our team performing each week.
Racer outperformed numerous well-funded teams, drivers in 2022 Austin race
AUSTIN, Texas — It’s been more than five months since Preston Pardus turned laps in his NASCAR Xfinity car, but his 2023 debut finally arrives this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas with a new car number and a primary corporate partner.
Pardus, a three-time SCCA national champion, will attack the 21-turn course in a Chevrolet now bearing the No. 50 – a number his father and crew chief, Dan, used briefly in NASCAR Cup competition in 1999. The team’s Chevrolet will weave its way around the 3.41-mile track with a local distiller, Garage Oil American Badass Whiskey, adorning its hood and rear quarterpanels.
In the Xfinity series’ two previous ventures to CoTA, Pardus has produced a pair of 14th-place, lead-lap finishes. He’s eager to kick off the stock car portion of his 2023 schedule in Texas.
“It was a solid weekend last year – a good baseline to start the season off with,” said the 25-year-old resident of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. “We had good pace in qualifying, and I haven’t qualified all that well in the past. I thought we raced pretty well. The only bummer is we had a pit-road penalty, and that obviously hurt track position. Anytime you lose track position, it’s hard to get it back.
“Even so, it was one of those days that was solid and we stayed out of trouble other than that one deal on pit road – so it was a good weekend.”
“Good” may be an understatement.
Pardus reached the finish line ahead of luminaries such as: eventual Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs (all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, in fact); NASCAR Cup regular Bubba Wallace; Ross Chastain, the National Motorsports Press Association’s Driver of the Year; and Justin Allgaier, a 19-time Xfinity race winner.
“We definitely had good race pace,” Pardus said. “The set-up was good. We unloaded really good, which was a huge goal – and will be huge for us this year with no owner points. We were quickest in practice in a short session and seventh in qualifying, so that was important.
“A good starting spot is important. CoTA is challenging because the field gets spread out there. You lose the leaders rather quickly, so track position is crucial, especially this year without the yellows after the first and second stages to bunch the field. You don’t know when the next caution’s going to come.”
Last year’s race in Austin marked the NASCAR debut for Garage Oil Spirits, a local distiller founded and co-owned by Ron Stone. This time around, the company has stepped up from a small presence on the rear quarterpanels to a much larger role.
The No. 50 Chevy will feature a distinctive design and eye-catching wrap to help push the company’s whiskey, which is available in over 225 locations in Texas liquor stores, restaurants, nightclubs and resorts. It is also sold in California and Colorado, and the product can be shipped for home delivery in 30 states. Garage Oil was voted the crowd favorite whiskey in its home state at the 5th annual Texas Whiskey Festival.
“This is going to be the first time we take the entire wrap on Preston’s Camaro, and we couldn’t be more proud or pleased with the collaboration between our two BADASS companies,” Stone said. “We just celebrated our first year in business in January, and we are killin’ it. Last year this time, we were only a few months old, and there were only a handful of places in the Austin area where American Badass Whiskey was sold. We’re off and running toward our goal of being one of the most popular whiskey brands in the entire nation within the next couple of years.”
Pardus’ stint behind the wheel this weekend kicks off Friday with a practice session at 5:30 p.m. Central time, followed at 6 o’clock by two rounds of qualifying. Saturday’s action includes a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, followed by the Pit Boss 250. The weekend is capped off by Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix for the Cup Series.
GAFFNEY, SC – JD Motorsports and veteran driver Brennan Poole have partnered up with BeONE Sports, a Houston-based, sports-technology company focused on advanced athletic training and performance analysis. The two teams are working together to find speed and increased performance, using computer vision algorithms and the BeONE Sports patent-pending technology “comparative training.”
BeONE Sports has developed cutting-edge, sports training technology based on body mechanics within any sport. They’ve developed a platform where accomplished athletes’ movements are digitized into the technology, creating a “proxy for perfect” training. Using any mobile device, aspiring athletes can learn from the catalog of college and professional athletes in the platform. Users receive immediate feedback on technique and body-position improvements, and BeONE Sports is revolutionizing the use of NIL to “Train it Forward.”
“I have brought many new partners to our NASCAR team over the years,” said Tony Priscaro, VP, Sales and Marketing for JD Motorsports. “However, BeONE Sports is a partner I couldn’t be more excited about. Their technology will not only help our race team, but it will also help every NASCAR fan. Everyone has or knows someone who is involved in a sport at the youth level on up. BeONE Sports can help all of them achieve their performance goals.”
“This technology is really amazing,” said Brennan Poole, driver of the No. 6 BeONE Sports Chevrolet. “I am going to use it myself, to see how I stack up.”
BeONE Sports will also share their space with several of their supporting companies: Code Launch, Evolution Fitness & Sports Training, Cioffi Combine, The Texas Heart Institute, Icon Source, Brinx.TV, The NIL House, ResQ TRX, Stop Soldier Suicide, and American Dream Autosport .
The Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today at Circuit Of The Americas is live on FS1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) on Saturday, March 25 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
About BeONE Sports
BeONE Sports Owner, Scott Deans, is a former athlete himself. His team of athletes, coaches, and parents are focused on collaboration and performance. Their experience and skillsets cross competitive sports, technology, business, and leadership. They build on their passion and life goals, and they focus on creating a positive impact for all their partners. www.beonesports.com
JD Motorsports
Team Owner Johnny Davis first began fielding a team in what is now the Xfinity Series in 1983 with Joe Henry Thurman as the driver. From 1983-1985, Davis and Thurman competed in 41 races and put the JD Motorsports name on the map. Although JDM has seen a sharp rise in on-track performance in the past few years, success is nothing new to this team. Years of good drivers and excellent runs have paved the way for what JDM is today. www.teamjdmotorsports.com
Blaine Perkins and the 07 team overcome early race struggles to capture best finish of 2023. Atlanta Motor Speedway | RAPTOR King of Tough 250
Team: No. 07 To The Point Inc. Chevrolet Camaro Driver: Blaine Perkins Start: 36rd Finish: 22nd; Running ( 163 | 163 laps completed) Driver Points Position: 34th | Owner Points Position: 37th
Race Recap: After rain wiped out qualifying on Friday, the grid was set by the NASCAR rule book for the Xfinity Series RAPTOR King of Tough 250 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday evening. Blaine Perkins and the To The Point Inc. 07 Chevrolet Camaro rolled off from the 36th position. The action started early with a wreck on lap 1. Perkins immediately came over the team radio to communicate a vibration felt during the first caution. Crew Chief Mike Hillman Sr brought the car to pit road to begin working on figuring out the issue with the car.
Near the end of the second stage, an adjustment finally turned the day around, fixed the vibration and made the car drive the best it has all season. At that point the race was on. Running as high as 7th, Perkins soon found himself fighting a loose condition. The team continued to make adjustments and make the car better during the last couple of stops. When the last yellow flew with 9 laps to go, Hillman Sr brought the 07 to pit road for tires and a slight adjustment, hoping to take advantage of some late race pandemonium. The field held it together for almost the entire Green-White-Checkered, crashing coming across the finish line. Perkins was able to avoid the carnage and bring a clean 07 Chevy home in the 22nd position.
Blaine Perkins Quote: “Happy to get a decent finihs this weekend in Atlanta. We made some big gains on the car throughout the race and were able to stay out of all the chaos. Hopeing to build a bit of momentum heading into COTA next week and continue to make gains as a team.”
The SS GreenLight Racing 07 team looks to build on best finish of the season headed to COTA. Next Up: Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of the Americas on Sat., March 25, 2023, live on FOX Sports 1 | Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90.
Follow on Social Media: To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit www.BlainePerkins.com or connect with Blaine Perkins on Facebook (OfficialBlainePerkins), Twitter (@BlainePerkins21) or Instagram (@blaineperkins21).
Follow SS GreenLight Racing on Social Media: Keep up with SS GreenLight Racing news, notes, information, exclusive content and much more! visit www.ssgreenlight.com or connect on our social media channels. Follow along on Facebook (SSGreenLightRacing), Twitter (@SSGLR0708), Instagram (@ssgreenlightracing) and TikTok (SS GreenLight Racing)
About SS GreenLight Racing..Since entering the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2015, the Mooresville, N.C. ,-based team has made over 380 starts with multiple drivers. These include Cole Custer, Ross Chastain and Chase Briscoe. SS GreenLight Racing has collected one win (Fontana 2022), eight top-fives, and 23 top-10 finishes..
