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  • Todd Gilliland to make 100th Cup start at Watkins Glen

    Todd Gilliland to make 100th Cup start at Watkins Glen

    Todd Gilliland is poised to achieve a milestone start in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. By competing in this weekend’s Cup Playoff event at Watkins Glen International, the driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse will make his 100th career start in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A third-generation racer from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, Gilliland made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at the start of the 2022 season, where he assumed the role of the driver of the No. 38 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports. By then, he had achieved two victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and was a two-time champion of the ARCA Menards Series West.

    During the season-opening 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Gilliland ended up 33rd after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. During his next 20 starts, he notched eight top-20 results with a best finish of 15th at Darlington Raceway in May. He achieved his first career top-five finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course by finishing fourth amid an overtime finish.

    Gilliland capped off the regular-season stretch with four consecutive results outside the top 20 and did not make the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs. He managed to notch his second career top-10 result at Talladega Superspeedway with a seventh-place finish and then finished 13th during the penultimate Cup event on the schedule at Martinsville Speedway. Gilliland concluded his first full-time Cup season in 28th place in the final standings. In addition, he settled in third place in the Rookie-of-the-Year battle behind Austin Cindric and Harrison Burton.

    This past season, Gilliland competed driving for Front Row Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing for the entire 36-race schedule, 31 of which occurred with FRM. The remaining five occurred with Rick Ware Racing as the reigning Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith piloted Gilliland’s No. 38 entry for six events. Throughout the 36-race schedule, Gilliland achieved a season-best eighth-place finish at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in April and earned four top-10 results. With an average-finishing result of 22.0, Gilliland, who did not make the Playoffs for a second consecutive season, ended up in 28th place in the final standings for a second consecutive season.

    Returning as a full-time Cup Series competitor for Front Row Motorsports this season, Gilliland commenced his junior season by finishing 35th in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. He would then lead a race-high 58 of 260 laps during the following event at Atlanta Motor Speedway before he was involved in another late multi-car wreck that pinned him four laps down and mired in 26th place in the final running order. After finishing no higher than 13th during his next seven starts, Gilliland notched his first top-10 result of the season by finishing eighth at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

    The North Carolinian proceeded to record three top-10 results and seven top-15 results over his next 12 starts before he capped off the regular-season stretch with finishes no higher than 17th twice in four races. By then, he missed the Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive season. Nonetheless, Gilliland has recorded four top-10 results through 27 scheduled events this year, which ties his current record of top-10 results from his previous season. In addition, he has led 126 laps with an average finish of 19.9, both higher than his previous marks over the last two seasons.

    Through 99 previous Cup starts, Gilliland, who is set to remain at Front Row Motorsports in 2025, has achieved one top-five result, 10 top-10 results, 137 laps led and an average-finishing result of 21.8 as he continues his pursuit of his first Cup Series career victory. He is currently ranked in 21st place in this year’s standings, which would mark a career-best result for the competitor.

    Todd Gilliland is scheduled to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Watkins Glen International for the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, September 15, with the event’s broadcast time set for 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • Haley inks multi-year deal with Rick Ware Racing, beginning in 2024

    Haley inks multi-year deal with Rick Ware Racing, beginning in 2024

    Rick Ware Racing announced that Justin Haley will be joining the organization on a multi-year basis, beginning with the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    The 24-year-old Haley from Winamac, Indiana will pilot a Ford Mustang for the organization based in Concord, North Carolina, which is also technically aligned with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. The news also comes as Haley is currently campaigning in his second full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series for Kaulig Racing, a team that Haley first joined at the start of the 2019 Xfinity Series season and will be departing at this season’s conclusion.

    “This is a unique opportunity that I look forward to,” Haley said. “There are many key pieces of this program I believe can help me in taking the next steps in my NASCAR career. I look forward to working with our key partners, and many additional RWR partners to be announced soon. The alliance with RFK Racing is going to be pivotal for the future of our on-track success.”

    A former champion of the ARCA Menards Series East division in 2016 and race winner across the Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series, Haley made his first three career starts in the Cup Series in 2019, where he drove for Spire Motorsports. During his third and final start of the season at Daytona International Speedway in July 2019, Haley achieved the upset by notching his first career victory in NASCAR’s premier series after retaining the lead when NASCAR made the event official 33 laps shy of its scheduled distance due to precipitation.

    After making 33 Cup starts between Kaulig Racing and Spire Motorsports during the 2020-21 seasons, Haley became a full-time Cup competitor for Kaulig in 2022, which marked the team’s first full-time campaign in NASCAR’s premier series. During his first full-time Cup season, the Indiana native recorded three top-five results, four top-10 results, 44 laps led and an average-finishing result of 18.4 before finishing in 22nd place in the final standings. Currently, Haley is coming off a strong runner-up result in the Cup Series’ inaugural Chicago Street Course event. He has also racked up five top-10 results, 23 laps led and an average-finishing result of 18.1 through the first 20-scheduled events, which places him in 21st place in the regular-season standings and 46 points below the top-16 cutline to make the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs.

    Through 92 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, Haley has achieved one victory, five top-five results, 12 top-10 results, 72 laps led and an average-finishing result of 21.7.

    “This is a great day for our team on many levels,” Rick Ware, owner of Rick Ware Racing who currently fields two full-time entries in the Cup Series, said. “Having someone with Justin’s talent and background become part of our future is a testament to our commitment to growth over the past few years. I have known Justin for a long time, respect all he has achieved in many forms of motorsports and look forward to great success together. His versatility as a driver in multiple series, the continuity we can build around Justin and the respect amongst his peers will pay great dividends for our team. He will be a great teammate for the RWR/RFK Racing alliance.”

    Further announcements regarding Haley’s ride number, sponsorships and crew chief along with his replacement at Kaulig Racing have yet to be announced.

    With his plans for next season set, Haley’s next scheduled Cup Series start of this season is set to occur at Pocono Raceway this Sunday, July 23. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to occur at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • Ryan Newman returns for select Cup starts with Rick Ware Racing

    Ryan Newman returns for select Cup starts with Rick Ware Racing

    The “Rocket Man” is back on the grid after it was announced that Ryan Newman will be joining Rick Ware Racing and make select starts throughout the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    The 45-year-old Newman from South Bend, Indiana, is scheduled to make his first Cup start of the season next weekend at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400 and as part of NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend. The news comes two weeks after Newman was added to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list.

    “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Rick Ware Racing and Ford,” Newman said. “I think this will be good for all of us with our combined experience and knowledge.”

    The Goodyear 400 at Darlington will mark Newman’s first start in NASCAR’s premier series since the 2021 season finale at Phoenix Raceway, which also marks his final full-time campaign in NASCAR to date. In 26 previous starts at Darlington, Newman has achieved seven top-five results and 14 top-10 results. His best result at the track is second, which occurred in September 2002.

    “Being part of the Throwback Weekend at one of my favorite tracks in Darlington is pretty special,” Newman added. “After recently being named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, it carries even some significance.”

    Making his inaugural presence in the NASCAR Cup Series in November 2000 at Phoenix Raceway, Newman has embarked on an illustrious career in 20 full-time seasons and 725 career starts between Team Penske, Stewart-Haas Racing, Richard Childress Racing and most recently, Roush Fenway Racing. He won the 2002 All-Star Race as a rookie competitor before claiming his first Cup points-paying victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September 2002. After claiming the 2002 Rookie of the Year title, he notched a career-high eight victories and 11 poles throughout the 2003 season before finishing sixth in the final standings.

    Of his 18 Cup career victories to date, his biggest wins include winning the 50th annual Daytona 500 in 2008 with Team Penske and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2013 with Stewart-Haas Racing. His last Cup victory to date occurred at Phoenix in March 2017 with Richard Childress Racing. Dubbed the “Rocket Man” with 51 career poles, he has also recorded 117 top-five results, 268 top-10 results, 4,863 laps led, an average-finishing result of 16.5 and nine career Playoff appearances. His best result in the championship standings is second, which occurred during the 2014 season and during his first season with RCR.

    Since being left without a ride in NASCAR prior to 2022 and after three full-time seasons at Roush Fenway Racing (2019-21), Newman has competed in dirt racing. In addition to his Cup Series return, he is also set to compete in his second full-time season in the SRX Series after finishing second in the 2022 championship standings.

    “I remember watching ‘Thursday Night Thunder’ on ESPN and seeing Ryan compete against some stout competition in those days,” Rick Ware, team owner of Rick Ware Racing, said. “I became a fan then and when he first came to NASCAR, I knew he was going to be a great driver and win a lot of races.

    “He brings great depth and insight to RWR while we continue to grow our team,” Ware added. “Ryan’s been a great ambassador for our sport and Ford. We’re really looking forward to racing with him this season.”

    Newman’s first of select NASCAR Cup Series starts of the 2023 season is set to occur at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400. The event is scheduled to occur on May 14 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Custer to make 100th Cup career start at Watkins Glen

    Custer to make 100th Cup career start at Watkins Glen

    Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Cole Custer is set to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Cup event at Watkins Glen International, the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang will reach 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Ladera Ranch, California, Custer made his Cup Series debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2018. By then, he was competing in his second season as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor for Stewart-Haas Racing. Driving the No. 51 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, Custer started 30th and finished 25th in his series debut. He competed in two additional Cup races for RWR at Pocono Raceway in June and at Richmond Raceway in September, where he finished 26th in both events.

    Following back-to-back runner-up results in the final Xfinity Series standings in 2018 and 2019, Custer was promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series as a full-time competitor for Stewart-Haas Racing and in the No. 41 Ford Mustang. He kicked off his rookie Cup season with a 37th-place result in the Daytona 500 following a rear end failure. He rebounded three races later by finishing ninth at Phoenix Raceway in March, which marked his first top-10 result in the Cup circuit. 

    After finishing no higher than 12th through the following 11 scheduled races, Custer notched his first top-five result in the Cup Series after finishing fifth at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. Then, the Californian scored his first Cup career victory during the following weekend at Kentucky Speedway after he overtook Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. with a bold four-wide pass on the final lap and during an overtime attempt. The victory, which occurred in his 20th series start, made Custer the 194th different competitor to win in the Cup Series and it guaranteed the driver and his No. 41 SHR team a spot in the 2020 Cup Playoffs. Custer went on to record three additional top-10 results during the 26-race regular-season stretch before the Playoffs commenced. By then, Custer wrapped up the 2020 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title since he was the lone rookie contender to make the Playoffs and would finish higher in the standings than his fellow contenders (Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek, Brennan Poole and Quin Houff).

    After finishing no higher than 12th during the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, Custer’s title hopes came to an end as he was one of four competitors eliminated from the postseason. Nonetheless, he went on to record a ninth-place result at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October before capping off his rookie Cup season in 16th place in the final standings.

    Custer, who returned to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2021, kicked off his sophomore Cup season by finishing 11th in the Daytona 500. His lone highlights throughout the season, however, were a pair of 10th-place results (Talladega Superspeedway in April and Dover International Speedway in May) as he endured an inconsistent regular season stretch that prevented him from making the 2021 Cup Playoffs. Finishing no higher than 11th during the final 10 scheduled events, Custer capped off his sophomore Cup season in 26th place in the final standings.

    Through 99 previous Cup starts, Custer has achieved one victory, one pole, two top-five results, 11 top-10 results, 17 laps led and an average-finishing result of 20.7. This season, he achieved his first Cup career pole at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in April and has recorded two top-10 results through the first 24-scheduled events, which are a pair of ninth-place runs at Atlanta Motor Speedway and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in July. He is also ranked in 25th place in the regular-season standings and trails the top-16 cutline to make the 2022 Cup Playoffs by 363 points with two regular-season events remaining to the schedule.

    Custer is primed to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, August 21, with the event’s coverage to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • NASCAR suspends crew chief Cliff Daniels for four Cup races for loose wheel infraction at Sonoma

    NASCAR suspends crew chief Cliff Daniels for four Cup races for loose wheel infraction at Sonoma

    NASCAR issued a major penalty to the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry piloted by the reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and led by the reigning championship-winning crew chief Cliff Daniels for a loose wheel infraction at Sonoma Raceway that occurred this past weekend on June 12.

    The incident occurred during the final 28 laps at Sonoma, where Larson had just exited pit road following a green flag pit stop and was making his way through Turns 1 and 2 when the right-front wheel came off of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Despite going off course through Turns 3 and 3A, Larson managed to limp his car back to pit road and went on to finish 15th of the 36-car field in an event where he started on pole position, leading the first 26 of 110 laps and won the first stage.

    The loose wheel penalty that occurred on the course, however, was enough for Daniels along with crew members Brandon Johnson and Donnie Tasser to be suspended for the following four Cup events, beginning at Nashville Superspeedway on June 26 followed by Road America on July 3, Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 10 and New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17. Following the penalty report, Hendrick Motorsports has elected to not appeal the penalty and will announce Larson’s interim crew chief for the following four events at a later date.

    This marks the 10th time through the first 16 scheduled events where a Cup Series team was penalized with a four-race suspension of a crew chief and select pit crew members due to a lost wheel coming off of a car during an event. The most recent incident of a lost wheel occurred at Kansas Speedway in May when Kaulig Racing crew chief Trent Owens along with rear-tire changer Jonpatrick Kealey and Jackman Marshall McFadden were suspended for four events, including the All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway in May and this past weekend at Sonoma, due to a wheel that detached off of driver Justin Haley’s No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that was exiting the pit stall. Currently, Haley’s team remains the only one that has been penalized twice for a lost wheel. Their first incident occurred during this year’s 64th running of the Daytona 500, where Owens, McFadden and front tire changer Jacob Nelson were all suspended for the following four events. Owens is scheduled to make his return atop the pit box at Nashville.

    Other driver-team duos that have been penalized for a loose wheel infraction include Kaz Grala for The Money Team Racing during the 64th running of the Daytona 500 in February, rookie Todd Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports at Auto Club Speedway in February, Corey LaJoie for Spire Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway in March, Bubba Wallace for 23XI Racing at Circuit of the Americas in March, BJ McLeod for Live Fast Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway in April, Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing at Dover Motor Speedway in May and AJ Allmendinger for Kaulig Racing that also occurred at Dover.

    Another team that was issued a penalty following last weekend’s event at Sonoma was the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang team that was piloted by Cody Ware. The team was penalized 20 Cup driver and owner points following four pre-qualifying inspection failures, which sent Ware to the rear of the field and resulted with him serving a mandatory pass-through penalty through pit road following the start of the event. The team’s engineer Steve Gray was also suspended for the duration of the Sonoma weekend. Ware went on to finish 32nd and a lap down behind the leaders.

    The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season enters a one-week break period before returning to action at Nashville Superspeedway on June 26. Coverage for the event is scheduled to commence at 5 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Ragan joins Rick Ware Racing for multiple Cup events in 2022

    Ragan joins Rick Ware Racing for multiple Cup events in 2022

    David Ragan will be returning to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive the No. 15 car for Rick Ware Racing for multiple events this season, beginning with the 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway scheduled for February 20.

    Ragan, a former full-time NASCAR veteran from Unadilla, Georgia, is coming off his second one-race entry season in the Cup circuit, where he drove the No. 36 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports to a 37th-place result in the 2021 Daytona 500 after being involved in an early multi-car wreck.

    Through 2021, Ragan has achieved two career victories in NASCAR’s premier series (Daytona International Speedway in July 2011 with Roush Fenway Racing and Talladega Superspeedway in May 2013 with Front Row Motorsports). He has also recorded two poles, 16 top-five results, 41 top-10 results, 169 laps led and an average-finishing result of 24.3 in 472 Cup career starts. He retired from full-time NASCAR competition following the 2019 season to spend time with his family, but returned to compete in the 2020 Daytona 500 for Rick Ware Racing, where he finished in fourth place.

    “I am thrilled to be back in The DAYTONA 500 driving the new 2022 Ford Mustang for RWR,” Ragan said. “I have always loved racing at Daytona, and know that we will have a shot to lead laps and contend for the win this year. The DAYTONA 500 is a special race with the best drivers in the world, and I cant wait to hit the track.”

    The 2022 Daytona 500 will mark Ragan’s 16th consecutive appearance in NASCAR’s most prestigious events to commence a new season of competition as he bids for his first 500 victory. He will also be serving as one of two competitors driving a chartered entry for Rick Ware Racing, which is aligned with Stewart-Haas Racing and Roush Yates Engines for this season.

    “I am really excited to have David back behind the wheel of one of our Rick Ware Racing Ford’s,” Rick Ware, team owner of Rick Ware Racing, said. “David is a great asset to the RWR family. In 2020, RWR scored our first Top 5 in the DAYTONA 500 with Ragan behind the wheel, and I’m optimistic that through our new Ford Performance alliance, we could see that No. 15 leading the field to the checkered flag on February 20th.”

    Additional information regarding the remainder of Ragan’s schedule along with sponsorships for Rick Ware Racing will be announced at a later date.

    Ragan is scheduled to compete in the 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, which is scheduled to occur on February 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    Jeffrey Earnhardt to make 100th Xfinity start at Texas

    A significant milestone is in the making for Jeffrey Earnhardt, driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt will achieve his 100th career start in the Xfinity Series.

    A fourth-generation competitor from Mooresville, North Carolina, and grandson of the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Jeffrey made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International in August 2009. By then, he had competed in the NASCAR Busch East Series and what is now the ARCA Menards Series East for the last two seasons for Dale Earnhardt Inc. before being released. 

    Driving the No. 40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet at Watkins Glen, Earnhardt started 36th and finished 24th in his series debut. He ended up competing in another Xfinity race in 2009 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, where he finished 31st. 

    After competing in select NASCAR Truck Series races for Rick Ware Racing in 2010, Earnhardt was set to compete in the series on a full-time basis with RWR as a rookie contender. Following the first four races of the season, however, Earnhardt’s full-time ride was cut and he ended up competing in one additional Truck race and two Xfinity races for the remainder of the season. In the Xfinity Series, he drove for RWR in two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and at Daytona International Speedway in July, where he notched a 19th-place result.

    In 2012, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Grand Am Series in the Rolex GT Class for Rick Ware Racing. He also competed in a total of six Xfinity races, four with RWR while making one with Go Green Racing and one with Randy Hill Racing. His best result during his six-race slate in 2012 was 21st at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

    Earnhardt’s racing schedule in 2013 expanded as he made 17 starts throughout the 33-race Xfinity Series schedule. During the season, all but one of his 17-race Xfinity schedule occurred with Go Green Racing, where he finished no higher than 16th place. His lone start outside of Go Green Racing was with JR Motorsports and for his nephew, Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Richmond Raceway in April. Driving the No. 5 Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet Camaro for JRM, Earnhardt started 22nd and finished 17th.

    In 2014, Earnhardt competed on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series with JD Motorsports and in the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro. Throughout the season, his best result was 12th place at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He was able to capture six top-20 results and an average result of 26.3 throughout the 33-race schedule before finishing in 18th place in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2015 season, Earnhardt made a total of six Xfinity starts in the No. 55 Chevrolet Camaro for Viva Motorsports. His best on-track results were 15th at Bristol in April and 12th at Talladega in May.

    From 2016 to 2018, Earnhardt competed in a total of 73 races in the NASCAR Cup Series as he drove for teams that included Go Fas Racing, BK Racing, Circle Sport-The Motorsports Group, StarCom Racing, Premium Motorsports and Gaunt Brothers Racing. His best result in NASCAR’s premier series during the three-year span was 11th place at Daytona in July 2018.

    A week before the 2018 season concluded, it was announced that Earnhardt will be returning to the Xfinity Series and join Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Toyota Supra sponsored by Xtreme Concepts/iK9 for nine races in 2019. A few days before the 2019 Xfinity Series commenced, Earnhardt’s part-time 2019 schedule expanded when Xtreme Concepts Inc. formed Xtreme Concepts Racing (XCI Racing) with intentions of competing in five Xfinity races and two Cup races with Earnhardt driving throughout the season. 

    Earnhardt made his first start with JGR in the 2019 season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. During the event, Earnhardt finished in the top five in both stages and led 29 laps before being shuffled back to a 15th-place result. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Earnhardt restarted on the front row alongside teammate Christopher Bell on a three-lap shootout and was in position to win his first NASCAR career race. His chances of winning, however, evaporated when he struggled to pick up speed on the outside lane and was shuffled back. Nonetheless, he was able to finish in sixth place and achieve his career-best result within NASCAR’s top three major division series. 

    Four races later, Earnhardt made his first start with XCI Racing at Texas Motor Speedway, where he finished in eighth place. Another five races later, Earnhardt rallied from a spin with 58 laps remaining to make a late charge and notch a career-best third-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The result marked Earnhardt’s first top-five career result across NASCAR’s top three major division series and it was also meaningful for Earnhardt, who sported a special patriotic scheme to his No. 18 Toyota during the Charlotte race while paying tribute to Mooresville, North Carolina, Officer Jordan Sheldon, who died in the line of duty during a traffic stop earlier in May. 

    In August, Earnhardt announced that he and XCI have parted ways, which ended Earnhardt’s 2019 season early and the end of his partnership with XCI and Joe Gibbs Racing. By then, he had made five Xfinity starts with JGR, two Xfinity starts with XCI Racing and one Cup start with XCI, which occurred at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

    In February 2020, Earnhardt rejoined JD Motorsports with Gary Keller and started the season with plans on competing in 12 Xfinity Series races. He made his first start of the season at Darlington Raceway in May, where he finished 23rd. He went on to finish 25th the following week at Charlotte before he notched a 15th-place result the next week at Bristol.

    Since Darlington in May, Earnhardt ended up competing on a full-time basis with JDM and he has driven the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro in all but two races, where he drove the No. 15 Chevrolet for JDM. Through last weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway, Earnhardt has achieved 13 top-20 results, a best result of 11th place at Charlotte in October and an average result of 22.3.

    Catch Earnhardt’s milestone start at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 24, at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Modified standout Seuss places solid 28th in Cup debut

    Modified standout Seuss places solid 28th in Cup debut

    NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified standout and New Hampshire native Andy Seuss made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut at his home track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, finishing 10 laps down in 28th after starting 35th, driving the No. 51 Jacob Companies Ford for Rick Ware Racing.

    Seuss posted a respectable performance, giving the RWR organization their best finish in four Loudon starts.

    “It was absolutely incredible,” Seuss said. “I didn’t want to get ahead of myself going into it, but we met all our goals. I kept the car in one piece and finished ahead of the team’s average finish. The (Rick Ware Racing) team hadn’t finished a race here before, so that was cool.”

    Despite being 10 miles-per-hour slower than the leaders, Seuss made sure to stay out of the way of the leaders, keeping his car in one piece and making sure to take care of the equipment of the car.

    Seuss made it clear that he wanted to share this moment with his family and friends, thanking everyone involved and making sure to enjoy it, noting that drivers don’t have too many days to do so after their Cup debut. But at the same time, Seuss hopes that his performance Sunday was enough to get the attention of other prospective teams even though he doesn’t know if he’ll get any future opportunities in the Cup garage.

    “I’m treating this as my debut and my retirement because you never know if there’s another one,” he said. “A long time ago, somebody said that out of all the people in the world, only 40 get to do this on the weekend. It’s pretty cool to be one of those 40.”

    Seuss also noted the experience as a learning curve, saying that he thought he was twice the driver for a Cup car at the end of the race than he was at the beginning of the race. He believes that played a role in his final result.

    Seuss’s RWR teammate Austin Theriault also made his Cup debut Sunday, where the Maine native finished 35th when his day ended early.

  • Rick Ware Racing introduces new marketing partner to its Cup Series teams

    Rick Ware Racing introduces new marketing partner to its Cup Series teams

    THOMASVILLE, N.C. – On the heels of marketing partner JACOB Companies returning to Rick Ware Racing (RWR) for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) season, the team announced today it has signed Tioga Trading Company as an associate marketing partner beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500 on Sun., Feb. 17.

    The Warren, Pennsylvania-based company recognizable for its line of K2 Sauce products will build upon its local auto racing partnerships and enter the pinnacle of Motorsports – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for its inaugural national foray.

    Currently available in multiple grocers across the tri-state area of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, K2 Sauce is looking to rapidly expand its footprint and bring “the only sauce you will ever need” to homes across the United States in time for this year’s barbequing season.

    Available in both original formula and hot, all-natural K2 Sauce is gluten free, has no preservatives and is a great alternative to BBQ sauce, steak sauce, hot sauce, wing sauce and can even be used as a stir fry sauce.

    “Rick Ware Racing is excited to add K2 Sauce to our growing list of marketing partners this season,” said team principal Rick Ware. “We pride ourselves with being able to provide various marketing programs to our partners including, but not limited to, being a part of our Motorsports program.

    “Having their logo on our hauler, race cars, uniforms and equipment is exciting and looks great – but what’s most satisfying about our new relationship is that RWR offers a great business-to-business opportunity for companies like K2 to participate in.

    “We are thrilled to have K2 Sauce join us for the greatest spectacle in racing, the Daytona 500, and of course the rest of the year too.”

    The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, Feb. 17 with coverage on FOX, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90. Event coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. (ET).

    Stay tuned to K2 Sauce’s official social platforms: K2Sauce.com, K2Sauce on Facebook, @k2sauce on Twitter and saucek2 on Instagram.

    Following K2 Sauce’s social media channels, fans and consumers will have the chance to sample K2 Sauce, plus embrace the opportunity to win fabulous prizes, including a chance to attend an upcoming Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races as an honorary crew chief.

    For more on Rick Ware Racing, please “like” them on Facebook (Facebook.com/rickwareracing) or visit WareRacing.com.

    Rick Ware Racing is on Twitter. Follow them @RickWareRacing.

  • Cole Custer to Make Monster Energy Series Debut in Vegas

    Cole Custer to Make Monster Energy Series Debut in Vegas

    Cole Custer will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He will run double duty for the weekend, driving the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Fusion in the Cup series and competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race for Stewart-Haas Racing in the No. 00 Ford Mustang.

    “This is a dream come true to compete in the Cup Series,” said Custer. “I can’t thank Rick Ware Racing and Haas Automation enough for the opportunity to race at Las Vegas.”

    Some of Custer’s NASCAR resume includes becoming the youngest Truck Series pole winner ever at Gateway Motorsports Park in 2014. Later that season, he became the youngest winner in the history of NASCAR’s national touring series at 16 years, 7 months and 28 days when he won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His first career Xfinity Series win came in the 2017 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading 182 of 200 laps.

    Rick Ware Racing has an honorable reputation for bringing new talent into the sport. Just this year, the team has given debut rides to Harrison Rhodes and Justin Marks, finishing 33rd and 12th respectively. Ware has been involved in motorsports competition for 27 years. He talked about scouting Custer and what led him to the decision to hire the up and coming driver to pilot the Cup series Ford car.

    “I’ve been watching Cole a long time and he’s a fine young man,” Ware said. “I’ve been friends with the Custer family for a while now and they are truly are amazing people. Over the last couple years, Cole has grown into a stout race car driver with a fine finesse for speed and rhythm.

    “The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is home of some of the greatest race car drivers in the world, and Cole definitely fits into that category. I think our expectations as a team are realistic and achievable. Getting Cole to the checkered flag is our top priority as a race team.”

    Custer has some experience at Las Vegas in NASCAR’s top three touring series. He finished third in the 2016 Truck Series race, 11th in the 2017 Xfinity Series race and ninth in Saturday’s race.

    “It’s going to be a new experience for me,” Custer responded, “but I feel that we can have a productive day by completing all the laps and seeing the checkered flag.”

    This will be Rick Ware’s 33rd race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series as an owner.