Last Weekend’s NASCAR Events’ Recap

NASCAR Xfinity Series raced at Road America, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series battled at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, while both the K&N Pro Series East and West competed at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Derek Kraus celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Monaco Gateway Classic

Derek Kraus Gets Redemption, Wins at Gateway

In the second of two combination races between the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West this season, Derek Kraus was able get the best of both those worlds in Friday night’s Monaco Gateway Classic presented by the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame at Gateway Motorsports Park, as he wound up in Victory Lane.

Following finishes of 20th at Iowa and ninth at Evergreen, both where he ran out of fuel, the Stratford, Wisconsin, native was able to pull away late in the 120-lap event to earn his third K&N Pro Series win of the season and fourth of his career. It was a win he called his biggest.

“It was definitely a difficult night,” a relieved Kraus said. “About 15 laps into it, something with the spark plug went wrong, was really slow down the straightaways. We fell back, I don’t even know where we were, but we restarted the second stage in the back and drove up to third and caught the front two.”

. @derek9kraus Wins #KNEast #KNWest Combo Over @BMR_NASCAR Teammate @colerouse2 https://t.co/1uoPkJ9piI Inaugural K&N Pro Series Visit To @GatewayMSP pic.twitter.com/ALJUEAiBRA

— Bill McAnally Racing (@BMR_NASCAR) August 25, 2018

* * * * *

The starter waves the checkered flag as Harrison Burton (#51)
prepares to cross the finish line at Canadian Tire Mosport Park

Justin Haley Wins Thrilling Truck Playoff Race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series made the annual trip to Canada to open up their 2018 Playoffs at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Despite missing the 2018 Playoffs, Todd Gilliland seemed almost destined to win his first career truck series race Sunday at CTMP. Taking the lead on Lap 53 from Johnny Sauter, it was smooth sailing for Gilliland, until a late race caution set up a thrilling NASCAR Overtime battle with his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate and Playoff driver Noah Gragson. Gragson, who won both previous stages, dove to pass Gilliland in the final turn.

In similar shades to the move made by Chase Elliott in the 2013 race, the contact sent both Gragson and Gilliland spinning. The two trucks blocked the racetrack, causing a massive pile up coming to the checkered flag. The ensuing carnage allowed fellow Playoff driver Justin Haley to sneak through the wreckage and win the Chevrolet Silverado 250.

Hey @Justin_Haley_, how does it feel to advance in the #NASCARPlayoffs? pic.twitter.com/mgGvPClg1M

— NASCAR Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) August 26, 2018

The 19-year-old driver from Winamac, Indiana lead only a single lap all race long and it proved to be the most important one. With this victory, Haley claims his second checkered flag of the 2018 season.

"We were just in the right place at the right time" said Haley celebrating in Victory Lane. "I can’t thank everyone at GMS Racing enough; it was a truly blessed day."

* * * * *  

Justin Allgaier Celebrates with a Burnout After Winning the ‘Johnsonville 180’

Justin Allgaier Powers to Fourth Xfinity Win of 2018 at Road America

Continuing to make the most of his banner year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Justin Allgaier took advantage of a mistake by James Davison in the closing laps of the Johnsonville 180 to cruise to his fourth win of the season at the 4.048-mile road course of Road America.

Allgaier who used pit strategy throughout the 45-lap event to keep his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro up front elected to stay out when the final caution waved at Lap 38 when Josh Bilicki crashed in Turn 12.

The career year continues for @J_Allgaier as he takes his 4th #XfinitySeries win of the season at @roadamerica! pic.twitter.com/YzTTrel3X9

— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) August 25, 2018

But, a push from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell on the Lap 39 restart, Davison grabbed the lead entering Turn 1 from Allgaier – but the Australian made a mistake and overshot the corner in Turn 8 – handing the lead back to Allgaier who then cruised to a 5.303 second victory over Matt Tifft.

"The last restart there, (James Davison) kind of left before I did and (Matt Tifft) gave me a shot based on he didn't think (Davison) was going. I spun the tires really bad after I got hit," Allgaier said in Victory Lane. "I thought I had gave it away.

"Then when he made the mistake down in (Turn) 8, I knew I just had to be smooth and fast. This team is awesome. I told them on the radio after the race that it was an honor to drive these race cars. I can thank everyone enough that's on this race team and back at JR Motorsports."

Source: NASCAR.com

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Weekend Schedule For #NASCAR Xfinity, Truck and K&N Pro Series

Road America, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and Gateway Motorsports Park

NASCAR Xfinity Series will be at Road America, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be at Canadian Tire, while both the K&N Pro Series East and West will race at Gateway Motorsports Park.

When you're a @NASCARHall of Famer, you can throwback to your own car.@BillElliott9 is running at @RoadAmerica in the @NASCAR_Xfinity race Saturday at 2:30PM ET on @NBCSN, and he's got a scheme from his time driving for Junior Johnson! pic.twitter.com/01TB098hh3

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2018

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has this weekend off. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

FRIDAY, AUG. 24

ROAD AMERICA

• 1:35-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBC Sports App
• 3:35-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App

GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK

• 10:15-11:15 a.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series First Practice
• 1:30-3:00 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series Final Practice
• 5:30 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series Group Qualifying
• 9:15 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series Monaco Gateway Classic (Time Approx.)

SATURDAY, AUG. 25

ROAD AMERICA

• 12:35 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN
• 3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Johnsonville 180 (45 laps, 182.16 miles), NBCSN

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK

• 9:30-10:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, No TV
• 11:35 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, No TV
• 6 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS2

SUNDAY, AUG. 26

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK

• 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 (64 laps, 157.37 miles), FS1 

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff Opener comes to CTMP this weekend Aug. 24 - 26. On-track racing action around the clock, off-track action in the CTMP Marketplace featuring the Saturday Night Party & Fireworks. #ctmplife #NASCARPlayoffs #Chevy250 #TOTAL200 pic.twitter.com/2WqMPEfcAW

— CTMP (@CTMPOfficial) August 22, 2018

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Nadja Kapetanovich to Sing National Anthem prior to Papa Nicholas 150

Nadja Kapetanovich of Alton, Illinois will sing the U.S. national anthem prior to the start of Friday’s ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Papa Nicholas 150 at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. Nadja’s submission was selected over 15 other entries received during last week’s open audition.

Kapetanovich is eleven years old and will be starting 6th grade at Alton Middle School in the fall. She enjoys dance, piano, viola and performing in musicals. Her column, Nadja’s Corner, runs in the Alton Advantage paper. Nadj has appeared in five musicals and recently was nominated for a Best Performance Award from the St. Louis Arts For Life organization for her portrayal of Chip in “Beauty and the Beast” with Alton Little Theater.

ARCA qualifying will take place at 5:30 p.m. CDT Friday. Driver introductions will commence at 7:30 p.m. and the race is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

The Villa Lighting delivers the Eaton 200 presented by CK Power NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race follows on Saturday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. CDT.

To purchase tickets or obtain additional information, please call Gateway Motorsports Park at (618) 215-8888.

Source

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Schedule and Entry List for this Weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park

Official entry lists for Saturday’s Drivin’ For Linemen 200 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Midwest Series Illinois Lottery 50 at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Official entry list for June 17 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200

• 0 Jennifer Jo Cobb, Driven2Honor.org Chevrolet
• 02 Austin Hill, Randco/Young’s Building Systems Ford
• 1 Jordan Anderson, Bommarito Automotive Group Chevrolet
• 4 Christopher Bell, JBL Toyota
• 006 Norm Benning, Chevrolet
• 8 John Hunter Nemechek, Chevrolet
• 110 Bryce Napier, ASAP Appliance Service Chevrolet
• 13 Cody Coughlin, JEGS Toyota
• 16 Ryan Truex, Dierberg’s/Bar Harbor Foods Toyota
• 18 Noah Gragson, Switch Toyota
• 19 Austin Cindric, Draw-Tite Ford
• 21 Johnny Sauter, Allegiant Airlines Chevrolet
• 124 Justin Haley, Chevrolet
• 27 Ben Rhodes, Safelite Auto Glass Toyota
• 29 Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation Ford
• 33 Kaz Grala, Kiklos Chevrolet
• 136 Kevin Donahue, Nano Pro MT/UNOH Chevrolet
• 44 TBA, Shawn Magee Designs Chevrolet
• 145 T. J. Bell, Black Riffle Coffee Co. Chevrolet
• 49 Wendell Chavous, Chevrolet
• 51 Todd Gilliland, Pedigree Toyota
• 63 Kyle Donahue, Chevrolet
• 66 Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
• 68 Clay Greenfield, 1-800PAVEMENT Chevrolet
• 183 Todd Peck, Chevrolet
• 88 Matt Crafton, Menards Toyota
• 98 Grant Enfinger, Ride TV Toyota
• 199 TBA, Chevrolet

Last Update: June 13, 2017 — 5 p.m. CDT

 

Official entry list for the ARCA Midwest Series Illinois Lottery 50

• 04 Natalie Decker, Eagle River WI, Toyota
• 0 Andy Jones, Gurnee IL, Toyota
• 2 Gregory Borchardt, Prior Lake MN, Chevrolet
• 5 John Beale, Verona WI, Chevrolet
• 7 John DeAngelis Jr., Hubertus WI, Ford
• 7 Paul Shafer Jr., Portage IN, Chevrolet
• 8 Brent Kirchner, LaCrosse WI, Chevrolet
• 14 Austin Nason, Roscoe IL, Ford
• 15 Dean LaPointe, Marshfield WI, Ford
• 18 Michael Ostdiek, Lakeville MN, Chevrolet
• 20 Jim Sauter Jr., Tomah WI, Ford
• 35 Travis Dassow, West Bend WI, Toyota
• 36 Dan Fredrickson, Lakeville MN, Toyota
• 39 Andrew Morrissey, DeForest WI, Ford
• 42 Dennis Prunty, Knowles WI, Toyota
• 44 Justin Mondeik, Gleason WI, Chevrolet
• 45 Rich Bickle Jr., Edgerton WI, Chevrolet
• 52 Ricky Baker, Plainfield IL, Ford
• 75 Mike Beyer, Machesney Park IL, Ford
• 77 Jonathan Eilen, Hampton MN, Ford
• 91 Ty Majeski, Seymour WI, Ford
• 99 Cole Rouse, Fort Smith AR, Toyota
• 99 TBA, Toyota
• 119 Dalton Zehr, Daytona Beach FL, Chevrolet

Received: June 12, 2017 — 1 p.m. CDT

Saturday, June 17 — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 schedule

• 8:30 a.m. — Spectator parking lots open.
• 9 a.m. — Spectator gates open.
• 9 a.m. — Climbin’ for Linemen competition begins (infield).
• 9:30-10:25 a.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 practice.
• 11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m. — Final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 practice.
• 1:30-2:30 p.m. — Illinois Lottery 50 ARCA Midwest Tour practice and qualifying.
• 2-2:45 p.m. — NASCAR driver autograph session (infield).
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. — Free concert by The Band Steele on the Busch Music Stage (on the midway).
• 4:45 p.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 qualifying.
• 5:45 p.m. — ARCA Midwest Tour Illinois Lottery 50 driver introductions.
• 6:10 p.m. — ARCA Midwest Tour Illinois Lottery 50 (40 laps, 50 miles, timed event).
• 7 p.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 driver introductions.
• 7:30 p.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 (160 laps, 200 miles).

Schedule is subject to change.

Twitter hashtag: #D4LM200

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Grant Enfinger - 2017 @GatewayMSP Preview #DrivinForLinemen200 @GrantEnfinger @RIDETV https://t.co/JHX0f86QC7 pic.twitter.com/bXB07kbqCx

— ThorSport Racing (@ThorSportRacing) June 14, 2017

.@CBellRacing looking for back-to-back wins in the @JBLaudio Tundra. https://t.co/uQGa8jCYam

— KyleBuschMotorsports (@KBMteam) June 14, 2017

.@ToddGilliland_ ready to get back behind the wheel of the @PedigreeUS Tundra at @GatewayMSP https://t.co/cvSRDSKrQZ

— KyleBuschMotorsports (@KBMteam) June 14, 2017

Brad @keselowski Racing @NASCAR_Trucks Preview: BKR Looks to Build on Keselowski Family Success at @GatewayMSP https://t.co/M1fACXFR3L pic.twitter.com/RRAX2TFerf

— BradKeselowskiRacing (@TeamBKR) June 14, 2017

Schedule for #NASCAR Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec will be joined by the Illinois Lottery Presents ARCA Midwest 50 and the Vatterott College Silver Crown Showdown for USAC open-wheel racers. 

Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m. with the NASCAR race slated for 7:30 p.m. The inaugural Climbin’ For Linemen competition will start at 9 a.m. in the speedway’s infield.

NASCAR DRIVIN’ FOR LINEMEN 200 BROUGHT TO YOU BY ALTEC SCHEDULE

Friday, June 24

• 5-6 p.m. — NASCAR garages open to the public.
• 6-10 p.m. — Party at the ‘Plex at the Gateway Kartplex (kart racing, music, entertainment). NASCAR drivers have been invited to participate.

Saturday, June 25

• 8 a.m. — Spectator gates open.
• 8:30-9:25 a.m. — First NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice.
• 9 a.m. — Inaugural “Climbin’ For Linemen” competition (infield area near Turns 3 and 4).
• 9:30-10:20 a.m. — First USAC practice.
• 10:30-11:55 a.m. — Final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice.
• 12:30 p.m. — USAC qualifying.
• 1 p.m. — ARCA Midwest Tour practice.
• 1:45-2:30 p.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver autograph session (infield area).
• 2:15 p.m. — ARCA Midwest Tour qualifying.
• 3 p.m. — USAC driver introductions.
• 3:30 p.m. — Vatterott College Silver Crown Showdown (USAC Silver Crown Series, 60 laps, 75 miles).
• 4:45 p.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec  qualifying (multi-vehicle, three rounds).
• 6 p.m. — Illinois Lottery Presents ARCA Midwest 50 (40 laps, 50 miles, timed event).
• 7 p.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec driver introductions.
• 7:30 p.m. — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec (160 laps, 200 miles).
• Schedule is subject to change.

Former Local Driver Tyler Reddick Wants To Win The Drivin’ For Linemen 200

Reddick Originally from California

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series star Tyler Reddick is a native of California but he lived and competed in the Du Quoin, Illinois, area for six years before moving to North Carolina to pursue a career in NASCAR racing. The 20-year-old veteran, who raced in the World of Outlaws dirt track series when he was only 12, has competed in the 2014 and 2015 Drivin’ For Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park and is looking forward to landing in Domino’s Victory Lane immediately after the checkered flag falls on the 2016 edition.

“Gateway means a lot to me and my family,” said Reddick, driver of the Brad Keselowski Racing No 29 Cooper Standard Ford. “I have a lot of friends who are coming to that race, so I definitely want to run well. I spent a lot of time growing up in Du Quoin and I know that area better than I know where I live now in Charlotte.  There are a lot of good, hard-core race fans in that area that love all forms of racing.”

Last year, Reddick started sixth in the Drivin’ For Linemen 200 and finish eighth. He has completed all 320 laps in both GMP starts and has led at last one lap in each race.

“We were really close to winning it last year, but came up a little short,” Reddick explained. “I’m going the extra mile to make sure that we have a good race and put ourselves in a position to win like we did last time. Turns 3 and 4 are most important to me because it’s coming to the checkered flag and it’s a long sweeping corner.  In Turns 1 and 2 you drive in straight, brake, turn and then get back to the gas as soon as you can.  It’s definitely a tough track and you have to be on top of your game to be able to run good there.”

“Gateway is definitely a compromise race track because it’s so different at both ends,” said Reddick’s crew chief, Doug Randolph. “It’s really important to get off the corner there, because if you struggle on corner exit and the driver can’t use the gas, you’re at a disadvantage on those long straightaways. The key to a good race is to have a fast Cooper Standard Ford F-150 and keep track position.  If you get trapped in the back of the pack, it’s really hard to race up through traffic.  You must be fast enough to maintain track position, but then you have to figure out a way to stay up front.”

Young Reddick’s career bio is impressive. Before graduating to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he won more than 120 feature races, earned 13 track championships and scored three national series titles. He won the prestigious UMP Summernationals for Dirt Late Models at Highland, Illinois, in 2014 and has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories under his belt.

To put it into perspective, he was beating veteran adult racers before he was legally old enough to operate a motor vehicle in his home state and winning major NASCAR events while still too young to sip a celebratory post-race beer. At this rate, he could become the next big thing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series scene long before your subscription to Netflix expires.

Source

NASCAR Driver Jennifer Jo Cobb Celebrating 25th Year In Motorsports

Two Female Military Veterans Will Be Honored

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb is celebrating her 25th year in motorsports. The Kansas City native is entered in Saturday’s NASCAR Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec at Gateway Motorsports Park and will honor female military veterans at the event.

Cobb, driver of the No. 1 Driven2Honor Chevrolet,  is one of only two females to compete consistently full-time in NASCAR’s big leagues and  — even more uniquely so — is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team owner. The race at GMP will mark her 123rd start in the series.

Cobb is the founder of Driven2Honor (www.driven2honor.com), a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring women who serve in the U.S. military. Prime, Inc., a Springfield, Missouri trucking company hosted a fundraiser through it’s “Prime Highway Diamonds,” an organization comprised of a group of the company’s female truck drivers.  This weekend Driven2Honor will honor Tammy Campbell and Tiffany Hanna, two Prime, Inc. professional truck drivers who served in the military.

“No matter what kind of a race we run each week I feel like we have accomplished something great when we see the smiles of our Driven2Honor honorees,” said Cobb.

“I love racing at Gateway because it is so close to home and allows us to invite some of our Kansas City sponsors and friends to enjoy time with us in the St. Louis area.  Staying at the luxurious Parkway Hotel is a bonus for our team who keeps a pretty hectic schedule traveling across the country to race more than 23 times a year.”

Cobb’s six-year partnership with Mark One Electric of Kansas City includes their participation at GMP. Mark One Electric was instrumental in securing a hotel sponsor for Cobb and the team has stayed at the Parkway Hotel each year since the track re-opened.  Cobb will host a meet-and-greet for her fans at The Parkway Hotel,  4550 Forest Park Avenue in St. Louis on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

In her 25 years of racing, Cobb has many notable accomplishments in the NASCAR Truck Series, including highest-finishing female driver, (6th, Daytona), highest female points finisher (17th in 2010 and 16th in 2014) and the woman with the most starts in the series (117). In 2016 Jennifer is running a full Truck season and also select races in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series. Between race events, Jennifer makes appearances for her sponsors, is a public speaker and runs the daily operations of her racing businesses.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec will be joined by the Illinois Lottery Presents ARCA Midwest 50 and the Vatterott College Silver Crown Showdown for USAC open-wheel racers. Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m. with the NASCAR race slated for 7:30 p.m. The inaugural Climbin’ For Linemen competition will start at 9 a.m. in the speedway’s infield.

Source

#NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Rico Abreu Visits St. Louis

Popular Rookie Is “Very Close To First Win,” Could Happen At Gateway Motorsports Park

 

Popular NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Rico Abreu made a pit stop in the St. Louis area earlier this month to help promote the June 25 Drivin’ For Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Abreu, driver of the No. 98 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota, appeared on three St. Louis-area television stations before departing to compete in his Sprint Car tonight at Gas City, Indiana.

Abreu never has raced on the 1.25-mile superspeedway but has won at many short tracks in the area. He is looking forward to competing at Gateway in a little more than three weeks.

“I’m excited. I feel Gateway has a lot of similarities to Phoenix. I raced there at the end of last year in my debut for the Truck Series,” said Abreu. “We had a lot of speed there so we’re going to bring that here. I’m getting a lot of input from my (ThorSport Racing) teammate Matt Crafton. He’s had a lot of success at Gateway and was really fast here last year. I’ll pick his brain during practice. It’s hard to say until you get out onto the track. That’s what we’re waiting for.”

Abreu, just 24 years old, already has established a winning reputation for himself. He’s won the coveted Lucas Oil Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma, twice (2015, 2016) — not to mention 45 World of Outlaws Sprint Car and USAC Midget Series races between 2015 and 2016.

Abreu told the local media he felt he was very close to winning his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and that it could come at Gateway.

“Yes, it definitely could come here. The restarts at pit stops at the end of the race get really exciting. You just have to have one big play in your favor and you could put yourself in a position to win the race.”

Source

St. Louis native Spencer Boyd to compete in #NASCAR Drivin’ For Linemen 200

St. Louis-area fans will have a local driver to cheer for in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Premium Motorsports and NASCAR rookie Spencer Boyd announced June 16 they have teamed up to enter the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec. This marks Spencer’s first race in his hometown since moving to Charlotte to chase his racing dreams.

“I grew up in Creve Couer, a suburb of St. Louis, with Gateway Motorsports Park as my home track,” Boyd said. “My super-supportive family made the decision to move to Charlotte a few years back so I could pursue a NASCAR career, but St. Louis will always be home. This whole year has been a dream come true and almost surreal. I hope I can put on a good show in my hometown and make my friends, family and heck, all of St. Louis proud!”

“Spencer proved that he could hang with the veterans in his NASCAR debut at Martinsville,” said Jay Robinson, owner of Premium Motorsports. “When I saw him drive from 27th to fifth place I knew he was special and someone that I wanted to see drive my truck.”

Boyd’s racing career began in the World Karting Gold Cup Series. He earned eight national titles in eight years of kart racing. At age 14, he moved to Legends Cars. In 2012, he entered 43 Legends Cars races and won 23, as well as the North Carolina state title. He finished second that year in the national Legends Cars point standings.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec will be joined by the Illinois Lottery Presents ARCA Midwest 50 and the Vatterott College Silver Crown Showdown for USAC open-wheel racers. Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m. with the NASCAR race slated for 7:30 p.m. The inaugural Climbin’ For Linemen competition will start at 9 a.m. in the speedway’s infield.

Source

#NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200, ARCA Midwest, USAC Silver Crown Series

Great Line Up For the Gateway Motorsports Park

“Three races, one ticket!” is the new slogan for this year’s highly-anticipated NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on June 25 at Gateway Motorsports Park. The third annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivin’ For Linemen 200 will be accompanied this year by the USAC Silver Crown Series and ARCA Midwest Tour Late Models.

The Drivin’ For Linemen 200 delivers some of the most popular NASCAR drivers and teams to the St. Louis region, including 2015 winner Cole Custer, 2013-2014 series champion Matt Crafton and rookie sensation Rico Abreu. Seventeen-year-old Custer thrilled the NASCAR fans with a daring move on the final restart to win the 2015 Drivin’ For Linemen 200 by only 0.871-seconds over Spencer Gallagher. Tyler Reddick is a former local driver who has won twice in the Truck Series. Driver introductions are slated for 7 p.m. with the green flag at 7:30 p.m.

The USAC Silver Crown Series race brings open-wheel excitement to GMP’s June 25 tripleheader. The wingless “big cars” of open-wheel racing boast a colorful history dating back to 1971. Past USAC Silver Crown Series champions include: A.J. Foyt (1972), Mario Andretti (1974), Missouri’s hometown hero Ken Schrader (1982) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart (1991 and 1995, respectively). California’s Kody Swanson is the series’ defending champion, having clinched titles in 2014 and 2015.

The 40-lap, 50-mile ARCA Midwest Tour race is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Two ARCA Midwest races have been run so far in 2016 and Ty Majewski of Seymour, Wisconsin, has won both. Majewski drives in this Late Model stock car series for the legendary Ruolo Brothers and is a member of Roush Fenway’s driver development program. Another driver to watch in this event is 17-year-old Natalie Decker, a four-time kart racing champion from Wisconsin.

The inaugural Climbin’ For Linemen competition will start at 9 a.m. in the speedway’s infield.

GEICO and GMP are offering a 60% discount on tickets to active military personnel, armed forces veterans — and their families. Each discount ticket also includes: one food voucher for one free bottle of water and hot dog  (redeemable at any concession stand on race day, courtesy of GEICO), one cold pit pass and one discounted coupon for the Gateway Kartplex that can be used anytime throughout the year. For more information on this offer, please visit: http://www.gatewaymsp.com/geico-military/.

Source

Ben Rhodes & the Thorsport Team Faces New Challenges With Optimism

Resolve In Preparation For Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ben Rhodes visited the St. Louis area June 14-15 to help promote the June 25 Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec at Gateway Motorsports Park. The 19-year-old driver of the No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing is competing for NASCAR’s 2016 Sunoco rookie-of-the-year title.

By all rights he could have backed out of his commitments and no one would have blamed him. A devastating fire ripped through his team’s 100,000 square-foot race shop in Sandusky, Ohio, early Monday morning. And yet he drove himself to St. Louis from his home in Louisville to fulfill every appearance, answer every question and smile for every photograph.

“That was tough,” Ben explained. “It’s something we’re going to have to overcome. Right now they’re setting everything up in the parking lot. We were able to get as much stuff out as possible. We recovered more trucks than I thought we would but I lost a couple of new trucks in the fire. The good news is that the truck we were going to bring for the next two races, at Iowa and Gateway, were pulled out before the fire got to it. We’re gonna have to come back bigger, stronger and better than before. No excuses. The fire’s not an excuse. We’re gonna go out there and run as hard as we can. We’re going to bring the best equipment that we have available to us right now.”

Rhodes never has raced at GMP but is looking forward to his first foray on the challenging oval. Although GMP is a 1.25-mile speedway, Rhodes team is assigning a half-mile truck to the task.

“It looks fast. Looks like two drag strips put together with some really tight corners,” Rhodes said. “Really long straightaways. It’s gonna be awesome going into the corners, seeing how deep you can drive in and get grip in our Tundra. I think we’re going to do just that. I like the fact that there’s less banking and that you carry so much speed into it. Back where my crew chief and I come from, the K&N Series days were all short-track, flat-track stuff. We’re bringing our Martinsville Speedway truck which is set up just for that. Hopefully that bodes well for the race.

“I know I’ve got some good teammates to lean on. They had really fast trucks here last year. We’re going to try to figure it out. We have one day to do it. I think we can. I have confidence in all my guys. They’re really confident about it too.”

Ben explained how his ThorSport team will attempt to set up a truck for an egg-shaped oval track with turns that don’t match.

“The technical explanation is you’ve got to look at load. You have to look at handling. You’ve got to look at so many things. I think, overall, it’s a compromise. Just try to get it as good as you can with both corners. That’s all there is to it. I’ve been looking at Turn 2 and it’s got a lot of character itself. All of the corners are different here. It’s not just one and two, and three and four. One is different from two. Two is different from three, three is different from four. They’re all different and each one has its own challenges. You have to make the most out of each challenge and try to get through it better than the competition. For me, that means braking on the truck as precise as possible and looking for every little bump to try to exploit it — and tune our set-up to those bumps.”

ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton is a two-time champion in the Truck series but was involved in a late-race accident in the 2015 Drivin’ For Linemen 200 which most likely robbed him of a victory.

“Matt gives me a lot of advice going into race weekends. Since we can’t test — I only have two testing sessions allotted since I’m a rookie. I’d have none if I was a veteran. My thing is, I watch all the races and take notes and ask questions about the race and try to figure it all out. With that, Matt gives me a lot of great feedback. We try to do pace car rides together. And we just spend as much time on the subject as possible. It helps out every weekend.

“We have some really good notes from last year. Matt was in the lead for a long time, racing with Erik Jones for a long time. I feel like we can lean on Matt a little bit. I can lean on my crew chief (Kevin Bellicourt) who comes from this background. I know he feels really confident. And when he feels confident about something we’re usually really fast. He felt good about Martinsville and that turned out well for us.”

After racing a local sportscaster as well as some up-and-coming young local kart racers at the Gateway Kartplex, Rhodes sat for more media interviews, then headed to the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis for a 630-foot ride into the sky before throwing out the first pitch at the Cardinals-Astros game in Busch Stadium. He did not embarrass himself on the 60-foot, six-inch lob to home plate.

“Man, that was an experience, throwing that ball,” Rhodes admitted. “It really gives you perspective on how good these guys are. To stand up on that mound and throw it as fast as they do, and in control. I threw it basically as slow as I could to get it there, just so that I knew it would be in control. If I tried to throw it hard I didn’t know where it was going to go.”

He met his guests — GMP social media contest winner David Berliner and his son, Mason — and they took in the game at the 10-year-old ballpark. The next morning, it was off to visit with patients at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis before departing for Iowa.

“The hospital visit was a lot of fun. They really did it up here at Cardinal Glennon. Being able to give out gas monkeys (Ben’s moniker for stuffed monkeys dressed in GMP hoodies) and race tickets to the kids and their families — I was really impressed with how much Gateway did to give back to the community here. And for me to be a part of it, that was a lot of fun for me. I got just as much out of it as the kids did. We take our health for granted every day. To see kids that have to come back and forth to the hospital for many visits, that’s really hard. We’re able to do what we love and travel. I know we take that for granted and we’re very fortunate for our health. Being here at the children’s hospital puts it all in perspective.”

The Drivin’ For Linemen 200 Brought To You By Altec will be joined by the Illinois Lottery Presents ARCA Midwest 50 and the Vatterott College Silver Crown Showdown for USAC open-wheel racers. Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m. with the NASCAR race slated for 7:30 p.m.

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