Monday, Jun 05
Speedway Digest Staff

Speedway Digest Staff

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No. 20 DEWALT Construction Technology Toyota Camry TRD News and Notes:

  • BELL AT WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY: The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) will compete for the second time at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) this weekend. Last year in the inaugural WWTR race Bell qualified third and crossed the finish line ninth.
  • WWTR HISTORY: Bell knows his way around the 1.250-mile oval. In 2016, while competing in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS), Bell took home the checkered flag. In two career NCTS starts at WWTR Bell has led 45 laps, earned one win, one top-five and two top-10 finishes. 
  • DEWALT CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY: The No. 20 has a new look this weekend featuring DEWALT Construction Technology. DEWALT is bringing new products to the market in software, advanced hardware and robotics to address changes in the construction industry impacting their customers. To learn more about DEWALT Construction Technology visit: https://www.dewalt.com/construction-technology  
  • DEWALT HOOD: DEWALT will feature Mainscape on the lower hood of the No. 20 Toyota Camry TRD this weekend at WWTR. For more information visit: https://www.mainscape.com/
  • DEWALT DECKLID: DEWALT will feature icon Mechanical on the decklid this weekend in St. Louis. For more information visit: https://www.iconmech.com/
  • CHARLOTTE RECAP: Bell lined up ninth for the Coca-Cola 600 after rain washed out practice and qualifying for the field at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The No. 20 Toyota Camry TRD was fast and Bell raced his way to the front, leading the field for 48 laps. He had to drop to the tail end of the field following an unapproved adjustment during the red flag delay for weather, but he worked his way back through the field and almost salvaged a top-10 finish until getting caught up in a late race accident. 
  • JGR IN ST. LOUIS: JGR has four NCS starts at WWTR, earning one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
  • RACE INFO: The Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter at WWTR begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 4, 2023. The race will be broadcast live on FS1, Sirius XM 90, and MRN Radio.

 

From the Cockpit:

Christopher Bell: “Gateway is a very unique track the way turns one and two are very sharp, and three and four being more sweeping. It takes a car that is very versatile to be good on both ends of the track, It makes it really fun.”

JGR PR

Headed West … Tyler Ankrum rolls into the “Gateway to the West” as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series invades the St. Louis area at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR). As five races remain before the playoffs begin, Saturday afternoon’s contest at WWTR marks a pivotal moment for the driver of the No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Ankrum currently resides 15th in the championship standings and hopes WWTR is the gateway to his third-career playoff berth.
 
HRE at WWTR … The San Bernardino, Calif. driver has four appearances under his belt at the St. Louis-area 1.25-mile egg-shaped oval. Ankrum made his debut at WWTR in 2019 and scored a best finish of 12th in 2020. The No. 16 team has had a steady track record in the St. Louis region since debuting there in 2017 with Ryan Truex. The HRE squad has put up one top-five, two top-10’s, and led laps in three of the five events, which included a third-place result in 2020.
 
Season to Date … Through 11 of 16 regular season events, Ankrum and the No. 16 team occupy the 15th position in the championship standings, 63 markers behind the cut line. Ankrum’s season-best result came eight races ago at Circuit of the Americas and he has posted three finishes of tenth or better in the 2023 season.
 
Chassis Selection … Chassis No. 008 will make it’s third start of the season at World Wide Technology Raceway. This Toyota Tundra TRD Pro made its last start at Darlington Raceway, where Ankrum would run around the top-10 most of the day, settling for a 15th place finish at the track too tough to tame.
 
Tune In … Fox Sports 1 has complete coverage of the Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway, beginning with practice and qualifying on Friday at 6:00 pm ET (FS1), followed by the green flag on Saturday at 1:30 pm ET (FS1). 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 World Wide Technology Raceway:
Gateway is such a unique racetrack from where we’ve been racing the last month or so. It’s like a big short track with flat corners, a lot of braking, and we’ll for sure need our LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro to turn in the center of the corners. It races similar to Phoenix, but Turns one and two are really tight while (turns) three and four are kind of wide and sweeping. Pit road is extremely narrow and how you get in and out of your box could be critical. Hopefully we can start to regain some points as we get closer to the playoffs.”
 
HRE PR

Kaulig Racing and Gabriel Glas form partnership as NASCAR heads west to Sonoma, California.

Gabriel Glas, an Austrian brand created by a Swiss wine critic in 2010, provides customers a true-universal wine glass that is flattering to all types of wine; white, red, rosè and sparkling. This universal wine glass will be featured on Allmendinger’s No. 16 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) entry and No. 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) entry.

“Kaulig Racing has always had a certain synergy on and off the track just as Gabriel Glas creates a synergy that yields the best wine experience,” Kaulig Racing president, Chris Rice says. “It’s a perfect fit as we go to wine country for AJ’s doubleheader weekend in Sonoma. We know AJ puts on a good show at these road courses and we’re looking forward to having Gabriel Glas be a part of it.”

In addition to competing in the first-ever NXS race at Sonoma Raceway, Allmendinger looks to improve on his best NCS finish (seventh) at Sonoma Raceway where he has earned one pole award and two top-10 finishes.

“I’m excited to get back to Sonoma and run double duty,” says AJ Allmendinger. “I’m not quite happy with my on-track success at Sonoma yet. We ran there last year and just didn’t have the result we were looking for. Being my home track, it’s a special place for me. It’s always fun to see family and friends there and I’m excited to have Gabriel Glas onboard for both races. I’m hopeful we can have a good showing for them.”

The No. 10 Gabriel Glas Chevrolet will be on track for the DoorDash 250 on June 10 at 8:00 pm with coverage on FS1. The No. 16 Gabriel Glas Camaro ZL1 will be on track for the Toyota / Save Mart 350 on June 11 at 3:30 pm with coverage on FOX.

Kaulig Racing PR

Charlotte Recap: Last Friday, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series hit the track for the NC Education Lottery 200 in Charlotte. From his 12th-place starting position, Hocevar quickly made his way into the top-five and up to second before Stage One ended. In the second stage, Hocevar took the lead on Lap 45 and maintained that position until the end of Stage Two. In the end, the No. 42 finished fourth after battling a tight-handling truck in the final stint of the race.

Hocevar on Last Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “Again, a Charlotte race seemed to slip away from us. We were so fast all night, and led 43 laps to show that. But, I’m so proud of this Worldwide Express team for getting another top-five and helping rebound in points.”

Hocevar at World Wide Technology Raceway: In three starts at Gateway, Carson Hocevar has a best-finish of eighth. His worst-finish of 24th came last year after he was collected in an incident on a green-white-checkered finish.

Hocevar on Saturday’s Race at World Wide Technology Raceway: “Gateway is an interesting track because the two ends couldn’t be any more different. Last time we came here, I was on crutches for the next couple months. But, I’m looking forward to getting back to the track and continuing our climb in the point standings.”

Climbing the Point Standings: Heading into Darlington Raceway in early May, Hocevar was 16th in the driver point standings. Three races later, Hocevar sits in eighth-place with two stage wins and a race victory to his credit. His climb up the standings is powered by three-straight top-five finishes and stage points in each of the last six stages.

On the Truck: Hocevar’s No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado will race with support from the WWEX group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz, and offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 115,000 customers across the country.

Niece Motorsports PR

Charlotte Recap: Lawless Alan started the NC Education Lottery 200 in 16th, his best qualifying effort of the season. Alan’s Silverado was stronger on the long run, falling back slightly on the shorter runs. In the end, Alan finished 17th for the third time this season.

Alan on Last Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “It’s always fun to race in Charlotte because it’s the closest race for most of the teams. I think it was the most complete intermediate race this season, and it gives us something to build on moving forward.

Alan at World Wide Technology Raceway: In one start at the 1.25-mile track, Alan finished 18th after starting 24th.

Alan on Saturday’s Race at World Wide Technology Raceway: “With only one start at the track it’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen in the race. But, I was happy with our run last year, so I’m hoping we can carry momentum in Gateway and collect another decent finish.”

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado will sport the AUTOParkit colors this weekend. AUTOParkit™ designs, manufactures, and constructs fully automated parking systems for new and existing buildings. AUTOParkit system structural steel and modular design can provide double the capacity of a traditional parking garage, providing up to 17 LEED points and drastically reducing construction time.

Niece Motorsports PR

The No. 41 Truck Last Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway: After qualifying eighth in his second race of the season, Bayley Currey brought home a 13th-place finish at Charlotte. Currey kept his No. 41 Unishippers Silverado inside the top-15 for most of the night. His 13th-place finish on Friday was enough to move the No. 41 up to 14th in the owner’s championship standings.

Currey on Last Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “It was great to return to Charlotte and drive one of these Niece Motorsports Silverados last week. I was able to continue building on my confidence throughout the race and felt good at the end; just couldn’t get a long-run in the final stage until the final one. I’m thankful to be able to drive this Unishippers Silverado and I’m looking forward to seeing how we stack up in Gateway.”

Currey at World Wide Technology Raceway: Saturday’s Toyota 200 will mark Bayley Currey’s first start at World Wide Technology Raceway. 

Currey on Saturday’s Race at World Wide Technology Raceway: “I’ve never raced a truck in Gateway before so I’m excited to get there. It’s a tricky track, so I think practice on Friday will be very important not just for us, but everyone.”

On the Truck: Currey’s No. 41 Unishippers Chevrolet Silverado will race with support from the WWEX group of brands, which comprises Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz, and offers full-service logistics expertise to more than 115,000 customers across the country.

Niece Motorsports PR

Rick Ware Racing, in partnership with Standout Management Group (SMG) and NASCAR driver Gray Gaulding, announced today the return of primary sponsor Panini America, the Official Trading Card partner of NASCAR.  Gray will be debuting the No. 15 Panini America NFT Ford Mustang at World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend

Gaulding, 25, returns to the NASCAR Cup Series for his 60th NCS start and his 11th with Rick Ware Racing. Since 2014, Gaulding has 158 overall NASCAR starts throughout its top-three series.

“Ever since we started working with Gray and his family he has been more than just a brand ambassador for us, he’s been more like a member of the family,” said Jason Howarth, Panini America, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Acquisitions. “Gray has been a huge part of our growth in the NASCAR trading card space, and we’re excited to team up with him and Rick Ware Racing one more time.”

“Personally, today is an exciting career day for me with this opportunity to return to the NASCAR Cup Series along with our sponsor Panini America, and with a team that wants to excel like Rick Ware Racing,” said Gray Gaulding. “Jason and Rick have both believed in my ability as a brand ambassador and driver, I do not plan to disappoint them. Since we ranthe first Panini NCS car in 2020, I know the timing is right to reunite and I am really looking forward to this race.”

For RWR, this is not only a reunion with Gaulding as the driver, but with Panini America as the primary partner.

“It will be good to have Gray race with us again,” said Rick Ware, team owner. “He has driven for us previously and we’ve been making overall improvements to the team since then. It’s also great to have Panini America as his primary partner again, too. Like us, they have been growing their company in some major areas and we’re planning to have a great race with them.”

RWR PR

NASCAR Cup Series -- Race No. 15 – 240 laps / 300 miles

World Wide Technology Raceway (1.25-mile oval) – Madison, Ill.

Fast Facts for June 3-4, 2023

Tire: Goodyear Eagle 18-inch Speedway Radials

Set limits: Cup: 1 set for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 10 sets for the race

     (9 race sets plus 1 set transferred from qualifying)

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-5124; Right-side -- D-5126

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 2,251 mm (88.62 in.); Right-side -- 2,276 mm (89.61 in.)

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front -- 14 psi; Left Rear -- 14 psi;

     Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 26 psi

Storyline – Cup teams have a lot of experience on Gateway tire set-up: As the NASCAR Cup Series traverses the country visiting different race tracks, consistency in the Goodyear tire set-ups helps teams tune their car set-ups in varying conditions.  The tire combination teams will run at World Wide Technology Raceway is a popular one, having been run in six races at four tracks in 2022, including at the suburban St. Louis facility.  Cup teams have also already run this set-up three times in 2023 – at Phoenix Raceway, Richmond Raceway and North Wilkesboro Speedway.

     “The tire set-up we’ll run at Gateway this weekend is one of the more tried-and-true in our tire lineup,” said Greg Stucker.  “Since going to the 18-inch bead diameter tire at the beginning of last season, we’ve run this set-up at this group of tracks, including Gateway.  The ability for teams to have that consistency in the tire is important to them being able to build a notebook and hone in on their car set-ups.  Not only are they able to arrive at the track closer to where they want to be so they can take advantage of their practice time, they also know how the tire will react to other tuning tools.”

Notes – Cup teams to run Phoenix/Richmond/North Wilkesboro tire set-up at Gateway: Being on an 18-inch bead diameter tire, NASCAR Cup teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Craftsman Truck Series at Gateway this week . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires Cup teams ran at Gateway last season, as well as at Loudon, Phoenix and Richmond . . . these teams have already run this same tire set-up at Phoenix, Richmond and North Wilkesboro in 2023 . . . with this 18-inch tire, and its lower profile sidewall, NASCAR Cup cars will not run inner liners in any of their tires.

Follow us on Twitter: @GoodyearRacing.

 

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series -- Race No. 12 -- 160 laps / 200 miles

World Wide Technology Raceway (1.25-mile oval) – Madison, Ill.

Fast Facts for June 2-3, 2023

Tire: Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Speedway Radials

Set limits: Truck: 5 sets for the event

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-6114; Right-side -- D-6116

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 2,218 mm (87.32 in.); Right-side -- 2,244 mm (88.35 in.)

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front -- 14 psi; Left Rear -- 14 psi;

     Right Front -- 31 psi; Right Rear -- 28 psi

Notes – Trucks on popular tire set-up at Gateway: Being on 15-inch bead diameter tires, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams will run a different tire set-up than those in the Cup Series at Gateway this weekend . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires Truck teams ran at Gateway last season . . . this is also the same tire set-up these teams ran at North Wilkesboro two weeks ago, and are scheduled to run at Richmond, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Milwaukee and Phoenix later this season . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, Truck teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Gateway . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

Follow us on Twitter: @GoodyearRacing.

 

GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES

NASCAR Xfinity Series – Race No. 13 – 75 laps / 147.5 miles

Portland International Raceway (1.967-mile road course) – Portland, Ore.

Fast Facts for June 2-3, 2023

Tire: Goodyear Eagle 15-inch Road Course Radials

Set limits: 5 sets for the event

Tire Code: D-6122 (same on all four tire positions)

Tire Circumference: 2,240 mm (88.19 in.)

Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front -- 22 psi; Right Front -- 20 psi;

     Left Rear -- 17 psi; Right Rear -- 17 psi

Notes – Xfinity teams on standard road course tire at Portland: NASCAR Xfinity Series teams will run the same tire on all four corners of the car at Portland . . . this is the same tire Xfinity teams ran on all their road courses in 2022, as well as at their first road course race of this season at COTA . . . as on all NASCAR road courses, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Portland.

Wet Weather Tires – White-lettered tires on hand: Goodyear will bring its 15-inch wet weather radials to Portland for use by Xfinity Series teams, should NASCAR decide that conditions warrant . . . teams will have 5 sets of wets available for the event, with a maximum of 4 sets for the race . . . Xfinity last ran in wet conditions at Portland in 2022 . . . in addition to the obvious difference of a tread pattern versus Goodyear’s dry weather “slick” tires, the “Goodyear” and “Eagle” lettering on the sidewalls of the wet weather tires is white, not the standard yellow.

Follow us on Twitter: @GoodyearRacing.

Goodyear Racing PR

Notes of Interest

 

● This weekend marks the second NASCAR Cup Series race at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis. Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter marks Ryan Preece’s first career start at the 1.25-mile, egg-shaped oval.

 

● Last weekend, as part of #NASCARSalutes and the annual 600 Miles of Remembrance initiative during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, the team honored Sergeant Bradley J. Harper of the United States Marine Corps Reserve on the windshield of the red, white, and blue No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather and the lineup was set per the NASCAR rule book putting Preece 22nd on the starting grid. Mother Nature didn’t let up on Sunday and the race was postponed until Monday. Preece finished 27th in Stage 1 and the team went to work making adjustments to help with rear grip. Preece rallied for an 18th-place finish in Stage 2, then dropped a pair of positions and finished 20th in Stage 3. In the final stage, Preece continued to fight despite multiple, untimely cautions and ended took the checkered flag in 13th place.

 

● Through the first third of the Cup Series season, Preece has shown improvement and consistency at a variety of racetracks, bringing a heightened sense of motivation and anticipation for the No. 41 team. He had a career weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April, earning his first Cup Series pole and leading a career-high 135 laps. Since then, although the results haven’t shown it, Preece has started coming into his own.

 

● In 14 points-paying events so far this season, Preece has four top-15 finishes, two of them coming in the last two points-paying races at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and Charlotte.

 

● Preece heads to Gateway International Raceway 28th in the driver standings with 225 points.  

 

● Preece kicked off the 2023 season with a strong showing in the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, leading a race-high 43 laps but ultimately finishing seventh after a fuel pump issue. He has a best points-paying finish of 12th this season, which came at Phoenix Raceway in March.

 

● Back again in 2023 on the No. 41 SHR Ford Mustang is HaasTooling.com. HaasTooling.com is the cutting tool division of Haas Automation led by SHR co-owner Gene Haas. HaasTooling.com was launched as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. HaasTooling.com products became available nationally in July 2020. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.

 

● RaceChoice.com, a proud partner of Preece, has launched a special racing experience giveaway for fans. The winner will receive airfare and a two-night stay during Coke Zero 400 weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. RaceChoice.com will also give the winners two pit passes for the race, set for Saturday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. ET, preceded by a meet-and-greet with Preece, driver of the No. 41 SHR Ford Mustang. Visit https://racechoice.com/2023-daytona-giveaway/ for more information.

 

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

You finally got the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in on Monday afternoon, and you were able to salvage a 13th-place finish. Do you feel that gives the team some momentum heading to St. Louis?

“Yeah, I think it definitely does. Any time we’re getting finishes in the top-15 after having a handful of finishes outside of the top-20, I think it boosts the morale on the team. We know what finishes we’re capable of and I think everything is slowly coming together. As far as the 600, man, what a night that was. The weather was wild all weekend, so I’m glad we got it in. Our team battled all night long. Some of those cautions just did not work in our favor at all, but I knew we had a good car. We just needed track position and clean air and I knew we could be up front. We made some really strong adjustments throughout the entire race and my crew was on it every time I came to pit road. I believe we had a top-10 car. But after a day like that, I’ll take 13th and our team will use that momentum to try and gain some more spots this weekend in St. Louis.”

 

You’ve never raced at Gateway. What are your thoughts on the track, and how are you preparing?

“I think Gateway is kind of its own beast, but I do think there are some similarities to other flat ovals that we visit. You know, New Hampshire and Phoenix are two that come to mind. Obviously, New Hampshire is home, so I’ve got a lot of experience there, and Phoenix is where I got my best finish of the season so far, so hopefully that translates to this weekend, too. Both ends of the track are so different at Gateway, but I’ve been taking notes and talking to Chad (Johnston, crew chief) and my teammates about it. We’ll be good to go, and hopefully we’ll unload fast and qualify up front so we can start the race up there and stay there. That’s our goal.”

 

TSC PR

obody creates a championship atmosphere better than Phoenix Raceway’s fans. Just ask NASCAR, which announced today that Phoenix Raceway will continue as host of NASCAR Championship Weekend in 2024.

Four champions will be crowned over three days, Nov. 1-3, 2024, as the best drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series West will compete for season supremacy in The Valley.

“This honor is a testament to our fans whose overwhelming support makes this a true championship-caliber venue,” said Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey. “They pack the grandstands, fill the hillside and create the best camping experience in all of NASCAR inside our breathtaking GEICO Gecko Campground. Now the onus is on us to exceed the already high standards we’ve set to continue building on this momentum and keep them coming back.”

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race completely sold out at Phoenix Raceway in 2021 and 2022, and only a limited number of seats remain for the 2023 NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Nov. 3-5. The weekend begins Friday, Nov. 3, with a championship doubleheader that includes the ARCA Menards Series West and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship races. On Saturday, Nov. 4, the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race caps a day that also includes NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.

And then on Sunday, Nov. 5, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race will once again tie a bow on one of the most exciting NASCAR seasons on record. Drivers will battle side by side for the coveted Bill France Cup in the fourth-consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race contested at Phoenix Raceway.

Fans can secure their seats and experiences for this year’s NASCAR Championship Weekend now by visiting www.PhoenixRaceway.com.

Phoenix Raceway PR

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