Three of the drivers locked into the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race enjoyed an advance look at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Tuesday, as Chris Buescher, Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick participated in a Goodyear tire test before the NASCAR Cup Series returns to North Wilkesboro for the All-Star Race on May 21.
Dillon's No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Buescher's No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, and Reddick's No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota shook down the 0.625-mile track and tried different tire compounds to test tire wear and grip around Wilkesboro's storied, abrasive surface.
The trio of drivers will be among a who's-who of NASCAR luminaries attempting to capture the checkered flag in the first NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Tuesday's action marked the first time the 75-year-old track had hosted a Cup Series-sanctioned event since the checkered flag last flew on a Cup Series race in 1996.
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 17 RFK RACING FORD: "To see the changes in the track (since a December 2019 cleaning for the iRacing simulation) is amazing. It's so cool to see the progress made, and the mix of the old and the new. I know the fans are going to love it. I imagine everybody's going to be pumped to come out here, and you're going to have a very loyal fan base for this track, for a long time. It's going to put on a good race, too. It was a lot of fun in the race car. We got to make several hundred laps in our race car, went through different tire options and learned a lot. It's a track that's rough around the edges. It's got a ton of character."
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CHEVROLET: "It's so cool. There's so much history here. The track's still the old track. It just teaches you short-track racing (techniques), being easy on that gas pedal and trying to take care of the rear tires. We had a blast and I can't wait to come back. Just finally getting here was cool. This place was dormant forever and now it's alive, and you can feel the energy and the momentum that's building. It's going to be electric (in May). It's going to have that feel they had in the 1990s here, when they were packed out and fans were getting to enjoy a race near home. It's rough out there. It's gritty. It's North Wilkesboro."
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 45 23XI RACING TOYOTA: "When you're on the race track, the surface, the elevation, it feels really old-school. It's very much different from a lot of the race tracks that we have on the circuit, and I really enjoyed it. We didn't do any sim work. We went in with the team's best guess, I came in with an open mind and we went about taking on the day. I just really enjoyed making our 20- and 50-lap runs today. You really have to respect the race track and think long-term (with tire conservation). For me, more than anything, just the energy that will be here, I'm really excited to be a part of it."
NASCAR All-Star Race week will include six days or nights of entertainment including:
- Tuesday, May 16: ASA Stars National Series
- Wednesday, May 17: CARS Pro and Late Model Stocks
- Friday, May 19: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck and Cup Series practice; Concerts by Midland and Chase Rice
- Saturday, May 20: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series qualifying and Tyson 250; NASCAR Cup Series qualifying
- Sunday, May 21: Dierks Bentley pre-race concert; NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race
Schedules are tentative and subject to change. Specific on-track schedules and the All-Star Race format will be released at a later date.
TICKETS:
NASCAR All-Star Race weekend ticket packages for all Friday/Saturday/Sunday activities including NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series practice and qualifying sessions; Midland, Chase Rice and Dierks Bentley concerts; NASCAR All-Star Open; NASCAR All-Star Race and Tyson 250 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race are on sale. Single-day tickets for All-Star Friday presented by Raymer Oil and Saturday’s Tyson 250 are also on sale. Tickets can be purchased online at www.northwilkesborospeedway.
MORE INFO:
Fans can connect with North Wilkesboro Speedway and get the latest news regarding NASCAR All-Star week and North Wilkesboro Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan.
NWS PR
Speedway Children's Charities (SCC) distributed $40,000 Tuesday at North Wilkesboro Speedway to four area nonprofits making a direct impact on the lives of Wilkes County area children in need. SCC officials hosted representatives from the following charities, each of which received a $10,000 grant from 2022 fundraising efforts to support their causes.
● Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission (BROC)
● Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home
● H.O.P.E. Ministries
● SafeSpot Advocacy Center of Wilkes
The recipient organizations serve hundreds of area children facing challenges ranging from abuse and residential care needs to childhood food insecurity and clothing needs.
“We are excited to make an impact in the lives of the children across Wilkes County through Speedway Children’s Charities,” said SCC Managing Director Jessica Fickenscher, who also serves as the executive director of the upcoming NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. “Each of the organizations we are presenting grants to works to improve the lives of children in the community. They are the boots on the ground getting the hard work done, and we couldn’t be prouder to assist their missions.”
Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home, one of the SCC grant recipients, provides residential, foster and adoption services.
“It is an honor to be associated with the speedway and SCC, as the return to Wilkes County is such a blessing to the community and economy,” Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home Associate Director Sherry Reeves said. “This contribution will specifically enable us to help young adults who are transitioning towards independence. We look forward to our partnership and thank SCC for investing in our youth.”
SCC raised the donations during 2022 through individual donations, community sponsorship and a unique Laps for Charity event last August where fans drove their personal cars on the historic short track.
Ahead of the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race, fans and community sponsors will have the chance to help SCC make a difference through a number of new fundraising initiatives, all of which will continue to support nonprofits serving children in need throughout the region.
SCC Events during NASCAR All-Star Week:
● May 15, Bootleggers Cup Golf Tournament at Oakwoods Country Club
● May 18, Cornhole Tournament presented by Wilkes Custom Printing in downtown North Wilkesboro
● May 16, 17,19, 20 and 21: At-track 50/50 raffles and golf cart fan-assistance donations
“Supporters and dedicated volunteers are vital to our efforts to make a meaningful impact in the community,” Speedway Children’s Charities' Taylor Kirby said. “As we continue to invest in the lives of children in Wilkes County, we are excited to continue to build relationships with our community partners, who have been phenomenal in support of SCC and our mission of helping kids in need.”
In 2022, SCC distributed nearly $2.9 million across the country to charities that directly impact children in need. Since its inception in 1982, SCC has awarded an excess of $65 million to nonprofit organizations.
For more information on Speedway Children’s Charities to learn how to volunteer, donate, or upcoming events visit www.speedwaycharities.org.
KEEP TRACK:
Fans can connect with Speedway Children’s Charities by following on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
NWS PR
Chase Purdy- No. 4 Bama Buggies Silverado Craftsman Trucks Circuit of the Americas Preview
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KBM PR
John Hunter Nemechek – No. 20 ROMCO Equipment Toyota GR Supra Preview – Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of the Americas
No. 20 ROMCO Equipment Toyota GR Supra News and Notes
- NEMECHEK AT COTA: Saturday’s race at Circuit of the Americas will be John Hunter Nemechek’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 3.41-mile road course. He has made two starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with a best finish of second last season. The North Carolina native started and finished inside the top 12 on both occasions.
- NEMECHECK ON ROAD COURSES: Nemechek’s best finish in five career Xfinity Series starts on road courses is a seventh-place result at the Charlotte ROVAL in 2019. In 11 Truck Series road course races, Nemechek has one win (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2016), five top-five finishes, seven top-10s, and 37 laps led.
- ATLANTA RECAP: Nemechek continued his solid start to the season with an eighth-place finish last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After starting second, he ran amongst the lead group in stage one. A mix of pit strategies dropped Nemechek further back during stage two. He was in the top 10 late in the segment before he spun while avoiding a multi-car accident on lap 78. During the final stage, he climbed back up to second before being shuffled back in the closing laps. His finish has him as one of only three drivers with top-10s in each of the first five races this season.
- ROMCO EQUIPMENT: Nemechek’s No. 20 Toyota GR Supra will feature ROMCO Equipment as the primary sponsor for Saturday’s race at Circuit of the Americas. The Dallas-based company serves the earthmoving, ground engaging and material handling markets by providing a full line of construction and mining equipment. ROMCO and Nemechek have a longstanding partnership dating back to 2017. The combo has proven to be a strong one that has many highlights, including Nemechek’s Xfinity Series win for Joe Gibbs Racing at Texas Motor Speedway in October 2021. ROMCO Equipment will also be the primary sponsor for Nemechek and the No. 20 team at Texas later this season.
- JGR AT COTA: Joe Gibbs Racing owns one win and two pole awards in Xfinity Series competition at Circuit of the Americas. In the inaugural event at the track in 2021, Kyle Busch won the pole, led 35 of 46 laps and won the race driving JGR’s No. 54 Supra. Last season, Ty Gibbs also won the pole for JGR.
- TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Circuit of the Americas is scheduled for Saturday, March 25, at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 20 ROMCO Equipment Toyota GR Supra
What do you expect going to COTA this weekend?
“Our team is excited about this weekend. It’s our first opportunity to see kind of where we stack up on the road courses this year. With eight road courses on the schedule, these tracks are going to be very important, especially when it comes to the regular season points. I feel like I’ve done pretty well at COTA in the Truck Series the last few years and we’ve spent a lot of time in the sim, so I have a lot of confidence going into the weekend and feel like this can be a good race for our 20 team.”
Nemechek NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Stats at Circuit of the Americas
Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8.5 | 7.0 |
Nemechek 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Season Stats
Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 131 | 4.4 | 4.6 |
Nemechek NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats
Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
72 | 3 | 19 | 42 | 1 | 701 | 12.2 | 12.0 |
JGR PR
Car IQ Pay Teams with USAC to Launch “The Fab Four” Racing Competition for Women Drivers
FMP and FVP to Sponsor Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Season
Factory Motor Parts (FMP) and its FVP brand, is proud to announce an expansion of its partnership with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport (JAR) for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity season. This marks a continued relationship with the team that dates to the 2019 season, but a first on the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro with NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of The Year contender Parker Retzlaff.
Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport is a well-established team that has been competing in NASCAR since 2018. With a focus on hard work, dedication, and performance, the team has built a reputation for excellence on and off the track. FMP recognizes these qualities and is excited to support the team as they compete in the 2023 Xfinity NASCAR season.
"We're thrilled to be partnering with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity season," said Dave Schumacher, Director of Marketing "Their group of partners aligns with the FMP family and the FVP brand. We're confident that our partnership will help us both achieve great things on and off the track."
“As our team continues to grow each year, my gratefulness for partners like FMP and their FVP brand continues to grow,” said team partner Jordan Anderson. “They see the value that their involvement in motorsports provides and the opportunities that exist in the business-to-business space. Our entire organization is proud to carry their colors, and we hope to deliver them some great results both on and off track as the 2023 rolls on.”
Team partner John Bommarito was equally excited. “Our entire Bommarito Automotive Group has relied on the excellent products and service that FMP delivers to our entire line up of dealerships for years. The synergy that exists to partner our race team up with the competitive spirit of FMP was an equal opportunity for us to see this relationship continue to grow.”
FVP will be featured on the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS, as well as on the hauler, pit box, driver suit, and team apparel. The partnership will also include promotional activities, social media campaigns, and other marketing initiatives to raise awareness of both FVP and Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport.
For more information about FVP and Jordan Anderson Racing, visit their websites at – FactoryMotorParts.com
JAR PR
There’s No Slowing Down Andreotti: He’s Going Full-Time USAC Midget Racing with Malloy in 2023
RFK Advance | COTA
COTA Event Info:
Track Info: Circuit of the Americas, 3.426-mile road course
Date: Sunday, March 26
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Austin, Texas
Format: 68 laps, 231.88 miles, Stages: 15-15-38
TV: FOX
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 2:05 p.m. ET, Practice (No TV)
Saturday: 11:30 a.m. ET, Qualifying (FS1, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Race (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: Wyndham Rewards
17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fifth Third Bank
- As part of the Fueled by Fifth Third Program, Crunch Fitness will ride on the decklid of the No. 17 this weekend at COTA. Crunch Fitness is best known of its colorful personality and world-class group fitness classes. Crunch embraces a no judgments philosophy. This means positivity, inclusivity, and tons of fun for everyone.
- Crunch is known for its innovative group fitness programming and will offer a wide range of classes every week including BodyWeb with TRX, Zumba, Cardio Tai Box, Yoga Body Scult, Fat Burning Pilates and more in the gym’s group fitness studio.
- Crunch is all about YOU:
- You get more value per dollar at Crunch than any other brand in the industry
- Memberships start at $9.99 per month
- No long term contracts
- Opened and staffed 24/7
Pace Laps:
- The Cup Series heads to the first of six road courses races this season as COTA, the 20-turn, nearly 3.5-mile circuit, hosts the NCS for the third time.
- The weekend schedule again features a rare, full practice session as a 50-minute practice is slated for Friday. NASCAR also implemented new rule changes at road courses for 2023 with the following going into effect for the first time this weekend: stage break cautions have been eliminated with stage points still being awarded to drivers at the predetermined stage end lap. The field will not be slowed by the green-checkered flag indicating a stage break.
- It’s a trip home for Chris Buescher as his hometown of Prosper, Texas, sits 230 miles from the Austin area. Brad Keselowski enters the weekend in search of his first-ever win on a road course.
- Jack Roush has 15 road course wins including five in the Cup Series.
- Buescher has finished inside the top-10 in the last five road course events and last season had an average finish of ninth at those tracks.
Keselowski at COTA
Starts: 2
Wins: --
Top-10s: --
Poles: --
- Keselowski makes his third start at COTA this weekend and 38th Cup start on a road course. He finished 14th a season ago in Texas, and ran 19th in the series’ first race on the 3+ mile circuit.
- In road course action in his Cup career, Keselowski has 11 top-10s and seven finishes inside the top five with a 15.9 average finish. He has multiple second-place finishes, all at Watkins Glen, and last year had a best road course run of 10th at Sonoma.
- Keselowski has a 15.4 average starting position on road courses.
Buescher at COTA
Starts: 2
Wins: --
Top-10s: --
Poles: --
- Buescher makes his third start at COTA on Sunday and 27th Cup start on a road course. He finished 13th in the first-ever race there in 2021 that was shortened by rain, and ran 21st last season in his home state of Texas.
- Overall in road course racing in his Cup career, Buescher has seven top-10s, three top fives and an average finish of 15.1.
- Buescher has five-straight top-10 finishes on road courses dating back to last season. He finished sixth at the ROVAL last fall, ninth at Watkins Glen, 10th at the Indy Road Course, sixth at Road America and second at Sonoma.
- Buescher has an average starting position of 18.1 on road courses and last season started inside the top-10 in three of the six road course races.
RFK Historically on Road Courses
Cup Wins: 5 (Mark Martin, 1993-94-95, Watkins Glen; Mark Martin, 1997, Sonoma; Carl Edwards, 2014, Sonoma)
- RFK on the Road: As an organization, RFK has made 244 starts on road courses in the Cup Series with five wins, 85 top-10s and 40 finishes inside the top five with a 17.5 average finish.
- Martin Goes Three-Straight in N.Y.: NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin is responsible for four of Jack Roush’s road course wins all-time, including three-straight at Watkins Glen from 1993-95. Martin dominated the three years, leading a combined 183 laps, and won all three from the pole. He also won once in Sonoma, in 1997, after also starting from the point to lead 69 of the 74 laps.
- Edwards Victorious Four Times, at Four Different Road Courses: Carl Edwards also visited victory lane for Jack Roush at Sonoma, driving to the win in 2014 after starting fourth. In Xfinity action, Edwards was victorious at WGI in 2012, Road America in 2010, and Montreal in 2009. In the 2012 event in New York, current crew chief Scott Graves was atop the box for one of his two Xfinity wins all-time on road courses.
- Buescher, Graves Former Road Course Winners: In Buescher’s first full-time Xfinity season in 2014, he and Graves found victory lane at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August, which also fell on August 16. Buescher led 25 laps that day in the No. 60 entry for Roush.
RFK Road Course Wins
1993-1 Martin WGI-Cup
1994-1 Martin WGI-Cup
1995-1 Martin WGI-Cup
1997-1 Martin Son-Cup
2014-1 Edwards Son-Cup
2012-1 Edwards WGI-NXS
2010-1 Edwards RA-NXS
2009-1 Edwards Mon-NXS
2014-1 Buescher Mid-O NXS
1998-1 Ruttman WGI-Truck
2000-1 Biffle WGI-Truck
1997-1 Ruttman Top-Truck
1999-1 Bliss Top-Truck
1997-1 Ruttman Son-Truck
1999-1 Biffle Port-Truck
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Atlanta: Brad Keselowski led the second-most laps and had the lead at the white flag in Sunday’s race at Atlanta but finished second to Joey Logano. Chris Buescher had one of the fastest cars in the field but was caught up in a multi-car incident at lap 189 ending his day early.
Points Standings (6: 5th, 17: 13th): Keselowski sits just 17 points out of first entering the weekend in fifth, while Buescher is 13th with less than a 20-point gap separating him from the ninth spot.
By the Numbers on Road Courses
Race Win T5 T10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn
244 5 40 85 0 22730 585 18.6 17.5 52210.1
111 4 18 40 0 7565 188 14.7 16.5 20414.0
27 6 13 17 0 1784 114 9.3 9.7 3874.1
382 15 71 142 0 32079 887 16.5 16.7 76498.2
RFK PR
RACE ADVANCE: Kaz Grala at Circuit of the Americas
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"COTA should be a good place for us to turn our luck around for the season. We’ve had speed every week, but we have had things out of our control affect our finish. Everyone at Sam Hunt Racing has continued to push and work as hard as they can to get results, so it would feel really good to finally deliver for them this weekend. I feel like COTA is one of my best tracks. I’ve won a couple sports car races there, battled for the win in Trucks, and even ran with the top guys in Cup last year. Hopefully we can put our Fire Dept. Coffee Supra up front and gather some points." -- Kaz Grala, Driver of the No. 26 Fire Dept. Coffee GR Supra SHR PR |
Stafford Speedway has announced that hometown company McKinney Construction will return to the track’s contingency program for the 2023 season. McKinney Construction will provide a weekly $150 bonus to the 2nd place finisher of each SK Modified® feature as well as a $150 bonus to each SK Light 2nd place finisher. The bonuses boost the 2nd place weekly payouts to $1,275 for the SK Modifieds® and $400 for the SK Lights.
“The Arute’s have done a lot for the town of Stafford over the years and my family has been here in Stafford since 1741 so we’ve been in town for as long as anyone and we appreciate everything the track does for the town,” said Larry McKinney of McKinney Construction. “We look forward to forming and maintaining a long-term relationship with the track and the contingency program.”
Owned and operated by Larry McKinney, McKinney Construction is located on Main Street in Stafford Springs, CT. Specializing in a variety of projects for municipalities, hospitals, chain stores, supermarkets, and more, McKinney can tackle your construction needs. For more information on McKinney Construction contact them at 860-680-2757 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
McKinney Construction will also be seen as a sponsor on the SK Modified® and Open Modified cars of Todd Owen, the SK Light car of Amanda West, and the #88 Open Modified of Woody Pitkat.
“In addition to our contingency sponsorship, we’re going to be helping sponsor Amanda West in the SK Lights, Woody Pitkat in the Open Modifieds, and Todd Owen in both the SK Modified® and Open Modified divisions,” said McKinney. “We’re looking forward to an exciting season of racing.”
The first McKinney Construction contingency bonuses will be paid during the 51st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend set for April 29-30. The NAPA Spring Sizzler® kicks off on Saturday, April 29, and will consist of two 40-lap NAPA Duel qualifying races for the Open Modified division. The 40-lap races will each pay $3,500 to win and will set the field for Sunday’s NAPA Spring Sizzler®. The American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models will also make their return to Stafford Speedway on April 29th with a 75-lap feature with over 40 cars expected for the race. Limited Late Model, Street Stock, and Vintage All-Star divisions will complete Saturday’s racing program.
Order 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets
Sponsor a NAPA Spring Sizzler® Lap
Sunday, April 30th will play host to the $20,000 to win 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. Filling out Sunday’s racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified®, SK Light Modified, and Late Model divisions along with last chance qualifiers for the Spring Sizzler®.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
Stafford Speedway PR