Georgia Native Spencer Davis Returning to Stafford For Lincoln Tech 80
After last racing at Stafford Speedway in a K & N East Series race in 2016, Dawsonville, GA native Spencer Davis will be part of the Open Modified brigade for the Lincoln Tech 80, set for Friday, August 19. The 23 year old Davis has driven a wide range of vehicles in different touring series during his career such as the Truck Series, ARCA, K & N Pro Series, CARS Late Models, and the Whelen Modified Tour. Davis finished third in his lone Stafford K & N Series start back in 2016 but he wasn’t quite as fortunate in his two Whelen Modified Tour starts in 2015, with mechanical issues leaving him with finishes of 30th and 31st. Davis is hoping to get his #29 Inox Supreme Lubricants / Casagrande Builders / Kopec’s Truck and Auto machine into the top-5, but would like a victory.
“Stafford is a fun track and it has a unique layout,” said Davis. “We’re hoping to have a little more luck on the modified side than I’ve had before. I had a really good run with the K & N East Series back in 2016 so I’m looking forward to coming back to Stafford. I have to give a big thanks to Casagrande Builders and Kopec’s Tire and Auto for making it possible for us to be able to come up to Stafford and race. If we could get a top-5 finish, that would be a respectable night for us, but we come to the track to win races.”
Davis originally had planned to make his Stafford return back in April for the NAPA Spring Sizzler®, but his #29 car wasn’t quite ready.
“Since we’ve been back short track racing, we’ve wanted to go to race at tracks that I’ve liked,” said Davis. “We were planning on running the Spring Sizzler® back in April but we just didn’t have everything put together in time since this is the first time we’re running a modified out of our own shop. We’ve finally got everything worked out between work schedules and racing schedules to make it back to Stafford.”
Davis will be coming to Stafford with some positive momentum on his side after competing in the two modified events that were held 2 weeks ago at the North Wilkesboro revival.
“We had a good showing at North Wilkesboro a couple weeks ago with a second and sixth place finish, so we’re hoping we can come to Stafford and take the win back down south with the momentum we have,” said Davis. “Every time we hit the track our goal is to win.”
With only 3 career starts at Stafford, Davis will be at a distinct experience disadvantage when compared with the drivers that he will be racing against in the Lincoln Tech 80, but his goal is still to go out and win the race.
“I think we’ll be pretty good,” said Davis. “My whole career I’ve raced against guys that have raced weekly at tracks and we come in with whatever touring series I was with and we’ve had good runs. It showed with the K & N car at Stafford while things didn’t work out so well for me on the modified side of things. Obviously not running at Stafford every week like some of the guys will be a little bit of a disadvantage, but we’re going to do our best and see if we can make the most out of it.”
In order to help prepare for the Lincoln Tech 80, Davis has gone back and rewatched the previous four open modified races that have been held at Stafford this season on FloRacing replays. While Davis says he can’t pick up much from watching older races, he has a general idea of what he can expect when he hits the Connecticut half-mile pavement this Friday night.
“The key to this race is going to be about being smart and saving tires,” said Davis. “From watching some of the other open 80 races this year on FloRacing, it’s going to take having a clean race and being there at the end. You really can’t pick up too much, but you can at least see how the races trend and there’s some little differences from race to race that you can pick up on. I’ve run against a bunch of these guys at other tracks so I know their driving styles and it’s all going to be about racing the track and seeing how things unfold.”
The 3rd Annual Lincoln Tech 80 is scheduled for this Friday, August 19th. Stafford’s SK Modified®, Late Model, SK Light, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions will join the Open Modifieds in feature action. Tickets for the Lincoln Tech 80 are available now online at StaffordSpeedway.com/tickets and tickets will also be available for purchase at the admission gates. Tickets for the Lincoln Tech 80 are $30.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids 6-14, and free for kids 5 & under. Reserved seating is priced at $35.00 for all ages and pit passes are $45.00 with a valid 2022 Stafford Competition License and $50.00 without a Stafford license. If you are unable to attend the event, tune into the live stream on FloRacing, the official streaming partner of Stafford Speedway.
For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
Stafford Speedway PR
Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Watkins Glen
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Hendrick Motorsports PR
A legendary driver who knows his way to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International will say the most famous words in motorsports on Sunday afternoon, as the track today announced NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace as the grand marshal for the Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Cup Series race.
Wallace, inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013, has twice won the Go Bowling at The Glen race, first in 1987 and then again in 1989 en route to winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship. He also posted 10 top-10 finishes in 20 starts at The Glen.
He was named the Cup Series rookie of the year in 1984. In all, Wallace won 55 NASCAR Cup Series races over 26 years.
“All the drivers in the field on Sunday have a common goal – to become one of the best in the sport, just like Rusty Wallace,” said Watkins Glen International president Michael Printup. “We are honored that Rusty, who has twice conquered The Glen, will be serving as our grand marshal. And we know how much it will mean to the fans to see this legendary driver introduced on stage Sunday afternoon.”
Wallace knows the impact winning at The Glen could have on a driver’s season, and to have the racing legend get things started on Sunday is appropriate given the influence the event could have on the NASCAR Playoffs.
Sunday’s race serves as the penultimate race in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. With 15 drivers already posting wins this year, there could be a shake-up in the 16-driver Playoff field should a new driver win at Watkins Glen with two races to go before the postseason begins.
“I’m really looking forward to being the Grand Marshal for Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen,” said Wallace. “It’s such an iconic and historic racetrack. The Glen is the place where I got my first road course win and won the IROC title, so it’s a really special track to me personally. Watkins Glen always puts on an exciting race and I’m sure that this weekend will be no exception!”
Two-time Watkins Glen winner Chase Elliott currently leads the regular season championship battle over Ryan Blaney by 116 points. Elliott could clinch the regular season title this weekend at the Glen.
Watkins Glen hosts the NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen race weekend August 17-21, with racing action beginning with the ARCA Menards Series race on Friday, August 19. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will compete on Saturday, August 20, in the SUNOCO Go Rewards 200 at The Glen, and the Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Cup Series race will cap off the weekend on Sunday, August 21.
Sunday’s race will help the NASCAR Cup Series set the field for the Playoffs, as only one race will remain in the regular season following the road course battle in New York. Kyle Larson, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, won last year’s Go Bowling at The Glen race.
To purchase NASCAR race tickets or for camping and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit TheGlen.com. Fans can view the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series schedules and purchase tickets at nascar.com/tickets.
WGI PR
With a Bass Pro Shops Night Race Win Truex or Blaney Could Join the Elite Trifectas at Bristol Motor Speedway
In the NASCAR Cup Series world the spotlight is shining directly on Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. at the moment.
The two Cup Series veterans are at the front of a pack of drivers who are working hard to qualify for the NASCAR Round of 16 Playoffs, which begins at Darlington, S.C., on Labor Day weekend, and finishes two weeks later at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 17. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is once again a much-anticipated Playoff elimination race that will be held under the lights on the all-concrete high-banked half-mile where we will see the end of championship hopes for four of the 16 drivers.
Following racing last weekend at Richmond, Virginia, Blaney is holding down the 16th and final Playoff transfer spot. Truex sits just outside the cut off line at 17th. Neither Blaney nor Truex are currently included in the Playoff-era record 15 winners so far in the regular season, yet both are hoping to qualify for the Playoffs, either by winning one of the final two regular season races over the next two weeks, or advancing by virtue of points standings.
Both drivers have accumulated lots of stage wins and Playoff points and have been in contention during several races. However, this season, which saw the debut of the new Next Gen car and has featured five first-time winners, has been anything but routine. Both drivers are planning to give it everything they’ve got at Watkins Glen (Aug. 21) and Daytona (Aug. 28) to advance to the post-season.
Truex, the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion with 31 career Cup Series victories, says as a driver you just have to be prepared to put it all on the line.
""You just go out and fight, man,” said Truex, who has compiled an impressive season resume of three top-fives, 11 top-10s and seven stage wins. “You go give it all you got. There are no magic triggers. Just go trying to figure it out and work hard and race hard and see what we can come up with.
“It’d be disappointing with the season we’ve had to not make it.”
Said Blaney, who posted a seventh-place finish at Richmond and has had eight top-fives, 12 top-10s and 5 stage wins on the year: “You never know what could happen. You could have a bad day next week or the next two weeks, you could have a new winner one of those weeks. You just never know... Just one race down and proud of the effort we had and try to do the same thing next week.”
Interestingly, whether they qualify for the Playoffs or not, both drivers will head to the Bass Pro Shops Night Race with an intriguing subplot storyline. Both have an opportunity to join an exclusive club at the iconic bullring.
In BMS’ 62-year history, only five drivers have scored BMS victories in all three of NASCAR’s top-three touring series: The NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck series. The short list includes Kyle Busch, the winningest NASCAR driver in BMS history with 23 wins across all three series, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin and Brad Keselowski. Martin became the first member of the club when he won a Truck race at BMS in August of 2006.
Yes, its an exclusive fraternity that’s being referred to as the BMS Trifectas. If either Blaney or Truex wins the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, they would become a member of that impressive group.
Blaney scored a Camping World Truck Series victory at BMS in 2015 and claimed his Xfinity Series victory at Bristol at the Food City 300 in 2014. Blaney still holds the Cup Series track record at 132.075 mph set in April 2019.
Truex raced to an Xfinity Series win at BMS in the spring of 2004, then made history by winning the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt in 2021.
Neither driver has had much luck at Bristol in their Cup Series pursuits. Blaney has a career best finish of 4th at Bristol, while Truex has a best Cup effort of 2nd in the 2011 Night Race. However, from 2012-2020 Truex has been snake-bit at Bristol, managing only one top 10 finish at the unique and demanding oval that’s been called the “Holy Grail of Short Tracks.”
Truex, who pilots the flagship Bass Pro Shops No. 19 machine for Joe Gibbs Racing, says his relationship with Bristol in the Cup Series has been complicated.
"I enjoy racing there and we’ve had some great cars, but for whatever reason, we have had no luck whatsoever on the Cup side," Truex has said. "Whether it’s flat tires, loose wheels, speeding penalties, getting caught up in crashes, you name it and it’s happened to us at Bristol. So, from that standpoint, it hasn’t been our best track, but we’re capable of running well there if we can just have a smooth night."
Truex says he’s ready for his luck to change at the fan-favorite venue in the Appalachian Highlands region of Northeast Tennessee.
“We all know the odds favor the track at Bristol, so that’s why we have to race smart and not make any unforced errors,” Truex has said. “We’re due for something good to happen at Bristol.”
In the 2020 Food City Supermarket Heroes 500 Blaney saw one of his best chances to win a Cup trophy at Bristol taken away in an instant. He was among the leaders when he crashed hard between turns one and two.
“I thought we were gonna be OK and then we got destroyed about six seconds later, so that’s just Bristol and a part of Bristol,” Blaney said at the time. “I probably shouldn’t have been pushing that hard, but trying to get back to the lead. I thought we found some speed up there, just a mistake on my part… It’s just one of them things at Bristol. Things happen fast and just couldn’t get slowed up enough.”
THE BMS TRIFECTAS CLUB (Active drivers only; bold shows year of entry into club; Kyle Larson and Joey Logano need a Truck win at BMS to enter the club but are not eligible to compete in the upcoming UNOH 200 Truck Series race)
Driver BMS Truck Win BMS Xfinity Win BMS Cup Win
Mark Martin Aug. 2006 Aug. 1989
Carl Edwards Aug. 2004
Kyle Busch Aug. 2008 March 2006 March 2007
Kevin Harvick Aug. 2011 Aug. 2000
Brad Keselowski Aug. 2014 Aug. 2008 Aug. 2011
Ryan Blaney Aug. 2015 Aug. 2014
Martin Truex Jr. April 2021 March 2004
Joey Logano Aug. 2012 Aug. 2014
Kyle Larson Aug. 2018 Sept. 2021
The weekend begins with Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes and defending winner Chandler Smith battling for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Thursday night in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (Sept. 15, 9 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio). The rising stars in the ARCA Menards Series also will take on the challenging half-mile bullring in the Bush’s Beans 200 as part of the Thursday night doubleheader (Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio).
On Friday, Sparks are sure to fly in the Food City 300, as NASCAR Xfinity Series favorites A.J. Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry will be trying to lock in their Playoff positions in the season’s final regular season race (Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). The stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take to the track on Saturday for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio), you’ll get to see all of your favorite drivers racing hard to advance in the first elimination race of the Playoffs.
To purchase tickets, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158. Fans can also purchase tickets at any Food City location through Sept. 6.
BMS PR
Ty Gibbs / No. 54 Cub Cadet Toyota GR Supra Preview -- Watkins Glen
No. 54 Cub Cadet Toyota GR Supra News and Notes
- ALREADY PLAYOFF BOUND: By winning the Las Vegas, Atlanta, Richmond, Road America and Michigan NASCAR Xfinity Series races, Ty Gibbs has qualified for the Xfinity playoffs which will begin at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 24.
- WATKINS GLEN: Gibbs started 15th, led 43 laps and won the Xfinity race in 2021 at Watkins Glen. He started on the pole and led 99 of 100 laps en route in victory in the ARCA Series in 2021. He finished third after starting first in the 2021 ARCA race.
- ONE OF THIRTY-SEVEN: Gibbs made his first career NASCAR Cup Series start last month at Pocono Raceway for 23XI Racing. Gibbs is the 37th driver younger than 20-years old to make a Cup Series start. Gibbs started at the rear of the field, but completed all 160 laps and finished an impressive 16th. He has competed in four Cup races with a best finish of 10th at Michigan International Speedway.
- NEW RECORD: Gibbs is the youngest driver ever to reach nine victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at age 19 years 10 months and two days old. The previous record was held by Joey Logano.
- 2021: Gibbs completed in only 18 Xfinity races in 2021, but won four races and finished 13th in the Xfinity Series final driver point standings. That earned him the Xfinity Rookie of the Year award.
- WHAT A DEBUT: In Gibbs’ Xfinity Series debut in February 2021 at the Daytona Road Course, he led 14 of the 56 laps en route to his first career Xfinity Series win. Gibbs became the youngest driver to win a Xfinity road course race at 18 years, 4 months, 16 days. The Charlotte, N.C., native also became the second-youngest winner in Xfinity Series history after Joey Logano who won in June 2008 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta when he was 18 years and 21 days old.
- IN GOOD COMPANY: Gibbs is the sixth driver to win in his Xfinity Series debut, joining Dale Earnhardt, Joe Ruttman, Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte and Kurt Busch. Those five drivers had already driven in the NASCAR Cup Series before racing in the Xfinity Series.
- ARCA CHAMPIONS: Gibbs became the 2021 ARCA Menard Series Champions on the strength of 10 wins, plus one win each in ARCA West and ARCA East.
- ATOP THE PIT BOX: Veteran crew chief Gayle will oversee the No. 54 team’s efforts in the 2022 season. Gale, who is from Little Rock, Arkansas, has led his drivers to two NASCAR Cup Series victories and 35 Xfinity Series wins. The list of drivers Gayle has visited victory lane with includes Gibbs, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Sam Hornish Jr., Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler, Christopher Bell and John Hunter Nemechek.
- JGR AT WATKINS GLEN: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 46 total starts at Watkins Glen in Xfinity competition with two wins, 17 top-five and 25 one top-10 finishes and the team has led 226 laps.
- RACE INFO: The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen is scheduled for 3 pm EDT on Saturday, August 13 and will be broadcast on USA, SiriusXM Channel 90 and the MRN.
Ty Gibbs, Driver of the No. 54 Cub Cadet Toyota GR Supra
“It was great to win at Michigan and that helps us in playoffs picture too. Great to have Cub Cadet on board on our No. 54 Toyota GR Supra. It’d be nice to win back to back at Watkins Glen and I know Chris Gayle and the 54 boys will bring me a solid car.”
Chris Gayle, Crew Chief of the No. 54 Cub Cadet Toyota GR Supra
“We had a good week at Michigan. It was great to get a win and Ty did a great job throughout the race. It was good for the boys and we’d love to do it again at Watkins Glen. Great to have Cub Cadet on board and we’ll bring a strong No. 54 Toyota GR Supra.”
JGR PR
Nascar and Indycar on USA Network This Weekend
The penultimate race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season will be held this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network at Watkins Glen International, while the NTT INDYCAR SERIES visits World Wide Technology Raceway this Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock featuring a tightly-contested points standings with only three races remaining. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will also race at Watkins Glen this Saturday on USA Network, which is presenting all three major races this weekend. NBC Sports digital platforms will live stream all television coverage.
Date | Race Coverage | Platform | Time (ET) |
Sat., Aug. 20 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at The Glen 200 | USA Network | 3 p.m. |
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 | USA Network, Peacock | 6 p.m. | |
Sun., Aug. 21 | NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen | USA Network | 3 p.m. |
Kevin Harvick has won two straight Cup Series races following his victory at Richmond Raceway last weekend. Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., and Bubba Wallace lead the list of drivers still looking for a win to try and secure a spot in the playoffs. Blaney currently leads Truex Jr. by 26 points in the final playoff position. 2007 Formula One World champion Kimi Raikkonen will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut on Sunday.
NBC Sports’ signature fan-favorite “Radio Style” broadcast returns this weekend at Watkins Glen, with announcers positioned from vantage points around the track at the following positions:
- Main Broadcast Booth: Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte and lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen
- “The Esses”: Veteran MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio announcer Mike Bagley
- “Inner Loop” and “The Carousel”: Two-time Daytona 500 Champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Turn 6: 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton
Last weekend’s Cup Series race from Richmond Raceway averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 2.432 million viewers on USA Network, up 34% from last year’s Richmond race on NBCSN and up 11% vs. the 2021 NBCSN Cup Series average. Richmond marked NBC Sports’ sixth consecutive Cup Series race and fifth consecutive USA Network Cup Series race with year-over-year viewership gains.
With only three races remaining in the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, Big Machine Music City Grand Prix winner Scott Dixon trails standings leader Will Power by six points, and only 33 points separate Power from fifth-place points sitter and 2021 season champion Alex Palou. Dixon, who ranks second all-time with 53 series wins, is aiming to capture a record-tying seventh INDYCAR championship with A.J. Foyt following his victory in Nashville on Aug. 7.
TOP FIVE DRIVERS IN 2022 INDYCAR SERIES STANDINGS
Driver | Points |
Will Power | 450 |
Scott Dixon | 444 |
Marcus Ericsson | 438 |
Josef Newgarden | 428 |
Alex Palou | 417 |
NBC Sports’ motorsports coverage this weekend also includes MotoGP and Monster Jam.
NASCAR: CUP SERIES GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN & XFINITY SERIES AT THE GLEN 200
Watkins Glen International in New York hosts the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. An hour-long edition of Countdown to Green begins pre-race coverage at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network with NASCAR America post-race immediately following the checkered flag at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season continues with the Glen 200 Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, with pre-race coverage getting underway at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. Complete programming details can be found below.
Marty Snider, Parker Kligerman and Dave Burns will serve as pit reporters in their customary race day roles throughout the weekend.
NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Jarrett and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will anchor pre- and post-race studio coverage with Snider from the Peacock Pit Box on Saturday and Sunday. Petty earned a victory at “The Glen” in 1992.
Sunday’s pre-race coverage will feature a piece on Michael McDowell’s crew team member Brett Sanchelli.
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).
Austin Dillon's Life in the Fast Lane airs each Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The half-hour unscripted series will follow the over-the-top NASCAR lifestyle of Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon, along with wife Whitney, adorable son Ace, and best friends Paul and Mariel Swan. Featuring high-stakes races, hilarious adventures and heartwarming moments at home, Austin leans on his loved ones both on and off the track as he trains and competes in the NASCAR season.
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – USA Network
- Streaming – NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Date | Coverage | Platform | Time (ET) |
Sat., Aug. 20 | NASCAR Xfinity Series Practice & Qualifying | NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app | 10 a.m. |
NASCAR Cup Series Practice | NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app | Noon | |
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying | USA Network | 12:30 p.m. | |
Countdown to Green – NASCAR Xfinity Series | USA Network | 2:30 p.m. | |
NASCAR Xfinity Series at The Glen 200 | USA Network | 3 p.m. | |
NASCAR America Post-Race – NASCAR Xfinity Series | USA Network | 5:30 p.m. | |
Sun., Aug. 21 | Countdown to Green – NASCAR Cup Series | USA Network | 2 p.m. |
NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen | USA Network | 3 p.m. | |
NASCAR America Post-Race – NASCAR Cup Series | USA Network | 5:30 p.m. |
INDYCAR: BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., is presented this Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. Race coverage will immediately follow NASCAR America Xfinity Series post-race coverage on USA Network.
Live coverage of qualifying, practice, and the Indy Lights race from the oval circuit on Friday and Saturday will stream exclusively on Peacock. For more information about INDYCAR on Peacock and how to sign up, click here.
Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst), and James Hinchcliffe (analyst) will call the race. Kevin Lee and Dillon Welch will provide reports from pit road.
Josef Newgarden, currently fourth in the points standings, took home the checkered flag at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2021.
NBC Sports’ free-to-play game, INDYCAR Pick ‘Em, features a weekly contest for each race throughout the season with a $25,000 jackpot. INDYCAR 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
- Play by Play: Leigh Diffey
- Analysts: Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe
- Pit Reporters: Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch
HOW TO WATCH
- TV – USA Network
- Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Date | Coverage | Platform | Time (ET) |
Fri., Aug. 19 | Bommarito Automotive Group 500 – Practice | Peacock | 1 p.m. |
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 – Qualifying | Peacock | 4:15 p.m. | |
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 – Practice 2 | Peacock | 7 p.m. | |
Sat., Aug. 20 | Indy Lights | Peacock | 4:15 p.m. |
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 | USA Network, Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app | 6 p.m. |
MOTOGP: AUSTRIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX
The 2022 MotoGP season continues this weekend with the Austrian Motorcycle Grand Prix from Red Bull Ring in Spielberg on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on CNBC. Fabio Quartararo (180 pts) currently leads the premier class points standings ahead of Aleix Espargaro (158 pts), while Francesco Bagnaia (131 pts) has jumped back into championship contention following back-to-back wins. The Spielberg track has also added two additional turns that will be used in a race for the first time this weekend.
Live and on-demand coverage of all races will be available to stream on MotoGP VideoPass, in addition to every session of MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3. For more details, click here or visit MotoGP.TV.
MONSTER JAM
NBC Sports continues its presentation of the 2022 Monster Jam season this Saturday from Salt Lake City, Utah, at noon ET on CNBC. The complete schedule can be found here.
THE DALE JR. DOWNLOAD
Former NASCAR crew chief Michael “Fatback” McSwain joins this week’s The Dale Jr. Download episode streaming this Thursday 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.
NBC Sports PR
GREG ZIPADELLI, Chief Competition Officer, Stewart-Haas Racing – WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THREE STRAIGHT WINS THIS WEEKEND AT WATKINS GLEN? “We go every week to win with all four of our teams performing to the highest level. That’s always the goal. The 4 car has done a really good job in the last, honestly you’ve got to go back to Nashville, Sonoma, Pocono, I think it gets overlooked at how good they ran at some of those racetracks. They didn’t have an opportunity to win or lead a bunch of laps, but they had speed and it kind of started then. The last two weeks they’ve done a great job of executing. Things have gone their way. The cars have unloaded with a little bit more raw speed and it’s allowed them to have an opportunity to win and they’ve been able to capitalize on that.”
WITH THE TWO WINS DO YOU FEEL YOU’VE MADE SOME GAINS OR SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT YOU WEREN’T THE FASTEST CAR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE MAYBE A BIT BEHIND? “I think we’ve made gains, but I don’t think by any means that you can sit and say that you can stop working. I’d say that Kevin had a really good car last week. He drove around a car for the lead and never looked back, so you can say what you want, you know what I mean? There’s always room for improvement. I think what I look at last week was all four cars were fast. Honestly, if things went well and Cole didn’t have his issue and Chase didn’t have his fire, I feel like we had the potential to have four cars in the top 10 or top 12 pretty easily. So, to me, that’s something that as a group we’ve struggled with. We’ve unloaded here every week and had at least one if not two cars qualify in the top 10, top 12 and run there, but we haven’t been able to have all four cars and have that kind of speed and execution. From that perspective, I think it shows that all of the work we’ve been doing is going in the right direction, but, like I said, it’s the time of year where everyone is working just as hard as you are, so you’ve got to continue to push and build as much speed in these cars as you can on a weekly basis.”
IS THE 10 CAR SITUATION UNSETTLING OR TYPICAL OF WHERE WE ARE IN AUGUST? “To me it’s not a big deal. We’ve waited a lot longer to make some of those decisions to try to build around, so I think we’ll be fine there. We’ve got a couple of good options and just kind of waiting to see how everything plays out.”
DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE IN CHASE’S CAR? WAS IT THE SAME THING AS WHAT HAPPENED TO LOGANO AND BUESCHER TWO WEEKS AGO? “It doesn’t appear to be exactly why that insulation in the rocker box caught fire. We’re looking into it. There wasn’t damage to it, so that’s kind of the surprising thing. I don’t know if rubber got up in there and started the fire and burned. It’s so hard to tell because so much of it had burned for a while, so pretty disappointing. Chase and Johnny and that whole group had done a really good job of adjusting on their car and keeping him in the game all day and that’s what they needed. To come up short again was a little disappointing.”
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR KEVIN AND RODNEY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS? “I think they’ve done a good job of not letting it tear them up and making a bigger deal out of it. They’ve just gone every week and raced as hard as they could and tried to put themselves in position. I’ve been in some of those situations before where it’s like you feel like you’re doing everything you have been doing and you’re working just as hard and you’re just not getting the results. You’re not having the speed. As a whole, I would say us as a group – the Fords as a group – have been off a little bit this year. We’re working hard along with all the other Ford teams and hoping to peak at the right time.”
WHAT ARE THE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR THE 4 TEAM IN THE PLAYOFFS. THE FIRST FOUR TRACKS ARE PRETTY STRONG FOR THEM. “I think if we continue to progress and keep working on our cars and pit crew keeps doing what they’ve been doing and Rodney keeps his group focused and executing like they have the last six weeks or so, I think they’re gonna have a shot to move much further into the playoffs. Like you said, a couple of the first races are good tracks for Kevin. He ran pretty solid at Kansas with a lot of speed in the spring and pit stops and pit road, so there were some issues there that took them out of a really good finish, but it’s always been a really good place for him – there and Bristol. I would expect nothing less than strong runs there.”
WHAT DO YOUR DUTIES AS CHIEF COMPETITION OFFICER AT SHR ENTAIL? “It’s basically over all of our departments from manufacturing to building the cars to our pit crews to traveling to and from the racetrack. It’s just a lot of logistics and budgets and a lot to do with people and contracts and things of that nature. It’s not as much hands-on as I used to like from working on the cars. Gosh, some days it’s even hard to get down on the floor to see the guys with all the stuff we have going on. That’s pretty much the gist of it is just really overseeing and to help support these guys in any way that is needed.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEXT GEN CAR? “I think being an old-schooled racer, and a lot of us here in this building came into the year thinking, ‘Oh, man. This is not what we’re used to. It’s not what we want.’ I think maybe that might have even been some of why we started out slow. There are a lot of good old racers here and maybe sometimes we’re creatures of habit too much, but, in all honesty, I think this car has performed at most racetracks above expectation. There has been some little issues, like we were talking about the fire and toe links breaking and things like that, but, in all honesty, when you look at the scope of this car and what they did in two years, all the parts and pieced that had to get manufactured, I don’t know that anybody could have done it any better. I really feel like it’s gone off really really well.”
WHAT KIND OF LETTER GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE IT SO FAR? “Just because I’m old-school and not many A’s ever come out of anywhere because you can always do better, but, in all honesty, I’d say it’s a strong B, B-plus. A lot of the problems that we have had with this car that are probably our frustrations aren’t because of what the group at NASCAR did as far as launching this car. It was parts and pieces were hard to get and that’s everywhere in the industry. You can’t buy appliances. You know what I mean? Everybody is out of everything, so we just hit trying to produce this car at probably the worst time in my life as far as working and getting over COVID and people working from home – just all those things that are so different from what we’re used to in this industry. Because of that, it has put a lot of frustration on teams because we haven’t had parts and we were taking them off and bringing them home, but that’s just part of the era we’re living in right now. They haven’t had a lot of parts changes from that perspective, so I think they’ve done a really good job.”
WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THE SEASON TO DATE? “I think we started the year off. We thought we went to Daytona and raced and we went to Phoenix and Vegas and California and we thought we had decent cars and speed, and then it seemed like we got off a little bit. I think through the early part of the summer it was a dry spell. We won one early and were like, ‘Oh, man. We’ve got this. We’re good. We’ve got this figured out,’ and now we’re back to everybody running better, so it’s been a bit of a disappointing year. It’s not those years you go, ‘Oh, my God. You’ve won three races. That’s a solid year in today’s sport as competitive as it is.’ But we haven’t run good week in and week out like we expect ourselves to do and what’s expected of us from our fans and all of our partners and sponsors. We definitely had work to do and I feel like everybody has dug deep and worked well together here in the last two months or so and feel like we’ve moved the needle on making our cars better.”
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES IN 2023? “We’re right in the middle of those negotiations right now. Probably, more than likely, we’re gonna have an Xfinity team, but we don’t have that all locked up yet. I think in the next 10-14 days we should have things ironed out and be able to let the world know what we’re doing.”
HOW HAS THE COMPETITION FOR PIT CREW MEMBERS EVOLVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS? “I think you’ve got to go back a couple of years. I wouldn’t say it’s gone crazy, but to have that right group of guys that can work together and execute a stop at the speed that these are today, it’s crazy how these guys are getting it done and how fast and how strong and athletic they need to be. I think that’s a lot of what’s changed is where you’re finding these guys and bringing them in and how you’re training them. It’s definitely still growing, also. That’s the crazy thing is I don’t think it’s plateaued yet.”
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT – STILL GROWING? IS IT IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING OR JUST THE CRAZINESS IN TRYING TO GET PEOPLE AND SIGN THE BEST PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH BALANCE IN THIS SPORT? “Not to be vague, but all of the above, honestly. Everybody is looking for the next football or baseball player that didn’t make it to the majors that is right there on that edge that’s just one of those freak athletes that is super strong and very dedicated. It’s turned into way more than from when I was changing tires in 14-second stops. It’s crazy. We’ve seen some 8-second stops in practice, so they’re not far around the corner. I think just from finding athletes and from different sports that you can bring into NASCAR and train them and teach them to change tires, carry the jack, whatever it might be – gas – it’s been a little hectic, but it’s been fun to try to have to look outside places. All of the other teams are doing it. You’re competing in a lot of different areas to bring the future in. That’s why we’ve got so many development guys and development teams that go to the racetrack on the weekends. It’s just trying to run through a lot of people and see who is out there and who is stepping up to the plate.”
IN TERMS OF DRIVERS WITH WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT HAS THAT EVOLVED AND CHANGED WITH LESS TRACK TIME AND MORE ENGINEERING ON THE SIM? ARE YOU LOOKING AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY? “I think the sport has definitely changed from that perspective. You need guys willing to work and study and put their time in the simulator and watch previous races, look at pit road, study the restarts and all of those aspects of on and off pit road because all of that stuff matters and when you don’t have but 15 minutes to do that, you’ve got to show up and have a pretty good idea of what you need and the feel that you’re looking for and you’ve got to be able to go out and execute that. So, I think from the team’s perspective a lot of it is done obviously before you show up at the racetrack and for drivers I think it’s very similar.”
LOOKING AT THE CAR AND HOW BULLET PROOF IT HAS APPEARED IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAS SURPRISED YOU? “No, overall I think the car has held up really well. There are no good wrecks, but we’ve had damage where you couldn’t continue on in a race and you got it home and it was literally some bolt on components. And then there were other times where the car didn’t even look like it was damaged, but we couldn’t finish because a control arm broke because it hit the wheel at just the right direction at the right force. But, overall, I think from the bodies, the chassis, the transaxle, all of those little things that we thought might be issues, for the most part, none of them are issues at all.”
WILL COLE CUSTER CONTINUED WITH SHR IN 2023? “Right now, I believe that’s what our plan is right now. We’re just looking and trying to sort out the 10 car at this particular time.”
IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR TWO TEAMS IN THE XFINITY SERIES IN 2023? “If we had the right deal, we would be excited about doing it, but I don’t know that we’re in that position or have all the key ingredients to do that – basically funding any younger driver that we believe in could be in one of our Cup cars in the future right now. I would not say never, but that’s not very likely.”
Ford Performance PR
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina receives $10,000 donation from MRO Better Half iRacing Dash winning driver McCall Gaulding
During an event held at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina headquarters in Charlotte, McCall Gaulding, the winning driver of the 2022 Better Half iRacing Dash, presented the organization the entire $10,000 purse she won from this year’s annual Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) fundraising race.
Joining McCall was her crew chief, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Zane Smith. They presented the check to Kathy Helms, CFO of Second Harvest Food Bank. Also in attendance was MRO Board of Directors member and Commissioner of the Better Half iRacing Dash, Kristin Labonte.
The amount of $10,000 will provide 70,000 pounds of food to those in need. Kathy Helms, CFO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (left) is presented with a $10,000 donation from 2022 Better Half iRacing Dash winner McCall Gaulding (second from left), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Zane Smith (second from right), and MRO Board of Directors member/Better Half iRacing Dash Commissioner Kristin Labonte (right).
“Thank you to Zane and McCall for making this generous donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina,” said Kay Carter, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. “Special congratulations to McCall who defended her first-place win in the Better Half iRacing Dash Championship and is donating her $10,000 prize winnings.
It is through community partners like Motor Racing Outreach that we are able to reach more individuals and companies who are interested in helping us feed our neighbors in need.”
This year’s win of the Better Half iRacing Dash, an event held and broadcast on FS1 in late May, marks Gaulding’s second victory in as many years.
“It was very educational and emotional visiting Second Harvest and learning about their regional hunger relief operations as part of the Feeding America network of food banks,” said Gaulding, whose race car sponsor, KOIA, is a nutritious, plant-based beverage maker. “Opportunities like this to feed hungry people and pets is why I love participating in the MRO Better Half iRacing Dash each year.
I had a lot of competition from the other NASCAR Better Half drivers this year. It’s a fun event for great causes. I don’t know if I can win again next year for a third time, but I’m willing to try.”
As the commissioner of the event, Labonte and her team were very instrumental in putting together and promoting the event, which aired on FS1-TV during the popular “NASCAR Race Hub” daily show.
"As a board member, I am honored to represent Motor Racing Outreach today,” Labonte said. “MRO's work has an incredible breadth and such a heartfelt intentional impact on the NASCAR community and the Charlotte area where so many of us call home. As the ‘Commissioner’ of the Better Half iRacing Dash, I am really proud of McCall and all the drivers who participated. The effort each driver-crew chief team put into the competition and race preparation, plus the tremendous commitment to fundraising was second to none. These women should be inspiring for all of us - look at what we can accomplish when we come together to do good. Congratulations to McCall and her charity Second Harvest, job well done."
To learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, check out their website www.SecondHarvestMetrolina.com and for more information about MRO, log on to www.Go2MRO.com.
MRO PR
Daniel Dye - Watkins Glen / Springfield Preview
ARCA Menards Series | |
Driver: Daniel Dye
WATKINS GLEN Race Notes:Track: Watkins Glen International - Daniel Dye will make his first career start at the 2.45-mile, seven-turn Watkins Glen International located in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. - Dye's white No. 43 GMS Racing Chevrolet will once again feature Edison, New Jersey based Champion Container on the hood and quarter panels. - Daniel's only previous road course experience came this season at Portland (OR) International Speedway (Won the Pole, and finished 4th) and most recently at Mid Ohio (OH) Sports Car Course (finished 8th). - The Deland, Florida competitor, is currently third in ARCA Menards Series national points, two points out of second and nine from the series lead. - DD will have BecomeADeputy.com featured as the onboard camera sponsor for Friday’s race live on FS1 and the FOX Sports App. (6:00 p.m. ET) - Friday’s 41-lap race can be seen on FS1 and the FOX Sports App at 6:00 p.m. ET. Coverage will also be provided by the Motor Racing Network, on SiriusXM Satelite Radio, and through ARCAracing.com. - Behind-the-scenes updates and content will be posted to Daniel's Twitter account (@danieldye43) on race day. | |
SPRINGFIELD Race Notes:Track: Springfield Mile at Illinois State Fairgrounds - Daniel Dye will make his first career start at the flat 1-mile dirt oval, Springfield Mile at Illinois State Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon. - Dye's black No. 43 GMS Racing Chevrolet will feature 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on the hood, with additional support from Solar-Fit, Sparco, Arai Helmet, and Race to Stop Suicide. - Sunday's Atlas 100 event will be Daniel's first career start at a dirt track in any kind of racecar. - DD will have Race to Stop Suicide featured as the onboard camera sponsor for Sunday's race on MAVTV. (2:00 p.m. ET) - The 100-lap race can be seen on MAVTV and FloRacing at 2:00 p.m. ET. In addition, live scoring can be seen through ARCAracing.com. - Behind-the-scenes updates and content will be posted to Daniel's Twitter account (@danieldye43) on race day. | |
DD Weekend Quote: “I'm looking forward to this weekend and the opportunity to race at two completely different style racetracks. I learned a lot at Mid Ohio and am ready to use those notes for Friday at The Glen and see how all that goes. And Springfield is something I have absolutely zero experience with, being a flat one-mile dirt track, so hopefully we can get out of there with a solid finish and learn for DuQuoin.” | |
Daniel Dye PR
Kaulig Racing Weekly Advance | Watkins Glen International
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Kaulig Racing PR