Corey LaJoie and Cole Whitt to Share the #72 for TriStar Motorsports in #NASCAR Cup

TriStar Motorsports will continue competition in NASCAR's premier series fielding one full-time entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the 2018 season.

The No. 72 Chevrolet will compete with collective efforts of two drivers. TriStar welcomes the return of Cole Whitt and proudly announces the addition of Corey LaJoie to the driver lineup. Corey LaJoie will fill the seat of the No. 72 for the majority of the schedule including the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Whitt returns to TriStar after a solid effort in No. 72 in 2017. With intentions to shift focus, Whitt has elected to decrease his racing commitments and has requested a limited schedule.

Whitt's NASCAR career includes seven years on the circuit and races in which he has competed in NASCAR K&N Pro Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and the Monster Energy Cup Series. He completed the full 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the TriStar Motorsports No. 72 securing three top-20 finishes and one top-15 being his best finish of 12th place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"I want to thank TriStar and the Smith family for allowing me to do something I feel is the right decision for me and my family," said Whitt. "I am excited and a little nervous to say that I will be racing a limited schedule this year. I am looking forward to taking the next step in my life and trying to spend most of my time with my family. Stepping back from racing is a hard choice but I strongly believe this is the right path. TriStar has been an amazing blessing to me and my family and I look forward to what the future holds for both of us."

Really excited about this year’s schedule. Green races are @NASCAR with @TriStarRaceTeam , and the red races will be tentative with the Super Late model. pic.twitter.com/m2OKoxy2gN

— Corey LaJoie (@CoreyLaJoie) February 6, 2018

Corey LaJoie, a third generation racer, is very well-known name in the racing community. He is the son of Randy LaJoie, 1996 and 1997 NASCAR XFINITY Series Champion. Already having an impressive racing career that includes six wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and three wins in the ARCA Series, LaJoie was selected as a member of the 2012 NASCAR Next Class, an industry platform to help spotlight NASCAR's rising stars and bolster fan recognition initiative cultivating Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) mainstays. In 2016, LaJoie competed in ten XFINITY Series races and earned two top-ten finishes. He made the leap to the MENCS in 2017, earning the highest finish of his rookie year campaign; 11th place, in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

"It's such a great opportunity to work with TriStar Motorsports," said Corey LaJoie. "I hope to use the learning experiences from my 2017 Rookie Season and work hard for some great finishes this year. It's my goal to continue building a successful team with Bryan, while honoring the legacy his dad, Mark left behind."

"We are taking a different approach with our competitive platform for 2018 by utilizing two drivers", said Bryan Smith, owner of TriStar Motorsports. "It is an opportunity we feel is the best direction for this season and accommodates the goals of both drivers as well as the team. We are more than pleased with Cole's efforts in 2017 and are extremely glad to have him back this season. He has been an integral part of our return to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and we appreciate his contributions to our team. We are equally as pleased to add Corey to our driver roster. His attitude, desire and ability are a welcomed addition and we feel he will be a great fit. We feel both drivers embody the core elements of who we are as a team and are confident each will contribute to the betterment of our program."

TriStar Motorsports has acquired a charter from Front Row Motorsports for the 2018 season and will continue competitive efforts under the direction of Crew Chief Frankie Kerr.

Sponsorship details for the MENCS No. 72 are forthcoming in addition to plans for the TriStar NASCAR XFINITY Series program

ABOUT TRISTAR:

TriStar Motorsports NC, LLC is an independent, family owned and operated NASCAR team located Mooresville, North Carolina. The organization currently fields one, full-time entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (No. 72) with combined efforts of drivers Corey LaJoie and Cole Whitt. 

For more information about TriStar Motorsports please visit:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter @TriStarRaceTeam
• Instagram @TriStarMotorsports

Source:  Team Release

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First #MENCS Win Backs Up Chase Elliott's Pole

The Can-Am Duel 1 Provide a Bit More Excitement that the Second One.

Chase Elliott kicked off Speedweeks last Sunday by scoring his consecutive Daytona 500 pole. Then the sophomore Hendrick Motorsports driver continued his hot streak on last night by winning the first of the two Can-Am Duel races. 

With the win, Elliott becomes the youngest winner of a Duel race, eclipsing Jeff Gordon for that record and also becoming one of three drivers to win a Duel race before winning their first full points race. He is also the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1996 to win the Daytona 500 pole and his qualifying race.

Following Elliott to the finish was McMurray, Harvick, Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Trevor Bayne, Martin Truex, Jr.*, Aric Almirola, Joey Logano, and Cole Whitt to round out the top-10. All 10 drivers also score season points, with Elliott scoring 10 points down to Whitt with one point.

“We had such a fast NAPA Chevy tonight. I didn’t think anyone was going to help us there at the first part of the race and I had a couple of good pushes to get us out front. Eddie did a great job on top of the roof making sure that he was calling the lanes correctly and we were able to get back to the front. Big thanks to our partners: NAPA, Hooters, Kelley Blue Book, Mountain Dew, Sun Energy 1, Chevrolet, Vavoline, the Hendrick engine shop – they had some steam tonight and it was apparent,” said Elliott.

The race was not without incident as the two drivers battling for the lone race-in spot in the first Duel, Reed Sorenson and Corey Lajoie, got together on lap 49. Sorenson coming out of the tri-oval before hitting the SAFER barrier and destroying his car. Luckily, Sorenson walked out of the Infield Care Center a short time later. Lajoie continued on to race his way into the ‘Great American Race.’

Sorenson was not too happy to be crashed out of the race, stating, “I hope he is proud of that.” Below is the video of the incident – You decide: 

“I was just welding seats in my dad’s shop and Ron Devine’s call came in. He was needing a driver, Matt went over to GoFas, and he had an open seat that I’d politicked very hard for. I picked it up and he said ‘this is the call you’ve been wanting to hear’ and I was like ‘man, thank you, thank you very much’. I’m excited to go and I can’t thank Dustless Blasting enough for putting me in that thing and have faith in me to do it because he could have chosen several other people. He chose me and we’re racing on Sunday,” said Lajoie when recounting how he landed his ride for the Daytona 500.

However, my favorite story of the night has to be Cole Whitt’s performance.  A year ago he entered the race needing a strong performance to make the Daytona 500, however an accident ended his night and hopes early.

Ready to qualify. Thanks to @floridalottery and @RTICCoolers #fundingfutures pic.twitter.com/ELx2kEGEdq

— Cole Whitt (@ColeWhitt) February 19, 2017

This year, Whitt entered the Duels with a guaranteed Daytona 500 spot. Not satisfied with that accomplishment, the twenty-five-year-old rolled off eighteenth in the first Duel and stayed at the tail of the lead pack early on, trying to find a way through the pack. As the race neared its close, Whitt kept himself out of trouble and worked his way into the top-fifteen. After restarting twelfth with eight laps to go, he used the final laps to maneuver his way into top-ten. In the process, he earned his first point in the new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point system**.

It will be interesting to witness how Whitt and his TriStar Motorsports No. 72 team progresses during this 2017 NASCAR Season. NASCAR Race Mom is of the belief that the youngster’s talent and acquired racing maturity will sparkle this year.

*The Furniture Row Racing Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. proved too low at the height station and therefore failed tech. Truex, who was seventh in Duel 1, lost four points and will start the Daytona 500 from the rear.

**Points! The top 10 drivers from each duel race will carry points into the Daytona 500, marking the first time points ever have been on the line at the duels. The driver whi finishes first is awarded 10 points, and the remaining points are awarded in descending order. This means that two drivers will head into The Great American Race with a share of the points lead; Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin.

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Cole Whitt to Drive the TriStar Motorsports #72

TriStar Motorsports announces it will return to competition in NASCAR’s premier series fielding one full-time entry in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series for the 2017 season. 

Cole Whitt has secured the seat of the No. 72 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Whitt brings with him Florida Lottery to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 72 for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, Whitt will continue partnership with RTIC Coolers, Rinnai and Carolina Skiff throughout the 2017 season. Frank Kerr has been named Crew Chief for Whitt and will oversee competitive efforts for the No. 72.

Whitt’s NASCAR career includes six years on the circuit and races in which he has competed in NASCAR K&N Pro Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and the Monster Energy Cup Series.

“I’m looking forward to being back in the seat at TriStar Motorsports for the Monster Energy Cup Series for 2017”, said Whitt. “We are glad to have Florida Lottery back with us for the season opener at Daytona and are fortunate to continue and expand our relationship with Rinnai, RTIC Coolers and Carolina Skiff throughout the year.”

TriStar Motorsports first competed in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1989 for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and lastly in 2013 at Watkins Glen International Raceway; completing a total of 197 races.

“We are taking a different approach and expanding our competitive platform for 2017”, said Mark Smith, owner of TriStar Motorsports. “It is an opportunity we feel is the best direction for this season and we are pleased to have Cole and his partners involved in those efforts.”

Team Release

Fun Facts about the #72:

• -- The last time the No. 72 was used in a NASCAR premier series race, it was 2006 in the fall race at Phoenix.
• -- The driver was Brandon Whitt, who is Cole Whitt's cousin. Brandon Whitt finished 37th in that race as the car went out after 123 laps because of a rear-end problem.
• -- Brandon Whitt was born in El Cajon, California, on October 15, 1982.
• -- Cole Whitt was born in Alpine, California, on June 22, 1991.

Cole Whitt's #72 sponsor, Florida Lottery, will kick-off the season as sponsor in Daytona and along with other sponsors (Rinnai, RTIC Coolers and Carolina Skiff) throughout the season.

In 112 career Cup Series races, Cole's has a best finish of eleventh, which came last July in Daytona. He will look to compete in his third Daytona 500, if he can qualify into the event in one of the Duel races on Thursday, Feb. 23.

TriStar Motorsports Returns to Competition in Monster Energy Cup Series with Cole Whitt https://t.co/iKWePBY1V7 pic.twitter.com/tmspX9ebr7

— TriStar Motorsports (@TriStarRaceTeam) February 2, 2017

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Cole Whitt Speed Stick Gear #NASCAR Daytona Challenge

43 Cars - 200 Miles Per Hour - Inches Apart.

In front of tens of millions of people... for the first time ever; watch #NASCAR Sprint Cup ‘Rookie of the Year’ candidate Cole Whitt as he kicks off his rookie season by taking on NASCAR's biggest race in his no. 26 Speed Stick Gear blue and white race car.

The documentary above accurately depicts the efforts of the triad, consisting of driver; team; and sponsor, to compete in the “Great American Race.”

Cole Whitt

NASCAR Race Mom’s favorite part of the film has to be the dramatic fashion in which Whitt accomplished the feat of qualifying for the big show.

Driving for Swan Racing, he had to battle his way into the Daytona 500 by finishing the qualifying race fifteenth or better.

After 60 laps of green-flag racing in the first Budweiser Duel at Daytona International Speedway, Whitt made several swift moves in the final lap, to advance the No. 26 Toyota from seventeenth to twelfth.

This documentary is done very well and successful in providing the NASCAR fan an appreciation for all the preparation and frustrations a NASCAR Sprint Cup team encounters.

Good Thing I Did Not Bet On Dale Jr.

NASCAR Race Mom spent three fun packed days playing in Laughlin, Nevada this weekend. Yes I know that was the Daytona 500 weekend. Not to worry, the race was streaming from televisions in every casino and restaurant we frequented. That was a good thing too; what with the six-hour – twenty minute rain delay – it would have been criminal to be stuck in a room somewhere waiting with the rest of NASCAR Fanatics.

If you are not familiar; Laughlin is a sliver of the Colorado River Valley where Nevada, California and Arizona meet. The city by the river now attracts nearly two million visitors annually and experience gambling and high-profile special events.

Our group of four fun seekers relished our premium seats to the LeAnn Rimes concert. LeAnn Rimes is an American country and pop singer and her rich vocals entertained us on Saturday night.

Sunday was dedicated to the ‘500.’ NASCAR Race Mom had placed her bets early. You can do that in Laughlin! NRM put $5.00 each on Kyle Larson, Paul Menard, Brian Vickers, and Cole Whitt. Since Whitt was not listed separately, the bet was a “field” bet.

Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of NASCAR Race Mom’s favorite driver, I resisted the urge to bet on him. Probably a good thing, because the NRM jinx hit all of her Daytona 500 picks.

Sprint Cup Rookie Kyle Larson hit the wall at Daytona International Speedway twice in the opening laps of Sunday’s race. He was the first one drivers out of the race!

Austin Dillon (3), Kyle Larson (42), Danica Patrick (10), and others
including Paul Menard crash. (AP Photo/David Graham)

Paul Menard, in a backup car due to a wreck during Wednesday’s practice Wednesday, had led three times for twenty-three laps, getting to the front for five laps before the rain delay. He was also strong through the first full-field round of stops.

Unfortunately, a twelve-car wreck on lap 145 caused significant damage to the front of Menard's car. Repairing that damage cost him sixteen laps and he finished the race in thirty-second place.

"I had a really good car," Menard reported "We kind of got messed up on pit sequence a little bit, came out by ourselves once and got shuffled back, and that's about when everybody decided to wreck."

Brian Vickers fared a tad better. He managed to stay up front in the top five before the cycles of pit stops. Then on lap 162, he was collected in a multi-car incident when Pole Winner, Austin Dillon’s race car broke loose and triggered the pile up. Brian jumped to the high side, slammed on the brakes, but it was just too much, too fast- and he suffered significant damage to the car that dropped him out of contention and crossed the stripe at the end in 30th place.

“We had a good car, but just got caught up in one of the wrecks. A couple of those guys were just racing really aggressive and bouncing around, moving a lot. I knew it was a matter of time.” said Vickers.

NASCAR Race Mom still had one driver in the ‘Great American Race’ and had high hopes for Sprint Cup Rookie Cole Whitt. His race was going exceptionally well. Unfortunately, Austin Dillon gave teammate Ryan Newman a hard bump, sending him into the wall as he took out all the cars behind him. Yup, Cole Whitt was there and painted the Daytona Speedway wall his #26 Speed Stick Gear Toyota. Whitt finished the race in 28th position.

Ryan Newman (31), Brian Scott (33), Cole Whitt (26), Justin Allgaier (51),
Terry Labonte (32) and Parker Kligerman (30) (AP Photo/Mike Troxell)

“We were in position for a great finish. I was nursing the No. 26 Speedstick GEAR Toyota late in the race because of some water pressure issues but with 20 to go crew chief Randy Cox gave the order that it was ”time to go.” We raced up into the top 20 but then got caught up in a wreck that also collected my teammate Parker Kligerman.” Whitt explained.

Bad News: NASCAR Race Mom did not win on any of her bets!

Good News: Dale Earnhardt Jr. dominated a frantic two-lap dash to the finish to win his second Daytona 500.

Best News: NASCAR 2014 is here and made its arrival known with a thrilling event with a “feel good” ending.

*****Keep your eye on racing youngster, Cole Whitt. NASCAR Race Mom is predicting great finishes for him in his rookie season.

Cole Whitt is “GEAR’d” up for the #NASCAR Daytona 500

One of this year’s Sprint Cup ‘Rookie of the Year’ candidates, Cole Whitt, is a hometown boy. He was born and raised in Alpine, California. NASCAR Race Mom has been following him since he first sat behind the wheel of a go-kart. As a youngster, Whitt was an advocate for the El Cajon Lions, Tigers & Bears (LTB) organization. It was impressive that one so young could work towards such an honorable pursuit. 

After winning championships in go-karts, Whitt moved up to sprint cars in 2004. In just ten short years and at the age of twenty-two, Whitt is one of the talented group of rookie racers competing in their first full-season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Of that group, Cole Whitt has the most Cup experience with 14 starts since 2012. (includes four “DNQ's” and five “Start-and-Parks”)

Last week, the Speed Stick GEAR team announced a new partnership with Cole Whitt. As part of this new partnership, Speed Stick GEAR has proudly become the primary sponsor of Whitt's No. 26 car for Swan Racing during the 2014 Daytona 500.

Additionally, Speed Stick GEAR is filming a documentary series that will chronicle Whitt's preparation and in-car experience leading up to this year's Great American Race - the Daytona 500. Beginning March 2014, that documentary series can be viewed on the SpeedStick YouTube channel. (www.youtube.com/speedstick)

Today, Cole Whitt will attempt to put aside his misfortune* during the first Daytona 500 practice run to race his way into one of the most important and prestigious races on the NASCAR Calendar – the NASCAR Daytona 500.

Whitt will need to finish fifteenth or better in the Budweiser Duels – Race 1 from a field of twenty-five. NASCAR Race Mom thanks Cole Whitt for taking a few minutes out of his hectic schedule to answer a few questions.

NASCAR Raced Mom: What is your major focus for your first full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Season?

Cole Whitt: We want to win Rookie of the Year. If we can do that, that would be amazing. But at the same time, I think that growing with the team is going to be more important than anything; over time, just becoming better and watching the team go from a top thirty-five team to a top twenty-five team is what I look most forward to doing.

We are a small team and we are trying to taking on some very big competition. I would not like to do that with any other people. Team owner Brandon Davis has been great to us. He has helped straighten out a few things and put us in the right perspective. He always keeps me upbeat and helps me stay professional in what I do. I’m pretty excited about what we got coming up. I am really confident in my guys and we have Speed Stick on board.

NASCAR Raced Mom: 2014 should prove to be a difficult season for the ‘Rookie of the Year’ candidates. So many qualified drivers will be sporting that yellow stripe on their bumper.

Cole Whitt: They say that it is one of the most talented group in years. Part of that is a bit of an honor in itself, for people to think that way. We definitely think that we have a shot at it.

NASCAR Raced Mom: How have you prepared yourself, both physically and mentally, to tackle the challenge?

Cole Whitt: I think I have covered myself by doing intense workouts; lots of cross fit type of workouts. I try to keep myself in the best shape physically as possible. I believe that helps mental prepare you as well.

NASCAR Raced Mom: Does an incident like yesterday’s “oops” during practice effect you mentally at all?

Cole Whitt: No, not really except that I would have like to have gotten more practice obviously and more time on the race track. But you cannot control some things and getting a flat tire had nothing to do with our team or anything we did; it was just unlucky. Fortunately, the car is ready for the duel and we are going to be just as good as we were.

NASCAR Raced Mom: Have you done any restrictor plate racing?

Cole Whitt: Just with the Nationwide stuff. I ran the Cup race at Talladega last year and got some really good experience and will hopefully be able to put that to use. In the Nationwide and Truck series that I came through, I did some Daytona races there. I have different experience at different levels, but nothing to this stature. Daytona is definitely the biggest race of my career and also our biggest race of the year.

NASCAR Raced Mom: You and teammate Parker Kligerman are both in the first duel race tonight. Is that a good thing or bad thing?

Cole Whitt: I think that is definitely a good thing. If we can get together, that is going to be great. If we get that opportunity, we will get together and do whatever we can. Not sure we will get that chance. After yesterday . . . . nothing is for sure in NASCAR.

NASCAR Raced Mom: As the mom of a racer, I know that watching your son compete on the track can be very nerve racking. How does your mother handle that stress?

Cole Whitt: I don’t know but she does really good. I don’t know how to describe her other than she is a saint. She has done a lot for me; my whole family has made sacrifices for me. For it to pay off and for me to get this far and be able to run the Daytona 500 is pretty amazing. It is huge for my family. My Mom and Dad are down here. It is pretty special just to have that.

NASCAR Raced Mom: Do you have anything you would like to add?

Cole Whitt: Yes, one thing that I want to add . . . there is a documentary being done with Speed Stick GEAR which will be on the Speed Stick YouTube Channel. It will have behind the scene stuff that covers a lot of personal stuff with me. You will learn a lot about me, more than just interview questions. It will cover all that I had to go through during the week before the biggest race of my career. I think that it will be a pretty cool piece!

NASCAR Race Mom enjoyed her interview with young NASCAR ‘up-and-coming’ Cole Whitt. He proved to be articulate and very pleasant. NASCAR Race Mom is glad that Cole mentioned the Speed Stick GEAR Documentary. Personally, I cannot wait to see it and hopefully post some of it on this blog.

The Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2014 and is televised nationwide. You can watch the Cole race in the qualifying race of 60 laps, or 150 miles, tonight. These races will air on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 pm ET. Green flag start time for Cole Whitt’s race is set for: 7:19 pm ET.

* Four laps into Wednesday afternoon's practice session, Whitt scraped the outside wall after a piece of debris punctured the nose of his No. 26 Swan Racing Toyota. In an attempt to avoid Whitt's car, Brian Vickers collected Casey Mears' Chevrolet and shot nose-first into the outside wall, NASCAR Wire Service reports.