Big Rig History! For the First Time Ever, John Ray’s Iconic Truck Will be on Display in the Midway at Talladega Superspeedway
For 21 years, race fans have seen the iconic gold, brown and chrome Big Rig that carries the giant American flag around Talladega Superspeedway during the playing of the National Anthem prior to the start of races. During this weekend’s NASCAR Playoffs Tripleheader weekend, fans will have the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the truck as it will be displayed in the Midway.
The Midway, located on the outside of the track’s frontstretch, gives fans PLENTY to do, and will be a bevy of fun with exciting interactive activities for families, beginning at noon CDT on Friday. Saturday the fun begins at 8:00 a.m. CDT prior to an incredible doubleheader - the Chevy Silverado 250 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Sparks 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The Midway will also open at 8 am Sunday, with the YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series race waving the green flag later in the day at 1:00 p.m. CDT. Fans can keep up with the “world-class” experience via the NASCAR App.
The tradition of the Big Rig began in 2001. John Ray, an Eastaboga native, whose trucking company is located just a few miles from the mammoth 2.66-mile venue, drove his truck, sporting the giant American flag on the track as a tribute to the country after 9/11, and to his good friend, the late Dale Earnhardt. Since, the Big Rig has become a patriotic symbol of the greatest race track on the planet. Ray passed away in 2020, but his son, Johnny, continues the traditional drive, and will so again this weekend during pre-race festivities.
The Midway will be a packed house, with 45 exhibits and activations to get long-time fans, as well as newcomers to the sport of NASCAR, amped up while enjoying multiple performance acts amidst the multitude of fan experiences. In addition, there will be Fan Q&A with NASCAR personalities inside the Talladega Garage Experience. The lineups of activities can be found at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com
Here’s the Cliffs notes of that tremendous list (which includes the Midway and the Frontstretch grandstand):
- So Much to Do! Some of the 45 interactive displays consist of a host of Talladega Superspeedway and NASCAR corporate partners, plus NASCAR teams’ merchandise haulers, along with Axe Throwing, Caricature Artists, local dance companies, plus the popular Trackside Live Stage Presented by Race for the Championship, and much more.
- The Trackside Live Stage Presented by Race for the Championship brings guests a live show filled with Q&A’s, concerts, performances and more. It will be the site of appearances from multiple drivers and NASCAR dignitaries for fan question/answer sessions.
- Saturday’s slate includes NASCAR Cup Series driver’s Chris Buescher and Todd Gilliland, NASCAR Xfinity Playoffs driver Riley Herbst, along with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers’ Natalie Decker, Chase Purdy, Carson Hocevar and Alabama’s own Grant Enfinger, who is in the playoffs mix. DJ Mark will also take to the stage on three separate occasions.
- Sunday will consist of NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs drivers’ Joey Logano and Ross Chastain (winner of the GEICO 500 in April), as well as BJ. McLeod. Also on hand will be Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy, and Brandon McReynolds, spotter for Chastain (and son of FOX analyst Larry McReynolds).
Race fans in the popular infield Talladega Garage Experience, where fans can get up close and personal to the cars in the team garage bays, will also see driver Q&As at the Fr8 Auctions Stage. Those on hand Sunday, beginning at 9:30 a.m., are NASCAR Cup drivers’ Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Noah Gragson, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex, Jr. Saturday’s entertainment will be an acoustic performance by Berritt Haynes at 9:45 a.m.
Great tickets remain for the anticipated event and fans are urged to call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com for opportunities.
While the YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series race culminates an action-packed NASCAR Playoffs Tripleheader Weekend, things kick off Friday afternoon (at 2:30 p.m. CDT) with qualifying that will determine the starting lineup for both the Sparks 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race and Chevy Silverado 250 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Saturday’s festivities get under way 11:30 a.m. CDT with the drop of the green flag for the Chevy Silverado 250, followed by the Sparks 300 at 3 p.m. CDT.
Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Chase Rice, who also has NASCAR ties, will be the featured artist for the track’s traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert (Oct. 1). The best part about the concert is that admission is FREE with the purchase of a Sunday race ticket for the YellaWood 500. Breakout country artist Bailey Zimmerman will open the anticipated night.
Fans are encouraged to keep up with all the happenings at the biggest, baddest race track on the planet by following Talladega Superspeedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App. for the latest speedway news.
TSS PR
Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Talladega NXS Advance
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest |
• After kicking off his third straight NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs appearance with a strong fifth-place finish last Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team are looking to jump above the top-eight cutline in Saturday’s Sparks 300 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Herbst earned his career-best seventh top-five of the season at Texas, which moved him from 11th to ninth in the playoff standings, just one point below the top-eight cutline. Avoiding calamity will be especially important for Herbst at the always unpredictable Talladega, where he looks to better his seventh-place finish from April by staying out of trouble and earning valuable stage points along the way. While a win would guarantee a spot in the Round of 8, which begins Oct. 15 at Herbst’s home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, strong runs this weekend at Talladega and Oct. 8 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval can also help Herbst advance.
• With six races still remaining in 2022, Herbst can already call this season a career year. His seven top-fives eclipsed his previous season-best tally of five top-fives earned last year, and his 17 top-10s have already equaled his season high, first earned during his rookie year in 2020. • The No. 98 Monster Energy team has been solid at superspeedway-style tracks this season. In the Xfinity Series’ season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Herbst earned a fourth-place finish after running in the top-10 for a majority of the day, successfully avoiding multiple accidents and collecting bonus points with his stage finishes. Five weeks later, the series arrived at the repaved and reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval where racing now is more akin to what’s seen at Daytona and Talladega. Despite overheating problems that put him a lap down early in that March 19 race at Atlanta, the No. 98 team persevered to get back on the lead lap and earn another fourth-place finish. After a seventh-place drive April 23 at Talladega, Herbst claimed another Atlanta top-10 with a strong ninth-place finish on July 9. In his most recent superspeedway outing Aug. 26 at Daytona, Herbst navigated several accidents to finish 15th.
• The Sparks 300 will be Herbst’s sixth career Xfinity Series start at Talladega. The 23-year-old from Las Vegas finished fourth at the 2.66-mile oval in April 2021, currently his best result at the track. In his return to Talladega last October, Herbst was in position for the win, leading 26 laps and running in the top-10 for a majority of the race. However, the No. 98 Ford Mustang was caught up in the “Big One” with just six laps remaining. The team followed up that performance with another top-10 run when the series returned to Talladega this past April.
• In addition to his Xfinity Series starts at Talladega, Herbst has also competed in one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and four ARCA Menards Series races. His best finish came in his April 2019 ARCA start when he missed victory lane by .149 of a second as the runner-up to race-winner Todd Gilliland. That October, in his one and only Truck Series start at Talladega, Herbst earned a solid third-place finish.
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Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang |
You head to Talladega fresh off a top-five finish last week at Texas – a great way to begin your playoff run. With two races remaining in the Round of 12, what is your approach? “Texas was a good weekend for us, and I’m glad that we could go there and get a top-five. With the playoffs, I’m more of a race-by-race guy. Ultimately, you have to survive each race and perform to the best of your ability. I will say that this first round will be the hardest for this No. 98 Monster Energy team. Talladega is unpredictable, and I haven’t been able to wrap my head around the Roval, yet. Hopefully we can survive and advance.”
Talladega is indeed unpredictable. How do you approach a race where there are so many variables out of your control? “It’s all about survival. Talladega is a wild card and you never know what’s going to happen. I think if we can stay out of trouble and get a little luck, we can be contenders at the end. The key part is getting to the end of the race. We’ve led laps there and performed well at the superspeedways this season, so hopefully we can see that continue at Talladega.”
The playoffs are built around a “win-and-you’re-in” mentality, but you’ve proven that consistency can take you far, as well. A win is always the goal, but how satisfying is it to see your front-running consistency this season yield results? “I’m proud of this No. 98 Monster Energy team for how far we’ve come. The growth is obvious and people are seeing it. Kevin Harvick gave me the best advice at the beginning of the season when he said I needed to focus on being consistent in the top-10 and finishing races. I think we’ve done that and I’ve grown as a driver because of it. Now we have to shift our focus to be consistently top-five and competing for wins. I cannot thank every person on this team enough for all of their hard work.”
TSC PR |
NCS AT TALLADEGA: Team Chevy Advance
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GM PR
Petty GMS Race Preview: Talladega Superspeedway II
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- Jones at Talladega Superspeedway: Erik Jones will make his 12th-career start in the Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday afternoon for the YellaWood 500. In his previous 11 Cup Series starts at the Alabama track, Jones has two top-five finishes, five top-10 finishes with a best finish of second in 2020. Earlier this season, Jones started the GEICO 500 from the 16th position, led 25 laps and was in position for a shot at the win before finishing the race in the sixth position. In the Xfinity Series, Jones has three starts with a career-best finish of fifth in 2017. With two starts in the Truck Series, Jones has a fourth (2015) and sixth-place finish (2014). With three superspeedway races this season, Jones has led laps in all three races for a total of 50 laps out of a total of 123 laps led this season. - Erik Jones Sightings: Fans attending Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway will have a chance to see Erik Jones before the race:
- Breast Cancer Awareness: The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and all Petty GMS and GMS Racing teams will honor individuals throughout the month who are battling, are survivors and those who have succumbed to the disease. Each vehicle will carry pink ribbons with the names of family members and friends submitted by Petty GMS and GMS Racing employees. During this month, we honor all those affected by this disease. - Focused on Winning: FOCUSfactor will serve as the primary partner on Jones's Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. - About FOCUSfactor: FOCUSfactor is sold at America’s leading retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com. FOCUSfactor, America’s leading brain health supplement, is a nutritional supplement that includes a proprietary blend of brain supporting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In December 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 8,329,227 covering FOCUSfactor’s proprietary formulation “for enhanced mental function”. The issuance of the patent marked one of the few times a patent has been issued for a nationally branded nutritional supplement. FOCUSfactor is clinically tested with results demonstrating improvements in focus, concentration and memory in healthy adults. - From the Driver’s Seat: “I think Talladega will be really good for us. Superspeedway’s, every race this year we’ve been really, really fast and really strong and had a shot to win and just haven’t closed it out. Hope this is the one. I think it’s a race we can win for sure going in. I think we all feel really confident. I feel really confident in my superspeedway ability, feel really confident in what we are bringing car wise to the superspeedway’s right now. I think Talladega plays in our hand a little bit more than Daytona with the speed we’ve had. I’m excited for that and hopefully we can go there and get a win with our FOCUSfactor Chevy.” |
PGMS PR
The NASCAR Pinty's Series rookie driver headed to Delaware Speedway in Ontario last weekend for the final race of the season.
NASCAR Pinty’s Series rookie driver Jean-Philippe Bergeron traveled to Delaware Speedway in Ontario last weekend for the final race of the season. The particularly bumpy half-mile oval gave the team a hard time with their setup choices during practice. Although the Jacombs Racing organization found the right adjustments, the driver had to settle for a starting position from 21st following qualifying. “The weather was not in our favor. It rained just before the race. The track was slippery and there was mud in some places,” said Bergeron.
The #1 Prolon | Rousseau Métal | CTSR Mustang was very fast at the beginning of the race and the driver took advantage of it to start his comeback. As he approached tenth place, the brakes started to deteriorate, which increased the level of difficulty. With 50 laps to go, Jean-Philippe avoided a major multi-car accident. He was able to get back on the leaders lap and get close to the lead. “I thought I would make it to the top-5, but on the last restart I found myself behind slower damaged cars which made passing difficult,” he said, still satisfied with the result. Indeed, Bergeron obtained his best result of the season, a seventh position, just behind his teammate, Alex Labbé.
A Rewarding Season Despite the Setbacks
When Bergeron looks back on his season, he remembers all the mishaps he experienced. Although he had a very fast ride, he didn’t get the results he was hoping for, too often falling victim to bad luck. He still finished the season with a second place in the rookie championship and a tenth place overall.
“I learned a lot this year. I had the chance to race alongside talented drivers in a very competitive series. I was experiencing for the first time most of the tracks I raced on. I improved my driving, there is no doubt about it, and I am very proud of that,” added the driver who bravely faced his share of challenges throughout the season. “The Jacombs Racing team has worked very hard all year to deliver a great car at every race. I would like to thank Dave Jacombs for believing in me and giving me the tools to be competitive,” he concluded.
In 2023
Bergeron enjoyed his experience in the Pinty’s NASCAR series which he considers more competitive than the ARCA series he raced last year. He hopes to find the necessary sponsorship to return to this series next year for a full season and have the chance to compete with the best Canadian drivers for the win.
Important Partners
Jean-Philippe has been able to count on long-time partners who have allowed him to complete a full season in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series: Prolon Controls, Circuit téléguidé Saint-Roch and Technoflex. To these were added this year the Olivier Group with its Shelby Canadian division, Rousseau Métal, Hipertech, Permatex, Métaux Angers, DL Performance, Lettrapub, Unik, Aviation NETWorx and Aeroskills Tournament.
JP Bergeron PR
Wood Brothers Set To Make 100th Talladega Start
After spending a Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway experiencing the highs and lows of motorsports, Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team are headed to Talladega Superspeedway confident they can overcome whatever obstacles the racing gods place in their path.
At Texas, Burton and the No. 21 team worked their way to the front of the pack and led the race for 15 laps only to lose the lead and a lap when a pit stop went awry and the team had to deal with a serious fire. Still, the team recovered, regained the lost lap and wound up with an 18th-place finish.
This week’s 54th annual YellaWood 500 marks the 100th Talladega start for the Wood Brothers team, which has five wins, 19 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes plus six poles at the high-banked, 2.66-mile superspeedway.
Crew chief Brian Wilson believes the team can mark that milestone with a strong showing this Sunday.
“Last weekend in Texas, it was really special to see the No. 21 Ford at the front of the field, especially with Nancy Wood’s name on the door,” Wilson said. “That was a great boost of confidence for our whole group and shows that our process is starting to pay off.
“As we head back to Talladega our group should also have confidence based on our previous speedway performance as well. I keep telling the guys if we survive one of these races we’ll end up with a great result.
“From the first race of the season in Daytona through the rest of the speedway races our team has shown the speed to run up front at each one of them. We’ll look to continue to build on that success this weekend.”
But as the Wood Brothers have learned in their previous 99 starts at the Alabama track, races there truly are wild-card affairs.
“Races at Talladega always produce some unpredictable action,” Wilson said. “As we’ve shown the past few weeks, and really all season, our group will be ready for anything that comes our way.”
There will be no practice for the Cup Series this weekend. Qualifying is set for Saturday at 9:30 a.m. (10:30 Eastern Time).
Sunday’s 188-lap race is scheduled to start just after 1 p.m. (2 p.m. Eastern) with TV coverage on NBC.
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 60 and 120.
WBR PR
Talladega Superspeedway Hosts Second Race in Nascar Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 This Sunday at 2 P.M. ET on NBC
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 drives on this Sunday from Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, marking the first of six consecutive Cup Series Playoff races to conclude the season on the broadcast network. A victory by a playoff driver at Talladega will automatically clinch them a spot in the Round of 8.
Racing icon and NBC Sports NASCAR analyst Kyle Petty previewed the weekend by saying, “Talladega has been NASCAR’s original wild card race since 1969. This year may be its biggest ever and I can’t wait to see what happens. This weekend is a must watch!”
In addition, seven consecutive hours of motorsports coverage Saturday on USA Network features the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway and the conclusion of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Petit Le Mans season finale with coverage getting underway at 3:30 p.m. ET.
2022 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS ROUND OF 12
| Driver | Points |
| Joey Logano | 3071 |
| Ross Chastain | 3059 |
| Kyle Larson | 3057 |
| Ryan Blaney | 3056 |
| Denny Hamlin | 3049 |
| Daniel Suárez | 3045 |
| Chase Elliott | 3045 |
| Chase Briscoe | 3041 |
| Austin Cindric | 3034 |
| William Byron | 3033 |
| Christopher Bell | 3016 |
| Alex Bowman | 3015 |
NASCAR: CUP SERIES YELLAWOOD 500 & XFINITY SERIES SPARKS 300
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 continues this Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway with a berth in the Round of 8 available with a win by a playoff driver. Joey Logano leads the playoff standings after a second-place finish in the Round of 12 opener at Texas Motor Speedway. Tyler Reddick won last week’s race in Texas.
Beginning a stretch of six consecutive Cup Series Playoff races on NBC to conclude the season, coverage of the YellaWood 500 at Talladega will be presented Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with an hour-long edition of Countdown to Green beginning pre-race coverage at 1 p.m. ET. NASCAR America post-race coverage will immediately follow the checkered flag at 6 p.m. ET on Peacock.
The Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 12 continues Saturday with the Sparks 300 at Talladega Superspeedway at 4 p.m. ET on USA Network, with Countdown to Green getting underway at 3:30 p.m. ET. Noah Gragson has won four straight races and has secured a spot in the Round of 8.
Two-time Daytona 500 Champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will serve as analysts for the Cup and Xfinity Series races from Talladega Superspeedway with lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen.
Marty Snider, Parker Kligerman, Dave Burns and Kim Coon will serve as pit reporters this weekend.
Snider will anchor pre- and post-race studio coverage with racing icon Kyle Petty and JTG Daugherty Racing team owner Brad Daugherty this weekend from the Peacock Pit Box.
Earnhardt Jr. is a six-time Cup Series winner at Talladega.
The official home of the NASCAR Championship and Playoffs, NBC Sports will once again present the final 20 NASCAR Cup Series races and 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2022 across NBC, Peacock and USA Network, culminating with the Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5-6. Click here for more information on NBC Sports’ 2022 NASCAR coverage.
NASCAR Pick ‘Em: NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, NASCAR Pick ‘Em, features a weekly contest for each NASCAR Cup Series race throughout the season. NASCAR Pick ‘Em is available for download now on the NBC Sports Predictor app powered by PointsBet (available in the App Store and Google Play Store).
BROADCAST TEAM
- Analysts: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte
- Play by Play: Rick Allen
- Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Parker Kligerman, Dave Burns, Kim Coon
STUDIO COVERAGE TEAM
- Host: Marty Snider
- Analysts: Kyle Petty, Brad Daugherty
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – NBC, USA Network
- Streaming – NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, Peacock
| Date | Coverage | Platform | Time (ET) |
| Fri., Sept. 30 | NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying | USA Network | 5:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 1 | NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying | NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app | 10:30 a.m. |
| Countdown to Green – NASCAR Xfinity Series | USA Network | 3:30 p.m. | |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Sparks 300 | USA Network | 4 p.m. | |
| NASCAR America Post-Race – NASCAR Xfinity Series | USA Network | 6:30 p.m. | |
| Sun., Oct. 2 | Countdown to Green – NASCAR Cup Series | NBC | 1 p.m. |
| NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 | NBC | 2 p.m. | |
| NASCAR America Post-Race – NASCAR Cup Series | Peacock | 6 p.m. |
IMSA: PETIT LE MANS
The star-studded field at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul Petit Le Mans season finale is headlined by Jimmie Johnson, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, and 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya. Championships will be decided in all five IMSA classes at the ten-hour endurance race taking place this Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta across NBC, Peacock and USA Network.
BROADCAST TEAM
- Play by Play: Leigh Diffey, Dave Burns
- Analysts: Calvin Fish, Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe, Brian Till
- Pit Reporters: Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch, Hannah Newhouse, Matt Yocum
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – NBC, USA Network
- Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
| Date | Platform | Time (ET) |
| Sat., Oct. 1 | NBC, Peacock | Noon |
| Peacock | 3 p.m. | |
| USA Network, Peacock | 7 p.m. |
MOTOGP: THAILAND GRAND PRIX
Only four races remain in the 2022 MotoGP season as the series returns to Southeast Asia for the Thailand Grand Prix at Chang International Circuit this Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET on CNBC. 25 points separate Fabio Quartararo (219 pts), Francesco Bagnaia (201 pts), and Aleix Espargaro (194 pts) in the chase for the championship, while eight-time world champion Marc Marquez returns to the circuit where he won his last title in 2019 and is coming off his first pole position in over three years.
NITRO RALLYCROSS
The 2022-23 Nitro Rallycross season continues this weekend in Minneapolis, Minn., live Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.
The series features inaugural season reigning champion and action sports icon Travis Pastrana as well as motorsports stars Ken Block, Tanner Foust and Jenson Button.
THE DALE JR. DOWNLOAD
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Chris Buescher joins this week’s The Dale Jr. Download episode streaming tonight at 6 p.m. ET on Peacock. Weekly and on-demand episodes of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast will stream exclusively on the platform, taking viewers table-side for unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight from Dale Jr.
NASCAR AMERICA MOTORMOUTHS
NBC Sports’ fan-favorite NASCAR call-in show, NASCAR America Motormouths, discusses the latest motorsports news and interviews with NBC Sports’ NASCAR analysts and reporters each Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.
RACE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Episode five of Race for the Championship premieres tonight at 10 p.m. ET on USA Network. The one-hour unscripted docuseries will take viewers inside the lives of NASCAR’s top drivers and teams on and off the track. Click here for more details on the series and here for the episode five trailer.
Across ten thrilling episodes, the all-access series will chronicle the sport’s best as they balance their personal lives with the passion, pressure and perils of racing, all for a chance to make history.
NBC Sports PR
BMR Expands Lineup To 4 Drivers For Roseville
Four drivers will represent the hometown team of Bill McAnally Racing when the ARCA Menards Series West visits All American Speedway in Roseville, California on Saturday for the NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by Berco Redwood.
They will be competing in the feature race, in Roseville’s biggest NASCAR event of the year. The annual event, which benefits the Placer Cancer Breast Cancer Endowment, has been recognized as the biggest single-day sporting event in Placer County.
The BMR lineup will feature the local father-son duo of John Moore and Cole Moore, of nearby Granite Bay. They will be racing identical appearing Chevrolets, carrying JM Environmental/Berco Redwood sponsorship – with John Moore driving the No. 27 and his son in the No. 99.
Cole Moore won the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship in the Late Model division at All American Speedway in 2020. His father followed that up by winning the same track title last year, along with the state championship.
Both drivers are gunning for their first ARCA West win. Cole has come close, with two runner-up finishes this season. Being at his home track could give him his best shot at victory. In addition, All American Speedway has had three straight first-time series winners, leaving the door open for Cole to become the fourth. He is also in contention for the ARCA West championship this year, with only two races remaining on the schedule after Saturday. His father, meanwhile, is returning to the series, where he last competed in 2015.
BMR’s lineup this week also features a couple of talented young, up-and-coming drivers who are looking to capture the spotlight – Landen Lewis and Sean Hingorani.
Lewis was named to drive BMR’s No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS midway through this season. The 16-year-old from Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, already had an ARCA West win among two series starts when he joined the BMR team in June. He has added to that with one top-five and three top-10 finishes in three starts.
Hingorani – a 15-year-old from Newport Beach, California – will be in a BMR entry for the first time. He’s had a fast start in racing, with a rapid rise in just 12 months of competition. His early success has been primarily in Legend cars and late model stock cars. He has made two ARCA West starts, with a best finish of 12th on the road course at Portland.
NAPA AUTO PARTS will be well represented at the track on Saturday, with the NAPA Distribution Center in Sacramento and Riebes NAPA stores playing a significant role in the event. A NAPA sales promotion – which utilized this race all year long and involved Adaptive One, Gates Industrial, NGK, and NAPA Tools & Equipment – will feature an outstanding VIP hospitality with more than 450 guests.
Lewis and Ron Hornaday Jr., a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and former NAPA driver, visited Riebe’s Auto Parts locations in Northern California on Wednesday and met with local media. Hornaday was instrumental in Lewis joining BMR.
The BMR drivers, along with their cars, will travel on Thursday evening to meet with well-known Sports Director Del Rodgers at KCRA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Sacramento.
Sponsor activities at the track on Friday will include VIP rides in BMR’s No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS two-seater Chevrolet for guests from NAPA Sacramento and Riebes Auto Parts.
ARCA Menards Series West Event:
Race: NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 Presented by Berco Redwood (Race 9 of 11) Oct. 1, 2022
Location: All American Speedway, Roseville, Calif. (.333-mile oval)
Television: Streamed live on FloRacing on Oct. 1, 7:45 p.m. PT/ USA Network on Oct. 10, 10 a.m. PT
BMR PR
Seventh Adobe Round up Next for Western Midget Racing
The rumble of Midget racing continues at Adobe Mountain Speedway in Glendale, Ariz. when Western Midget racing presented by Masters Design and Construction makes its seventh Copper State appearance of the year on Saturday night. Non-Wing Micro Sprints, Restricted Micro Sprints, and Jr. Sprints will also be competing at the 1/5th mile dirt bullring. Pit gates open at 2pm with the drivers meeting at 5pm. Hot laps and heat races will follow.
Cory Brown of Peoria, Ariz. has ruled his home track this season with three victories, but his streak of wins was snapped two weeks ago when Nathan High scored his second-career WMR triumph. Brown is locked in a tight battle with Oakley, Calif.’s Bryant Bell for third in the series championship, with just two points separating them in the standings.
They are all chasing 2021 champion Blake Bower of Brentwood, Calif. who enjoys a 64-point advantage over Las Vegas’ Kyle Hawse in the standings. Lodi, Calif.’s Nate Wait ranks fifth. Todd Hawse of Moorpark, Calif., Logan Mitchell of Santa Cruz, Calif., Sage Bordenave of French Camp, Calif., Chloe High of Goodyear, Ariz., and Drake Edwards of Surprise, Ariz. round out the top-ten.
Race winners at Adobe in 2022 include Bower in the season opener, Edwards in the second Adobe round, three consecutive wins for Brown, and the victory for Nathan High. A third-place finish on September 17 for Lonnie Oliver of Phoenix equaled his season-best and gives him great momentum as he challenges for his first series win. Las Vegas’ Kyle Hawse has a best finish of second on May 7 at Adobe as well.
Local supporters have added numerous bonus awards which boost the event to a possible $750 to win with a 16-car field.
Teams who travel from more than 240 miles to compete will be eligible for a part of the $400 in road warrior money offered at each round this season.
Western Midget Racing is presented by: Masters Design and Construction, Rockwell Security, Rams Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, Extreme Mufflers, FTK, Blud Lubricants, and West Evans Motorsports.
Car construction details are available at www.WesternMidgetRacing.com or find the series on Facebook!
WMR PR
Wide Open Chance Awaits Ankrum at Talladega
It’s Wide Open … Talladega Superspeedway has a knack for providing many drivers breakthrough performances in its history spanning more than half a decade, and a wide-open opportunity awaits for Tyler Ankrum on Saturday afternoon. The driver of the No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro produced a strong performance in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), the only prior superspeedway event this year, when he led his first laps with HRE and was in contention for the victory before an incident in the final laps. The last six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events at Talladega have seen drivers earn their first victory of the season, and that’s a trend Ankrum hopes to continue Saturday afternoon and add another superspeedway trophy for HRE.
HRE and Ankrum Superspeedway History … Ankrum took quickly to the intensity of Talladega by earning a seventh-place finish during his debut in 2019 after qualifying second. He returns for his fourth 'Dega appearance behind the wheel of the No. 16 which has a stout superspeedway history. Crew chief Scott Zipadelli and company have a victory at DIS to their credit in 2019 with driver Austin Hill. The No. 16 squad also earned a best finish of sixth at Talladega in 2019 and banked a stage victory in the 2020 visit to the world's biggest superspeedway. The combination are well-positioned to recapture past superspeedway success this weekend and be a threat for victory.
Season to Date … Only three races remain in the 2022 season and Ankrum continues to hold the 12th position in the drivers’ championship point standings. He posted a season-best finish of sixth at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July and has earned seven top-10 results with an average finish of 15.0.
Chassis Selection … Zipadelli and the No. 16 team have prepared chassis No. 012 for Talladega. This has been the team’s primary superspeedway Toyota Tundra TRD Pro since the 2020 season, and earned a stage win at Talladega two season ago. Ankrum most recently led four laps at DIS in February and was a major contender for the race victory before being involved in a late-race incident.
Tune In … FOX Sports 1’s coverage from Talladega begins on Saturday at Noon ET with NASCAR Raceday followed by the green flag at 12:30 p.m. ET. Stay connected with the No. 16 LIUNA team by following @Hattori_Racing on Twitter, @hattoriracing on Instagram, and Hattori Racing Enterprises on Facebook.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
On returning to a superspeedway:
“There are a lot of opinions on superspeedway racing, but the fact is there’s a trophy out there and a great opportunity for our LIUNA team this weekend. We had a great Toyota Tundra TRD Pro at Daytona earlier this year and I felt like we were one of the trucks to beat that night. The aggression level gets higher and higher with each lap that you click off, and we just got caught up in a mess coming to the white flag, but it makes all of us feel good that we have such great speed in our trucks. All the guys at HRE put so much effort into these trucks to make sure we have a fast piec. Survival is going to be a major key on Saturday, so if we can make it to the final 10-15 laps, I think we’ll have a great shot at it.”
HRE PR