When the Limited Late Model field takes to the track at Stafford Speedway in 3 weeks, 23 year old Matt Scappini will kick off his first season of weekly competition at the Connecticut half-mile facility. (more…)
Joe
Ron Silk Eyes Tri Track Wins With New Team in 2021
SEEKONK, Mass. — After multiple successful years of competition with Bob Horn Racing, Ron Silk will transition to a new team for the Tri Track Open Modified Series presented by All Phases Renovations season in 2021. (more…)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Notes – Atlanta Motor Speedway
Of the six different race winners at Atlanta since the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to the 1.5-mile circuit in 2015 after a two-year break, five are in the field for Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Grant Enfinger (2020), Kyle Busch (2019), Brett Moffitt (2018), John Hunter Nemechek (2016) and Matt Crafton (2015) are all looking to capture the checkered flag once again in Georgia. The only winner from that span not in the race is Christopher Bell (2017 winner).
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Notes – Off Weekend
In the off-season, John Hunter Nemechek surprised many in NASCAR when he announced he was returning to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series following his first full-time year of NASCAR Cup Series competition. His reason for pairing up with Kyle Busch Motorsports for the 2021 season was clear – he wanted to win.
Mission accomplished. (more…)
Chris Meyer Has Eyes Set on Championship Run in Stafford’s Street Stocks
Chris Meyer came to Stafford Speedway last year with 10+ years of experience driving a Street Stock but the 2020 season was his first campaign at the Connecticut half-mile facility. Meyer’s lack of Stafford experience never showed though as he finished second in his first start and went on to win 2 races and finished 2nd in the final points standings. With a season’s worth of experience under his belt, Meyer and the #87 D & L Services team have a wave of confidence heading into the 2021 season. (more…)
NASCAR Xfinity Series News & Notes – Daytona Road Course
In 2020, the NASCAR Xfinity Series ran on four road courses. They started the season at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and then went to Road America, the Daytona Road Course and closed out at the Charlotte ROVAL.
Austin Cindric, last week’s winner, also won this race last season. (more…)
Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes
- TRUEX AT DARLINGTON: In 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. has earned one victory, two top-five finishes and seven top-10s. The Mayetta, New Jersey native led 28 laps on his way to winning the 2016 Southern 500 at the historical track and has led laps in three of the past five Darlington races. The track was also the site of Truex clinching the 2004 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship driving the No. 8 car for Chance2 Motorsports.
- SUNDAY AT DARLINGTON: In NASCAR’s return to racing Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, Truex started 15th and finished sixth. His day was not quite that easy though. Early in the race, the No. 19 Camry was very loose as Truex faded as far back as 30th. After a series of adjustments, he rallied back to finish third in stage two and ultimately ended the day with his first top-10 finish of the season.
- STARTING POSITION: By virtue of his sixth-place finish on Sunday, Truex will start 15th when the NASCAR Cup Series race goes green on Wednesday evening.
- STRONG IN THE STAGES: As a sign that Truex and the No. 19 team continue to be contenders at the front of the pack, he ranks third in stage points earned so far this season despite having to start from the rear of the field at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Counting stage points earned in the five races, Truex has claimed 50 stage points. Only Alex Bowman (55) and Chase Elliott (51) have earned more.
- THE REAL HEROES PROJECT: As part of The Real Heroes Project campaign, the No. 19 Camry will carry the name of Dr. Wheeler Jervis above the driver’s window for Wednesday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Dr. Jervis is a critical care physician and medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at Novant Health hospitals in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jervis and his team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare experts are managing the care of numerous critically ill people in the intensive care unit. The Novant Health connection is a personal one for Truex as his foundation works closely with the hospital on a number of projects, including the Novant Health Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Children’s Emergency Department at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and Novant Health SherryStrong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic that are both currently under construction.
- BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Wednesday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
- JGR AT DARLINGTON: Joe Gibbs Racing owns seven NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway, including Erik Jones’ win last September. Overall, the organization has amassed 25 top-five finishes, 55 top-10s, two pole awards and 1,595 laps led in 92 combined starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
- TUNE IN: Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway begins Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry
Talk about what you expect going back to Darlington again on Wednesday…
“I feel like we learned a lot on Sunday that will help us when we go back on Wednesday. Obviously we learned what not to do from how we started, but James (Small, crew chief) and the guys made some great changes throughout the race and we had a car good enough to finish in the top three or four. We were faster than the leader when we could get clean air at the end of the race, so that gives me confidence that we’ll unload a lot closer which will be very important since the race is shorter.”
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 15 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 232 | 16.3 | 11.2 |
Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 16.4 | 20.8 |
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 518 | 26 | 102 | 206 | 19 | 8,921 | 14.4 | 15.8 |
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”
Denny Hamlin/FedEx Racing Express Facts – Darlington
Race Info:
Race: Toyota 500
Date/Time: Weds, May 20/7:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 228 laps/311.4 miles
Track Length: 1.36 miles
Track Shape: Egg-shaped oval
2019 Winner: N/A
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2020 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.
Darlington “The Real Heroes 400” Recap: Denny Hamlin battled the track “Too Tough to Tame” for a top-five finish in NASCAR’s return to live racing on Sunday. Hamlin finished fifth at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in the Cup Series’ first event since going on hiatus in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The #11 “Thank You FedEx Team Members” Toyota lined up 10th by virtue of a random draw for the one-day event. With no practice or qualifying laps before the green flag, Hamlin had to assess the car for the first time during the first part of the race. The FedEx Racing team had brought a fast car – they just worked on slight handling issues through the 400-mile event. Hamlin remained in the top 10 throughout the afternoon, but never had enough to challenge for the lead. Kevin Harvick dominated much of the race for the win, leading 159 of the 293 laps.
Darlington Toyota 500 Preview: The series heads back to Darlington Raceway Wednesday night for a 500-kilometer event on the egg-shaped oval. Hamlin is a two-time winner at the track, taking the checkered flag in 2012 and 2017. Hamlin owns eight top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 15 career races at Darlington, leading a total of 562 laps. Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team will look to improve on their fifth-place finish in Sunday’s return-to-racing event at the South Carolina oval.
FedEx “The Real Heroes Project” Spotlight: FedEx is honored to highlight team member and “Real Hero” Jami Clark, from Afton, Wyo., with her name above the door of Hamlin’s car for the Toyota 500. Clark splits her time as a Sr. Global Operations Control Specialist with FedEx and as an Air National Guard C-17 pilot. Lately she’s been flying COVID-19 aid in missions for the 155 Airlift squadron. When she gets a free moment, she loves to go for runs with her dogs and train horses. FedEx is honored and thankful for her continued service during these challenging times.
FedEx “Delivering Strength” Paint Scheme: The #11 FedEx Toyota will sport a special paint scheme for the Darlington NASCAR race, carrying the message “Delivering Strength” on the hood and #fedexstrong on the back of the car. FedEx wishes to draw attention to not just its 475,000 FedEx team members, but all the organizations FedEx is working with during the COVID-19 crisis, including nonprofit organizations, the healthcare community and FedEx customers.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Darlington Raceway
Races: 15
Wins: 2
Poles: 1
Top-5: 8
Top-10: 12
Laps Led: 562
Avg. Start: 8.9
Avg. Finish: 7.6
Hamlin Conversation – Darlington:
How did it feel to be back on a real racetrack in the FedEx Toyota?
“It definitely felt good to be on the racetrack, that’s for sure. I’m proud of our FedEx team and everyone who helped put this program together. NASCAR and FOX did a great job to put together a process of making this a safe return that fans could enjoy on TV. Obviously, we wish we could do it with fans at the track, but that will come in due time.”
What do you need to do differently in the return to Darlington on Wednesday?
“I’m excited to go back and give it another shot. I like the process of figuring out what we can do better and getting to work on those things. Our FedEx Camry is going to be just as good, if not better, than it was Sunday.”
FedEx Office – Closest to Darlington Raceway: 2813 W Hwy 74, Monroe, NC 28110, (704) 289-3859
| 2020 FedEx Racing Team Results | |||||||||
| DATE | EVENT | LOCATION | START | FINISH | LAPS | STATUS | LED | PTS | TREND |
| Feb. 16 | Daytona 500 | Daytona | 21 | 1 | 209/209 | Running | 79 | 1st | ▬ |
| Feb. 23 | Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube | Las Vegas | 4 | 17 | 267/267 | Running | 0 | 9th | ▼ |
| Mar. 1 | Auto Club 400 | Fontana | 28 | 6 | 200/200 | Running | 0 | 7th | ▲ |
| Mar. 8 | Fan Shield 500 | Phoenix | 3 | 20 | 316/316 | Running | 0 | 11th | ▼ |
| Mar. 17 | The Real Heroes 400 | Darlington | 10 | 5 | 293/293 | Running | 0 | 6th | ▲ |
| Averages/Totals | 13.2 | 9.8 | 100% | 79 | |||||
Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes
- TRUEX AT DARLINGTON: In 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. has earned one victory, two top-five finishes and six top-10s. The Mayetta, New Jersey native led 28 laps on his way to winning the 2016 Southern 500 at the historical track and has led laps in three of the past four Darlington races. The track was also the site of Truex clinching the 2004 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship driving the No. 8 car for Chance2 Motorsports.
- LAST TIME AT DARLINGTON: Truex finished 15th in last fall’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. After starting 22nd, he methodically climbed his way into the 10 before a loose wheel during stage two forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop that dropped him off the lead lap and he was never able to recover the lost time.
- FIRST FOUR RACES: The No. 19 driver ranks 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings through the opening four races of the season. According to NASCAR Loop Data, Truex ranks in the top 10 in average running position, fastest drivers early in a run, fastest laps run, green flag speed, laps in the top 15, laps led and percentage of laps run on the lead lap.
- STRONG IN THE STAGES: As a sign that Truex and the No. 19 team continue to be contenders at the front of the pack, he ranks third in stage points earned so far this season despite having to start from the rear of the field at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Counting stage points earned in the four races (including the Duels at Daytona), Truex has claimed 46 stage points. Only Chase Elliott (50) and Joey Logano (47) have earned more.
- iRACING EXPERIENCE: Truex competed in the final eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race last Saturday at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway. After starting 14th, he was collected in an early accident and suffered front-end damage to his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry. Despite the misfortune, he rallied to as high as seventh before being involved in another incident late that dropped him to a 20th-place finish.
- THE REAL HEROES PROJECT: As part of The Real Heroes Project campaign, the No. 19 Camry will carry the name of Dr. Wheeler Jervis above the driver’s window for Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Dr. Jervis is a critical care physician and medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at Novant Health hospitals in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jervis and his team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare experts are managing the care of numerous critically ill people in the intensive care unit. The Novant Health connection is a personal one for Truex as his foundation works closely with the hospital on a number of projects, including the Novant Health Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Children’s Emergency Department at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and Novant Health SherryStrong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic that are both currently under construction.
- BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
- JGR AT DARLINGTON: Joe Gibbs Racing owns seven NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway, including Erik Jones’ win last season. Overall, the organization has amassed 24 top-five finishes, 52 top-10s, two pole awards and 1,595 laps led in 88 combined starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
- TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry
Talk about getting back to racing this weekend in Darlington…
“Everyone is excited to get back going and to put on a good show for everyone tuning in. This is a huge opportunity for our sport and one we all are taking very seriously to take the proper precautions during this time. From a racing standpoint, it is going to be different. To not have any practice or qualifying will be different from our typical weekends, but it is the same for everyone. I have confidence James (Small, crew chief) and our guys are prepared. We feel good about our chances at Darlington with how we have run there the past few years.”
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 14 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 232 | 16.4 | 11.6 |
Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 16.8 | 24.5 |
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 517 | 26 | 102 | 205 | 19 | 8,921 | 14.4 | 15.8 |
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”
KYLE BUSCH eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Homestead Advance
| Details: |
| • Event: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
|
| Where to Watch: |
| • FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150) ■ Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer.
|
| Overview: |
| • The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of actual racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. • While the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicks off on Sunday at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, it will be a multi-week series emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. • With the sports world on a necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series exists for the drivers to have a bit of fun until the return of their respective series. • Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will consist of 35 drivers.
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| KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Camry in the eNASCAR IRacing Pro Invitational Series: |
| You got into the iRacing simulator for the first time this afternoon (Saturday). What did you learn and who is helping you out?
“I’ve never done iRacing before and I don’t even have a setup. Fortunately, Ty Gibbs has a setup that I was able to practice on this afternoon for the first time. The biggest thing I learned is that lap-one, cold tires is “ice,” then it feels good for about 10 laps, and then the car gets really tight. Since you can’t change the setup, it’s really going to be tricky to figure out the balance of me fixing that. Thankfully, Ty Gibbs, ‘Boris’ (Bryan Cook, JGR Chief Digital Officer) and my Cup car engineer William Hartman, are big into iRacing and they were also helping me learn this afternoon – trying to get all the basics down of practicing pitting, restarts and everything I need to know. You aren’t going to learn it all in a few hours. These guys that are really good at iRacing do it on a regular basis, they’ve done a ton of work to get as good as they are. It’s cool to get our virtual M&M’S Camry out there and have some fun while trying to learn a new trade.”
• This will be Busch’s first official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.
• Busch’s Rowdy Energy Drink is a sponsor on the No. 51 Toyota driven by Malik Ray in the weekly eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series for Joe Gibbs Racing with Interstate Batteries as a sponsor on the No. 18 Toyota driven by Graham Bolin.
• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Homestead, Busch has two victories, including last year’s season-finale when he clinched his second title in NASCAR’s top series. |
