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 60^th 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

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

Things are beginning to look up for Camden Gullie.

After a string of races in which he was plagued by mechanical issues and bad luck, Gullie rebounded to post sixth-place finishes in twin races in South Boston Speedway’s most recent event on May 13. That serves as a hopeful sign that Gullie is on the cusp of seeing his fortunes turn around on a positive note.

“Overall, we’re making progress,” Gullie pointed out. “I don’t think it’s showing right now because of the bad luck we’ve been having. We’ve had some bad luck with the front crankshaft seal coming out. That, and some things just have not gone our way.”

The early portion of the 2023 season has not been particularly kind to the young Durham, North Carolina resident. Gullie has posted one Top-5 finish and six Top-10 finishes in his eight starts in the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division at South Boston Speedway. He sits in fifth place in the division point standings entering the twin-75 lap Late Model races that will highlight the Bojangles Night Race event on Saturday night, June 3 at South Boston Speedway.

While he is behind in his marks from the two previous seasons, Gullie remains optimistic and continues to have high hopes for a successful season.

“It’s all about getting into a rhythm,” Gullie said. “This track changes a lot. It’s different every time we come here. Success is about hitting the nail on the head and finding the right (chassis) setup for that particular night. We’re just trying to find that right amount of stability all around. It comes down to a little bit of luck and skill.”

Gullie says it is tough to win races at South Boston Speedway because the best Late Model drivers in the business compete at South Boston Speedway each week.

“To win here says a lot about you and your team,” Gullie remarked. “It takes a lot to win here. You’ve just got to keep digging at it week-in and week-out and try to find something most competitors can’t find and try to be a little quicker than them.

“Personally, I love racing against the best competition,” he added. “You want to race against the best competition so that you can challenge yourself and make yourself a better driver. You don’t want to go race at a track where there is no one there so that you win. You don’t get better doing that.”

Warmer temperatures are predicted for this coming weekend and the approaching summer could mean good things for Gullie and his team. Over the course of the past two seasons, the majority of Gullie’s better finishes have come during the hot summer months.

“Last year the warmer weather did help us,” Gullie said. “Early in the year we ran fourth, fifth or sixth, and later in the season we started running a little better. Maybe that will happen again this year.”

This season is Gullie’s third straight season of racing in the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division. His goal for this season is to win at least one race and finish in the top three in the final point standings.

“I really want to win a race up here,” Gullie remarked. “I haven’t won a Late Model race yet so to get our first win here would be huge. I’d love to win the championship here at South Boston. Peyton Sellers is kind of the top dog here so it’s hard. It’s going to take a lot to take the championship away from him. To come away with another Top-3 in points this season would be good for us.”

South Boston Speedway’s division championship battles will resume in the June 3 Bojangles Night Race. Six-time South Boston Speedway Champion Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia and Carter Langley of Zebulon, North Carolina are separated by only one point entering this weekend’s twin 75-lap Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division races. Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina sits in third place, 20 points behind Sellers.

Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia leads Carter Russo of Rougemont, North Carolina and Ronnie Jones of Kenly, North Carolina by 13 points in Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division. The remaining two drivers in the top five are within 20 points of the leader.

Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia holds a narrow two-point lead over Zach Reaves of Danville, Virginia in the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division point standings. Only 18 points separate the sixth-place driver in the standings from the division leader.

In the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division, Dillon Davis of Nathalie, Virginia leads Steven Layne of Halifax, Virginia by a slim three-point margin. Only 17 points stand between Davis and the seventh-place driver in the standings.

The Saturday, June 3 Bojangles Night Race event at South Boston Speedway includes six races with twin 75-lap races for the Sentara Health Late Model Stock Car Division as the feature races.

A 50-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, twin 15-lap races for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division, and a 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division will round out the night’s racing action.

Registration and pit gates will open at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Frontstretch spectator gates will open at 3:20 p.m. and practice will start at 3:30 p.m. Backstretch spectator and tailgate section gates will open at 5:30 P.M. Qualifying starts at 6 p.m. and the first race will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets for the Saturday, June 3 Bojangles Night Race event are priced at $12 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, or by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Tickets at the gate on race day will be $15 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $12 each at the gate on race day.

Fans and competitors can find the latest news and updates from South Boston Speedway on the speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, on the track’s social media channels, and by phoning the speedway at 1-434-572-4947 or toll free 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

SBS PR

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Charlotte: Chris Buescher won stage two and was in prime position for the finish before getting hit on pit road Sunday in the Coke 600. He ultimately came back from that to finish eighth for his sixth top-10 of 2023. Keselowski endured similar unfortunate luck on a couple of different occasions, ultimately finishing 19^th after a promising start.

Points Standings (6: 9^th, 17: 12^th): Keselowski remains ninth in points entering the weekend in Illinois as positions 8-11 are separated by 23 points. Buescher jumped up a spot and is 12^th with 20 points surrounding drivers 11-14.

RFK PR

FRM PR