Due to pending weather conditions we have decided in the best interest of competitors and fans to cancel tonight’s racing activities
The next event at Kingsport Speedway will be Friday, June 12th. Spectator gates will open at 5 p.m. and racing at 8 p.m. Full revised race day schedule is coming soon. Adult grandstand admission Friday $12, with kids 12-and-under admitted FREE. Adult tier-parking admission $12 per person (plus a $12 vehicle parking spot fee), with kids 12-and-under admitted free.
Other Notes:
- We will not be racing on Friday, June 19th
- Full 2020 revised schedule coming soon!
- This race is a Contingency Connection Racer Rewards event. Contingency Connection offers nearly $150,000 in national contingency awards. Visit contingencyconnection.com to see a list of over 100 sponsors posting awards for grassroots racers this season.
KPS PR
Tufco Flooring and Teletrac Navman partner with Jesse Little for Atlanta double header
Jesse Little heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for a double duty effort on Saturday in hopes of quickly putting his 26th place finish at Bristol behind him.
"It felt like it was going to be a good night at Bristol with the car capable of a top 10 finish. The team really had the car dialed after a few adjustments. Hate we had brake problems for Visit Kingsport and Tufco Flooring, and really wanted to thank them for their support."
Heading to Atlanta, Jesse is excited to have Tufco Flooring back on board his NASCAR Xfinity Series Car. "Their continuing support means a lot to me and I hope to be able to get a great finish for them at Atlanta. " Jesse said. For the second race of the day at Atlanta Motor Speedway Jesse will have the 14th starting position with his Tufco Flooring Chevrolet Camaro after the field was set with no qualifying.
Mike R. Case, President of Tufco Carolinas, Inc. said "Tufco Flooring is excited to be on the No. 4 JD Motor Sports Chevy Camaro this weekend for the Nascar Xifinity race at Atlanta Motor Speedway 6/6/2020 @ 4:30PM EST on FOX piloted by Jesse Little. Tufco Flooring is an industrial flooring company specializing in Epoxy and Urethane flooring and Stainless-Steel drains. Tufco is super exited to again be working with Jesse Little and his JD Motorsports team in the Nascar Xfinity Racing Series."
"Atlanta is very fast but at the same time its so worn out," Jesse said about the Speedway. "It gives you a sensation that no other track does. Forces you to be precise all day. At the end of the day though, I'm looking for strong finishes with both our No. 4 Tufco Flooring Chevrolet Camaro and our No. 97 Teletrac Navman Chevrolet Silverado."
With no qualifying Jesse will be rolling off in the 35th position Saturday for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Jesse will have a lot of Trucks to get to the front of the pack.
Owner of DME and President of Diversified Utility Group, Logan Puckett knows Jesse is the driver he wants to pilot his truck. "As we head to Atlanta this weekend I was impressed how Jesse didn't get frustrated with our truck at Charlotte, he had a couple reasons to be but he didn't give up and brought the truck home with a respectable 20th place finish. A blue collar effort, hard work and earned a decent finish without getting frustrated and ruining the day. It's exactly what a team like ours needs. I am looking forward to getting him in a better truck at Atlanta and I have confidence we will have an even better finish this go around. The DME team is really excited to Teletrac Navman on board and we are looking forward to highlighting their cloud-based GPS fleet tracking software and we should be able to put on a good show for them, also excited to see Jesse compete in Xfinity and pull double duty Saturday afternoon."
Jesse Little PR
Darlington Raceway to host track laps on Saturday, June 20, benefitting VFW's Sports Clips Help a Hero program
Darlington Raceway (Darlington), Sport Clips Haircuts, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW) will offer fans the opportunity to drive their personal vehicles on the famed 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval to support service members and veterans on Saturday, June 20 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
For a $30 donation per car, fans will be allowed to drive three laps around the track Too Tough to Tame and receive two tickets to the Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, Sept. 5. With each donation, $10 will benefit the VFW’s Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program.
“Track Laps is a unique community showcase of the Lady in Black to benefit our valued service members and veterans,” said Darlington President Kerry Tharp. “We are proud to continue to support the VFW’s Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program that has a tremendous impact in every branch of service. We look forward to welcoming our loyal fans back to the track for a memorable Track Laps experience for a good cause.”
Since 2013, Sport Clips Haircuts has been the primary supporter of the VFW’s Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program, which provides scholarships for service members and veterans for use at post-secondary schools and trade schools. To date, the program has awarded more than 1,600 scholarships totaling nearly $8 million. For more information about the VFW’s Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program, visit vfw.org/scholarship.
Darlington will open its gates for fans to drive three laps around the track on June 20 beginning at 1 p.m. Fans will enter the track through the Gate 39A tunnel entrance off of Highway 151. To participate in Track Laps, fans must abide by the following rules and restrictions:
- To participate, drivers much be 21 years of age or older with a valid state-issued driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance.
- Driver and passengers must sign a waiver of liability in advance of track laps.
- All participants must adhere to South Carolina state laws regarding the usage of seat belts and child safety restraints.
- Passenger vehicles only; motorcycles are not permitted.
- Vehicle headlights must be on at all times.
- Maximum speed for track laps is 70 miles per hour and regulated by Darlington personnel with a lead and chase vehicle.
- Drivers must stay up to speed and refrain from lagging behind in order to speed up.
- Darlington has the right to cancel the event due to weather or safety conditions. If a cancellation is necessary, Darlington will issue an official announcement and a reschedule date on darlingtonraceway.com and the track’s social channels.
For more information on Track Laps, visit darlingtonraceway.com/tracklaps.
Darlington Raceway PR
After a successful opening day last Wednesday at Utica-Rome Speedway, Bill and Kim Shea announced the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series will be in action for the first time this season on Sunday, June 21 for a $1,000-to-win Central Region Series Feature at the Vernon track.
The DIRTcar Sportsman Modified division leads the way in competition, thrills, and wheel-to-wheel battles.
A large field of DIRTcar Sportsman Modified drivers, all with a chance to compete and win on any given night, is expected to enter the event. All Sportsman Series races award a guaranteed start at the World Short Track Championship DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Invitational at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in October.
Plus, one random driver in the Feature will receive a free Hoosier Racing Tire.
Defending Series champion Kevin Root started his season off on the right track, both figuratively and literally. He won Utica-Rome Speedway’s season opener last Wednesday night taking the checkered flag in a hotly contested 30-lap Feature.
Behind Root and catching him in the late-race was Zach Sobotka, another contender. He finished sixth last year in Central Region points and will be looking to crack the top five in 2020.
Defending Utica-Rome Speedway Track Champion Matt Janczuk finished third in Utica’s opener and also finished third in Central Region points in 2019. Janczuk wants to hop up a couple more steps on the podium.
Those three top runners will be tough customers on Father’s Day, but a large field will make it difficult for any driver to get an edge.
As mass gathering restrictions remain in place to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans will be allowed in the grandstands, but as the regulations evolve follow social media for any updates.
Race fans can live stream the entire night of racing on Dirt Track Digest TV, where sponsors, team owners, and fans can watch their favorite drivers battle it out live online.
Follow Utica-Rome Speedway on social media with Facebook and Twitter.
DIRTcar Series PR
April 29th, 2016 will be a day that Gus Dean will never forget.
After disappointment in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona just two months earlier, the Bluffton, S.C. native had hoped to redeem himself with a strong run at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
On that day, Dean found himself in Victory Lane at the 2.66-mile superspeedway in just his second career ARCA Menards Series start in an adrenaline-filled 74 laps.
The Talladega triumph led to many more opportunities for the likable driver which included a two-year span of fulltime ARCA competition in 2017 and 2018 before graduating to the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 2019.
And when the ARCA Menards Series emerges from nearly a three-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic at Talladega on June 20th, Dean will be there and hope to rekindle the magic from four years ago.
Dean will return to Win-Tron Racing for his 53rd career ARCA start under the leadership of veteran Jamie Jones who has worked with the two-time ARCA winner for the last 25 races.
“I can’t wait to get back to Talladega in a couple of weeks,” said Dean. “Talladega will always be a special place for me, but it’s also one of my favorite race tracks. I am excited to get back there with Jamie (Jones), Kevin (Cywinski) and the rest of my Win-Tron Racing guys and hunt for a win.
“We had a good car again at Daytona and were just biding our time, missed the big wreck and then a bunch of cars tried to avoid running into the pace car and we got wrecked under caution. It was a major bummer because I thought we had a car capable of winning.
“Jamie and the guys though have repaired the car and we keep counting down the days to Talladega.”
Dean has four prior starts at Talladega with a win, one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has not finished worse than 12th and has completed all 319 laps from 2016 to 2019.
And while the other superspeedway track of Daytona has not been as kind to him, he hopes for more of the same luck at Talladega for the fifth consecutive year.
“I always run well at the superspeedway tracks, but Talladega has certainly been kinder to me over the years. I’ve been super blessed to drive fast race cars and have great spotters and teams who have put me in the same position year after year.”
MashOnIt Apparel Co. will support Dean’s effort for his second ARCA Menards Series start of the season.
MashOnIt Apparel Co. is a brand for those that live life wide open. The people that look at something normal and think, "That's not good enough,” “It can go faster" or "Let's see what this thing can do."
Those that have the hunger inside that keeps them just south of normal.
That never-ending hunger for speed and adrenaline that allows you to find the thin line between being heroic and insane, giving them a perspective on life that few are lucky enough to find.
“Our No. 32 MashOnIt Apparel Co. Chevrolet looks so sweet,” added Dean. “We debuted the paint scheme at Daytona in February and I’m excited to have them back for another race this season.”
Dean will carry the MashOnIt Apparel Co. onboard camera for the General Tire 200 offering viewers a unique view from inside the cockpit.
For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@GusDean).
For more on MashOnIt Apparel Co., please visit MashOnIt.com, like them on Facebook (MashOnIt Apparel Co.,), follow them on Instagram (MashOnIt_Clothing) and follow them on Twitter (@MashOnIt Apparel Co.).
The General Tire 200 (76 laps | 202 miles) is the third of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., June 20 with a half-hour session from 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (Central).
Gus Dean PR
NASCAR driver to celebrate the gift of life
Cori was a mother, wife and friend to many. She enjoyed living life to the fullest and was an avid NASCAR fan. She and her husband Shawn were camping for the 2019 NASCAR Atlanta race weekend when Cori passed away of sudden brain aneurysm. Cori made the decision, before her death, to register as an organ donor, and LifeLink worked with her family to honor her decision. Cori’s legacy continued as she saved three lives through organ donation. Through the LifeLink of Georgia partnership with NASCAR driver, Joey Gase, Cori’s picture was placed on the hood of the #51 car as a tribute to those whose lives were forever changed by her decision to donate life.
The COVID-19 pandemic altered our original plans to celebrate Cori’s life and gift of donation with her family during several events leading up to and on race day, however, in mid-March, we were able to gather in downtown Hampton, Georgia, near the speedway, where Joey, LifeLink of Georgia and the community honored Cori, and all donor families, with Cori’s family and friends. During this event, dubbed Handprints of Hope, over 100 transplant recipients, donor families, registered organ donors and members of the Hampton community were invited to leave handprints and signatures on Joey’s car.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, originally scheduled for March 15, 2020, was postponed, but has been recently rescheduled and the #51 car, featuring Cori’s photo, will be on the track for the televised race this Sunday, June 7, 2020. Although no fans will be in the stands, there will be millions watching the race from home, remembering Cori and cheering for Joey to finish strong as he races the LifeLink and Donate Life Georgia #51 car in honor of his mother and others touched by donation and transplantation, like Cori.
Joey is committed to honoring organ and tissue donors through his platform as a NASCAR driver because of his personal connection, which he shared with attendees at the Hampton Handprints of Hope event. Following his mother’s death in 2011 from a sudden brain aneurysm, NASCAR driver Joey Gase made the decision to donate her organs, eyes and tissues, which ultimately touched the lives of 66 individuals in desperate need of a transplant. Since then, Gase has become as passionate about donation as he is about racing. In 2015, he was awarded NASCAR’s inaugural COMCAST Community Outreach Award for his work supporting organ, eye and tissue donation and donor families. Rick Ware Racing is excited that Gase will pilot the No. 51 entry in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.
RWR PR
Chad Bryant Racing (CBR) officially announced today that Polkton, N.C. native Brandon Lynn will drive the team’s mainstay No. 22 Ford Fusion in the upcoming ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on June 20, 2020.
The upcoming race will mark the return of competition in the ARCA Menards Series since being on hiatus since early March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Carolina Excavation will support the 25-year-old’s efforts as the primary partner of his 12th career ARCA race.
Carolina Excavation is a residential subdivision total site development company for the developers around the Charlotte region. They specialize in site cleaning work, mass grading, fine grading, utility work, asphalt, and curb.
Carolina Excavation is equipped with the latest and greatest in GPS technology to build the ideal site for developers wanting the perfect product.
“I’m very thankful for this opportunity with Chad Bryant Racing,” said Lynn. “The team has always had a lot of speed at the superspeedways and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do on the track. Talladega has always been one of my better tracks in ARCA competition and I hope I’m able to showcase that with Chad Bryant Racing and contend for the win in a few weeks.”
Lynn is no stranger to Talladega’s 2.66-mile high banks.
Lynn will make his fifth consecutive ARCA start at the famed Alabama race track. In his previous four efforts, he has earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes including a career-best third place finish last April after winning the pole.
“I feel like I have some unfinished business at Talladega, and I would like to finish what I started last year in a couple weeks. I know the circumstances will be different with limited on-track activity – but I think the years of experience between myself and the team will pay off.”
In addition to Talladega, Lynn will return with Chad Bryant Racing later this summer for the scheduled Aug. 14 race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
Team owner Chad Bryant says he is looking forward to having the opportunity to work with Lynn.
“Brandon is an exceptional superspeedway racer and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in our equipment,” Bryant said. “His experience should put us in good position to contend for our first win of the season.
“We had a lot of speed at Daytona even though we don’t have the finishes to show for it. Last year at Talladega, our No. 22 Chad Bryant Racing Ford ran inside the top-five the entire race with Ty Majeski and I know with a little luck we can backup or better our fourth-place effort with Brandon here soon.”
NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief Paul Andrews will serve as crew chief for the third ARCA Menards Series race of 2020. For more on Brandon Lynn, please like him on Facebook (Brandon Lynn Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@blynnracing) and Twitter (@blynnracing).
For more on Chad Bryant Racing, please visit ChadBryantRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Chad Bryant Racing) or follow them on Twitter (@ChadBryantRace).
The General Tire 200 (76 laps | 202 miles) is the third of 20 races on the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., June 20 with a half-hour session from 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (Central).
CBR PR
Blue-Emu, NASCAR & Martinsville Speedway to Honor Frontline Healthcare Workers at Sovah Health – Martinsville on Monday, June 8
In advance of the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 NASCAR Cup Series race, Blue-Emu, NASCAR and Martinsville Speedway (Martinsville) will honor frontline healthcare workers at Sovah Health – Martinsville as they continue to battle the effects of COVID-19 in Martinsville and Henry County, Va. on Monday, June 8 at 2 p.m.
Sovah Health – Martinsville CEO Dale F. Alward will be joined by Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace on behalf of Blue-Emu for the special event. Wallace will lead a parade of NASCAR haulers around the Sovah Health – Martinsville campus driving Martinsville’s Ford Mustang Pace Car. All four will be available for media opportunities following the event.
For over three decades, Sovah Health – Martinsville has served as the official healthcare provider for the track. In 2020, the facility is celebrating its 50th year of continuous operation in Martinsville, Va.
“We are grateful to join our entitlement partner Blue-Emu to recognize local frontline healthcare workers at Sovah Health – Martinsville,” said Campbell. “Sovah Health is a long-time valuable partner with the speedway, so we’re honored to recognize their sacrifices to care for our community during their 50th anniversary celebration.”
In addition to the parade, Blue-Emu will provide employees with samples of Blue-Emu products and serve a meal for employees of the 220-bed facility located approximately 15 minutes away from the speedway.
“We are proud to support the community involvement that has encompassed the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500,” said Ben Blessing, EVP of Marketing, Blue-Emu. “It is purely humbling to be a part of such an incredible group of people banning together to provide for those in need.”
The event at Sovah Health – Martinsville was part of a full day of activities involving NASCAR in the region. Earlier in the day the NASCAR Transportation team made a stop in Greensboro, N.C. to visit Mack Truck headquarters. Mack Trucks is an official partner with NASCAR and the visit was part of NASCAR recognizing essential and front line workers.
Campbell was in Greensboro to thank all the drivers of Mack Trucks for their continued efforts to keeps products and goods moving throughout the country as efforts continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 will be the first Cup night race in the 73-year history of Martinsville. The race will be run without fans in attendance, and will be broadcast nationally on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on June 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Martinsville Speedway PR
NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021 to be announced on special edition of NASCAR America Tuesday, June 16, at 5 P.M. ET on NBCSN
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021 and the winner of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR will be announced during a special presentation of NASCAR America on Tuesday, June 16 at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
The program will be hosted by NBC Sports’ NASCAR studio team of Dale Jarrett (NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014), Kyle Petty, Krista Voda and NBCSports.com writer Nate Ryan.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel will meet virtually on Tuesday, June 9.
Three NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees will be selected from the list of nominees – two from the Modern Era ballot and one from the Pioneer ballot. The Landmark Award recipient will be chosen from the list of five nominees, all listed below.
Two of the modern era candidates are part of the NBC Sports NASCAR team: Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Modern Era Ballot
Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories
Jeff Burton, won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s
Dale Earnhardt Jr., 15-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver and two-time Xfinity Series champion
Carl Edwards, winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion
Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories
Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief
Larry Phillips, first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion
Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400
Kirk Shelmerdine, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief
Mike Stefanik, winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships
Pioneer Ballot
Jake Elder, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief
Red Farmer, three-time NASCAR Late Model Sportsman champion; 1956 Modified champion
Banjo Matthews, built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships
Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR West Series champion
Ralph Moody, two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as mechanical genius of Holman-Moody
Landmark Award
Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race
Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.
Mike Helton, named third president of NASCAR in 2000; career included track operator roles at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway
Dr. Joseph Mattioli, founder of Pocono Raceway
Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
NBC Sports PR
Atlanta Motor Speedway is renaming one of its grandstands to honor the legacy of 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.
Starting with this weekend’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, what used to be known as the Winners Grandstand will now be the Johnson Grandstand. With the newly christened grandstand, Johnson will join fellow 7-time champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as NASCAR drivers whose legends are immortalized at AMS.
“It takes a great driver to succeed at our track and an even greater one to win a championship, but only the greatest can win seven titles and Jimmie Johnson is undoubtedly one of the greatest,” said AMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison.
In addition to having an entire grandstand named in his honor, Johnson will also kick off his final start at Atlanta Motor Speedway as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver by giving the command to start engines on Sunday, June 7.
After uttering the most famous words in motorsports, Johnson will seek his sixth career victory at AMS during Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
The Johnson Grandstand is the 20th and final enhancement come from Atlanta Motor Speedway’s “20 in 20” initiative. All told the Speedway has announced 20 individual enhancements to increase fan value and the overall enjoyment of Atlanta Motor Speedway for years to come.
The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 will be broadcast live on FOX and PRN at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 7.
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AMS PR