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Tag: Ryan Preece

  • The White Zone: Some thoughts on Sunday’s race at Atlanta

    The White Zone: Some thoughts on Sunday’s race at Atlanta

    Race No. 2 of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is in the books. I had some observations of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 that I wish to share with the class.

    The package

    Let’s just get something out of the way first: It wasn’t the “full” aerodynamic package that we’ll see next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. So I’m not currently giving my “full” take on it as a whole.

    With that said, however, I had some observations on this version of the 2019 package that was run at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and will be run in the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    The key things this package was designed to do, according to NASCAR, was tighten up the field and make passing the leader not such a Herculean task. And…It was hit and miss.

    Behind the leader, passing was relatively easy. You’d have to set up earlier in the straight, because the cars have so much more drag, but if you had momentum going into the turn, you’re more likely to catch the leading car.

    In terms of passing for the lead, there were still times when the lead car would pull away from the field; which is one of the biggest problems with the 1.5 mile track races. Unlike past races, however, reeling in and passing the leader wasn’t a Herculean task. Drivers like Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. cut down the gap to the lead car and, except in the case of Truex, passed the leader.

    Now it should be noted that the tire falloff, which was significant at Atlanta, probably played a great factor in being able to catch the leader.

    Bottom line: We got a taste of what this package offers, but next week at Las Vegas will be a greater indication of what we’ll see this season. Furthermore, it wasn’t a bad race. Cars could pass one another and catching and passing the leader wasn’t an insurmountable challenge.

    Bad luck for Ryan Preece

    Late in the afternoon, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece were running top 10 and looked in great shape to finish top 10.

    With 54 laps to go, however, Ryan Preece plowed into the back of BJ McLeod as he was leaving pit road and his day ended behind the wall in 35th.

    Preece said afterwards that he was looking down at his tachometer when McLeod dived down into his pit box in front of him.

    Buescher brought his car home ninth.

    Now one rather good afternoon isn’t necessarily an indicator of future success, but it shows that the JTG Daugherty Racing duo might be people to watch next week.

    The flu doesn’t keep Keselowski down

    Yesterday, Brad Keselowski sat out most of final practice, due to flu symptoms. Team Penske development driver Austin Cindric was on standby if he couldn’t race.

    He did, however, and won.

    Keselowski wasn’t the dominant car (that belongs to Kyle Larson). He didn’t even finish top 10 in either stage. He was even caught a lap down by the aforementioned pit road incident (he took the wave-around to get it back).

    What he did do, however, was reel in teammate Joey Logano and pass him for the lead with 32 to go. Even as his tires fell off and the handling went away, he held off a charge by Martin Truex Jr. with two laps to go to win at Atlanta.

    If he had any lingering side effects, he hid it well.

    It was his 60th combined victory across all series and disciplines of racing as a Team Penske driver, which puts him ahead of Mark Donahue as the winningest driver in team history.

    “I think any win means a lot, but that’s a big number. Now I get to wear that yellow Mark Donohue helmet.”

  • Ryan Preece finishes eighth in Daytona 500 debut

    Ryan Preece finishes eighth in Daytona 500 debut

    Rookie Ryan Preece wheeled his way to an eighth-place finish Sunday evening in overtime scoring a top-10 in his debut Daytona 500.

    It was an impressive performance considering he only had four previous Cup Series starts in 2015 with a best finish of 32nd. But, while it might sound like a dream come true, Preece had conflicting emotions about the outcome.

    On the final restart, Preece was in the top five competing for the win. However, as he helped push Joey Logano into the top three he was shuffled back to eighth on the final lap as he tried to hold off the hard-charging No. 20 of Erik Jones.

    “Sitting here watching this (replay), I’m probably going to get frustrated with myself because there’s a couple of things I could have done different to help my chances,” Preece said. “I was so committed to pushing Joey (Logano) that I focused more on him than I did on some of the runs I probably should have focused on. All in all it’s a good day. It’s an eighth-place finish.”

    While Preece was second-guessing himself, his prowess on the track was undeniable to anyone watching the race. He started in 21st place in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet and worked his way toward the front as he maneuvered his way through a few late race collisions including an incident on Lap 192 that collected 21 cars.

    He may be a relative newcomer to the Monster Energy Cup Series but Preece has made his mark in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series with 22 wins, a championship in 2013 and four runner-up finishes in the series standings.

    “A lot of you guys might not know me, but I’m from a racing background,” he said. “Typically I’m competitive. I’m going to nitpick myself right now, but when I get in my truck and drive home, I’m going to be happy, but I’m going to sit here and watch this finish and say I could have had fifth, I could have had third.

    “But at the end of the day, it’s still a great day.”

    Heading into the race, Preece was aware that he had a lot to learn and his goal was “to race around these guys and not be erratic and not do anything stupid.”

    He also received some advice from former Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick.

    “It was the best advice,” Preece said, “Keep it in one piece until the end.”

    Mission accomplished.

    Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

  • Kyle Busch leads third practice at Daytona

    Kyle Busch leads third practice at Daytona

    Daytona Beach, FL – Kyle Busch led the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series third practice Friday at Daytona International Speedway with a lap time of 44.936, just over 200 at 200.285 mph.

    Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Preece, Erik Jones, and Ryan Newman rounded out the top five in this round of practice

    Pole Sitter William Byron was 18th quickest which was the third fastest of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars.

    Denny Hamlin led the fastest 10 consecutive laps with an average speed of 198.107 mph.

    There is one more practice session today from 3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. ET which will be televised on Fox Sports 1. The final Cup Series practice will be held Saturday at 12:05 p.m. ET on FS1.

    Complete Friday Cup Series Practice Results

  • 2019 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Rookie race not looking like much of a race

    2019 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Rookie race not looking like much of a race

    Although the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year race will see such talents as Ryan Preece and Daniel Hemric lead a charge that also includes Matt Tifft and Tanner Berryhill, it doesn’t look like it will be much of a race. 

    At first, it may look like Preece has the upper hand in terms of statistics. Unlike Hemric, Preece has won in the Xfinity Series not once, but twice, both times in Joe Gibbs Racing equipment. Stacked against Hemric’s Xfinity record, where he was consistently recording top-fives and top-10s in stellar Richard Childress Racing equipment but didn’t record a win (mirroring his NASCAR Truck Series record where he was a consistent front-runner but never a winner), it looks like Preece may have an edge, and maybe he does when the numbers are taken into consideration: In 15 starts in 2018 he recorded a win, seven top-fives, and 10 top-10s. In 33 starts in the 2018 Xfinity Series Hemric was winless, but he did record four poles, 16 top-fives, and 23 top-10s.

    Preece has the upper hand in this case because he was able to get more out of the car in the limited run that he had. It may help a bit that the JGR Toyota program is a dominant force in the Xfinity Series despite the best efforts of the competition. But while Hemric is being promoted in the RCR organization to Cup level in an otherwise quietly consistent midpack entry, Preece is headed for the JTG-Daugherty camp in their No. 47 Camaro.

    TThe fact that the Camaro struggled throughout the 2018 season was more of a manufacturer fault than a team fault despite getting four wins (by two drivers – Austin Dillon won the Daytona 500 while Chase Elliott won three times in the second half of the season). But the No. 47 Chevrolet does not have a stellar record. With one win (AJ Allmendiner in 2014 at Watkins Glen) in 432 total Cup starts as well as two poles, 15 top-fives, and 50 top-10s among four drivers (Allmendinger, Chris Buescher, Bobby Labonte, and Marcos Ambrose), Preece finds himself in an optimistic situation where the team can finally form itself around a true rising star. But often times that can lead to disastrous results, something that the JTG-Daugherty camp is all too familiar with. 

    Meanwhile, the RCR organization is still trying to re-establish itself as a weekly contender. Streamlining their Cup efforts to focus on Dillon in the No. 3 and Hemric in the No. 8, RCR looks to lighten their excess load in order to put the cars in Victory Lane more frequently, having not won since the 2018 Daytona 500. In his two Cup starts in 2018, Hemric didn’t make much noise, having his best run at the Charlotte Roval where he finished on the lead lap in 23rd after starting 11th. He does have experience, having been to most of the tracks on the schedule at least twice in the past two seasons, so he knows what to expect. Better still is that since he was promoted within the organization the team has a clear understanding of how Hemric performs and how to get the best out of him as a driver, while Preece back at JTG-Daugherty is in the middle of a learning curve with a new team.

    In this case, the odds look to be in Hemric’s favor, but that’s not to discredit either of the two rookie front-runners let alone Tifft and Berryhill. Hemric’s stability in the RCR camp only serves to boost his confidence going into 2019. He’s in a familiar territory, and as a result he may very well post some great numbers. Nevermind that he has yet to score a NASCAR Trucks or Xfinity win; Jimmie Johnson still only has one Xfinity win before his rookie Cup season of 2002 and he’s now a seven-time champion. Therefore, Xfinity results (or lack thereof) don’t always translate to Cup performance. But in terms of the 2019 rookie race where Berryhill (driving for the brand-new Obaikia Cup entry) and Tifft (driving for the reincarnated Front Row Motorsports third entry) will both be driving as unheralded rookies for under-funded teams while Preece will be in an adjustment period with his team, Hemric and RCR may be the best bet for top rookie honors come Homestead.

  • Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Hot 20 of the NASCAR season that was

    Another season has come and gone, along with a few more drivers and fans, to be honest. However, there are some things I have noticed that are on the positive side, though not all would agree.

    I like stage racing. I was not sure to start with, but I like it now. It helps chronicle who mattered early and it informs us as to who mattered throughout. It even tells us who won, and it rewards that winner is a meaningful way.

    As a traditionalist, I was dead set against the playoffs. I have changed my mind. Logically, it makes no sense to have the pretenders still on the same competitive field as the contenders. Yet, it has not much affected the action, other than for one understandably upset Matt Kenseth. In this snowflake influenced world of ours, sometimes vengeance can still be had.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not missed on the track due to his excellence in the NBC broadcast booth alongside Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Rick Allen and a very stout track-side team. They were entertaining, informative, and sounded like they were excited being there. That is all it takes, but it took a long, long time for some to figure that out. I am not sure FOX has yet.

    NASCAR boss man Brian France left the scene in August after being tagged with charges of aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Replaced by his uncle, I think most think that was a positive step. At least Jim France bothers to show up at the track every week.

    The France family is looking to fold its 13 track International Speedway Corp., which includes Darlington, Daytona, Martinsville and Talladega, into a merger with NASCAR itself. One can speculate as to the reasons, be it to lay out “a more unified strategic approach”, as Jim France says, or to package it all up for sale. Time will tell.

    Sometime over the past decade, the “How bad have you got it” mantra went out the window, along with the fans they were asking. Most of the races this season had a dip in ratings, with at least 26 being seen as having their worst of the past decade, if not of all time. Most of the celebrities are gone, we produce fewer gear heads these days, and the good ole boys and girls like Bo, Luke, and Daisy have been replaced in society by those who know more about tissues than issues.

    It appears Jamie McMurray is leaving the driver’s seat, at least on a full-time basis. Kurt Busch could be his replacement with Chip Ganassi. Kenseth is set to step back from even doing that after spelling off Trevor Bayne. Ryan Newman will take their place at Roush-Fenway, with newcomer Daniel Hemric taking his former ride with Richard Childress. Furniture Row is now gone, as Martin Truex Jr. heads over to Joe Gibbs, bumping Daniel Suarez possibly over to replace the elder Busch at Stewart-Haas. A.J. Allmendinger will be without a ride, giving up his seat to rookie Ryan Preece. Kasey Kahne has called it a career, and the 17-year combination of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus comes to an end.

    Changes. Some we like, some we will not, at least to start with. Will fans come back in droves? Nope. Why should they? Give them a reason, give them entertainment, give them a reason to care.

    All they have to do is figure out what that is. Over the course of the past decade, they have not.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – 5040 POINTS (3 Wins)
    This is not “fake news.” Logano is a deserving, even if not an overly popular, champion.

    2. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5035 POINTS (4 Wins)
    If we could ignore the facts for our own biases…but we can not. Now he is off to join the Coach.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5034 POINTS (8 Wins)
    If he could win all those he dominated for a period of time, he would have gone double figures.

    4. KYLE BUSCH – 5033 POINTS (8 Wins)
    Great seasons can be spoiled by the uncertainty of a playoff. Case in point…

    5. ARIC ALMIROLA – 2354 POINTS (1 Win)
    Not everyone is moving on. Then again, he was one of those movers not so long ago.

    6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2350 POINTS (3 Wins)
    The future of Hendrick has already arrived.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2350 POINTS (1 Win)
    If he wants to race Indy, his rumored new boss might have a few options open to him.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2343 POINTS (3 Wins)
    “I’m going to say it again. I did not intentionally spin out that driver, Mr. Suarez.”

    9. KYLE LARSON – 2299 POINTS
    If your business is named “Hi-Line”, I have a marketing opportunity for you.

    10. RYAN BLANEY – 2298 POINTS (1 Win)
    Like Chase, he is one of the positives NASCAR can showcase for the future.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2285 POINTS
    As with Johnson, a years-long streak of wins in a season comes to an end.

    12. CLINT BOWYER – 2272 POINTS (2 Wins)
    Light-hearted and funny. Plus, if you ever find yourself in a ditch, he has connections.

    13. AUSTIN DILLON – 2245 POINTS (1 Win)
    That win was nice, but the iconic number was not so iconic after Daytona.

    14. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2242 POINTS
    The marriage with Chad lasted longer than a vast majority of Hollywood relationships.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2220 POINTS (1 Win)
    At 22, That Jones Boy is making Joe Gibbs feel pretty good about the future.

    16. ALEX BOWMAN – 2204 POINTS
    Driving a car once driven by an Earnhardt is not an easy act to follow.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 769 POINTS
    Off to become one of the guys over at the House that Jack built. Maybe even his bodyguard.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 701 POINTS
    After five years, the storyline changed in 2018, along with a downturn in performance

    19. PAUL MENARD – 692 POINTS
    Will be around as long as a certain home improvement company markets its wares on a stock car.

    20. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 683 POINTS
    If this marks the end of the line, he finishes it up among those who mattered.

  • John Hunter Nemechek Earns First Career Pole in NASCAR Xfinity Series

    John Hunter Nemechek Earns First Career Pole in NASCAR Xfinity Series

    John Hunter Nemechek claims his first career pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at ISM Raceway, setting a time of 26.970 seconds at 133.482 mph.

    Nemechek edged Cole Custer by 17-thousandths of a second, as both drivers were the only two to run in the 26-second bracket. Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier and Ryan Preece completed the top-five.

    “It feels good,” Nemechek told NBCSN. “We came here with the mindset to try and qualify on the pole. We unloaded not really good yesterday so we only got to do one mock (qualifying) run and it wasn’t that great.”

    Most of the other Playoff drivers will start in the top-10. Elliott Sadler qualified in sixth, Daniel Hemric in eighth and Matt Tifft in 10th. Tyler Reddick had a slip in the second round, preventing him from putting down a fast enough lap to get into the final round. He will start 14th. The biggest news with those in the championship hunt was Christopher Bell failing inspection three times. He will start 38th.

    Round one had about half of the Playoff contenders waiting until the last few minutes before turning a lap. Austin Cindric was fastest and most Playoff contenders held top-15 lap times. All but one made it through to the second round. Christopher Bell and Ty Majeski failed inspection three times, so they will start at the rear of the field. Neither was able to turn a lap, along with Josh Bilicki.

    “Well the good thing is (Miami) doesn’t decide on where we start, it decides on where we finish,” Bell told NBCSN. “We got 200 laps, which is an eternity, especially from what I grew up doing in sprint car racing. Got a bunch of pit stops in there and a fast car to make it up. We’ll be fine.”

    Bell also shared that this was the same car that won both times at Richmond Raceway.

    “This is probably the fastest car we’ve brought to the race track all year-long compared to the field,” Bell said.

    In round two, one more Playoff contender was eliminated. Tyler Reddick car got loose in Turn 4, which hurt his first and second attempts at improving his qualifying time. He will start 14th in the afternoon’s event. John Hunter Nemechek was fastest over Cole Custer, as the two were the only drivers to run just one lap in qualifying.

    For the final round, the remaining Playoff drivers hold top-10 starts, and despite some last second laps by Cindric, Nemecheck was the one holding the top starting position, ahead of Custer, Cindric, Allgaier and Preece. Coverage for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at ISM Raceway will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon on NBC.

    Starting Line Up
    ISM Raceway
    20th Annual Whelen Trusted To Perform 200

    Pos Car Driver Team Make
    1 42 John Hunter Nemechek Fire Alarm Services Inc. Chevrolet
    2 00 Cole Custer (P) Haas Automation Ford
    3 22 Austin Cindric # (P) Discount Tire Ford
    4 7 Justin Allgaier (P) BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
    5 18 Ryan Preece Rheem/Smurfit Kappa Toyota
    6 1 Elliott Sadler (P) Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet
    7 19 Brandon Jones Toyota Service Centers/Mobil 1 Toyota
    8 21 Daniel Hemric (P) South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
    9 3 Shane Lee CIPT/Race to Give Chevrolet
    10 2 Matt Tifft (P) Go Green Chevrolet
    11 23 Spencer Gallagher ISM Connect Chevrolet
    12 16 Ryan Reed Drive Down A1C Lilly Diabetes Ford
    13 5 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
    14 9 Tyler Reddick # (P) BurgerFi Chevrolet
    15 11 Ryan Truex LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet
    16 39 Ryan Sieg Lombard Brothers Chevrolet
    17 36 Alex Labbe # Can-Am/Wholey/Cyclops Gear Chevrolet
    18 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet
    19 38 JJ Yeley Iron Mountain Data Centers Chevrolet
    20 8 Tommy Joe Martins Chevrolet
    21 35 Joey Gase Donate Life Arizona/Sparks Chevrolet
    22 40 Chad Finchum # Smithbilt Homes Toyota
    23 4 Ross Chastain Flex Seal Chevrolet
    24 52 David Starr Whataburger Chevrolet
    25 93 Jeff Green RSS Racing Chevrolet
    26 90 Donald Theetge MercedesBenzStNicolas/CircuitAcura FALSE
    27 0 Garrett Smithley Flex Tape Chevrolet
    28 01 BJ McLeod Flex Glue Chevrolet
    29 15 Quin Houff teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet
    30 99 Stephen Leicht Chevrolet
    31 13 Tyler Hill OCR Gaz Bar Toyota
    32 76 Spencer Boyd # Grunt Style Chevrolet
    33 66 Akinori Ogata Toyota
    34 55 Bayley Currey(i) RollinSmokeBBQ/TouchedbyPros Toyota
    35 89 Morgan Shepherd Visone RV Chevrolet
    36 74 Mike Harmon Veterans 4 Child Rescue Chevrolet
    37 78 Vinnie Miller # CorvetteParts.net/JWTransport FALSE
    38 20 Christopher Bell # (P) GameStop Just Cause 4 Toyota
    39 60 Ty Majeski Ford Ford
    40 45 Josh Bilicki # Prevagen Toyota
  • Joey Logano Wins from the Pole in the Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen

    Joey Logano Wins from the Pole in the Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen

    Joey Logano drove his No. 22 Penske Ford to Victory Lane Saturday at Watkins Glen International in the Xfinity Series Zippo 200. This marked Logano’s 30th win in the series and his second Xfinity win this year.

    Logano started from the pole position today and led 31 laps. Even driving in the rain wouldn’t dampen his efforts to obtain the prize. Logano fought hard with teammate Brad Keselowski and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ryan Preece in the closing laps, going three-wide on the last restart. Preece finished fourth and Keselowski, who spun with  2 laps to go, recovered from the spin to finish 10th.

    “That was all I had,” said Logano, “He (Keselowski) was definitely faster. I thought the tires would have been enough to be faster than him.

    “I had a good restart and got in front of him, and he dogged me. These Xfinity cars draft quite a bit down these straightaways, and it’s hard to pull away. It felt good to race each other really hard, so it’s cool to see Penske cars doing that.”

    Stage 1 would have one minor caution, however, Logano led from flag to flag becoming the stage winner. But the skies were darkening and the threat of rain was in the air.

    Stage 2 would be the most challenging stage. Rain started to fall and on Lap 31 NASCAR made the call to have the cars pit to get rain tires and wipers on. On Lap 34 Vinnie Miller lost control of his car and went hard into the tire barriers. The red flag came out so the barriers could be repaired. By the time the repairs were completed the rain had stopped and the track was starting to dry. Some of the drivers pitted to put slick tires back on, while others waited until the end of the stage. A.J. Allmendinger would win the stage.

    The final stage of the race Keselowski started in the lead but had Kyle Larson all over his bumper trying to get the spot. Logano made his way up to third and battled with Larson to get second place. Once Larson was out of the way, Logano set his sights on Keselowski in first place. The two drivers put on a great show battling each other hard but cleanly. With eight laps to go Logano took the lead and won the race. Allmendinger would bring his car home in the runner-up spot and Justin Allgaier rounded out the top three.

    Ryan Preece and Aric Almirola would round out the top five. Cole Custer, Brandon Jones, Ryan Reed, Christopher Bell and Brad Keselowski finished sixth through 10 respectively.

    Christopher Bell leads the Xfinity Series Standings with 737 points, Custer is in second with 715points followed by Daniel Hemric in third with 714 points. Elliott Sadler is in fourth with 711 points and Allgaier rounds out the top five with 700 points.

    The Xfinity Series heads next to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Mid-Ohio 200, on Saturday, Aug. 11.

  • CRAFTSMAN® Joins Joe Gibbs Racing for 2018 Season

    CRAFTSMAN® Joins Joe Gibbs Racing for 2018 Season

    HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 26, 2018) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced today CRAFTSMAN® will join the team as a primary sponsor for Erik Jones in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Ryan Preece in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for multiple races in 2018.

    Stanley Black & Decker added the iconic CRAFTSMAN brand to their portfolio in 2017. In their fourth season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Stanley Black & Decker uses their NASCAR partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing to showcase the DEWALT® brand on the No. 20 Toyota Camry with Jones and the STANLEY® brand on the No. 19 Toyota Camry with Daniel Suarez, both in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    “It’s really cool to represent an iconic brand with CRAFTSMAN,” said Jones. “CRAFTSMAN is a brand that I’ve used throughout my entire racing career from when I first started with go-karts, through late models and still have in my shop today. We’ve had a great relationship with Stanley Black & Decker this year through the DEWALT brand and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the CRAFTSMAN brand. The car looks great and I can’t wait to get on track with it in the coming months.”

    Preece added, “I’m very excited to be racing and representing the CRAFTSMAN brand. I grew up watching what was then the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and as I grew older, I started using CRAFTSMAN tools. To represent an iconic tool company like CRAFTSMAN is very special to me and I know we will have the same reliability in our Camry’s that they have in their tools.”

    To kick off the new partnership, CRAFTSMAN will launch the “What’s Your Craftsman Story?” campaign to share real, human moments of pride. “Your CRAFTSMAN story” could be a memory or a project well done. The goal is not to focus on the tool, but what can be done with the tools and the pride and memories it evokes in each person. Fans can share their story at www.CRAFTSMANstory.com beginning August 1 through September 7, 2018. Three deserving fans will win a garage full of CRAFTSMAN tools and one lucky fan will win a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Coach Joe Gibbs and Joe Gibbs Racing, including a shop tour and a VIP experience at the NASCAR races at Kansas Speedway on October 20 and 21, 2018.

    Team owner and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Coach Joe Gibbs, will help launch the “What’s Your Craftsman Story?” campaign and the new partnership with CRAFTSMAN by participating in a Satellite Media Tour on August 1, 2018.

    “It’s a thrill for us to be a part of bringing the CRAFTSMAN brand back into the sport,” said Gibbs. “When you mention CRAFTSMAN to somebody it always seems they have a story to tell about how they used CRAFTSMAN tools growing up or around their own home or shop. That’s why the “What’s Your Craftsman Story?” campaign will be so much fun when we get a chance to hear everyone’s personal experiences with the brand.”

    2018 Race Schedule

    Watkins Glen International – Xfinity Series – August 4

    Richmond International Raceway – Xfinity Series – September 21

    Richmond international Raceway – Cup Series – September 22

    Dover International Speedway – Xfinity Series – October 6

    Dover International Speedway – Cup Series – October 7

    Talladega Superspeedway – Cup Series – October 14

    Kansas Speedway – Xfinity Series – October 20

    Kansas Speedway – Cup Series – October 21

    About CRAFTSMAN:

    CRAFTSMAN is the American icon that homeowners, home builders, auto enthusiasts and master mechanics have trusted since 1927 – and today’s CRAFTSMAN continues that legacy. With a focus on reliable, high-performance tools, storage and equipment, CRAFTSMAN has revived its long-established pride in superior quality. Now it’s easier than ever to get the tools trusted for generations at more places than ever. For more information visit www.craftsman.com or follow CRAFTSMAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    About Joe Gibbs Racing:

    Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Xfinity Series teams and a driver development program. Its 2018 driver lineup will consist of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Daniel Suárez, and Erik Jones in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Meanwhile Christopher Bell and Brandon Jones will each run fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, joining Kyle Busch, Daniel Suárez, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Preece, and Kyle Benjamin, all of whom will run partial schedules. In addition, Riley Herbst and Ty Gibbs are currently in JGR’s driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs — a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame — JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning four Cup Series championships, and five Xfinity Series owner’s championships along with more than 300 NASCAR races, including four Brickyard 400s and two Daytona 500s.

     

  • Preece cashes in at Thunder Valley

    Preece cashes in at Thunder Valley

    *THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE NASCAR’S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT DANIEL HEMRIC’S POST-RACE INSPECTION FAILURE WON’T RESULT IN A PENALTY.

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — The first thing Ryan Preece did after he climbed out of his car in victory lane was grab the oversized novelty check he received for winning the first race of this year’s XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash, which he promptly tossed to his crew standing behind his car.

    “First off, this Rheem Toyota TRD Camry JGR car was awesome,” Preece said. “These guys right here, they work hard and they don’t get on TV and I want you all to focus in on them and this guy (Eric Phillips, crew chief) – I have to thank everybody last year for helping me make this all possible. Without last year, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now, I wouldn’t be sitting here in Bristol victory lane in an Xfinity Series car with Joe Gibbs Racing. To win here, it’s unreal. I guess I didn’t make Joey Logano look like a fool today.

    “Words can’t even describe. My mom’s super happy, my dad’s super happy – I’m 27 years old and I’m not getting any younger. I’m looking for opportunities. We did it last year at Iowa and now we did it here at Bristol. I hope I don’t get labeled as a short track racer, I want to win on mile-and-a-halves soon. Nothing beats winning. That’s what I told somebody earlier today. They asked me what was the most exciting thing and I said winning – I hate losing more than winning. Today we did it.”

    Preece made the winning move driving underneath Brandon Jones going into Turn 1 to take the lead with 12 laps to go, and set sail to his second career victory in 43-career XFINITY Grand National Series starts.

    Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, Elliott Sadler and Spencer Gallagher rounded out the Top-five.

    Jones, Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer, Ross Chastain and Ryan Truex rounded out the Top-10.

    “That caution on right there on that long run just killed me and I just put my head down when I saw it ‘cause I knew we were so much better than the 18 (Ryan Preece) up off the corner, but all in all such a phenomenal day for Toyota, for Menards and for everybody at (Joe Gibbs Racing) JGR right now. Also, Turtle Wax is on board with us this weekend as well. Can’t say enough about the guys that support us the most and we are just so close right now. It breaks my heart just to see that, but we had a gamble right there at the end,” Jones said of the final caution. “We had to take the two tires to try to see what we could do. Just too much wheel-spinning on the restart to make anything of it.”

    RACE SUMMARY

    Custer led the field to the green flag at 1:15 p.m. Exiting Turn 2, however, Allgaier powered by him with ease to lead the first lap. Coming to the line to start the fifth lap, Christopher Bell shot up the track, a result of a right-front tire failure, and slammed the outside wall. As the field slowed to avoid hitting him, cars slammed into the back of others and the resulting accordion effect swallowed up nine cars.

    Back to green on Lap 18, the field settled into a conveyor-belt run to the competition caution at Lap 45. Hemric exited the pits as the race leader, while Justin Allgaier exited third.

    A lap after the restart on Lap 55, Bell powered by Hemric on the outside heading into Turn 1 to take the lead and drove on to win the first stage.

    Preece exited the pits first and led the field back to green on Lap 99, as well as after he restart on Lap 109 (for a multi-car wreck on the backstretch). On the latter restart, however, Hemric shot past him on the bottom to retake the lead. Preece worked to the inside of Hemric on Lap 163, however, and won the second stage.

    Chase Briscoe took the lead after he elected not to pit, along with Jones and Reddick, but had the lead usurped by Jones, who fended off challenges from Preece as the laps clicked away, with less than 60 to go. It was rendered a moot point by Shane Lee, who brought out the caution with 27 to go and set up the run to the finish.

    CAUTION SUMMARY

    There were four multi-car incidents. The first on Lap 4 (nine cars), Lap 58 (four cars), Lap 100 (seven cars) and Lap 140 (three cars), also brought out red flag for seven minutes and one second.

    Four cautions flew for single or two-car incidents.

    Three flew for scheduled reasons (competition/stage conclusion).

    OTHER NEWS ITEMS

    Hemric’s car failed post-race inspection, because one side of the rear wheel-toe alignment was off. However, the failure didn’t rise to the level of a penalty, because both sides of the rear wheel-toe must be off in the XFINITY Grand National Series. So not only won’t he be penalized, but he’ll be eligible for the Dash 4 Cash at Richmond Raceway.

    NUTS & BOLTS

    The race lasted two hours, 21 minutes and 57 seconds, at an average speed of 67.857 mph. There were 13 lead changes among eight different drivers, and 12 cautions for 93 laps.

    Sadler leaves with a six-point lead over Hemric.

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  • NXS Recap: Kyle Busch Wins and Ryan Preece Impresses at New Hampshire

    NXS Recap: Kyle Busch Wins and Ryan Preece Impresses at New Hampshire

    By Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

    LOUDON, N.H. – Kyle Busch’s celebratory burnout produced a cloud of smoke over the frontstretch at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but Ryan Preece’s first run in top-of-the-line equipment made an even bigger impression in Saturday’s Overton’s 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race.

    After a major snafu on pit road took a potential win away from Brad Keselowski, who had arguably the fastest car at the Magic Mile, Busch cruised to a 10.425-second victory, collecting his third win in six starts this season, his sixth at NHMS and the 89th of his career, extending his series record.

    Driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the first time, Preece finished second to his far more experienced teammate and left the track hoping his performance will open the eyes of someone looking for talent behind the wheel.

    “This is something I dreamed about, to be honest with you,” said Preece, who won Friday’s All-Star modified race and finished second in Saturday’s 100-lap preliminary to the XFINITY event. “I work hard week-in and week-out at the modifieds, so to be able to have this opportunity means a lot to me.”

    Preece, who will race at Iowa on July 29 in his only other scheduled event in the No. 20 car, ran the full NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule last year in Johnny Davis’ No. 01 Chevrolet.

    “I don’t take back doing what I did last year,” Preece said. “It was great. People don’t even know that I ran full-time, but I got laps. That’s what you need sometimes. I’ve been doing this all my life, so all I needed was the right opportunity.

    “Joe Gibbs gave it to me. Congratulations to Kyle, my teammate. That’s pretty cool to say. Right?”

    The race, which ran without a caution from a restart on Lap 97 to the finish at Lap 200, turned on the final cycle of green-flag pit stops. Busch ducked onto pit road on Lap 169 for fuel and fresh tires.

    Keselowski, who led a race-high 102 laps, brought his car to the pits on Lap 170 but had to angle his No. 22 Ford around Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet, which had started to leave its pit stall as Keselowski pulled in.

    When the jack dropped and Keselowski accelerated, the gas can was still locked into its coupler, and the forward motion of the car pulled both the can and the fueler out of the No. 22’s pit stall.

    Keselowski had to serve a stop-and-go penalty for dragging equipment outside the pit box. His winning chances gone, Keselowski finished fifth, more than 18 seconds in arrears, as one of six cars on the lead lap.

    “I think we kind of coaxed those guys into having to rush themselves and hurry a little bit (by pitting first with a flawless stop), and maybe we put the pressure and that was the difference today,” Busch said. “So great day for us and excited to have the opportunity to be in Victory Lane again here in New Hampshire.”

    Keselowski had a succinct summation of the afternoon.

    “It’s always fun being fast and leading the most laps and all that, but we just didn’t put the whole race together today,” he said.

    Sunoco rookie of the year frontrunner William Byron ran third, with Larson, Keselowski and Ben Kennedy behind him. Byron is second in the series standings, 45 points behind leader Elliott Sadler, who ran seventh, the first driver one lap down.

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Overton’s 200
    New Hampshire Motor Speedway
    Loudon, New Hampshire
    Saturday, July 15, 2017

    1. (1) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 200.
    2. (6) Ryan Preece, Toyota, 200.
    3. (7) William Byron #, Chevrolet, 200.
    4. (3) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 200.
    5. (2) Brad Keselowski(i), Ford, 200.
    6. (13) Ben Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 200.
    7. (8) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 199.
    8. (12) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 199.
    9. (10) Cole Custer #, Ford, 199.
    10. (9) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 199.
    11. (4) Matt Tifft #, Toyota, 199.
    12. (5) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 199.
    13. (14) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 199.
    14. (19) Ryan Reed, Ford, 198.
    15. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 198.
    16. (23) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 198.
    17. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 197.
    18. (24) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 197.
    19. (18) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 197.
    20. (20) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 197.
    21. (26) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 197.
    22. (39) Dylan Lupton, Toyota, 196.
    23. (25) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 195.
    24. (15) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 195.
    25. (34) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 195.
    26. (27) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 194.
    27. (32) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 193.
    28. (33) Timmy Hill, Dodge, 186.
    29. (31) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 185.
    30. (28) David Starr, Chevrolet, 184.
    31. (38) Mike Harmon, Dodge, 178.
    32. (11) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 173.
    33. (37) Martin Roy, Chevrolet, Engine, 163.
    34. (22) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 157.
    35. (17) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, Suspension, 156.
    36. (36) Carl Long, Chevrolet, Electrical, 67.
    37. (35) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Suspension, 59.
    38. (30) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Electrical, 15.
    39. (29) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Brakes, 7.
    40. (40) John Jackson, Dodge, Vibration, 4.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  109.276 mph.
    Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 56 Mins, 11 Secs. Margin of Victory:  10.425 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  3 for 15 laps.
    Lead Changes:  13 among 7 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   K. Busch(i) 1-2; B. Keselowski(i) 3-7; K. Busch(i) 8-27; B. Keselowski(i) 28-33; J. Allgaier 34-35; E. Sadler 36-40; K. Larson(i) 41-51; R. Preece 52-53; K. Busch(i) 54-71; B. Keselowski(i) 72-93; K. Busch(i) 94-101; B. Keselowski(i) 102-170; M. Tifft # 171; K. Busch(i) 172-200.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  B. Keselowski(i) 4 times for 102 laps; K. Busch(i) 5 times for 77 laps; K. Larson(i) 1 time for 11 laps; E. Sadler 1 time for 5 laps; R. Preece 1 time for 2 laps; J. Allgaier 1 time for 2 laps; M. Tifft # 1 time for 1 lap.

    Stage #1 Top Ten: 42,20,18,1,22,7,48,3,9,19
    Stage #2 Top Ten: 22,18,42,20,9,1,3,19,48,2