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Tag: NASCAR Xfinity Series

  • Ty Dillon joins 23XI Racing for Busch Clash

    Ty Dillon joins 23XI Racing for Busch Clash

    The newly formed 23XI Racing will be making its inaugural presence in NASCAR a week early than anticipated after it was announced that Ty Dillon will be joining the organization in a one-race deal for the Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on February 9.

    The criteria for eligibility for the 2021 Busch Clash at Daytona’s road course layout was announced in November, making the event available for competitors who recorded a 2020 Busch Pole Award, won a Daytona 500 and won a Daytona 500 pole award, all as full-time Cup competitors. The event was also open for competitors who made the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, won a 2020 Cup race and won a 2020 Cup stage.

    Dillon, a 28-year-old native from Lewisville, North Carolina, became eligible for the 35-lap exhibition by recording a stage victory last season. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing’s full-time competitor, is ineligible due to not meeting one of the criteria to compete in the event. He will make his first start with the team in the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, which will also mark the start of 23XI Racing’s first full-time campaign in NASCAR.

    Dillon, who is the 21st competitor confirmed for the event and will be making his Clash debut, will be sponsored by Root Insurance, one of the team’s founding partners. The decision to compete in the Busch Clash was made to get 23XI Racing, owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin, an early start for its first season in NASCAR competition.

    Along with the Busch Clash, Dillon is set to compete with Gaunt Brothers Racing for the remainder of Daytona Speedweeks as he attempts to qualify for the 2021 Daytona 500. He is also set to compete in four NASCAR Xfinity Series races with Joe Gibbs Racing.

    The 2021 Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course is set to occur on Tuesday, February 9, at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Ty Dillon joins Joe Gibbs Racing for select Xfinity events

    Ty Dillon joins Joe Gibbs Racing for select Xfinity events

    Another name has been added to Joe Gibbs Racing’s lineup for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season after it was announced that Ty Dillon will be joining the organization and pilot the No. 54 Toyota Supra on a part-time basis.

    The 28-year-old native from Lewisville, North Carolina, will make his first start with JGR in the Xfinity Series season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway on February 13. He is also scheduled to compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 27, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 6 and at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24.

    Dillon is coming off his fourth full-time season with Germain Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. With Germain Racing ceasing operations due to sponsor GEICO parting ways from the team, Dillon was initially left without a ride heading into the 2021 season. Currently, he has joined forces with Gaunt Brothers Racing to drive the No. 96 Toyota Camry as he attempts to qualify for the 63rd annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14.

    The 2021 Xfinity Series season will mark Dillon’s first appearance in the series since he made select starts in 2018 with Richard Childress Racing. In 146 previous starts, he has recorded one victory, which occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2014. He has also recorded four poles, 33 top-five results, 88 top-10 results, 586 laps led, an average result of 10.5 and a best points result of third place in 2015.

    “I am so thankful and excited for the opportunity to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota,” Dillon said. “They have been on top of the sport for a long time and this is a great opportunity for me to go prove that I am a winner and show what I know I can do in a race car.”

    Dillon will serve as one of multiple competitors to pilot JGR’s No. 54 “all-star” car throughout the 2021 Xfinity Series season, including Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs. Busch, the all-time winningest driver in the Xfinity circuit with 97 career victories, will compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 20, Circuit of the Americas on May 22, Texas Motor Speedway on June 12, Nashville Superspeedway on June 19 and at Road America on July 3. Truex, a two-time Xfinity champion who has not competed in series since 2010, will drive the No. 54 Toyota Supra at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 10 while Hamlin, the reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion, will make his series’ one-race appearance at Darlington Raceway on September 4 during Labor Day Weekend. Gibbs, a full-time ARCA Menards Series competitor for JGR and a newcomer to the Xfinity Series, will compete in select events, beginning at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on February 20. Chris Gayle will be serving as crew chief for the No. 54 team.

    “Ty Dillon is going to be a great addition to our Xfinity lineup,” Steve de Souza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development for Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “Ty has a lot of experience across the board and that will definitely be an asset to our whole group as we get going this season.”

    A full schedule of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team for the 2021 Xfinity Series season will be announced at a later date.

  • Ty Gibbs set for full ARCA schedule; Xfinity debut at Daytona road course

    Ty Gibbs set for full ARCA schedule; Xfinity debut at Daytona road course

    Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Ty Gibbs will contend for the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship as he will also make his inaugural presence in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

    Gibbs, the 18-year-old grandson of NASCAR championship-winning team owner Joe Gibbs and a native from Charlotte, North Carolina, will be assuming a full-time driving role in the No. 18 Toyota Camry for JGR as he will contend for the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship.

    Throughout the 2020 season, Gibbs recorded a season-high six ARCA Menards Series victories and one ARCA Menards Series East victory. In 16 of 20 ARCA Menards Series starts, Gibbs also recorded five poles, 12 top-five results, 14 top-10 results, 969 laps led and an average result of 4.4 as he contributed to the first ARCA Menards Series Owner’s Championship for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “We want to build on the success that our team had last season,” Mark McFarland, crew chief of JGR’s ARCA program, said. “Ty works extremely hard to prepare each week, and it’s exciting to have him behind the wheel for every race and the opportunity to go after our goal of winning that championship.

    Along with his ARCA schedule, Gibbs will make his debut within NASCAR’s top three national touring series in 2021 as he will pilot the No. 54 Toyota Supra in the Xfinity Series event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Saturday, February 20. Gibbs will serve as one of multiple competitors driving the No. 54 car throughout the 2020 Xfinity season, with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. also slated to compete in at least one event while Chris Gayle will serve as the crew chief of the No. 54 team. The current schedule has Gibbs eligible to contend for the 2021 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year title.

    “I’m pumped to run the full season in the ARCA Menards Series,” Ty Gibbs said. “[Crew Chief] Mark [McFarland] has put together an amazing team that gives me a chance to be successful every week. I’m also really excited to have the opportunity to work with [crew chief] Chris Gayle to make my debut in the Xfinity Series. I can’t imagine a better situation for me to learn and be able to compare notes, not only with my series teammates like Brandon [Jones], Harrison [Burton] and Daniel [Hemric], but also veterans like Kyle, Denny and Martin who I will share the car with.”

    “I’m looking forward to the upcoming season,” Chris Gayle added. “Ty has already shown a great deal of talent with each step he has taken in his career and I think the opportunity to also learn from his veteran teammates will be a huge benefit to his development.”

    Additional announcements regarding the full Xfinity Series schedule for Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota team will be announced at a later date.

  • RSS Racing fielding Fords for 2021 NASCAR season

    RSS Racing fielding Fords for 2021 NASCAR season

    With a new season of NASCAR competition a month away, RSS Racing will be changing manufacturers from Chevrolet to Ford for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. With the manufacturer change, RSS Racing will be powered by Roush Yates engines. Remaining as a full-time driver of the team’s No. 39 Ford Mustang is Ryan Sieg, who will receive full sponsorship support from CMR Construction and Roofing.

    The 2021 Xfinity Series season will mark Sieg’s first full-time campaign in Fords following seven full-time seasons competing in Chevrolets. Through 2020, Sieg has made 235 career starts in the Xfinity Series while recording 12 top-five results, 32 top-10 results, 129 laps led and an average result of 18.2.

    “I would like to thank Chevrolet and ECR for a great run, but it was time for something new.” Sieg stated. “We are a small family owned race team so to have this opportunity to align ourselves with Roush Yates and Ford it is truly incredible.”

    Sieg and RSS Racing are coming off a career-best 2020 season, where the Tucker, Georgia, native recorded a career-best second-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October, two stage victories, seven top-five results, 11 top-10 results, 103 laps led and an average result of 15.5. In addition, Sieg made the 2020 Xfinity Series Playoffs and went on to finish in 10th place in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2020 Xfinity Series season, seven different competitors competed for RSS Racing, with Ryan Sieg competing as a full-time driver of the No. 39 Chevrolet while five others competed in the No. 93 Chevrolet (Joey Gase, Jeff Green, C.J. McLaughlin, Josh Reaume and Myatt Snider). In addition, the No. 38 RSS Racing Chevrolet was fielded for select events (Ross Chastain and Jeff Green). Of the 33-race schedule, Sieg and Myatt Snider recorded a total of 14 top-10 results for the team.

    Sieg and RSS Racing will embark on their first full-time season with Ford in the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 13, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Ferrucci to transition to NASCAR with Sam Hunt Racing after IndyCar campaign

    Ferrucci to transition to NASCAR with Sam Hunt Racing after IndyCar campaign

    After two seasons in the NTT IndyCar Series with Dale Coyne Racing, Santino Ferrucci will be making his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut at Homestead-Miami on February 27. Ferrucci will be piloting the No. 26 Toyota Supra on a part-time basis during the 2021 season in a schedule primarily focused on speedways and short tracks.

    Prior to his two seasons in the IndyCar Series Ferrucci raced overseas working up the Formula ladder, his final season coming in 2018 in what was a controversial campaign in Formula 2. Ferrucci was banned from four events after deliberate contact with his teammate Arjun Maini; further controversy arose when he was caught driving between the Formula 1 and 2 paddocks while texting on a cell phone. Ferrucci was fined €6,000 ($7,334.99 USD).

    Repeated controversy has given Ferrucci something of a negative reputation in the racing world, however his performance behind the wheel has yielded some strong, consistent results. In 2019 Ferrucci’s seventh-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 earned him the Rookie of the Race award, and a year later in the 500 Ferrucci would tie his career-best finish of fourth. In both of his IndyCar seasons his best points finish was 13th.

    Ferrucci has no previous stock car experience aside from a Super Late Model test at Caraway Speedway in North Carolina, although in 2021 he will be making his second Chili Bowl Midget Nationals start against some of NASCAR’s top stars. Ferrucci and Hunt both hope that their alliance with Toyota Racing Development could give him the backing he needs to post strong results.

    Team owner Sam Hunt has made it clear that this will be a learning curve for Ferrucci, but otherwise he’s confident in Ferrucci’s ability behind the wheel.

    “Santino’s passion and drive was apparent the first time we sat down together,” Hunt said. “I had heard about him, seen some stories from open wheel, but waited to form my opinion until we spent some time together one on one. He’s a great kid. He’s passionate, and he’s ready to learn the race craft of NASCAR.

    “He’s situationally aware and works hard for every sponsor and investor he has. I have no doubts that he will be a strong competitor for us once he learns how these heavy cars drive, and how these races run. We are all excited to get to work with him.”

    Sam Hunt Racing was formed as DRIVE Technology in 2013, fielding NASCAR K&N Pro Series entries for Hunt in a pair of part-time campaigns. The organization’s first season in the XFINITY Series was in 2020, with Colin Garrett, Brandon Gdovic, and Mason Diaz making starts for the team.

  • NASCAR sets 2021 Dash 4 Cash, Triple Truck Challenge schedule

    NASCAR sets 2021 Dash 4 Cash, Triple Truck Challenge schedule

    NASCAR announced the return of the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash and the Camping World Truck Series’ Triple Truck Challenge programs for the 2021 season. In addition, the venues for both programs were also unveiled, featuring new locations.

    For the Xfinity Series, the Dash 4 Cash program will run in four consecutive weeks, with the first event occurring at Martinsville Speedway on April 9. Next will be Talladega Superspeedway on April 24 followed by Darlington Raceway on May 8, which also marks NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend. The program will conclude the following weekend at Dover International Speedway on May 15. This will mark the first Dash 4 Cash event held by all tracks, except for Talladega and at Dover.

    For the Truck Series, the Triple Truck Challenge, also known as “The Trip”, will occur in three consecutive events, with the first to occur at Darlington Raceway on May 7. The program will continue two weeks later with the series’ inaugural event at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Finally, the program will conclude the following weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will mark the first Triple Truck Challenge event held by all three tracks.

    Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

    The 2021 NASCAR season will mark the 13th appearance for the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash program and the third for the Truck Series’ Triple Truck Challenge.

    In 2020 and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash program occurred at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and at Pocono Raceway, all in June. Noah Gragson, A.J. Allmendinger and Ross Chastain each claimed a Dash 4 Cash bonus for themselves, with Allmendinger winning the bonus twice.

    In addition, the 2020 Truck Series’ Triple Truck Challenge program occurred at the inaugural Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Dover International Speedway and at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway, all in August. Zane Smith claimed the bonus at Dover while teammate and last year’s Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed won the other two bonuses at Daytona and at Gateway.

    The formats along with the eligibility requirements and bonus purse information for both of the series’ programs in 2021 will be announced at a later date.

  • Joe Gibbs Racing announces 2021 crew chief lineup

    Joe Gibbs Racing announces 2021 crew chief lineup

    Joe Gibbs Racing revealed its crew chief lineup for the 2021 NASCAR season, featuring a handful of changes to the organization’s powerhouse stable between the Cup and Xfinity Series.

    Adam Stevens, two-time Cup Series championship crew chief, will move to JGR’s No. 20 Toyota Camry team and serve as crew chief for Christopher Bell, who is to embark on his first full-time season with JGR in NASCAR’s premier series. Ben Beshore, a former engineer for JGR’s No. 18 team, will become a full-time Cup Series crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota team and be paired with two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch.

    Stevens is coming off his sixth full-time season as crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota team in the Cup circuit, having won two championships and 28 races with Kyle Busch. Beshore is coming off his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series as a crew chief, where he led Harrison Burton to four victories and the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year title. He won four Xfinity races with Kyle Busch in 2019.

    Chris Gabehart, reigning two-time Daytona 500 winning crew chief, will remain atop the pit box of the No. 11 Toyota Camry team driven by reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin while James Small, coming off his first full-time season as a Cup crew chief, will also return as crew chief for the No. 19 Toyota Camry team driven by former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. for the 2021 Cup season.

    In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, veteran Jason Ratcliff will return to JGR and serve as crew chief for Harrison Burton and the No. 20 Toyota Supra team. Ratcliff is coming off a full-time Cup Series season as crew chief for Christopher Bell and Leavine Family Racing, which ceased operations following the 2020 season.

    Jeff Meendering will remain as crew chief for Brandon Jones and the No. 19 Toyota Supra team while veteran Dave Rogers will also return as crew chief for the No. 18 Toyota Supra team set to be driven by Daniel Hemric, JGR’s newest competitor, in 2021.

    Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.

    “We go through a process at the conclusion of every season that includes evaluating each of our teams,” Joe Gibbs, Owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, said. “We believe our crew chief lineup for 2021 will best position each team and driver for success across both series.”

    JGR also announced plans to field a fourth entry, the No. 54 Toyota Supra, for the 2021 Xfinity Series season led by crew chief Chris Gayle. Gayle is coming off his fourth full-time season as a Cup crew chief, where he worked with Erik Jones, who transitioned to Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2021 season. The driver lineup and schedule of the No. 54 operation will be announced at a later date.

    “We take a lot of pride in our depth of talent across our entire organization,” Gibbs added. “All of our crew chiefs are proven winners. We are also looking forward to bringing the No. 54 Toyota Supra back to the track in 2021 with an exciting team of drivers.”

    Joe Gibbs Racing’s new driver-crew chief pairings will debut at Daytona International Speedway in February 2021.

  • Harrison Burton to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Harrison Burton to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021

    Following an impressive performance in his rookie season, Harrison Burton will be returning to Joe Gibbs Racing and compete in his second full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series season in 2021.

    A 20-year-old native from Huntersville, North Carolina, and the son of former NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton, Harrison is coming off a strong first full-time season in the Xfinity Series, where he drove the No. 20 Dex Imaging Toyota Supra for JGR and after spending the 2019 season as a full-time NASCAR Truck Series competitor for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    Throughout the 33-race schedule, Burton achieved his first four career victories (Auto Club Speedway in February, Homestead-Miami Speedway in June, Texas Motor Speedway in October and Martinsville Speedway in November). He also led the series standings for two weeks early in the season, following his first series victory at Auto Club Speedway and a runner-up result at Phoenix Raceway the following week. In addition, Harrison Burton broke Carl Edwards’ previous rookie record of achieving top-10 results in nine races after he achieved top-10 results during the first 10 consecutive races of the season, an achievement that was made in June following the series’ doubleheader feature at Homestead.

    Along with his first four victories, Burton achieved 15 top-five results, 22 top-10 results and an average result of 10.0. He also made the 2020 Xfinity Playoffs until he was eliminated from title contention in October following the first round. Despite his early exit from the Playoffs, Burton went on to win back-to-back races in the Playoffs before he concluded the season in eighth place in the final standings. When the season concluded, he achieved the 2020 Xfinity Series Rookie-of-the-Year title.

    Burton’s return to JGR completes the team’s full-time lineup for the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, where he will be a teammate to veteran Brandon Jones and the team’s newcomer Daniel Hemric.

    Catch the beginning of Harrison Burton’s sophomore season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2021.

  • Travis Mack named crew chief for Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021

    Travis Mack named crew chief for Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021

    Trackhouse Racing Team announced that Travis Mack will be serving as crew chief for the team’s No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team and driver Daniel Suarez for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    The announcement comes approximately a week after the 2020 NASCAR season concluded, where Mack is coming off his second full-time season as an Xfinity Series crew chief for Michael Annett and the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro team.

    Mack, a native from Louisville, Kentucky, joins Trackhouse Racing with an extensive resume of working on race cars and for racing teams. Starting his career working as a car chief for 10-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel in the early 2000s, Mack joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2005 and worked as a shock specialist. From there, his career blossomed as he was also a member of Hendrick Motorsports’ Nos. 24 and 88 teams before becoming a car chief for JR Motorsports and HMS in 2012-2017, working with names like Regan Smith, Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    Mack made his first two appearances as a crew chief late in the 2017 Cup Series season for Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 Chevrolet SS team before being announced as a full-time crew chief for Kasey Kahne and the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team for the 2018 Cup season. Midway through the 2018 season, Mack returned to JR Motorsports to serve as crew chief for Michael Annett and the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro team.

    In February 2019, Mack achieved his first win as a crew chief when Annett also achieved his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Daytona International Speedway in February after leading a race-high/final 45 laps of the race. They went on to achieve a total of six top-five results and 19 top-10 results along with a pole as they made the Playoffs, where they concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    This past season, Annett and Mack achieved four top-five results and 22 top-10 results as they made the Playoffs before concluding the season in ninth place in the final standings.

    The move to Trackhouse Racing will mark Mack’s return to the Cup Series as a crew chief since June 2018 when he was with Kasey Kahne and Leavine Family Racing.

    Trackhouse Racing Team is a newly formed NASCAR Cup Series team created by Justin Marks, an entrepreneur and former competitor, that announced its entrance into the sport in October. During the announcement, the team revealed that Daniel Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and Cup Series veteran from Monterrey, Mexico, will be serving as their driver for the 2021 season. The team will be technically aligned with Richard Childress Racing and operate in Welcome, North Carolina. The team is also guaranteed an entry for every Cup race next season after being leased a charter from Spire Motorsports.

    Catch Mack’s return and Trackhouse Racing Team’s debut at Daytona International Speedway for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021.

  • Moffitt to compete full 2021 Xfinity schedule with Our Motorsports

    Moffitt to compete full 2021 Xfinity schedule with Our Motorsports

    Following a productive 2020 season, Brett Moffitt will be moving up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and drive a Chevrolet Camaro on a full-time basis with Our Motorsports for the 2021 season.

    Moffitt, a 28-year-old native from Grimes, Iowa, is coming off his second full-time season in the NASCAR Truck Series with GMS Racing, where he recorded a single victory (Kansas Speedway in October), 10 top-five results, 16 top-10 results and an average result of 9.7. He was one of four competitors to make the Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished in fourth place in the final standings.

    In addition, Moffitt competed in 29 Xfinity Series races with Our Motorsports in 2020, where he recorded one top-five result, seven top-10 results and an average result of 18.3, with a best on-track result of fifth place at Talladega Superspeedway in June. He contributed to the team’s final owners’ points result of 15th place.

    The 2021 season will mark Moffitt’s first full-time campaign in the Xfinity Series after spending the last three seasons as a Truck Series competitor, where he won the 2018 championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises and made the Championship 4 round in his last two seasons with GMS Racing.

    Moffitt’s move to full-time racing with Our Motorsports means that he will not be returning to GMS Racing next season.

    “[Year] 2020 was a learning year for the entire Our Motorsports operation and the program is now ready to step up to another level,” Moffitt said. “I’m thankful for the last two seasons with GMS Racing and the support Maury Gallagher, Spencer Gallagher, Ron Booth, Mike Beam and the entire team gave me.”

    “Brett has been instrumental in helping us build this team from scratch and be competitive,” Chris Our, Owner of Our Motorsports, said. “We’ve challenged each other to turn Our Motorsports into a race-winning organization and we have some exciting things in the works that will help us accomplish that goal together.”

    With Moffitt confirmed as a full-time driver for Our Motorsports, Joe Williams will also remain as crew chief for the organization in 2021.

    “Our Motorsports has made great strides in 2020 and I’m really excited to carry that momentum into 2021 with Brett Moffitt behind the wheel,” Williams said. “Brett is the kind of driver that makes us better as an organization and I am confident in what we can accomplish together next year.”

    Additional details regarding Moffitt’s sponsors and the organization for next season will be announced at a later date.