Friday, April 14, 2023

NASCAR Cup Series Driver Cody Ware Suspended

NASCAR Cup Series Driver Cody Ware Suspended

Ware was Booked in a North Carolina Jail on a Felony Charge of Strangulation

#NASCAR Cup Series Driver Cody Ware Suspended

 

NASCAR has suspended Cup Series driver Cody Ware indefinitely after his arrest in North Carolina, the governing body announced on Tuesday. Ware, who drives the No. 51 car for Rick Ware Racing, was booked in an Iredell County jail on Monday. According to the Sheriff's Office arrest records, Ware faces a felony charge of assault by strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of assault.

 





According to police records shared by Bob Pockrass Fox Sports, the alleged incident occurred on April 3 and has been classified as domestic violence, with Ware using "personal weapons" of hands, fists, and feet. Ware has been released from jail on a $3,000 bond, and he is due to appear in district court on May 1.

 

Ware has been the full-time driver of the No. 51 Ford for Rick Ware Racing, his family's race team, since the 2021 season. Last Saturday, the team had announced that Ware would be stepping out of the driver's seat at Bristol Motor Speedway in order to focus on a "personal matter". Matt Crafton would fill in behind the wheel of the No. 51, finishing 34th after an engine failure.

 

Rick Ware Racing released a statement regarding Ware's indefinite suspension and said the team "is committed to continuing our multi-car efforts in the NASCAR Cup Series."

 

"We are aware of the incident regarding Cody Ware and his indefinite suspension from NASCAR competition. We understand NASCAR's position on this matter and accept their decision.

 

"The matter is still under investigation and Cody is fully cooperating with the authorities, as due process takes its course. RWR is committed to continuing our multi-car efforts in the NASCAR Cup Series and is in the process of finalizing our plans for the No. 51 entry at Martinsville Speedway, and beyond.

 

"These plans will be announced in the coming days."

 

Ware made his Cup Series debut in 2017. To this point in the 2023 season, Ware ranks 31st with 65 points. His best finish came at Daytona International Speedway, where he came in 14th place after starting 35th.

 

Zane Smith, the defending Craftsman Truck Series champion, is currently listed as the driver of the No. 51 Ford this weekend at Martinsville Speedway on the qualifying order released by NASCAR.

 





 

source: CBS Sports

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Speedway Children's Charities Raises More Than $30,000 for Austin-Area Children During NASCAR at COTA Weekend

Speedway Children's Charities Raises More Than $30,000 forAustin-Area Children During NASCAR at COTA Weekend

From left to right: ESPN SportsCenter co-anchor Sage Steele, Pro Sports Assembly President and Founder Laura Dixon, Speedway Motorsports Chief Experience Officer Jessica Fickenscher, FOX 7 Austin Feature Reporter Tierra Neubaum, Austin FC Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Alison Roscoe and Sonoma Raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jill Gregory served as panelists at the inaugural Geared for Greatness presented by Coca-Cola networking breakfast to jump start fundraising efforts for Speedway Children's Charities during the NASCAR at COTA tripleheader weekend. Photo Credit: NASCAR at COTA/Marissa Chaney
  • Proceeds from Laps for Charity, Geared for Greatness presented by Coca-Cola, Live Auction and Fan Assistance Golf Cart Rides during the March 24-26 NASCAR weekend will benefit children in need in the Austin, Texas community through Speedway Children's Charities.
  • Learn more about Speedway Children’s Charities at SpeedwayCharities.org.

Race fans attending the March 24-26 NASCAR at COTA weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) doubled their 2022 donations to Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the official charity of Speedway Motorsports, by contributing more than $30,000 that will benefit Austin-area children this year.

 

Funds were raised throughout the three-day EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix tripleheader weekend through:

 

  • Laps for Charity: Race fans experienced driving their own vehicle around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn permanent road course behind an official NASCAR at COTA Toyota pace car.
  • Geared for Greatness presented by Coca-Cola: ESPN SportsCenter co-anchor Sage Steele hosted this inaugural networking breakfast and forum for women in sports and entertainment at Fairmont Austin.
  • Live Auction: Race fans bid on unique experiences and autographed memorabilia during the Friday night Camper Party.
  • Fan Assistance Golf Carts: Donations were accepted as the golf carts escorted race fans all over COTA property.

“We are blown away by the generosity of race fans who participated in our fundraising events during the NASCAR at COTA event weekend,” Speedway Children’s Charities National Executive Director Lisa Starnes said. “We were hoping to build off of the momentum that was created last year when we first introduced Speedway Children’s Charities to the Austin, Texas fan base, but to double what we raised last year is absolutely incredible. We are so thankful and can’t wait to distribute these funds to even more Austin-area children.”

 

Tickets:

Fans can secure their seats and purchase tickets and camping for the 2024 NASCAR at COTA weekend by visiting NASCARatCOTA.com/Events/Renewals.

 





 

 

source: NASCARatCOTA Media

Monday, April 10, 2023

NASCAR Race Weekend Recap (Bristol)

NASCAR Race Weekend Recap (Bristol)

Winners: Christopher Bell (Cup); Joey Logano (Trucks)

NASCAR Cup

Christopher Bell Dominates Late to Win Bristol Dirt Race

Christopher Bell Dominates Late to Win Bristol Dirt Race

 

Before Sunday night‘s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Christopher Bell lamented that a “dirt guy” hadn‘t won the NASCAR Cup Series‘ only race on the red clay in Thunder Valley.

 

Bell fixed the problem—in a race that also saw hard feelings between pole winner Kyle Larson and Ryan Preece boil over.

 

Holding off charging Tyler Reddick in the final stage of the 250-lap race, Bell held a slim lead over Reddick when NASCAR called the 14th caution with 200 yards left in the final circuit.

 

A dirt-track aficionado who won three straight Chili Bowl Midget Nationals from 2017-2019, Bell collected his first victory of the season and the fifth of his career.

 

“Man, let me tell you, these are some of the longest laps of my entire life,” Bell said of the late stages of the race. “This place is so much fun, whether it‘s dirt or concrete. Whenever the cushion got up there on the top, it was very tough, because you couldn’t drive it super hard. Otherwise, you’d get sucked in.

 

“If you got your right front into it, you’d push a little bit. If you got your right rear into it, you’d slide. It was a lot of fun.”

 





Pole: Kyle Larson

Click Here for Race Results

 


Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, Apr. 16 - 3:00 PM for the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway. 

 

 

NASCAR Xfinity

Off Week

NASCAR Xfinity Series had Easter Week off.

 





Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, Apr. 15 - 6:30 PM for the Call 811.com Before You Dig. 250 at Martinsville Speedway. 

 

 

NASCAR Trucks

Logano Weathers through Cautions, wins Truck Series Race at Bristol

Logano Weathers through Cautions, wins Truck Series Race at Bristol

 

The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion swept the first two stages of the race at Bristol Motor Speedway’s Dirt Track, led 138 of the 150 laps and crossed the finish line 1.241 seconds ahead of ThorSport Racing teammate Ty Majeski.

 

“My fun meter was pegged tonight,” said Logano, who won the second Truck Series race of his career. “I had a lot of fun out here racing at Bristol. The dirt’s a lot of fun.

 

“Hopefully, tomorrow is just as good with the other car.” (Didn’t happen – Logano finished last after adversity)

 

Logano will start 12th in his No. 22 NASCAR Cup Series car in Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race at the half-mile track. He won the inaugural Cup Series dirt race at Bristol in 2021.

“They gave me a great race truck,” said Logano, who pressed Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney into service as his spotter. “We qualified good in the heat race and were able to drive to the lead pretty early in the race and were pretty much able to control it.

 

“I’m not sure we learned anything for (Sunday) because I didn’t get to race a whole bunch, but it was fun leading all those laps. I had a great spotter up there in Blaney. He kept me entertained and light-hearted and a (was) a whole lot of fun, too.”

 

Majeski ran a strong second but was no match for his teammate.

 





Pole: Zane Smith

 

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Friday, Apr. 14 - 6:30 PM for the Long John Silver's 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

 

 

ARCA

There was no ARCA Racing this weekend.

 





Next Race: The ARCA Series West will return on April 22, 2023 for the NAPA Nightvision 150 at Kern County Raceway Park. 

 

 

Superstar Racing Experience

 

Next Race: The SRX Series will return on 07/13/2023 for the SRX Series Season Opener at Stafford Motor Speedway.

 





 

source: NASCAR Media

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Joey Logano Dominates

Joey Logano Dominates The Dirt

ThorSport Teammate Ty Majeski Claims Second

 

Moonlighting in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Saturday night, Joey Logano performed the perfect Bristol Stomp in winning the WEATHER GUARD Truck Race on Dirt.

 

The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion swept the first two stages of the race at Bristol Motor Speedway’s Dirt Track, led 138 of the 150 laps and crossed the finish line 1.241 seconds ahead of ThorsSport Racing teammate Ty Majeski.

 

“My fun meter was pegged tonight,” said Logano, who won the second Truck Series race of his career. “I had a lot of fun out here racing at Bristol. The dirt’s a lot of fun.

 

“Hopefully, tomorrow is just as good with the other car.”

 

Logano will try to pull off the Bristol Dirt Double when he starts 12th in his No. 22 NASCAR Cup Series car in Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race at the half-mile track. He won the inaugural Cup Series dirt race at Bristol in 2021.

 

Majeski ran a strong second but was no match for his teammate.

 

“He’s a two-time Cup champion for a reason,” Majeski said. “Just happy we got ThorSport in Victory Lane. ThorSport deserves to be in Victory Lane—just wish it was us. Just one spot short.

 

“Overall, he was just better than us tonight. I thought maybe at times, if we would have had a long run, I might have been able to match him or at least make him nervous. Just wasn’t in the cards for us.”

 

Long runs were not the order of the day. The race was punctuated by 11 cautions for 64 laps, as trucks rubbed fenders, cut tires and spun on the slick clay surface with predictable frequency. Out front for virtually the entire race, Logano avoided the chaos behind him.

 





“They gave me a great race truck,” said Logano, who pressed Team Penkse teammate Ryan Blaney into service as his spotter. “We qualified good in the heat race and were able to drive to the lead pretty early in the race and were pretty much able to control it.

 

“I’m not sure we learned anything for (Sunday), because I didn’t get to race a whole bunch, but it was fun leading all those laps. I had a great spotter up there in Blaney. He kept me entertained and light-hearted and a (was) a whole lot of fun, too.”

 

William Byron, a two-time Cup winner this season, ran third in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Chevrolet. Matt Crafton was fourth, followed by Grant Enfinger, Jake Garcia, Chase Briscoe, Tanner Gray, Kaden Honeycutt and Matt DiBenedetto.

 

Dirt late model ace Jonathan Davenport finished 14th, one spot behind Hailie Deegan, who ran as high as third during the early stages of the race.

 

Majeski leads the series standings by 34 points over defending champion Zane Smith, who was collected in a three-truck accident on Lap 95 and finished 21st.

 

WEATHER GUARD #NASCAR Truck Race on the Bristol Dirt

 

 

source: NASCAR Newswire

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Focus Shifts to Saturday's Bush's Beans Qualifying and Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt

Focus Shifts to Saturday's Bush's Beans Qualifying and Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt

Friday’s Track and Fan Activities Canceled Due to Weather

#NASCAR Focus Shifts to Saturday's Bush's Beans Qualifying and Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt

 

Bristol Motor Speedway’s focus shifts to Saturday for Bush’s Beans Qualifying and the WEATHER GUARD Truck Race on Dirt after NASCAR and track officials were forced to cancel Friday’s track and fan activities due to inclement weather.

 

The BMS Fan Zone, BMS Fan Midway and Food City Fan Zone Stage activities all will resume on Saturday at noon. Saturday’s spectator gates will open at 4 p.m.

 

On Saturday the Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series drivers will participate in Bush’s Beans Qualifying. Each series will conduct four 15-lap heat races to determine the starting lineup for Saturday’s WEATHER GUARD Truck Race on Dirt (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio) and Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race (7 p.m., FOX, PRN Radio).

 

On Sunday fans will want to attend two special pre-race activities including the Race Day Revival with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts at 2:30 p.m. on the Food City Fan Zone Stage and the special Easter Celebration at 4 p.m. in the Fan Midway with Tim Tebow, Phil Wickham and Cory Asbury.

 

To purchase tickets for the Food City Dirt Race, WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race on Dirt and Bush’s Beans Qualifying, please visit the BMS website, or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.

 





#NASCAR Focus Shifts to Saturday's Bush's Beans Qualifying and Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

NASCAR Drivers Use Varying Strategies To Prepare For Food City, Weather Guard Dirt Races

#NASCAR Drivers Use Varying Strategies To Prepare For Food City, Weather Guard Dirt Races

The Last Great Colosseum! The Best Short Track on Earth. #ItsBristolBaby

#NASCAR Drivers Use Varying Strategies To Prepare For Food City, Weather Guard Dirt Races

 

There’s nothing like the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track —and even the best drivers in the business are at a loss to find an advantage on the half-mile clay-covered bullring.

 

An iRacing program with the most recent configurations might offer competitors a glimpse of the conditions. But unlike permanent tracks on the NASCAR tour, currently there are no ideal simulators to duplicate what drivers will actually feel once they arrive at the dirt-transformed Last Great Colosseum.

 

So how does a racer train for the high banks of Bristol Dirt?

 

“I don't know,” said three-time Chili Bowl Nationals winner Christopher Bell.  “I guess I’ll probably watch race film, SMT (SportsMedia Technology). As far as simulation, there’s nothing that would do a good job preparing you for that event. So past race notes, stuff like that.”

 

SMT can provide drivers with the telemetry data from how they used their throttle, brakes and gears as well as the speed and RPM that accompanied those actions.

 

Unfortunately, for Tyler Reddick, who moved to 23XI Racing this year, access to his own data doesn’t exist. He’ll have to rely on muscle memory to recapture the success he experienced in last year’s race.

 

Reddick led 99 laps and was one corner away from the victory when an overly aggressive move from Chase Briscoe knocked the No. 8 Chevrolet out of the lead and opened the door for Kyle Busch to win.

 

“All the details of how we were set-up-wise and everything, I don’t know from last year,” said Reddick, who finished second. “We’ll just have to go into it with an open mind and try to get it close through practice and try to get it better. We’ll just see how it goes.”

 

Briscoe, a third-generation dirt tracker, believes racing on dirt his entire life offers him an advantage.

 

“You know what to expect going into it,” Briscoe said. “I’m sure it’s hard for the non-dirt guys to find anything that’s even relatively close, because there’s nothing that’s really like it. We do have a simulator, but it’s not really accurate at all. So, we just go with what we feel like is best.

 

“You get quite a lot of practice there, so it’s nice to run through some things. But I don’t think there’s really anything you can do to prepare. How they prep the dirt is going to determine how the car drives, and it’s hard to replicate that.”

 

The Cup and Craftsman Truck drivers will have one hour and 15 minutes over two practices during Bush’s Beans Practice Day on Friday to dial in their cars for Saturday’s qualifying races.

 

When NASCAR first announced the Cup tour was returning to dirt, several drivers with little to no experience jumped out of their comfort zones, opting to wheel a midget, late model or modified to gain experience on a foreign surface before the race.

 

Former truck champion and last year’s Bristol Dirt winner Ben Rhodes recently honed his dirt skills at Millbridge Speedway just north of Charlotte. His average Bristol Dirt finish is 1.5. He credits ThorSport’s previous success at dirt tracks for providing its drivers with solid baselines.

 

“ThorSport has a ton of speed on dirt tracks and that goes all the way back to Eldora,” Rhodes said. “It translated to Knoxville (Raceway) but mainly Bristol. I just really like that track. The amount of banking it has really lends itself to truck racing on dirt.

 

“Dirt changes from day-to-day. You can’t replicate it. You can’t do a lot to prepare, just show up and drive as hard as possible and be as smart as possible.”

 

Still, some of the most accomplished dirt trackers in the sport have been tested on Bristol dirt.

 

Stewart Friesen was a big block modified ace and track champion before and after joining the truck series. Yet his dirt success hasn’t carried over to Bristol. Still, Friesen was recruited to test/develop the Goodyear dirt tire at Lancaster (S.C.) Motor Speedway earlier this year. He’s hoping the test time pays off.

 

“We learned a lot about our truck there—and our tire,” Friesen said. “It’s a really racy tire. Hopefully, that’s a little bit of an advantage for us because we’ve missed it there the last couple of years. Just missing some stuff in the front end but hopefully we got it closer.”

 

Having a second truck at Bristol should certainly help Friesen’s cause. He’ll be joined by wife Jessica—an accomplished dirt racer in her own right.

 

“As a driver, she’s very analytical,” Friesen added. “She has a good feel for the vehicle whether it’s a modified or a sprint car or a truck. When we’re barking up the same tree, we’re complaining about the same things we’re fighting at Bristol and at Knoxville last year. But I think we got our platform a little bit better during the test and hopefully it pays off for us.”

 

Kyle Larson’s dirt victories include the Chili Bowl, Kings Royal, Prairie Dirt Classic and the Knoxville Nationals. Certainly, the soon-to-be Cup champion was considered the favorite entering the inaugural Food City Dirt Race in 2021. Yet after battling from the rear following an engine change, Larson tangled with his former dirt rival Bell 54 laps into the contest.

 

“Well, I felt like Bell and I both were going to be really good the first year at Bristol,” Larson said. “Then, ironically, we got collected in a wreck together. Last year, I don’t remember where Bell finished. We were fourth.

 

“But it’s annoying that fans and media all point to us as the favorites because it’s on dirt. These cars are 3,600 pounds with no horsepower. It’s nothing at all like what we race on dirt. It doesn’t feel like a dirt race. It doesn't feel like a dirt car. It isn’t a dirt car. It’s more of a stock car race.

 

“Sure, maybe we can read track conditions a little bit better, but in the end, it’s a heavy Cup car with no horsepower. It’s not a 950-horsepower, 1,400-pound race car. If it was, then 1,000 percent we would be the favorites, but in the end, it’s a stock car race.”

 

The Bristol race weekend is highlighted by the NASCAR Cup Series returning to its roots with the Food City Dirt Race on Sunday evening, April 9 (7 p.m., FOX and PRN Radio). The WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race on Dirt will see the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series take to the clay-covered track on Saturday (8 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio) and will be preceded by Bush’s Beans Qualifying, which offers four heat races to set the starting lineups in each series. On Friday, teams in both the Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series will be able to fine-tune their machines during Bush’s Beans Practice Day.

 

In addition to cheering on their favorite drivers during the weekend and enjoying the Easter Celebration, Bristol Motor Speedway fans will definitely want to take advantage of so many activities to make a complete weekend of family fun. There will be great video entertainment provided by Colossus TV, the world's largest center-hung video screen, premium VIP experiences like the Super Fan Suites, tailgating, a visit to the BMS Kids Zone, BMS Fan Zone and Fan Midway, on-site camping, concerts and other entertainment at the Food City Fan Zone Stage like the Race Day Revival with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts, great food and beverages in the concession stands throughout the property, and so much more.

 





 

source: Bristol Motor Speedway Media

Monday, April 3, 2023

NASCAR and ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Richmond, Texas and Irwindale)

NASCAR and ARCA Race Weekend Recap (Richmond, Texas and Irwindale)

Winners: Kyle Larson (Cup); Chandler Smith (Xfinity); Carson Hocevar (Trucks) with Sean Hingorani (ARCA West)

NASCAR Cup

Kyle Larson Prevails Late at Richmond for First 2023 Win

Kyle Larson Prevails Late at Richmond for First 2023 Win

 

With the benefit of a fast final pit stop, Kyle Larson put his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet out front at Richmond Raceway and then held off the field in the last 25 laps of Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 to earn his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2023 season.

 

The 30-year-old Californian had to out-duel his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Josh Berry on a pair of restarts in the closing laps to secure the win at the first short-track event of the season (the 0.75-mile Richmond oval). Berry, driving the No. 9 Hendrick Chevy for injured Chase Elliott, finished runner-up, capturing his best NASCAR Cup Series finish — 1.535 seconds behind Larson to the checkered flag.

 

“It’s really cool, we’ve been close to winning a couple,” Larson said, adding, “Things just worked out and my pit crew had a great stop.”

 

Larson led four different times, totaling 93 laps, and survived contact on pit road with Daniel Suárez’s Chevrolet early in the race. It was Larson’s second Richmond win (also in 2017) and the fifth win for Chevy through the season’s opening seven races.

“What an awesome Hendrickcars.com Chevy,” Larson said. “Can’t say enough about it. I got into the 99 [Suárez] on pit road there sometime in the second stage, and we were awful after that. I was hoping the damage was the reason why, but they had to calm me down a little bit and get refocused and was able to get it done.

 

“Thanks to everyone on this team, Cliff Daniels, for everything he does to prepare the team to be as strong as we are without him on the box. So good to get a win, and hopefully many more.”

 





Pole: Alex Bowman

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, Apr. 9 - 6:00 PM for the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

 

NASCAR Xfinity

Chandler Smith Finds Late-Race Momentum, Wins Xfinity Series Race at Richmond

Chandler Smith Finds Late-Race Momentum, Wins Xfinity Series Race at Richmond

 

Rookie Chandler Smith earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday afternoon at Richmond Raceway, holding off John Hunter Nemechek on a final race restart with six laps remaining to hoist the ToyotaCare 250 trophy.

 

Smith‘s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet led a race-best 83 of the 250 laps — the bulk of that early in the race. But the 20-year-old Georgia native was able to run among the top five for most of the day and ultimately drive his Chevy around Nemechek‘s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on that last restart, pulling away to a 0.298-second victory after intense side-by-side action for the lead in the closing laps.

 

“Feels great,‘‘ a smiling Smith said. “This goes to testimony as to Vegas, dominated that race but didn‘t win and said, ‘It was all in God‘s timing.’ … Here we are in Richmond, my favorite race track, and we‘re sitting in Victory Lane.‘‘

 





Pole: Justin Allgaier

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, Apr. 15 - 6:30 PM for the Call 811.com Before You Dig. 250 at Martinsville Speedway.

 

NASCAR Trucks

Carson Hocevar finds Magic in NASCAR Overtime, Wins at Texas

Carson Hocevar finds Magic in NASCAR Overtime, Wins at Texas

 

Nick Sanchez led an absolutely dominant 168 of 172 laps in Saturday’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway, but the 21-year-old rookie and reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith collided at the front of the field after taking the white flag and Carson Hocevar instead drove through to take his first career victory in double overtime.

 

The 20-year-old Hocevar led only that last overtime lap in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet to claim his first win by 1.628 seconds over Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Chase Purdy – career-best finishes for both drivers.

 

After slight contact with Smith racing door-to-door for the win, Sanchez got loose and had to regain control of the truck heading to the white flag. Video replays showed that as he steadied his truck, he was hit from behind by Hocevar, whose truck was carrying the momentum as Sanchez was recovering from his slight miscue. The contact from behind was just enough to spin Sanchez back across the track and collect Smith’s truck while Hocevar drove forward to the finish line and waited for official word of the win.

 

“I didn’t mean to get into him, I just meant to give him a push, and he got sideways the second I hit him, I apologize to them, I’ll take the fall for it. I wrecked a Chevy, and I’ll go talk to him about it – he deserved to win for sure,” Hocevar said of the contact with Sanchez.

 

“But all the times we were the fastest car, and I don’t win, and this team deserves to win more than anything, I can stop getting the same question asked all the time now,” continued Hocevar, who has four career runner-up finishes. “We didn’t deserve to win today, but we were in the right spot at the right time.”

 





Pole: Nicholas Sanchez

Click Here for Race Results

 

 Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Saturday, Apr. 8 - 7:00 PM for the Weather Guard Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt.

 

ARCA

Sean Hingorani earns first ARCA West victory at Irwindale Speedway

Sean Hingorani earns first ARCA West victory at Irwindale Speedway

 

It only took three starts with Venturini Motorsports for Sean Hingorani to break through in a big way.

 

The 16-year-old notched his first ARCA Menards Series West victory Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway during the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame 150, fending off a charge from Landen Lewis late in the race.

 

The victory marked the first ARCA Menards Series West triumph for Venturini Motorsports.

 

Hingorani, who celebrated by climbing Irwindale’s frontstretch catch fence alongside his crew, expressed his gratitude to everyone at Venturini Motorsports for all their hard work to ensure he would be prepared to contend for wins right out of the gate.

 

“Our Toyota Camry was so fast [on Saturday],” Hingorani said. “We were fast all weekend, but my crew chief Kevin Reed Jr. has been [to Irwindale] a couple times and finally got himself a win. It’s so awesome to win here.”

 





Pole: Trevor Huddleston

Click Here for Race Results

 

Next Race: The ARCA Series West will return on April 22, 2023 for the NAPA Nightvision 150 at Kern County Raceway Park.

 

source: NASCAR Media

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Kyle Busch on NASCAR Parity

Kyle Busch on #NASCAR Parity

The State or Condition of being Equal, especially Regarding Status or Pay.

Kyle Busch on #NASCAR Parity

 

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and Richmond Raceway’s winningest active driver, Kyle Busch (six victories) says the overall parity in the sport since the introduction of the Next Gen race car last year is not a bad thing. There have been five different winners in the opening six races of 2023 with Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (Las Vegas and Phoenix) the only repeat winner.

 

“Parity is always good, right,’’ said Busch, who drives the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and scored a victory at California’s Auto Club Speedway in February.

 

“Last year we had 19 different winners. Every manufacturer, obviously. I think the guy who won the most races, it was four or five that they won and it’s been a while since it’s been that few races won by the top winner of the series. Typically, you see seven, eight, nine 10 race wins.

 

“It just showed good parity and I feel like a lot of that has more to do with this Next Gen race car than it does the manufacturers, but they are all working hard and doing best we can with what we continue to build on our program with RCR and Chevrolet and hopefully keep heading in the right direction.”

 

When comparing the NASCAR Cup Series competitiveness to other series, such as Formula One, Busch grinned.

 

“If you look at F1 I don’t think there’s much parity,” he said. “So you could argue, that you turn on NASCAR races and you kind of don’t know whose going to win each week. You know who’s good at particular racetracks but sometimes those guys, like myself, only win one race a year so they’re not winning every single week.”

 

“Where you turn on an F1 race and you’re just wondering if anybody’s going to beat Red Bull right now. It was Mercedes. So, there’s obviously a distinct difference between our two series.’’

 





Kyle Busch is off to a solid start for Richard Childress Racing with a victory, two top-10 finishes and sitting fourth in points through six races.

 

Kyle Busch on #NASCAR Parity

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Crafton, Smith Highlight ‘Fast Five’ Storylines for NCTS Speedycash.Com 250

Crafton, Smith Highlight ‘Fast Five’ Storylines for NCTS Speedycash.Com 250

 

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series continues its “Texas Two Step” as the two-race swing through the Lone Star State culminates with Saturday’s SPEEDYCASH.COM 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

The series competitors will shift from last week’s twisting, 3.41-mile Circuit of The Americas permanent road course in Austin to the ultra-fast, high-banked 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth for the fourth race of the season. 

 

The one-day show opens Saturday with a 30-minute practice beginning at 9:35 a.m. CT followed by qualifying at 10:05 a.m. Once the field is set, the SPEEDYCASH.COM 250 will get underway at 3:30 p.m. (TV: FS1, Radio: MRN, SiriusXM). 

 

The SPEEDYCASH.COM 250 is the companion event for Sunday’s PPG 375 (11:15 a.m., TV: NBC & Peacock. Radio: SiriusXM, INDYCAR Radio Network, 95.9 The Ranch-local). 

 

Here’s a look at the “Fast Five” storylines for the SPEEDYCASH.COM 250 NCTS race: 

1. ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton will extend his record for most career starts of any series that has competed at Texas Motor Speedway in Saturday’s SPEEDYCASH.COM 250. The 47-year-old Crafton, in his 23rd full NCTS season, will be making his 43rd TMS start, which dwarfs the career leaders in NASCAR’s other two national series and INDYCAR. 

 

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick owns the NASCAR Cup Series mark with 38 while Jeremy Clements of Jeremy Clements Racing holds the top spot in the Xfinity Series at 28. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, the INDYCAR career leader, will be making his 25th start in Sunday’s PPG 375. 

 

Crafton is a two-time winner at Texas and has the track records for career top-five finishes (17) and top 10s (30). He also ranks second for career laps led at 444. 2. 

 

2. Defending series champion Zane Smith of Front Row Motorsports is producing a carbon copy of his run to last year’s title and is hopeful the script finishes out the same way. 

 

A year ago, he won the season-opening race at Daytona and followed with his second victory of the season at Circuit of The Americas. He has done so again, winning last week at COTA by 5.451 seconds over runner-up Kyle Busch after a season-opening win at Daytona. 

 

Smith, however, does find himself in a much better position in the NCTS points standings at this stage. Smith, who was 31 points behind leader Chandler Smith last season, exited COTA with the top spot, three ahead of ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski. 

 

He is hopeful that he doesn’t mirror his 2022 result at Texas Motor Speedway, where he finished six laps down and in 32nd place. 

 

3. ThorSport Racing’s driving trio of Ben Rhodes, Majeski and Crafton have combined for one win through the first four races of the season, but there is no need to fret for the organization. 

 

ThorSport Racing currently holds three of the top six positions in the NCTS points standings heading into the SPEEDYCASH.COM 250. Majeski is two points behind Smith in second, Rhodes is 18 back in third and Crafton is 38 out in sixth. 

 

Consistency has been the key as the group has combined for eight top-10 finishes, including four among the top five. Majeski and Rhodes have registered top 10s in three of the four races, including both having a pair of top-five performances, while Crafton has two top-10 finishes. 4. 

 

4. The NCTS may want to issue directions to Victory Lane leading into the SPEEDYCASH.COM 250. 

 

Of the expected 36 drivers in the field, only two current fulltime NCTS drivers have recorded victories in the series’ 26-year history at Texas Motor Speedway. Crafton is one as expected, with the ThorSport Racing veteran winning at Texas in 2014 and again the next season. 

 

Joining Crafton is Stewart Friesen of Halmar Friesen Racing. Friesen earned his victory last season in overtime, marking his first win in 53 races dating to November of 2019. 5. 

 

5. The most productive drivers in the last 10 races at Texas Motor Speedway include some of the usual suspects. 

 

Crafton leads the way with nine top-10 finishes, including four among the top five. Grant Enfinger of GMS Racing has seven top-10 finishes, including five top-five efforts. Friesen has four top-five finishes and five top 10s overall. Rhodes has four top-10 finishes, including two among the top 10. 

 

Interestingly, Friesen is the only one among the group with a win during the timeframe.




 

source: Texas Motor Speedway Media

Richmond Raceway Hosts NASCAR Xfinity and Cup

Richmond Raceway Hosts #NASCAR Xfinity and Cup

Practice and Qualifying Canceled

Richmond Raceway Hosts NASCAR Xfinity and Cup

 

“As NASCAR celebrates its 75th anniversary, Richmond Raceway, one of the sport’s most historic tracks, will honor the sport’s legacy throughout next season’s two NASCAR race weekends,” said Lori Collier Waran, Richmond Raceway President. “We look forward to welcoming fans back to RVA for our Toyota Spring Race Weekend and one of the biggest NASCAR parties of the summer.”

 

In the spring, Richmond will host the Toyota Spring Race Weekend featuring the Xfinity Series’ ToyotaCare 250 on Saturday, April 1, 2023 and the 68th annual spring Cup Series race, Toyota Owners 400, on Sunday, April 2, 2023.

 

The spring Cup Series race at Richmond has been held in the month of April since 2011. The track originally hosted April Cup races in 1953, 1956, 1961-1963, 1967, and 1969. Lee Petty won the first-ever Cup race at Richmond on April 19, 1953.

 

Richmond previously hosted spring Xfinity Series races from 1982-1984 and 1990-2019, 2022.

 

Racing Virginia will be active in the month of April as the Commonwealth will host two Cup Series races in the same month for the third consecutive season as Martinsville Speedway will host a race on April 16, 2023.